Chapter 22 I can’t Swim!

Helios's head snapped up. He couldn't breath. It felt like the air was being squeezed out of his Queen's lungs which in turn felt like he was drowning with her. Her mind was screaming "I can't swim!" Before her mind went dark. Helios burst through his window flying as fast as he could to the bath house.

Silas was standing on the other side of the wall at attention searching the area for rogue males when all of a sudden he heard the queen screaming, "I can't swim!" The queen was in danger!!! Without a second thought Silas ran into the bathhouse and dove into the water after the queen. It felt like 50,000 lighting bolts had come down and struck him. He wreathed in pain as he swam through the water searching for the queen. He saw her just as she reached the bottom of the tub. He grabbed a hold of her arms and pulled her to the surface. Silas carried her out of the bathhouse and laid her on the ground just as he collapsed from the pain from getting electrocuted by fifty thousand bolts of lighting.

Helios spotted his queen and Silas laying next to her. He flew down picked up his queen flipped her over and started beating her back to get her to spit up the water. After a few minutes of pounding on her back she finally vomited up the water in her lungs. Coughing and choking on the water she took her first few breaths after almost drowning. Helios sighed in relief when he heard his queen breathing again. He tried to pull her into his arms but she struggled trying to get away. Helios let go of her, worry in his gut as she doubled over heaving trying to puke up more water. When she was finished she laid down on the ground her chest still heaving as she closed her eyes trying to catch her breath. Helios took off his cape and laid in over his queen so no one would see her naked. Her mate marks had disappeared when she went into the water so they haven't come back yet.

He walked over to Silas grabbing him by the scruff of his robe and dragged him to his feet. "What happened?"

Silas groaned in pain as he looked up at the King couching up blood. "I was standing guard. She was fine for a few minutes. She was even singing inside, until I heard her scream she couldn't swim. I reacted without thinking. I ran into the bath house and jumped in and saved her. I pulled her out of the water and brought her out here. I felt like I was struck by over one thousand lighting bolts. He laughed manically his head rolling back as he couched up more blood. The king looked into his eyes and said, "I owe you my life for saving my queen. Thank you." He laid Silas back down and walked back to his queen. Her breathing was almost back to normal her chest slowing down.

I opened my eyes looking around. My lungs were on fire, my back was sore from someone pounding on me. I saw Helios approaching me. Helios bent down and picked me up in his arms. I grabbed his neck pulling him close bawling my eyes out. I was glad to see Helios. I really thought I was going to die. Sniffling I looked at Helios sputtering, "I couldn't swim. There was a rail at the edge of the tub. I thought they were stairs similar to the pools on earth. I walked off the edge and fell into the water. The water was too deep. I couldn't feel the bottom. I sank and almost drowned," I cried into his neck as sobs rack my chest. He patted my back, covering me with his cloak.

"Someone pulled me out of the water. I don't remember coming outside, I said to Helios. Helios growled as he pointed toward someone, "Silas pulled you out of the water. This stupid fool went into a females bath house risked getting shocked to death and saw you naked," Helios was clearly jealous. "I owe him my life for saving you." I looked over to where Helios was pointing and saw Silas still laying g on the ground, he was badly injured. His robes had scorch marks and there was the smell of burning flesh. I struggled to get out of Helios's arms running toward Silas.

"Silas are you ok? Please forgive me!!! I'm so sorry!!! I didn't mean to fall into the water. I thought there were stairs. I'm sorry for being so stupid and not knowing how to swim. Please can you ever forgive me!!!" I cried leaning over his chest. His hand reached up to touch my face wiping away my tears as he replied weakly, "it's ok my queen it's not your fault. It's our job to protect females. I did my duty in making sure you didn't drown. I am so happy to have someone like you worrying about me. I am just glad you are safe. I'll be fine. I'm a male this doesn't hurt that bad," he said as he coughed more blood on his robes.

I grabbed one of the towels and wiped the blood from his mouth. "Helios I need your help. We have to take him to the infirmary. He's hurt bad," I whimpered. "I can't move him on my own. Helios snorted looking down at Silas, "he will be fine. A couple days of rest and he will be back to normal. Helios picked him up by the scruff of his tunic again hoisting him over his shoulder. Helios picked me up and off we went to the infirmary. Helios dumped Silas onto one of the beds as he requested a doctor. "My queen wants a doctor for this male. I don't know why she cares for him so but I don't want to see her upset. Please help him get back to normal so my queen doesn't have to suffer with worry.

The doctor came over and stripped Silas of his robes. I turned away blushing and hid my face in Helios's robes. The doctor rubbed a salve all over his body. It kind of smelt like rosemary, peppermint, and basil, I sneezed as soon as the smell hit my nose. I was allergic to basil. Helios heard my thoughts and said we must go my queen is allergic to that salve. "No no it's ok, it only makes me sneeze, I'm fine. I walked over to Silas keeping my eyes on his face and not his naked lower region. Helios walked up behind me throwing one of my towels at him growling, "cover up! Have some decency in front of my queen.

"I'll come back to check on you. I'll even bring flowers to cheer you up. Please get well soon. And thank you so much for saving me. If it wasn't for you I'd probably be dead. I owe you my life." I brushed the hair out of his face and took a hold of his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. But before I could pull my hand away he held on staring into my eyes he said, "you don't owe me anything. It was my duty to save you. It will hurt my pride if you say that. "Then I hope that you will continue to protect me with your dying breath, you were very brave today. I tousled his hair, as he flinched under my hand with shock. Helios pulled me away from Silas with lighting speed and rushed out of the infirmary.

She tousled his hair!!! She's never made an attempt to touch me intimately like that!!! The nerve of that boy!!! I'm going to have to keep a close eye on him or he will try to steal my mate!!! He tightened his grip around his queen hurrying back to the castle away from the boy. When we entered the front door we were greeted by Ihloi who was wringing his hands with worry.

"Are you ok my queen. Everyone in the castle heard what happened. We were sick with worry thinking we had lost you. I now see the King made it in time and has brought you back to safety." Ihloi sighed with relief. Her hands were so warm and supple in his cold hands. It seems humans have different body temperatures than we do Ihloi observed taking a mental note. Ignoring the Kings warning to stay clear of the queen until she felt comfortable around him, Ihloi walked up to the queen and gently grabbed her hand in his and kissed the top of her hand. I flinched when he kissed my hand. Is it some kind of ritual thing here to kiss females or is it just a sly way to make a move on me? I questioned in my head.

"I looked up at Ihloi still a little nervous gathering up my courage I stuttered over my words, "I'm sorry I haven't spoken to you. I was afraid of you when I first saw you. Just before I went into hyper sleep I saw you transform into a monster. I panicked when I was asleep thinking I had entered into a world of monsters who were going to eat me. Please forgive me for being so rude."

"It's quite alright my queen," Ihloi chuckled. "I would have been scared too if I were in your place. I hope we can become great friends in the future and I promise not to eat you," Ihloi said teasing my hair. I beamed up at him feeling so foolish for being so scared of him. He reminded me of a jolly go lucky grandfather with a twinkle in his eye. He was always so upbeat and he seemed to be the smart type. I feel like I could ask him any question in the world and he would have an answer for it.

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened in the bathhouse? Was it not built to suite you?" Ihloi asked curious to know what happened.

"I was never taught how to swim. Every time my family went on holiday they left me home with the neighbors. I never owned a swimsuit either. My cousin would always give her old one to but it was too big here," I pointed to my chest. "When I was in the bathhouse, I saw a railing and figured there was stairs there. So I walked right into the water not realizing how deep the tub was." A scene of me in the bathhouse popped into my head. I took a step and did a face plant into the water. It kind of looked like when someone stepped on a banana peel and falls flat on their face. My face turned beet red when I realized I looked really stupid when I fell in.

Helios's chest rumbled beneath me. He roared with laughter that he couldn't contain. I glared at him wondering why he was laughing at me.

"What's so funny Sire?" Ihloi asked confused.

"Oh nothing my queen is just being adorable." Helios chuckled as he nuzzled my head with his chin.

I looked up at Helios, "do you have any paper or writing utensils I could use? Ihloi fumbled in his robes for a minute and pulled out a notepad and a pen and handed them to me. I quickly drew a crude sketch of a daisy and turned the notepad around to show Helios. "Do we have any flowers that look like this? I need a bouquet of them. Helios was happy his queen was asking for something. He smiled as he replied, "we do have those flowers. We keep everything we obtained from earth down on level one. I will send for a guard to bring them, for when you awaken in the morning."

"Can, can I also get a notebook? I want to start a diary," I stuttered thinking I was stepping over my boundaries and asking for too much. Helios smiled, "of course my little one. Nothing is too much for my queen. Ihloi can you fetch my queen a diary. Get her a deep blue one. I giggled and blushed as he said deep blue one. Ihloi turned as rushed off to find me a diary. Helios carried me to his chamber and sat me on the bed. Sniffing my hair he said, "you smell like the Milky Way. I'm glad you used the soap I especially picked out just for you. Now you really resemble the stars in the sky.

I twisted my curls around my finger as I secretly took a whiff of my hair. He was right I smelled like the night sky. I really loved the soap he picked out. A few moments later Ihloi knocked on the door and Helios called out for him to come in. Ihloi came in and handed me the diary with a grin. It looked exactly like the shade of Helios's eyes. Grinning I took the pen from Ihloi and flipped to the first page of the diary and began to write. Ihloi left the room to go and work out with the trainees. Helios patted my head and sat at his desk to finish working on the paperwork he left behind when he rushed to my side at the bathhouse.

"Dear Diary, today I was rescued by Silas a boy who looks like a mini version of Helios. If I hadn't met Helios first I probably would have fallen for Silas. He is so handsome, strong, and brave. It was embarrassing when he saw me naked but aside from that I will forever be eternally grateful to him for saving my life. I hope he isn't mad at me for getting electrocuted on my behalf. Tomorrow I will go visit him and bring him daisy flowers to help cheer him up as a get well soon present. Maybe when he's feeling better I can ask Helios if we can go out sometime to visit his family. I would really like to get to know everyone better."

I continued to write silently as the day ticked by. Next thing I knew it was time for dinner. Helios sat down behind me interrupting my writing as he pulled me into his arms. "My queen has been so silent all day writing away in her new diary. I hope your hand isn't cramping. I'll massage it for you while you eat. What would you like for dinner? My stomach growled when he said the word dinner. I didn't realize it was so late. My shoulders felt stiff from being hunched over for half the day. My bones creaked as I stretched thinking what I would like for dinner.

"I would like to have pot roast cabbage and potatoes. My aunt would make it all the time but they would only leave me the meat drippings/fat and the cabbage. It was still good but I would really love to try some of the meat. Helios sent the message down to Eleanor and soon my dinner arrived. I shoveled the food down famished from missing lunch today. After the dinner tray was removed I crawled across the bed and nestled myself into Helios's arms. I wanted him to hold onto me tonight. I was still freaked out about the bath incident and I wanted to feel his arms of protection around me keeping me safe while I slept.

Helios starred down at his queen sleeping in his arms. Her dreams had shifted into nightmares about drowning from earlier today as she trembled in his arms. Touching her temple he cast a spell and changed her dreams into a pleasant one of them kissing under the stars. He couldn't bare for her to have unpleasant dreams. I'm glad my queen feels safe in my arms, he thought. Bending down he kissed her gently on her lips, a smile curling on hers, her face burying into his robes.