The knock on my door interrupts my tears. I don't want anyone to know how much I've fallen apart. I'm supposed to be stronger than this.
"Who is it?" There, my voice sounds steady .... much steadier than I feel. But the door opens, whoever it is behind it not waiting for an answer ... Amelia.
"M-miss Lina?" She sounds shocked. I know I look aweful, my eyes red and swollen from crying, my face pale from emotion.
"Go away, Amelia." Is that me? Do I really sound that vulnerable? I look away from her, I don't want to see her pity.
Amelia is suddenly next to me, hugging me, comforting me. "It'll be ok ... it'll be all right." A hug ... oh gods, how I have been needing one. Her kindness breaks the last barrier within me, and I am crying my heart out on her shoulder. She holds me like my sister used to, letting my tears flow until all I have left are a few watery hiccups.
Where did the little fool go? The justic-spouting klutz that can be so annoying and endearing at the same time? I think I see why so many of the people of Seyruun loved their queen so much, if Amelia has even an ounce of her mother's personality.
"Care to tell me what's wrong?" How so wise, so young? I give her a weak smile as she uses a hand towel to wipe the tears off my face. "Where's the klutz?"
Amelia gave me a wry, somewhat self-mocking smile. "I'm not a complete klutz! I know I act very childish at times, but hey, I'm still a kid. It's just that many of the castle maids found me to be a good listener, when it came to their heartbreaks. That's whats wrong, isn't it?"
"Yes ... " It feels so good to simply tell her, to have someone know why I've been coming apart. I feel as if some undefined weight has left my shoulders. Like when my sister was still there for me...
Amelia's sigh is soft, almost unheard. "I love him too, you know. And now I'm going to do something I never thought I would be doing."
"What's that?"
Amelia placed her hands on my shoulders, gently pushing to get me to lay down. She began tucking me in, adding a warmed cloth at my stomach. My perception grew fuzzy as the warmth worked to relax me. "Helping another woman win him."
She placed a damp, cool towel over my forehead and eyes, easing the ache in them. Between warm tummy and cool head, I was soon asleep ....
"Well now, we have our work cut out for us, don't we?" Xeros smirked as Amelia spun around with a muffled shriek of surprise. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"
"All issues of sneaking aside, how is she doing?" Amelia looked at Xeros, her mistrust showing clearly. "Come, come, I'm not about to harm her. Indeed, I'd rather rip my arm off first."
Xeros caught Amelia's chin in his hand, tilting her head so that she had to look in his eyes. "Indeed, I wish to grant Lina her deepest dream."
Amelia bit her lip nervously, then spoke. "She's rather shaken up. She'll feel better in the morning when she wakes up, but the whole situation is tearing her apart."
A dark smile crossed Xeros's face. "We'll have to try our hardest to get these two together then, won't we?"