Page 78 of Bound to a Warrior
“Not another word, Reeve. Mercy needs tending.” With that she was shoving Duncan toward the stairs. “Get her into bed. She needs food and rest to restore her strength.”
Duncan had her up the stairs and in bed before her eyes began fluttering open.
“You best wake up,” he encouraged. “We have much to discuss.”
Mara swatted his arm. “Not tonight. She’s had enough.”
“But—”
Mara placed a gentle hand on her son’s shoulder. “Let it be. She needs your caring right now, not your anger.”
Duncan nodded and gave his mother a hug.
Mara smiled and patted his arm. “It will all work out in due time. Now let’s get her out of these cumbersome garments and into something that will help her rest. You start undressing her while I go get what we need.”
Mercy opened her eyes just as Mara left the room.
“I’ve orders from my mother to disrobe you,” Duncan said with a grin.
Mercy nearly sighed. There was her old Duncan, the one she was familiar with, the one who she knew cared for her beyond reason.
“Then what are you waiting for?” she asked, though when she tried to smile, her head pained her and she winced.
“You’re not feeling well.”
His concern comforted her, but she wished to reassure him. “Just a bit out of sorts.”
“You’ll rest tonight,” he insisted.
“You’ll stay with me?”
He rattled the chain. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“But do you want to?” she asked, her eyes focused on his.
“I’m right where I want to be.”
He sounded certain enough, and besides, he squeezed her hand and locked his fingers with hers. That was a sure sign he didn’t want to go anywhere and that they would fight this battle together.
“You’ve done nothing,” Mara scolded as she rushed into the room.
Mercy corrected her. “He’s done everything for me.”
Mara looked to her son, smiled and then turned to Mercy. “Well, he’s about to do more.”
Duncan worked alongside his mother and in no time they had Mercy out of her garments and into a white, soft wool nightdress and tucked beneath an even softer wool blanket. Mara then took a couple of platters of food from the table and placed them on the chest next to the bed where Duncan sat. She added pitchers of wine and mead. When she was finished she gathered Mercy’s discarded garments.
“I’ll repair these garments so they’ll be ready to wear when you are,” she said. “Now it’s time to get some food into you and then time to rest.”
“And Duncan too,” Mercy said.
Mara nodded. “Sleep well and I’ll see you both in the morning.” Mara stopped at the door and turned and though she spoke to Mercy, she looked to her son. “One thing, Mercy, our parents don’t define us. We define ourselves.”
Mercy looked to Duncan ready to talk, but he silenced her with a gentle finger to her lips.
“No more tonight,” he said. “There’s time enough tomorrow or the next day or the next.”
She smiled as his finger slipped away. He was letting her know that he didn’t intend for her to go anywhere. He wanted her right there with him. And so she gratefully let it be for another day.
