First time in his life he was completely at loss of what to do. He was standing at the doorstep, unsure of should he enter or stay outside. His current position as Marie’s bodyguard made it impossible to stay further than straight at her side for further periods at time, but her upcoming unification ceremony and the presence of her husband to be in the castle made it difficult, if not downright impossible to spend any period of time with her alone.
“Aren’t you coming in?” Marie asked, already undoing the laces of her bodice, obviously getting ready for her ‘bedridden and not so well’ –act. He shook his head and stepped in, closing the door and going over to where she stood, falling to his old habit of helping her undressing and getting comfortable after she had been traipsing around swathed in heavy layers of formal dress and suffocating corset.
He winced a bit when the last scrap of garment fell from her and he saw the angry, red welts on her skin, realizing just now how tight he had laced her clothing earlier that day. He let his fingers skim over the marred skin of her back and she curled under his touch, letting out a relieved hiss.
“Sorry about this. Should I… I could go and get something to soothe…” He muttered. She shook her head and arched against his coarse palm, trembling slightly when he rubbed her back.
“Thanks… I could use a bath, but that’ll have to wait. Since I’m not feeling so well, I can’t waltz around smelling roses…” She sighed, flopping on the bed face down. He covered her nude form with light gown before retreating to the window.
“You do anyway…” He whispered before he caught himself.
“Do what?” She asked, sounding as she was already falling asleep. Their trip to the blacksmith had apparently worn her out.
“Your scent. It’s always roses and blood. Doesn’t matter what you do or how often you bathe. It’s… It’s you,” he explained, shifting awkwardly, waiting for yet another question. That never came. Her even breathing told him that she had fallen asleep. He sat on the windowsill, cringing when his chest plate creaked against the stone and she stirred in her sleep, but eventually she settled down again and he dared to turn his gaze fully on to her.
He tried. He really tried, but couldn’t bring himself to imagine her as anything else than the girl he saw in front of him right now. Granted, there was every possibility that the gift the ceremony would activate in her could be disastrous in many ways, but he was quite certain there was nothing to worry about. Everybody showed off certain signs of what could possibly happen long before the manifestation, and he was quite skilled at reading those small indicators. He was quite certain that Marie wouldn’t inherit her mother’s mutation.
He frowned. She seemed mostly to be concerned about what would happen to her outer appearance. He hadn’t thought she’d be as shallow. There was a lot more to be concerned about than if her hair turned weird or if she grew scales. He’d have to talk about it with her. Share his experience with Victor in detail. Make sure that she realized all the risks and coped with them instead of dragging some childish insecurities and phobias alongside her in to the ceremony. The more informed and relaxed she was, the better she would fare through it all.
A knock on the door interrupted his worrying over her and he rose quickly to answer to it, not wanting her to wake up yet. Dinner would be few hours away, and he needed her well and clear-headed.
“I came to relieve you from your duties, Wolverine,” Robert said. He was standing at the doorstep, his fingers clutching the hilt of a sword straddled at his side.
“Do you have Xavier’s authorization?” Logan asked, strange mixture of relief and panic gripping his chest. Robert nodded, handing him a rolled parchment. Logan took it and broke the seal, noting it really had been Xavier that had sent Robert and took the parchment to the window to see more clearly the lavish writing on it.
It was a simple form, written in common language. His services were no longer needed, and Xavier was hoping he’d step down from his position and accept certain amount of gold, as well as small patch of land and adjoining farmhouse complete with herd of sheep, a horse and yearly allowance as a reward for his long years in his service.
He rolled up the parchment and gazed his sleeping protégée, taking a hesitant step towards the bed, then turned around stiffly and walked out from the room, leaving her in to Robert’s care.
It wasn’t until he reached the stables when he realized his mistake. By then it was already late, but he turned on his heels and charged back towards the grand entrance of the castle, cursing the weight of the armor that was dragging him down, hoping against hope that he’d get back to her in time.
He hadn’t been able to smell Xavier’s scent on the release form.
When he got back in to her room, it was all over. Palace guards were dragging unconscious Robert out. Marie was crouching in the corner, naked and screaming, telling everybody to back off. Her thighs were smeared with fresh blood.
“What the hell happened?” He growled when he spotted Xavier at the doorstep. Old man looked sad and disappointed, as well as worried and angry.
“What happened? Isn’t it obvious? Robert Drake ruined our future.”
“Future?”
“There is no way I can accept my daughter’s union with him. Not now. Not ever. Drakes were our strongest ally. Now… They became our strongest enemy. I have no option but to condemn Robert for what he did, and his father won’t be pleased when we send the boy back beheaded.”
“That’s all? You’re worried about your precious kingdom? What about Ma… Rogue?”
“She’s as good as ruined. Robert forced her to manifest. And we both know how well that works. She’s… Rather hazardous for those surrounding her. She can kill with her touch.”
“Ruined? It’s your own daughter you’re speaking… Sir… She’s…”
“She’s lethal. Her skin started to develop toxins to keep her safe when Robert forced himself in to her. She’s no use to our kingdom anymore. I can’t offer her for unification anymore. Now Scott’s our only chance…”
“It’s Rogue you’re talking about! She needs a medic!”
“I’m afraid it would be a waste of time.”
“Sir… I still am her guardian, if I’m not mistaken?”
“Yes. Yes. I must admit that the ploy Robert used to get you out of his way was rather…”
“Everybody out! Everybody! That means you as well, Xavier! Out! Now!”
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