Chapter 29: Different (2)
Annalise didn’t see the reason why she needed to go with Rafael. She wasn’t hurt and the only place she wanted to go was back to her room to get another dress before too many people could see the torn one she wore now. "I will change my dress-"
"I said come with me," Rafael said, letting go of Connor. He didn’t care about the damage he had done or if dropping Connor would cause more. Rafael took off his coat as he approached Annalise. He didn’t miss the way she stepped back like she did not want to be near him.
Rafael mistook the small action as her still shaken up by Connor.
Rafael placed his coat on Annalise’s shoulders and pulled the sides to hide where her dress had been torn. "I apologise that you had to go through this," he apologised, not for Connor, but as his servant, he had not protected her well.
To Rafael, his servants just like the knights counted as his people, and he was never happy when even a single person got hurt.
Annalise didn’t need any apologies from Rafael nor did she want to hear one from Connor, but she could see that Rafael was truly apologetic. The only apology she wanted was from his people to her own.
"You need to take care of your hand," Rafael said, looking down at her bruised knuckle.
"You need to take care of yourself first, young master. Your hands," Annalise pointed to his hands that were covered with blood. Mostly Connor’s blood and it was unlikely that Rafael was wounded, but she didn’t think Rafael should keep Connor’s blood on him for so long.
Rafael held Annalise’s hand so she could not claim to be fine and walk away.