Chapter 22

How does he know my real name?

*How does Damien Lothbrook know?*

And more importantly, for how *long* has he known?

The male in question isn't paying attention to my panicked words, too busy rummaging through the pocket of my trunk to hear the spike in my breathing, the pounding stutter of my heartbeat. I distantly notice his nimble fingers working their way into the leather trunk strapped to the back of the carriage and not a moment later, he's extracting the familiar blue glass bottle with deft fingers and unscrewing the lid.

"How much do you take?" He asks me. His eyes dart up to my face and back, still that startling deep shade of purple.

"*How do you know my name?*" I demand, my voice is a breathy, panicked slur.

His entire body stills and the arm that's still hooked around my waist -the one keeping me upright- stiffens. As if he's just now realizing his slip. His jaw clenches, the muscles there under the shadow of dark shadow-more pronounced than the last time I'd seen him-working as he considers me.

After what feels like a long drawn-out moment, he sighs. As he does, the tension leeches from his body, though the arm still snaked around me stays taut. It's like he's worried that I'll disappear if he loosens his hold on me. In a single move that shocks me to my core--so much so that I'd probably tip over if not for the fact that he's holding me up-one of his big hands comes up to cup the side of my face.

I didn't think it was possible for my heart could beat any faster than it already was, but at his unexpected touch, it somehow managed to accelerate. He crouches down slightly so we're eye to eye. This close, I can see the dark pupils in his eyes dilate. I don't think either of us are breathing. With fingers more gentle than should be possible, his thumb strokes a soothing line up my cheekbone.

"I will explain it all to you, I promise. But the important thing right now is making sure you're well. You need to take your medicine and then I'm going to take you to a healer. After that, we can talk. Alright?"

The lines of his face are set into something so sincere, so genuine, that despite everything else, I find I believe him. I nod, stiffly, "Alright." I relent.

There's a flash of relief across his face before his focus goes back to the bottle wrapped in his fingers, "Now, how much of this do you need to take?"

"Half a capful."

He pours it out carefully, meticulously, and then instead of handing it to me, he presses the cap to my dry lips himself. I'm glad because my hands are shaking badly enough that I don't think I can hold the medicine without spilling it all over myself.

The sharp familiar taste of my medicine slides over my tongue and down my throat. And though the burn of it on my tongue is the same, it feels somewhat different this time. I'm not used to having someone watching each of my subtle movements so fastidiously- eyeing my lips close on the cap, studying the way the muscles in my throat work to swallow as the liquid stings its way down my throat.

I force my eyes away from the intensity of his stare as he pulls the cap away to screw it back onto the lid of the bottle that's still grasped in his hand, swallowing hard.

"Thank you," the words come out shakier than I'd intended for them to be, and I can only hope that he attributes that to the fever and not to the strange, unexpected, not to mention *unwanted* feelings zinging their way under my skin and up through my chest. Anything else is probably a side-effect of the fever, relief from being saved from a horrible fate. Nothing else. It *can't* be anything else.

Someone clears their throat pointedly behind us, and Damion and I both turn at the sound. One of the shifter guards tips his head respectfully at both of us. I couldn't be more relieved at the sudden interruption, wondering what his men could think of the situation. If they're aware of who I am. But it would be impossible for them to not know after Damion addressed me as "Princess".

The expression on the guard's face isn't accusing or suspicious, only subtly curious as his eyes flick between us before finally settling fully on his Commander, "Your majesty, we're about finished here. I've already assigned a few men to complete clearing the road before we continue our patrols."

As he's speaking, I subtly shift my weight away from Damion to let my weight rest against the side of the carriage instead. Though it's probably the last thing that matters right now, I can't help but want to avoid giving the guards any wrong ideas about what's happening here. Damion releases me easily as I shift away, though I can feel his eyes rest briefly, questioningly, on the side of my face.

"Good work out here, Captain," he says, returning his nod with one of his own, "Though I'm going to need to postpone my accompaniment around the borders to another date. I'll have Alfson reach out to you to set something up."

"Of course, sir-"

I miss the rest of their words as my mind turns foggy. I rest more of my weight on the side of the carriage and send a glance over the Captain's shoulder to where the other soldiers stand a generous distance away, awaiting their orders. They all have their eyes averted, affording privacy to their King where there is none.

I can't help but compare their small show of courtesy to the Unseelies intrusive glances when they met us outside of the palace this morning. This subtle difference in civility has that same word flashing through my mind again. *Safe*. This innate sense that the danger has finally passed. It doesn't make any sense considering who I'm with, but I lean into that feeling, letting it wash away any lingering horror and dread that have been my relentless companion since yesterday afternoon.

"-Princess?" I don't think it's the first time Damion's said it, and I blink up to where he's staring down at me again. That same concern is etched in his face again.

I force my blurring eyes to focus, "Yes?"

"Do you need to get anything else from the carriage before we leave?"

When I shake my head in answer, he loops his arm around my waist again, "Let's be off, then."