Strict Machine (complete)

[Razielle Alastor]

For once she didn't dream. Just pitch blackness and silence, broken only now and then by the echo of someone talking as if from far away. The Medics must have given her a liberal dose of something to make her injury less painful. She felt as if she were floating on a cloud, but as time went on she realized it was just her mattress. Somewhere along the way, someone had put her to bed, Lira maybe?

She fought to wake up, tired of laying around. She had questions she wanted answered. First on her mind was if her shoulder had taken any permanent damage. Although she could claim ambidexterity with weaponry, she favored her right hand. She would not take the news well if there would be lasting damage to her sword arm.

Her next thought was that the owner of that blade had just earned an enemy. Not only had she been physically injured, she had been hit and the blow to her pride stung. But what really sent her into a fury was that she knew she had not been the target. The bastard had been after Salem. She would kill him, but she would take her time, real slow..

Her anger caused a spasm of her muscles which startled her awake. Razielle's heavy eyelids struggled open and she sighed. Back in my cage all safe and sound. She could at least feel that she was still in pain. She wasn't numb anymore. Pain was better, meant that her nerves hadn't been damaged too terribly. She welcomed the pain.

"Oww.."

[Salem Ave]

There was a bouquet of nebula orchids in a vase at the foot of Razielle's bed, that filled the room with a soft fragrance. She hadn't heard him come and go, but he had. In between bouts of furious investigation into the attack on the Palace, Salem had spent most of his 'spare' time in the medical ward.

“Lay still... don't strain yourself.”

[Razielle Alastor]

She wanted to cry and laugh like an idiot just because he was there. But then, she also wished her mattress would swallow her whole and suffocate the life from her. She had told the man that she was going to leave him alone and twenty ticks later stepped into the path of a dagger to save him. He must think her quite a fool now. She groaned and wished she were brave enough to move her arm, she'd get her pillow and suffocate herself. In the end though she did whst she always did, just kept going on as if nothing were amiss.

"How long was I out? Is the Queen okay? Who threw the frelling blade?" Her voice ooozed malice at the last question.. It pained her and she inhaled deeply. The scent of flowers caused her to look about and she spied the orchids.

Nebula orchids.. They were her favorite. They were also rare and extremely expensive. Her eyes looked speculative, but she said nothing. She was not asking.

[Salem Ave]

“The Queen is fine, albeit a little shaken. You haven't been out long, just long enough to rest. As for who threw the knife... it's being looked into.”

A little criss-cross pattern of furrows formed on Salem's brow, as he frowned at the thought of the attack. He shook his head faintly, and looked back up to Razielle, laying motionless. “How are you feeling?”

[Razielle Alastor]

She gave a humorless laugh, which was completely uncharacteristic since normally even the macabre amused her. "Pathetic..?"

She didn't care what sort of questions were raised by it in the future. Razielle was staying armed at all times from this day forward. She would not allow everything important in her life be swept away because she had the perfidy to be born into nobility. She had to act like a lady, not a damned victim.

"Given the chance to react otherwise, I believe I'd have gone for the flatware." She seemed very matter of fact about how she could have avoided injury.

[Salem Ave]

“I'm glad you can laugh about this,” Salem replied, his tone somewhat sour. His eyes fixed with hers, and after a moment the anger seemed to soften into an almost apologetic half-frown. It would have been easy for him to chide her, yet it seemed the more he scolded her actions, the more she would act out to try and curry favor.

“You've become something a local hero... 'daring Princess risks life for underling'. I can only assume that one of the guards took a bribe, because it wasn't long before word got out that the knife appeared to be intended for me.”

[Razielle Alastor]

"Don't fret.. I won't let them get you.." She groaned again and shut her eyes. Now she had to worry about that too. Whoever had thrown the dagger was still as yet, unidentified and free to throw another twenty while she lay here useless. She had the dumbest desire to get up and follow him around, even if she had to be carried.

"I couldn't just stand there and not do something." She didn't open her eyes. Looking into his right now was just not a good idea. That brief second when he had looked straight at her, she had felt completely exposed and weak.

[Salem Ave]

“Remember who you are, Razielle... the Princess. I know it frustrates you to do so, but you must act like one, at least for the eyes of the public.” With a slight sigh, Salem averted his eyes to the window-pane, streaming light into the room. “I'm sorry if it seems like I'm lecturing you, but we have to be careful.”

[Razielle Alastor]

"Don't worry about it, I enjoy your lectures.." She was being honest. She hated it that he still only saw one side of her. Granted he knew her better than anyone else, but he still thought her antics were born of some childish fancy. Razielle was still being forced into wearing a mask, even around him but she couldn't help it. He didn't trust her, why would she give him everything of herself? Because you want to.

"It would be exceedingly difficult to forget who I am.. I've tried." She wiggled about, obviously uncomfortable. The medicine had made her too relaxed to be able to sit up on her own. She slammed her head back down onto her pillow, irritated.

"Help..?"

[Salem Ave]

Just as Salem was getting to his feet, a nurse bustled into the room. Her face was alight. Being assigned to the bedside of the Royal Princess was something of an honor to her. She scurried quickly to the poor girls aide, helping her sit up.

“It's so good to see you on the mend, your highness!” she chirped, fluffing Razielle's pillow as she glanced around the room – her eyes drawn to the orchids at the foot of the bed, and then to the stern face of the Queens adviser.

“Oh, Mr. Ave, I hope you aren't wearing the poor girl out,” she chuckled, then looking back to her patience and, speaking as if Salem wasn't there, continued: “Such a gentleman, isn't he? He's been in here more than I have, keeping watch on you at all hours... so caring.”

[Razielle Alastor]

"Yes, he is the very image of compassion and tenderness, our Salem. No, he hasn't tired me out yet." Regretfully.. So she'd had a guardian angel in her weakened state it would seem. Razielle wasn't going to comment on that fact anymore than she was the appearance of her favorite flowers. It would just lead to conversations that she had promised there would be no more of.

"Thank you, Maddie. I am feeling peckish. After you make sure we don't need to send for the coroner just yet, could I impose upon you for some royal thistle tea? Its the very thing for inflammation I understand."

The Nurse seemed impressed that the young Princess knew anything at all about the medicinal properties of native herbs. Maddie cleared her throat and stood like a sheild in front of Razielle while she exposed her bare shoulder and examined the wound, she nodded pleased with the progress.

"You are a lucky lady, Your Highness. I think you'll be up to trouble again in no time, well if you are sure that you don't want me to run him off, I'll go see about that tea for you.."

"Thank you, I believe I'd feel safer if you allowed Mr. Ave to stay." Not that Salem needed the permission of an overprotective dragon of a nurse, but Razielle felt compelled to make her own desires known.

[Salem Ave]

The Nurse, Maddie as Razielle called her, finished her routine check then offered another beaming smile to both the Princess and Mr. Ave. The Palace staff had taken the orphaned Princess into their hearts from the moment she had arrived - the nation had adopted her as their own. For now, however, Maddie felt quite happy leaving her highness in the capable hands of the Queens Adviser.

Clearing his throat, Salem spoke. “According to the medical staff, you should be fit and well to leave within a matter of days.”

[Razielle Alastor]

Days?! She made a sound of disgust and flung her good arm over her eyes. "So long..? I was hoping to be up later today. So much for that wish.."

Razielle hated inactivity. Her whole life she been active, sometimes to the vexation of her parents. She was always running, fencing, jumping into the sea and swimming off away from her chaperons in the warmer months. She was going to go insane laying here for days with nothing to occupy herself.

"I suppose I'll have to entertain myself for a change.." She was going to be stuck here, laying in bed with nothing to do but think.

Thinking was what usually got her into trouble. She'd come up with a plan about something and from there.. doom. Well she was done with trying to think up ways to win Salem, he couldn't be won. Simple as that. It was a hard thing to take when she had always gotten everything she wanted. Salem was the exception to every other rule, why not that one too? If what she felt inside, deep down into her blood was true, it was going to have to be his choice. She would have told him that, but after all, she had promised.

Not another word.

[Salem Ave]

“Just try and rest,” Salem said, then adding as an afterthought: “... and don't get any bright ideas about hunting down your attacker once you're on your feet again. I am overseeing the investigation personally. Justice will be done.”

[Razielle Alastor]

He knew her too damn well.. Her wandering mind was already back at the scene of the attack. The first thing she was doing when she could walk, was going back to exactly where she had been standing. She had seen the path of the blade and if she could just recreate the events in her mind she would be able to identify the assailant.

"Now why would I want to do that..?" She lifted her arm up slightly and peeked out at him.

[Salem Ave]

“I really don't know.” It looked as though a smile was trying to eke its way onto Salem's lips, though only managed to get halfway before he was able to suppress it, crushing it coldly.

“I'll come by the ward now and then, when I have a spare moment... just to make sure you are resting.”

[Razielle Alastor]

"Pish.."

She waved him out as if he were a pest. "Yes, dear. I'll be a good girl. Oh my.. don't smile you might fracture something and then you'll be stuck in a room down the hall."

Snuggling deeper into the covers she resigned herself to taking a nap. Before he had a chance to leave her though she yawned a sleepy last bit at him, even though she had promised herself she wouldn't. She was a bad liar.

Thank you, for being there to catch me.

Thank you, for staying with me.

Thank you, for being there when I woke up.

Thank you, for finding the bastard for me.

"Thank you... for the orchids."

[Salem Ave]

“Don't mention it,” Salem replied with a smirk as he got to his feet. “Sleep well.” With that, Ave departed to the mountains of paperwork doubtlessly waiting for him.