Returning the kindness [Finished]

[Tigeress]

[Insert human form here again :3 teehee]

The beautiful woman wrung her hands nervously as she stood outside his door, voices inside told her that he was awake, up maybe, but doubtfully. Bed ridden was the general gist of what she'd gotten from everyone standing in the halls gossiping. The entire court had been flipped upside down and backwards, and Sekhmet herself was reeling. Instinctively, she'd wanted to make sure Bernard was alright after she'd gotten the news. Sure, they'd only met once, but the things he'd done for her, she'd never forget.

They knew she was waiting, and suddenly a hand snuck out to wave her inside. She brushed by with a hurried walk, picking up her skirts to allow faster travel to where the King was laying on the bed. Oh, gods.... it looked bad. But apparently it had healed significantly already thanks to an expert's touch, the best of the best of course. Her hand moved to her mouth without her noticing it, and despite her practice, she couldn't keep the blatant worry off her face.

"Hmmm, it's not half as bad as everyone's saying, I should have known better." Her attempt at humour fell flat when her voice cracked a little, but she shook it off with a nervous laugh. What in the hell had she missed? How could she not have heard something, seen something, been there to help? She was no incredible mage like Bernard, but she had a few... skills. One she planned on revealing in due time, once she figured it out a little more.

"How are you, Your Highness?" Yes, yes, he had encouraged her in the past to go by a first name basis, but her head wasn't with her at the moment. It would probably do him good not to show a lot of emotion, but damnit, she didn't like these kinds of surprises.

[Nathalia]

Bernard had lain in silence for a full hour, contemplating what it was his new Queen had said to him. He could still see the man's face, cold...but twisted with concern... Poor Rai...he had never wanted this, and Bernard knew it. Being thrown into a position you weren't ready for was a horrible thing and he would have to make sure he healed faster to get out there and help the poor man...

But...the way he had pressed with those questions...it seemed as though he was desperate to find another villain...another ting wrong, another terror. The man had always had a bit of a habit of "digging for trouble", as Bernard's mother would have said...but he hadn't imagined it was this bad...

Hills...how could this have happened?....

A nurse dropped in...Betsy. Not really a nurse, but a sweet woman, she brought him some water and chatted at him for about ten minutes...it helped clear his head...and he was honestly grateful for it.

When the Selkie Cat stood Bernard smiled, assuming she was just heading out...he was a little startled when she went to the door and waved at another person to come in....He had kind of been hoping for a nap...

The woman swept in quickly enough and it took a moment of her speaking at him before he had any idea who it was.

"I'm...I suppose I'm fine, Sekhmet. Better than last week I assure you...how have you been getting on? I haven't seen much of you lately."

[Tigeress]

He seemed calmer than she had been expecting for someone who had been through as much as he had lately, and his attitude reflected onto her enough so that she had regained her composure in seconds. God she hadn't been expecting such a sight, she'd heard it was gruesome but... there had to be something she could do to help.

"That's good to hear. I've been quite busy with his Majesty, Shinrai and my new position as King. Of course, I very much have you to thank for making it this far." She smiled down at the man and took a seat near the bed. He looked beat, and she had little intention of staying too long. It made her think too much, and with the news so freshly in her mind, she didn't want to allow any of her negative emotions to smother the poor man. He was doing a good job of staying positive, and so she needed to attempt that herself in his presence.

"You've been cooped up here a rather long time, you'd best get well soon before you go stale and the nurses start complaining about your smell." She teased, grinning at the man who seemed particularily well groomed. Hmmm, sponge bathing, the most humiliating and frustrating kind. She would know, due to a rather stupid childhood injury. Those were things best left unmentioned, though, for everyone's sake.

Glancing back behind her, she noticed the selkie cat giving her an expectant eye. Oh right, she'd almost forgotten. She waved the woman over, a small boquet of flowers appearing in her hands. One might ask where she got them from, as not a single rose was in sight and the court gardens had little else to offer, but that was her secret.

"It's cheesy, but I think everyone secretly enjoys get well flowers. At least if nothing else it gives you something new to stare at while you're bedridden." She watched the woman dig out a vase and set the flowers in it, rushing off for the moment to fill the small assortment with water. While she was gone, Sekmet leaned in towards the other King, a half-smile on her lips.

"Not that it's any of my business, but I've heard a few visits of late have had you rather perplexed. If there's anything I can do to help, please, just let me know." She had checked in first to hear if anyone else had been in today or yesterday, and had paid attention to the mention of the Queen himself being in the room. Shinrai was a good man from what she'd seen, but the look on the nurse's face had said the visit had been unexpectedly... difficult for Bernard.

[Nathalia]

Ah, yes...Sekhmet. He remembered her more clearly now, always a little overly wordy...but hadn't she said she was an actress? Oh yeah...that must be why, of course. He tried to push himself up on his elbows and managed, albeit a little painfully...

"Ah, yes I had heard, congratulations...your Highness." He teased lightly, testing the new title on her with a small smile. "And really, you've made this accomplishment all on your own, I didn't do a thing."

He waved the compliment off and nodded to her next statement. "Oh, yes. I would so hate to bother Betsy any more than I already have. Hills forbid that I begin to mold to the bed and reek like an invalid...I think she would set fire to me and have done with it." He laughed a bit. The maid had mocked him...but lightly, and he had managed to get her tickets for the opera next week in return...honestly for putting up with him...she had earned it.

The flowers were a surprise and he flushed a little, not quite sure what to think. "I ah,...well, thank you! You're right in thinking that they'll cheer me up, it'll be something for people to focus on when they come in other than me." That was considerate of her, heh...so different from Dymphna...but you could see the similarities every now and then...

She leaned in toward him and he tried to fight the blush creeping across his face...what was with the pretty young women in the palace lately? "Anything...you can help me with? I'm fairly sure I'm fine...if you're referring to my last visit with the Queen...we were just discussing...what had happened and it was...a little distressing, nothing to be made an issue of."

[Tigeress]

His joking use of her title made her grin and laugh, her head thrown back to hide the blush. She really wasn't used to her title yet at all, and it definately showed. Even if he had of been serious, she probably would have still cracked a smile out of awkwardness. That would eventually fix itself, but for now, she couldn't help it.

"Mmm, I don't know how you ever got used to being called that." She shook her head, still grinning in an almost bewildered fashion. Somehow, talking to Bernard like this seemed... different than when she was a Jack.

"You helped me when I needed it. Otherwise, I might just have been stopped in my tracks before I even had a chance." She knew he would understand just what, and who, she was referring to. She'd heard Pravus was better lately, less crazy, but that was probably just the mourning taking over. Either way, it seemed to be having a good effect on those around him, as he was opening up in his lonely and vulnerable state.

"Bernard! I don't think you give yourself enough credit. I think being locked in a room with you, completely crippled, might be a bit entertaining." She teased, though it could be taken a number of ways, she definately meant it in a non-sexual way. Not that he wasn't attractive, oh! Boy, was he. But... she just couldn't bring herself to cause him any more stress with needless flirting, and the last thing she needed was another doomed to go wrong office romance.

"Well I'm glad my assumptions were correct, then." She toyed with a piece of hem on her dress and looked thoughtful for a moment, remembering something she was going to tell him about... but surely, that would probably be a bit of a bother for him, a fair bit to think about... oh well, he'd already gotten used to the bothering, it seemed.

"Alright, just making sure. His Majesty is, I think, a bit on edge lately. I might say a bit of that is my fault." She waved it off with her hand, her face showing the frustration of knowing there was something going on with him, regarding his trust and her, but not knowing just what. Why didn't he just ask her about any of the rumours he had heard? Although, he probably wouldn't be pleased with the answer, it would be a bit hard to believe that anything that was true was honestly not her fault in the end, and anything that wasn't, well.... wasn't. Nobody with as much talk as she had about her was ever actually innocent, and she knew a lot of people had come to that conclusion.

"I seem to have been the recipient, or victim, of some kind of magic enchantment. I received a figurine with obvious magical properties on the night of my current rank achievement. Stupidly, I kept it as a decoration, thinking it had been a gift, and it came alive in the night. She- it- bestowed upon me a glass heart, and shortly after I was able to turn my body to complete silver. I haven't been able to do that since, but His Majesty said you might be able to help me figure out what's permanent, and what effects I can expect, if it's a real ability or a one-time thing... all those details." She paused to watch his expression and noted the embarassed blush. Oh, right, it wasn't very kind to bend over and flaunt one's lady parts at a very bed-ridden man, poor Bernard.. She'd heard he was shy, but, not that shy.

[Nathalia]

"How I got used to it? I never did, I just tell people to use my name...otherwise I might forget it." He said with a smirk, glad to know that she at least wasn't a title hog. "And I'm glad I could help, you needed it and I saw no reason why not to."

Honestly, she probably hadn't been the best candidate, but the new Queen seemed to have taken to her well and that was always good. He and Rai needed all the help they could get.

"Pfft, entertaining? You must be joking." Bernard said with a short laugh. "Your fault? Well, be careful, out Queen is a bit easy to set off from what I've seen. He has enough on his plate without teasing."

She'd leaned back, that was a relief at least...honestly. He couldn't help the blush...it always snuck up when he least desired it...

The mention of the item though...and what its apparent effects were...

"Really? That is incredible! I...I honestly don't think there's much I can do for you at the moment...I'm still out of sorts and can't get to my room but... If you'd like, Once I'm a bit better, I would love to help you figure out what's what."

Turn her body to silver? A heart of glass? Hills what an interesting development! He'd never heard of anything like it!

[Tigeress]

She shook her head and returned the man's smirk, well, at least she wasn't the only one who thought her title was probably better left unused unless absolutely necessary. She was surprised a touch when he commented on the semi-ability he'd given her. He really honestly believed everything she'd said? Too bad Shinrai wouldn't just talk to him about her, she'd finally found someone who willingly believed her innocent.

"I can assure you I'm quite entertained." She grinned and shook her head suddenly, seeing what Bernard was getting at.

"There was no... setting off, really. You're the only person I bother like this so far." She paused to laugh, wondering how it was she felt so comfortable around the man. Well, first impressions were big, and her first impression of him had been him basically saving her life. That would probably do it.

"He's nervous around me, I can tell. It's difficult, I suppose I'm just waiting for someone to step up and preach my innocence. I'd willingly tell him anything he wanted to know, but I understand that he probably wouldn't believe that I didn't want anything to happen that did. My defending myself was what sealed my fate, funny enough." She gave a tired look that showed she felt it was anything but funny. But as she said, all she could do was sit and wait and hope that either someone would convince the stubborn and handsome stallion, or he would just come to his own conclusions that would hopefully be in her favour.

She was glad that he seemed more comfortable when she leaned back, and quite a bit surprised at his outburst. Enough so that she actually jumped in her seat a little, her eyes showing the confusion she felt.

"...Incredible? Bernard... my heart doesn't beat any longer, it's made of glass, and that's supposed to be incredible?" She couldn't keep a small bemused smile from sliding over her features, he certainly was obsessed with magic wasn't he? Only someone that bespelled by the effects could honestly say this was a Good thing!

"Not that I wasn't before, but I am definately looking forward to your speedy recovery now. Thank you for the offer, I think I'll need all the help I can get. From what I've heard it's ah... rather unique, I really have nothing to go on." She held her hands out wide and shrugged, though her body seemed to relax slightly at the prospect of having him so eager to work on it. With his interest, she was certain he'd be putting in as many hours as possible to finding out what exactly it was, and everything it would do.

"You look exhausted, feel free to kick me out at any time, at this point I think I'm just trying to get in enough social time to last me for the next week." She gave a rather half enthusiastic chuckle, thinking back to how confined she'd been feeling this past week. Oh sure, she saw people and spoke to people, but rarely was it ever honestly freely. Comfortable socializing was not a perk of the courts as of yet, so these few chatty moments were almost like therapy.

[Nathalia]

Bernard rolled his remaining eye teasingly and grinned. "Well, it's good to know I'm still botherable, I'd hate to think I frighten you like I frighten all children now. As it stands, I'll see if there's anything I can do about your situation with our Queen, but really. That sounds like something you'll have to achieve on your own. It's difficult to convince a person to have friends on behalf of someone else. Rai may seem as though he doesn't believe you half the time...but I've come to realize that deadpan is his default expression...not a bad idea really. I should probably change mine over from its natural setting of stupid grin."

He shrugged and tried to ignore the pains in his side...which was getting more difficult.

"Well...I would still call it amazing, but I can see the dilemma, of course. When I am a bit more able, I would love to assist you if I can, not an issue."

He looked slightly disgruntled at being reminded of how beat he looked, but the truth in her words was undeniable.

"Sadly, I think that might be for the best. Feel free to drop in again tomorrow if you'd like. Hills know, I enjoy socializing as much as anyone."

He gave her a grateful smile as she stood.

"And thanks again...for the flowers."