The Royal Contract

“Finally, you are awake.” A manly voice spoke up, probably seeing her moving on her bed.

She squinted her eyes against the bright light to see who was the man speaking to her. He did not sound familiar. But when her eyes gazed upon him, she only frowned, unable to put a name on the face.

She questioned if she suddenly had amnesia or something, but she still remembered her name. She counted up to ten and then recited the alphabet in her head. She still recalled the people working for her as she silently recited their names.

“Who are you?” She finally asked, glad her brain was still functioning normally. “And what are you doing in this room?” She shifted in her position, wanting a better view of the man.

She slowly dragged her body into a sitting position, careful not to fall on her ass this time, leaning her body on the pillow behind her, still slightly feeling the bruise on her knees.

“Let me help you with that.” The man sprinted towards her, fluffing the pillow at her back before arranging it so she could slant on it as she sat down. He also adjusted the bed so she could sit more comfortably. “Thank you,” Eida said, still looking at the man in question.

.....

He might have helped her, but he still had not answered her question.

“I am sorry, I got sidetracked.” He mildly smiled and walked toward her. “I am Evan Blake, a friend of Amelia.” Then, he extended his hand to her.

She stared at him again, scanning him from head to toe, wondering what he was doing in her room.

He did not look like a male nurse to assist with her needs. On the contrary, he looked like a man who just came out of a fashion magazine, ready to make his debut.

“Evan Blake?” She remembered hearing something like that last night, she believed.

“Yes, but I have not lived in this country for some time. But you might recognize my grandmother, Angela Blake.” When she failed to respond quickly, “She used to be a famous star.” He added.

Then, she finally remembered what the nurse said last night about Angela and Evan being Amelia’s friends.

Indeed, she had heard of the famous star. But she believed the actress had not performed in years.

“Yes, of course, Ms. Angela Blake is my aunt’s favorite actress,” Remembering seeing photos of her in her aunt’s things. But it still did not answer what he was doing in her room.

“Where is Amelia, by the way?” Suddenly, reminded of her absence. Eida needed her friend to answer all her questions.

He stepped aside, then moved his hands in the right direction, showing her a girl sleeping uncomfortably on the lone chair.

“Why is she sleeping there?” Pointing in the corner. “It must be quite uncomfortable in that posture.” She could not imagine the pain she would feel after waking up from that awkward pose.

“I asked her to go home and rest, but she did not want to leave you alone after hearing that you woke up and Nurse Jane had to drug you to calm you down.” He explained to her as she recalled last night’s events.

“I was drunk. I have no idea what I was doing.” She admitted, but she knew it was more than that. She recalled Lance’s accident.

She wanted to run out of this room and look for him, but logic dictated that she would not find answers through that means.

She had to think this through, knowing that the Count must have guards planted all over the hospital, guarding his room against unwanted guests, especially those coming from the media.

More than that, she believed she must be at the top of the list of the people forbidden to see him. The Count would make sure of that.

“I know.” Evan smiled at her as if he knew more than that. What did she say to him last night? Was she blabbering about her sob story while she was drunk? But that was not likely. She would know, right? Anyway.

She could only wonder, but she had no plan to interrogate the man about what he knew about her, but what she wanted to know was what he knew about the accident. Maybe Amelia told her something about Lance.

“Why don’t you move our friend in this bed so she could sleep more comfortably?” Eida asked him, feeling she had enough of resting for one day.

Besides, she was not drunk anymore. She needed her clothes, but more than anything, she needed to investigate.

Finally, Evan became useful as he carefully carried her friend, gently laying her on the bed so as not to wake her up. Amelia looked exhausted, and her eyes were puffy, probably from crying last night.

Why?

Did something happen to Lance last night while she was unconscious?

Suddenly, fear gripped her, imaging all the worse scenarios she could conjure in her mind.

“What happened to her?” She finally turned to the man who was busy attending to her sleeping friend, tucking her gently under the covers.

Please, he could not be dead.

She hoped and prayed as she looked at the man.”Tell me that he is not dead.” She finally dared to ask.

When he turned around with a solemn look on his expression, she confirmed that he knew who she was talking about, and he had answers.

But he was hesitating to tell her anything. Probably, he was waiting for Amelia to tell her the news.

But what was it?

“Is Lance still alive?” She did not want to wake Amelia. She believed just like her, she had been through enough, but she needed answers right now.

Because she could feel it in her heart that if Lance died, it was because of her. It was all her fault.

He must have died with a broken heart.