The village doctor came by Baden House when he was called. He looked to be in good spirits until he was informed of who the patient was and then seemed to age several years. He became pale as he was led up the stairs and by the time he got to the room, he was in more distress than the actual patient.
As cold as it was, the doctor was sweating. He was left to his ministration, leaning over the Prince of Lechen as he lay in the bed, eyes closed. Erna stood by the window, watching him. She found Bjorn in his current unwell state and called for the doctor immediately. Bjorn’s attendant’s face grew grim when she told him.
The otherwise peaceful morning at Baden House was brought into chaos. Baroness Baden sent a coachman to fetch the village doctor. Mrs Greves retreated to the kitchen to make chicken soup and the other servants tended to the needs of the patient.
Erna paced about the house anxiously, unable to focus herself on a single task. She noticed there wasn’t something right with Bjorn when they came in from making the snowmen. If only he had not faced the blizzard, he would not have caught a cold.
It was almost amusing to see Bjorn not realise he was becoming sick and she was too embarrassed to admit that she did not say anything because she couldn’t face him calmly enough. As she paced about the room, she could see the snowmen out the window. A large one with a cigar in its mouth, a smaller one with flowers in its hair and a baby one, baby Dniester.
“Now, please lie down and rest.”
Soon after everyone left the room and Erna was alone with Bjorn, he opened his eyes and looked at her. He slowly sat up, took a sip of water, then lied back down. Erna approached him tentatively, awkwardly adjusting his pillow and pulling blankets up over him.
“You really trouble me sometimes, you know that?” Erna said softly, her first words to him in a long time.
Bjorn watched her as she threw herself down in a chair next to the bed.
“I bet it would be all too convenient for you, to be rid of a husband that won’t divorce you,” Bjorn wheezed.
“What did you say?”
“When I die, you get everything. Much better than alimony,” Bjorn said with a weak laugh.
Erna didn’t find it very funny and looked at him with shock on her face. The two looked at each other for a long time, then, Bjorn slowly turned his head and looked up at the ceiling. The air in the room was very stuffy, because of the stove, which had been turned on to keep the patient warm.
“If you ever need anything…” Erna said.
“Just go.” Bjorn threw the words out into the air, before Erna could finish, surprising her. “If you have no interest in dating me, then you don’t need to show any interest in me now.” He slowly closed his eyes.
Erna glared at Bjorn, then felt embarrassed. It took her a few seconds to realise he had rejected her. She pursed her lips tights, stood from her seat and as she glared at him, saw a thick sheet of sweat on his brow. She considered the bowl of cool water a maid had brought in, but couldn’t bring herself to reach for the sponge.
In the midst of their current situation, everything in her mind was hazy and difficult to know what to do. Erna drew pulled the curtains closed then left Bjorn alone. As soon as she closed the door behind her, she let out frustrated sigh.
“Your Highness.” Erna jumped out of her skin as Bjorn’s attendant came out of no where. “The Prince is thinking of you a lot.”
Erna nodded her thanks, without saying anything and continued down the hall, but the attendant had more to say.
“He went to great pains to arrange his schedule around returning on time, even though he would only be able to stay a couple days before having to return to the city again. I think he would like it if you stayed by his side a little longer.” The attendant gave an apologetic bow. “I know that I might be over stepping my bounds, but it needed to be said.”
“He’s going back to Schuber soon?” Erna said softly.
“Yes, your Highness, he is needed back by Monday. There are many affairs that need his direct attention at the banks and with the Royal Family. He has already postponed a lot of meetings, and the trip, so that he could be here with you, but they can not wait any longer.”
“What trip?” Erna asked.
The attendant looked at her confused for a second, it was clear by his bewilderment that he had said more than he intended.
“Erm, its not my place to say, your Highness.”
“Yet you already have,” Erna said fiercely.
“Ah, its just…it was to be a second honey moon, a present for you on your birthday, he was going to take you south, to where it was warmer, but because of your coming to Buford, he had to cancel.”
Honeymoon?
Erna let out a wry smile as she thought about a second honeymoon. While she was all wrapped up in trying to get a divorce, he was preparing for a second honeymoon? He truly was a self-centred and arrogant man.
“Your Highness?”
Erna looked at the attendant with a sigh, emotions swimming through her mind.
At the end of her hallway, the sunlight shining through her window resembled a bright platinum light, just like him.
*.·:·.✧.·:·.*
Bjorn was dreaming, it was the kind of dream that melted away the second he opened his eyes, but he could still feel the warmth of it in his heart. The first thing he saw was the ceiling, which was now familiar to him.
“I was about to wake you up, but you already woke up.”
Bjorn heard Erna’s voice.
He slowly turned his head as his mind still seemed to move painfully about his skull. She was sat in the chair next to the bed. Was this still the dream? Bjorn remembered her leaving before he fell asleep. She must have returned while he slept.
“I brought you food, please eat.”
“Is it a date?”
“No.”
“Then please leave.”
The fever had gone, thanks to the medicines the doctor had provided, but his body still felt heavy and weak. He could tell how bad he looked without the need for a mirror.
“You need to eat.”
“leave it on the desk.”
“No, I want to make sure you’re eating.”
Erna got up from the chair and held a napkin like a weapon. Bjorn became aware that Erna had every intention of force feeding him is she had to.
“Why are you doing this, if you don’t want to date me?” Bjorn looked at Erna, who had brought a tray of soup and white bread, with annoyed eyes.
“I do what I like.”
“What?”
“You do what you like,” Erna said calmly, “what’s wrong with me doing what I like? Now eat.”
Bjorn chose to feed himself, rather than going through the embarrassment of having Erna do it for him. He ate Mrs Greve’s soup under the scrutinising glare of Erna, which made it very awkward and once she was satisfied that Bjorn had slurped every mouthful, she called for a maid to take away the dirty crockery.
*.·:·.✧.·:·.*
Once the maid took away the dishes, the bedroom settled into tranquillity. Having accomplished her objective, Erna rose from the chair. She drew the curtains and opened the window, allowing fresh air and bright sunlight into the room.
Bjorn leaned back against his cushions and looked at the figure of his wife, illuminated by the winter sun. He felt a sense of calmness in his heart. Facing the woman who had completely exposed all his weaknesses was interesting. It was something he had never experienced before, making it difficult to cast judgement on how he should confront it.
Erna had been standing by the window, with her face up to the sun for awhile, then she cast her sight down and away. Bjorn felt he knew where she was looking. He pulled back the covers, got up and put on a robe. Although he felt better, his body had other ideas and it still ached to move.
“Rest,” Erna said, but Bjorn only smiled as he came up next to her and leaned on the window.
“Don’t worry, you’ll not get the inheritance yet.” Although he was joking, he looked tranquil as he gazed out the window.
Erna noticed the ambiguous expression, but did not press further. The two stood and watched the sunset as it cast its red glow across the garden.
“Erna?”
He looked at the three snowmen, bathed in the crimson light, slowly drifting into darkness. Erna turned to look at him, her eyes shinning. Unable to find the words, Bjorn simply looked at her in silence. The stared at each other for a long while, until Bjorn looked away first.
It was such an indescribable sensation, as if his entire being was laid bare, but it was more than that. It was something he had never encountered before and surpassed any metaphor he could think of.
“Rest,” Erna commanded once more. “Please.”
As night took its grasp of the world, the firelight in the room became more pronounced and shifted the light of Erna from a deep, bruised purple, to radiant orange. Bjorn let out a sigh of resignation and obediently retired to the bed.
The sensation was more than just being exposed, he was certain of that.