My Once Handsome Husband

The ride was long and slow and silent. Miles stared out the window, hardly giving them a glance. Cora sat beside Delaney but watched him anxiously. Delaney realized, watching her, Cora had grown fond of Miles over their time together. They were both still just as headstrong but they seemed to have some sort of understanding.

Delaney wondered if she and Vincent would ever have a chance to have their kind of feelings for one another. She knew they cared about one another but she could see it wasn't as deep as Cora cared for Miles or Olive for Bernard. Vincent was kind and handsome but she didn't truly know much about him. Not enough to care for him so much.​​

The realization made her feel sad but also guilty. He was supposed to be her husband soon and she didn't love him as she had hoped she would. He could die now and have never loved or been loved by anyone. Her stomach twisted at the thought of him dying.

Delaney thought of their times together at balls and parties and their stolen kisses. He was so very handsome. His smile lit up the room around him and his laugh gave her butterflies inside. His dark green eyes always seemed to be sparkling with some kind of mischief.

She thought of him dancing with her at her ball when she was young and then again to make up for it when they were older. He was so tall and lean and muscular. She remembered her race against him when they were children. Even then she had known he was handsome.

Her stomach turned as she thought of what Cora had said about the marks on Vincent. Miles said they spread out from his wounds. How far? He had a wound on his shoulder. Were there marks on his neck? Maybe he could wear shirts with higher collars?

There were other wounds on his torso and thigh but those were easily hidden. If he survived and she was to be his wife, however, they would one day share a bed. Would these wounds be hideous? Would they ever heal and be just faint scars? Her mind whirled over these thoughts.

Seeing people sick and injured reminded of her parents. Her Mother had grown sick, weak and pale, coughing up blood. Delaney had loved her but visiting her when she was sick had become more and more scary the sicker she became.

Then her mother had died and she was left with her father. Her father stopped taking care of himself and started drinking all the time. His eyes would be red and he would cry loudly in the night, moaning in agony.

She remembered going to his room having been woken up and finding him sitting on the floor holding one of her mother's dresses against his cheek. There were broken glass and wood everywhere from where he had thrown his wine bottles and broken a chair.

Her father was bleeding all over and called for Delaney to come to him. She had crept across the floor to him where he hugged her to his chest and wept, covering her in tears and blood. She remained there all night.

The next morning when the servants found her they were caring enough to send urgent word to her Aunt and Uncle. Her Uncle Felix came and took her away immediately. Delaney always wondered if her father had died because she wasn't there to comfort him.

The carriage hit a bump, startling Delaney awake from her dreams of her parents. She looked out the window and saw it was now getting dark. The grey clouds full of snow were rolling in and they were just outside the King's city.

Miles was awake, eyes red from exhaustion, and possibly a few tears while the women were asleep. He stared angrily out his window causing Delaney to look to see what he was watching.

Far off in the distance were the mountains and even from here she could see plumes of smoke rising from what must have been large fires. It hit her then what that must have been and she jerked to look at Miles, startled again when she found him watching her.

"Is that..."

"Yes," he cut her off knowing what she was going to ask.

That was the dragon colony. Fear rose up quickly in her now realizing just how close they were to the city and the royal family. It would have been nothing for the dragons to wipe out this city and then move on to the next. The next city was home to their school and Uncle Win and countless others she cared about.

Delaney shivered thinking about how close they had been and looked over at Cora. The girl was watching wide-eyed too and Delaney realized she must not have been here before either. Cora had been living in the very next town for this season. If the dragons had come there she would've been killed.

Terrified by the thought Delaney grabbed her hand and held it tight. Cora gave it a squeeze back as their gazes met. Miles turned back to the window then to watch it with his boiling hatred as the carriage rolled slowly into the city.

The King's City, as it was known, was the biggest city Delaney had ever seen. There were cobbled streets lined with houses and shops and people everywhere. The air smelled like smoke from cooking fires but there was also a tinge of a foul, unclean scent.

It was strange thinking this was where Miles and Vincent and the other men had been for so many years, first with their schooling which was right outside the city walls and then now with their war against the dragons. Delaney and Cora had never seen the place.

Delaney moved to look out Cora's window and up at the enormous castle up on a hill. It was a magnificent structure of black stone. Delaney imagined attending balls there with her handsome Vincent. That was if he survived and his marks healed. If his injuries killed him she didn't know what would happen.

Like magic, as they watched the castle, torches were being lit atop the stone towers. Delaney imagined the men up there lighting them. She wondered if Miles or Vincent had ever been in the towers of the castle.

Turning back to Miles, Delaney saw he was staring at his hands in his lap now. He looked sad again and Delaney felt her heart ache for him. If Vincent died she knew he might never forgive himself.

"We're going to stop at the small house our family has in the city," Miles said quietly without looking up, "You can both get freshened up and have something to eat before we go on to the hospital."

"Should we not go straight there? It's getting dark," Cora questioned.

Miles sighed, "I need to change and wash. I just... I just need a bit of time before I go back there."

"I could go on by myself if you want," Delaney offered, "You don't have to face it again just yet."

Miles was shaking his head before she had even finished speaking. "I can't' let you go there alone. I don't want you to be alone when you see him. Besides I need to go back myself. One of us has been staying with him so Duncan has probably been there all day."

The carriage stopped on the street in front of a fancy three-story wooden house with a drive leading around to the back to a small stable. There was snow on the ground here too up to her ankles but Miles helped both girls to the door.

Inside, the house was cozy and servants were waiting to help them up to their bedrooms. Miles walked on to his, calling for a bath as he went. Cora and Delaney were lead up to their bedrooms on the second floor.

Delaney worked on straightening her dress before sitting to let Cora straighten her hair. Plates of food were brought up to them but Delaney was so anxious she could eat very little. Cora didn't seem to be able to bring herself to eat much either.

"Do I look alright?" Delaney asked her friend once they'd given up on eating.

"You look lovely," Cora smiled gently at her, "You always look so lovely."

Delaney looked down at her lap, "I suppose we should go then?"

Cora nodded, "I'm sure Miles is ready. Don't worry I will be with you."

Delaney hugged her friend before they left the room and found Miles waiting downstairs by the doors. He was clean and dressed well but his face was still exhausted and grey. The stress was wearing on him already.

Miles helped them back into the carriage that now had fresh horses, leaving the others to rest after their long journey. The carriage rolled away from the house and headed towards the outskirts of the city. Delaney didn't look out the windows now, her heart was racing and she worked to prepare herself for whatever might come.

Before she was ready, the carriage slowed and came to a stop in front of a rather gloomy looking stone building with torches flickering beside its doors and on the roof. It was made of the same black stone as the castle. Delaney looked at Miles with wide eyes and he sighed.

"We're here."