The Pearl Of Great Price

Chapter 32: Restore

There are many things people say love is. In knowing what love is it's better to look at what love is not. Love is not blind. It sees everything and especially what is true. Love is not the only thing needed to sustain a person or a relationship. Respect, support, trust, healthy boundaries, and growth are also required. Love is not lust nor all about sex. It is protective and a friendship, a protective friendship. Love is not exhausting. It is freeing, natural, healing, challenging in a good way. Love doesn't break. It builds. 

Love is not perfect or a fairytale come to life. And the real difference between what love is and is not is like night and day. Love is not like the King and his Queen. Love is like the Duke and his Duchess. So when all of those attending the joust, in the tent area, saw the Grand Duke carrying his Duchess away they knew something had shifted between them. And the people hope it was due to her memory being returned. 

Seeing His Highness gloomy and devoid of spirit is most unusual. Even when his first wife, the King's sister, passed away he had never looked like that. Never acted like that. But in weeks, and month, after the King's daughter took the great fall, it was different. It was like a piece of him had died. The light inside him grew dimmer by the day. So much so that even his enemies felt sorry for him, just a little to make them appear not entirely heartless.

Now all crying completed, Charles didn't want this time with his wife to end. Still feeling a bit like this is all a dream, he saved his kisses. Instead, he scooped her into his arms and carted her off to their apartments in the palace. She squealed at first, then reminded her husband "You have the joust."

To which he made it known "Hang the joust! I just got my wife back. You're more important." Even though he is tired and running on fumes, he carried her all the way to their bed. In a blanket of softness, her delicate body down was laid down. Her hand turned out, inviting him to join her. He did and his eyes grew heavy. 

Not wanting to close his eyes, not wanting to miss anything, he became content to just look at her. The two of them, in bed together. She on her back and he on his side, her hand running over his face and up and down his arm. He took that dainty hand and brought it to his mouth. As she hummed a Spanish lullaby his eyes crept closed. For the first time in weeks, no, in almost two months he slept. He has not been able to do so since the executions and the two-month ordeal of her going from unconscious to amnesia. And he slept like a baby, deeply.

Only did he awaken because something bopped him on the nose. His groggy eyes opened to see his son patting his face. "Owen," his tired voice called out. The tiny tot kept patting. His eyes saw the other babe asleep at his mother's side. "Why can't you be more like your brother?" The only response he got was baby babble and more pats. 

His wife, however, is fully awake. She giggled from behind a book. He couldn't help but say "Let me guess some more romantic rubbish?"

Marking her place, she closed it and put the tome on the bedside table. "If you must know it isn't poetry. It's actually a very engaging story about a count courting the woman he loves. Right now he's trying to win her hand away from the Duke of the Glen. He's dastardly in every way." Then she remembered something. "You may mock the poetry all you like, but I recall you having recited a particular poem to me while unconscious Sir."

Raising an eyebrow, he challenged her. "Oh, you recall that do you?" She nodded yes. "I did recite it to you. And I would do it all over again if needed." They both smiled loving smiles. He wondered "What time is it? Speaking of Counts, I am supposed to meet with Simon the Count of Rossendale."

Stroking her hand over William's back, Mary told him "How do I put this? You have been asleep for almost two days."

With an extremely put-out look on his face, Charles sputtered out words. "Two... days? Two days? Truly?" She nodded again. "Wife, why didn't you wake me?"