I was still trying to process this information long after Isabel had bid me good night. I dried my hair automatically and left the bathroom. I clutched my towel tightly to my body as I entered Duke's and my room. He was sleeping soundly, curled up into a ball. Donya...in love with me? I thought as I dressed in clean clothes from my backpack. I found it hard to believe that an attractive woman like that would like someone like me. But what did Isabel have to gain from lying to me? They had worked together and it looked like Isabel was very fond of Donya from the way she acted around her. I sat on the edge of the bed and watched the candle flicker, lost. It was all too much to think about, and I was exhausted from everything that had happened. I felt annoyed at Isabel for bringing this up right before bed, as now I had burning questions that would keep me up at night. I vowed to come to the bottom of this issue tomorrow, after some sleep. I laid down and was asleep when my head hit the pillow.
To my surprise, I actually had a very good sleep. During the moments in the night when I would start to wake, a habit that I had quickly developed when sleeping outdoors, I was quickly comforted by the snoring of Duke beside me, and would fall back asleep. When I opened my eyes I immediately looked to my left. Duke's sleeping form was comforting to see, I snuggled up to the form, he was nice and warm. I buried my head in the soft sheets.
"Mrmph?" I heard him woke but I continued to hide underneath the blankets. I could feel him digging around until his snout touched the top of my head.
"Lianne?"
I could help it, I let out a girlish giggle as he nuzzled my head. "Duke." He successfully untangled me from the sheets with his hands, and let out a small grunt of achievement. I put my arms around his neck and kissed him deeply on the lips. "You found me."
"And you found me." He echoed, and I was sure he wasn't just talking about right now. "Thank you, Lianne, I'm not sure what would have happened had you not come and saved me."
The thought was too horrible to even think about, so I decided to lighten the mood. "Eh, I'm sure you would've figured it out."
He smiled that dragon-grin, all fangs. "I've missed that wit." He pulled me across the bed, holding me to his chest as he sighed heavily. I hugged him back, rubbing my face against his smooth scales. My stomach growled loudly for a long time at that moment.
"You must be hungry." Duke said after my stomach had stopped making its protest. "Why don't you go upstairs?"
"Good idea." I said, rubbing my suddenly aching belly as I sat up. I wonder how long it had waited for me to awake. How long had we been asleep for?
"Should I bring you anything?" I asked him when I remembered he was still trying to remain hidden.
"No, I'll be ok." He nodded at the heavy plates on the large table that were now completely bare.
"You ate...all of that?" I said, shocked. "And while I was asleep?"
"You didn't stir at all." He said matter-of-factly, looking pleased. Huh. Perhaps I slept more soundly than I had thought.
"But now, I must rest." He said. "I need time to recover from my wounds." He laid back down onto the pillow.
"How are those, anyway?" I lifted the sheet to peer at his wounds. To my surprise the dark scorch marks had all but faded away, they looked more like bruises now.
"I think a few more hours should take care of them." He said nonchalantly as I looked on, amazed.
"Wish I had healing powers like that." I mumbled.
He grinned. "You are not a dragon."
"Don't make me regret saving you." I said dryly to his cocky chuckle. I kissed him on the cheek. "I'm going to find some breakfast."
Once I had gotten changed, I went down the hall and knocked a few times on the door of Donya's room but there was no response. I decided to walk up the carpeted stairs and perhaps ask someone if she had gone somewhere. I recognized the door that led outside so I decided to walk up the other flight of stairs, past an archway with open red. It led to a large room with high windows with, an archway with closed curtains, one with a closed door, and one door that sounded like it led outside.
Thankfully a fully-clothed redheaded woman I had never seen before opened the door on my right, which from the sounds coming from it, was definitely a kitchen. She was fully dressed in a white shirt and tan dress and an apron. She was also holding a tray of very delicious smelling biscuits of some sort. I was about to apologize for disturbing her before she smiled at me. "Ah Lianne! Perfect timing, I just finished baking these. Come, come."
"Oh, ok." I said, confused as to how she knew my name. Damn, was I supposed to know hers? I was raking my mind as to what her name may be as I followed her outside to a large balcony. When I stepped out, I was momentarily shocked by how bright out it was already, even though the ceiling provided shade.
The balcony was large enough to several tables, but at the moment it only had a single table with two occupants. Donya and Isabel were sitting there, an assortment of food already laid out on the round steel table that they were sitting at. Beyond them I could see rich forest, and large pond in the distance surrounded with rock. I could faintly hear the peaceful sounds of flowing water.
The redhead placed the biscuits on the table and gestured at the wooden chair beside Donya. "Please, sit."
"Oh, thank you." I said, momentarily disorientated by the scene. I sank down into the cushioned chair. Wow.
I looked over at the two women now. Donya was wearing a dark blue tunic that I had not seen before, and Isabel was wearing a lacey white shirt. Both women looked so casually well-dressed that I felt very underdressed in my every day brown tunic.
"How'd you sleep?" Donya asked.
"Pretty well, actually." I said. From the looks of their half-empty tea cups it seemed like they had been here for quite a while already.
