Edda's breath stuck in her throat as she watched Miette. The feeling of Franz wrenching his arm out of her grip was not unexpected, but the memory of it sat in Edda's heart like a glacier. The sight of him recoiling as if burnt was enough - a feeling of cold washed over her body, and she could only stare back at Franz as he spoke to her, and could only stand stock still as he left.
Edda watched in silence as Miette moved Franz back into his room after he fell. She felt a chill run down her spine, seeing him like that, and tucked her hands into her sleeves. There was a part in her that wanted to run forward and see how badly he was hurt, but her legs felt like lead, and the thought in itself seemed dangerous as well. "Is he still breathing?" She wanted to ask, but it felt daft of her to say. Miette had far more expertise in such things, and would have been able to tell without Edda prompting her to check. "Did you put him somewhere comfortable?" A wretched thought. It was kind enough of Miette to move him in the first place, and Edda had not the strength to help with lifting him to his bed.
When Miette returned, Edda cracked a small smile at Miette. "I'm alright," she managed to croak out. "Thank you, Miette." Edda shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. A part of her wanted to embrace Miette and cry into her chest, as she had done some nights before. But although her throat felt restricted and tense - a familiar omen of oncoming tears - she found herself stalled at that point. Instead, Edda turned and went to bed, slipping under the sheets fully clothed. She closed her eyes and found not one moment of sleep.
After lying awake for several bells, Edda rose and exited her room. She closed her door, careful not to wake anyone, and entered Franz's room across the hall. The door did not open all the way, stuck on one of his legs, where he was unceremoniously deposited on the wood floor of his room. Edda tiptoed around him to take a blanket and pillow off of his bed. She draped the blanket over him twice, setting it on him the short way by accident the first time. She knelt down by his head and lifted it with one hand, still covered by her sleeve, careful not to touch him directly. She slipped the pillow under his head and stood, observing him for a moment - sprawled on his belly on the floor, his neck twisted painfully to the side. The arrow on the tray remained, and Edda figured it best to not remove it. Satisfied, Edda returned to her room to finally sleep. It would be easy to pretend as if it wasn't her - such a simple kindness would be expected of Jancis or Reinette. Before she drifted to sleep, the words from her heart that she had been unable to say flooded into her mind. The chance to say them was lost now, perhaps for good - but he was unhurt, and for now, that was enough.
Edda watched in silence as Miette moved Franz back into his room after he fell. She felt a chill run down her spine, seeing him like that, and tucked her hands into her sleeves. There was a part in her that wanted to run forward and see how badly he was hurt, but her legs felt like lead, and the thought in itself seemed dangerous as well. "Is he still breathing?" She wanted to ask, but it felt daft of her to say. Miette had far more expertise in such things, and would have been able to tell without Edda prompting her to check. "Did you put him somewhere comfortable?" A wretched thought. It was kind enough of Miette to move him in the first place, and Edda had not the strength to help with lifting him to his bed.
When Miette returned, Edda cracked a small smile at Miette. "I'm alright," she managed to croak out. "Thank you, Miette." Edda shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. A part of her wanted to embrace Miette and cry into her chest, as she had done some nights before. But although her throat felt restricted and tense - a familiar omen of oncoming tears - she found herself stalled at that point. Instead, Edda turned and went to bed, slipping under the sheets fully clothed. She closed her eyes and found not one moment of sleep.
After lying awake for several bells, Edda rose and exited her room. She closed her door, careful not to wake anyone, and entered Franz's room across the hall. The door did not open all the way, stuck on one of his legs, where he was unceremoniously deposited on the wood floor of his room. Edda tiptoed around him to take a blanket and pillow off of his bed. She draped the blanket over him twice, setting it on him the short way by accident the first time. She knelt down by his head and lifted it with one hand, still covered by her sleeve, careful not to touch him directly. She slipped the pillow under his head and stood, observing him for a moment - sprawled on his belly on the floor, his neck twisted painfully to the side. The arrow on the tray remained, and Edda figured it best to not remove it. Satisfied, Edda returned to her room to finally sleep. It would be easy to pretend as if it wasn't her - such a simple kindness would be expected of Jancis or Reinette. Before she drifted to sleep, the words from her heart that she had been unable to say flooded into her mind. The chance to say them was lost now, perhaps for good - but he was unhurt, and for now, that was enough.
