The Royal Contract

When Dani went out, Alex had already started the fire. She welcomed the heat that was coming from the small fireplace. Dani began to feel the chill in her bones, so the warmth should help her ease the ache in her body. 

She was not expecting that it was going to be that cold after getting wet by the rain. But she believed that after a little while, she would be back to normal.

"Alex, what are you doing?" She asked while she sat near the fire, looking at him, working on something on the stove.

She marveled at the way he moved in the kitchen. As if he was totally at ease whenever he was preparing food. She had observed this during their first dinner at his place. 

Now, seeing him again working on the counter made her realize that any woman would be lucky to have him as a husband. She would consider him. Honestly, she thought as she stared at him. If she was looking, but she was not ready for such a commitment.

"I found some instant teabag in the cupboard. I thought to make some." He took two cups and placed them near the stove as he waited for the water to boil.

"Do you need some help?" She could not just sit around like a princess. She stood up and went beside him.

"No, you should not have bothered to stand up." Alex moved to her side, seeing that something was off with her. She was still slightly shaking. "Are you alright?" He became alarmed when he saw her pale face and her nose was turning pink.

He could not help but worry about their situation. If Dani continued to get sick, they would not have had help in this isolated place with no communication. 

"I am ok. A bit cold, but I think the warmth of the fire was helping." She told him. 

She did feel something odd, but it was nothing that he should be concerned with since she was strong as an ox. She also believed that the hot tea would make a difference.

"I think you should go back to your seat by the fire and let the expert do this." He held her by her shoulders, not caring anymore if she would resist his touch, and ushered her back to the chair by the fire.

She must be feeling not herself when she did not even flinch in his touch, the way she usually did when their skin connected. He was now starting to worry that she was developing a cold. Hopefully, it would not turn into a fever, or that would be a big problem.

He wished there was a more comfortable chair that she could sit on, but it was the only thing available in the room. He helped her to the chair by the small table close to the fireplace.

"Thanks, but I am ok. You don't need to worry about me." She was slightly worried too about what was happening to her. She felt like her energy was suddenly being zapped out of her slowly. Then the pain was starting to take over. It had been a while since she got sick, so the feeling was not familiar anymore.

"I think you're getting the cold. Your immune system must have been weak after all the activities that you went through. These couple of weeks had been chaotic for all of us. I think that your body is trying to find a way to recover from all that stress." He explained.

"No, I don't get sick." She protested. But lately, she felt slight fatigue from the many activities, long nights at work, then the dates, and now the traveling. Her body must be protesting from her lack of sleep and rest. Her immune system was probably failing her, just like Alex said.

"Yes, you didn't. But I think you are now." He touched her forehead. Luckily, the fever did not set in yet. But it did not mean that it would not. "I'll just hurry up with the tea so that you can sip something warm that can heat your body."

Now, he knew that he had made a big mistake of not thinking about her welfare and safety. He should not have insisted on going to the castle today when there were so many other days they could have gone. He was not sure why he was so adamant about seeing her and being alone with her. Now, look at what he had done.

"Ok." She did not feel like protesting anymore. She just wanted to feel the heat that was coming from the burning log. 

She relaxed on the chair, trying to find a comfortable position. She decided to put her hands on the table and rest her chin on it while staring at the fire.

"What about you? Aren't you cold?" She asked when she seemed a bit warmer, but there was still something wrong with her. But she wanted to ignore it as something that would go away eventually.

"A bit." That was his only answer as he brought the teas he had prepared, one for her and another for him. He was ok based on his assessment of his body. It was Dani that he believed was worse than him.

He sat on the opposite side of the table, observing her condition. He was hoping that she was feeling a bit better after getting warm up.

However, the possibility of going home was now out of the question unless he could call home to ask for some help. He could not risk putting Dani on the bike in her current condition. "Is your phone working?"

"My phone. I think so." She said, but she had not to check it since they left the castle. She had forgotten about it. 

"Where is it?" He asked, hoping that he could use it to call back at the palace to get someone to get them.

"It is in my bag, in the room." She remembered putting it in there since it might fall in her jeans pocket while they were in the motorbike.

"Let me just check it out." But when he did, he learned that it was also damaged by the rain, just like his phone. His phone was in his pocket during the ride. "I guess rescue is out of the question tonight." 

He decided to put the phones near the fire, hoping that it would power up once it dried in the morning. Maybe he could call tomorrow for someone to pick them up. For now, they would have to sleep here. At least there was electricity and a fire to warm them up.

"How are you feeling?" He asked when she finally finished the cup of tea.

"I think I am feeling so much better." She declared to him, not wanting him to worry about her.

She suddenly felt guilty for being so hard on him when all he ever did was be nice to her. Yes, he was playful at times, but it was his way of making their situation more bearable. 

Now, all he ever did was worry about her condition. Maybe it was time that she eased up with him, be more friendly.

"Well, if you think you are warm enough. Maybe you would want to sleep in the room." He instructed since he could see that sitting in that wooden chair was not exactly comfortable for her. "We do not have a choice but to stay here for the night."

"I already guess that much." She assessed earlier that it was a possibility that they might get stranded for the night in this place.