Helena's Sweet Dream

"Oh, why does it feel even more painful? Is it because I pushed myself too hard?" murmured Helena as she continued walking, supported by a wooden staff.

Her injuries slowed down her movement.

With great difficulty, she limped forward, surveying the dark and desolate surroundings, realizing that she had ventured deep into the forest.

"Damn it, this is all because of those damn robbers!" she cursed, gritting her teeth to endure the pain.

"I have almost nothing with me."

Before long, Helena arrived at a small grassy clearing. She decided to rest there, believing that she was now safe.

There was no sign of the bandits following her. It explained well that she took the wrong path. Even a group of bandits had no courage to chase her.

"Huh, I don't even have a sword anymore," she complained, gazing at the uneven stick she had turned into a makeshift staff. "I'll just rest here. I'll continue the journey when it's daylight."

Using dry branches, Helena ignited a campfire, creating a warm atmosphere around her. The surroundings became somewhat brighter.

She lay down on the grass, her only provisions contained in the bag she now used as a pillow. It only held a few coins, as that was all she could carry in her escape.

She planned to hunt for food. But in her current condition, how could she possibly hunt? It was better to fast. Enduring hunger would be easier than exerting herself to find food while her body was full of wounds.

"Serve you right, Helena!" she muttered, resenting her own misfortune. "Your expectations of yourself were indeed excessive."

She gazed up at the sky, observing the scattered stars in the darkness of space. She could only hear the sounds, perhaps made by monkeys or birds. For the first time in her life, she felt lonely.

"If only Eric or Ethan were here, maybe things would be better," she mumbled. Her chest felt tight as she remembered the two people close to her. "What are they doing now? Eating warm soup? Or roasted chicken?"

After saying that, Helena's mind was once again filled with the handsome face of Ethan. She also recalled the moment when he declared his lifelong loyalty to her in front of Duke Henry.

Suddenly, Helena felt embarrassed and blushed.

"Oh my goodness! Why am I thinking about that idiot?" she exclaimed, scolding herself and slapping her cheeks a few times. "Forget it, Helena! Just forget it!"

Helena tried to banish Ethan from her thoughts. However, she only ended up remembering the little things Ethan did to capture her attention all this time.

Helena recalled again how Ethan kissed her for the first time.

She also remembered when Ethan promised to please her in bed.

Not only that, they had accidentally bumped into each other. Helena had felt Ethan's hardening manhood when she accidentally fell on top of him in that cramped room.

"Oh my goodness! What is going on in my head right now?" Helena grew angrier at her own helplessness in getting rid of Ethan from her thoughts. Her face turned even redder. Her body grew hotter.

"Why is my body temperature rising?" murmured Helena. She curled up, trying to warm herself. But she still felt cold. "Maybe it's just my imagination."

The night grew deeper. Eventually, Helena managed to fall asleep, exhausted, hungry, and with a body full of wounds.

Time passed. Helena's fever turned out to be getting worse. She was semi-conscious during the night, groping for the air around her.

"Blanket! Give me a blanket!" The woman rambled in her high fever. Her body was burning hot, possibly due to hunger and worsening injuries. Moreover, she should have been wearing the warm clothes she had brought along because the air was getting colder. However, she had left her jacket on her horse.

Helena's mind became increasingly delirious. She even dreamt of Ethan by her side, bringing her a blanket. In her dream, she was in an open field, full of flowers. The sky was beautiful with shining stars sparkled like gems.

"Lie down! I'll give you a blanket and boil some water," Ethan said in Helena's dream. The man appeared extremely worried. His face showed deep concern and panic.

Ethan wrapped Helena's body with a blanket. The wounds on Helena's body were bandaged to prevent further bleeding, making her more comfortable to move.

"This is too thin!" Helena protested again, holding Ethan's hands. "I still feel cold."

"Well, what else can we do?" Ethan asked, desperate while applying a warm wet cloth to Helena's forehead. "Will you let me hug you?"

"Whatever it is, do it so I can feel warmer!" Helena commanded. She no longer cared. At least she felt like she would die if she didn't get warmth.

Ethan lay beside Helena and slipped his muscular right arm through the gap created by Helena's neck with grass. "Use my arm as a cushion," he whispered, his face turning red. It was the first time he would embrace Helena.

He pulled his wife closer to his body. However, Helena shifted her body to be even closer to Ethan. Her head now rested on Ethan's broad chest, making him afraid that she would hear his heart pounding rapidly.

The silver moonlight filtered through the tree branches, casting an ethereal glow on the scene. Ethan held Helena gently, his arms encircling her fragile form. He could feel the heat radiating from her feverish body.

Ethan felt her chest against him, her body trembling from both the cold and the fever. He held Helena even tighter, their bodies melding together, transferring warmth to the shivering form.

"Your chest is so hard!" whispered Helena, touching her hubby's chest and rubbing it gently. "Like a rock."

Ethan's face grew redder. He felt Helena's soft full breast against him because they were indeed very close. But how could he tell that to a woman?

Helena's warm breath gently brushed against Ethan's slightly open chest, which was torn to provide a bandage for Helena's wounds. The campfire dwindled, but Helena could still sleep soundly because there was another warmth flowing through her body.