Chapter 93: Won’t Leave His Side
In typical childlike fashion, there was a time when Irene kneeling against a bed wasn’t the most comfortable position to sleep in, so she allowed herself to fall onto the expansive rug that covered the floor of the guest room.
It took one roll to her side and curling into a ball before she was comfortable enough to doze off once more.
Mental and physical exhaustion combined took her out for hours and she didn’t even recognize how cold she was. Luckily, she wasn’t at an age in her life where she had to be careful with herself while sleeping or she would wake with a stiff neck or back.
The girl only stirred once more when warmth enveloped her and she was suddenly much more comfortable than before.
Throughout the entire Duke’s Tower, not much sleeping happened as the knights carried on well into the night, trying to handle the goblin and ogre bodies before they were allowed to rest. Even Felix was caught up with having to take a wagon to the battlefield and retrieve weapons that weren’t damaged that the goblins had likely stolen from them in the first place at one point.
When Sir Gunnar returned, he decided to do what he had been putting off forever. The man washed himself off and got into new clothing. He then went back to the Duke’s Tower and he made his way to the guest room where Sir Arthur lay, healing from his injuries.
As the seasoned knight stood at the door, his hand grabbed the handle but he didn’t make much more movement than that for a long time.
With all of the alarming monster appearances, Sir Arthur was not only a dear friend but a beacon of light. The man’s positivity was infectious and, despite all the bad they had faced, he somehow remained positive. No one knew his secret for optimism—a few suspected it might be his family that was safe and far away from the mess of monsters that the Duke’s Tower seemed to guard.
Whatever it may be, Gunnar needed Arthur more than ever before, but he wouldn’t blame the man if he never smiled again.