Lean on me

When Diana had come to, she realized she was no longer on the training ground but instead in her room. "What happened?" she asked herself, sitting up while holding her pounding head.

"You fainted due to overworking your body, Your Highness."

Diana turned to her right to locate the source of the voice and saw a man around six feet two inches standing by Drakkon. "I assume you're the doctor?" she asked, feeling a bit dizzy. It felt as if the room was spinning at the slowest speed imaginable.

The man nodded in response to her question before introducing himself. "I'm Radieq, doctor to the royal knights." he said with a slight bow. "Thank you for your assistance Radieq, but I'm feeling quite fi-" Diana stopped her sentence once she noticed the look Drakkon was giving her.

She sighed before finally speaking the truth. "I'm not feeling completely fine, I have a headache, do you have a prescription that could help ease some pain?" she asked. Drakkon smiled relieved while the doctor prescribed some medicine.

"I recommend LemonGrass Tea for the next few days and you should be fine after." Diana nodded as Drakkon immediately sent a maid to prepare the tea. Radieq bowed once more before leaving the room.

Now the sole occupants were Diana and Drakkon. "I didn't want to worry you, you've already done so much for me." said Diana avoiding eye contact. She felt extremely guilty for making Drakkon worry.

He was running an entire Kingdom in her stead for heaven's sake, but here she was having him worry over her. She felt pathetic. What happened to the brave, strong Diana? She was nothing but a shell of her former self.

"That is exactly what is making me worry," he whispered, pulling her from her intrusive thoughts.

"You keep trying to do everything on your own, I wish you would lean on me a little. It's not like before where I was helpless, I have grown. Grown so I could protect you and the ones I cherish just like you did before. So please, just lean on me, even if it's just a little." he asked, holding her face in his hand.

She didn't even see when he made his way over.

Diana leaned into his touch silently contemplating how to respond. "Ok." she whispered finally making eye contact.

"Ok?"

"Ok. I'll lean on you." she definitively with a smile on her face. This caused Drakkon to smile and he bent to hug her. She returned his hug wrapping her arms around his neck. What felt like minutes passed before a knock was heard at the door causing them to separate.

"Your highness, I'm back with the tea." called a voice from outside the door. It was the maid Drakkon had sent for the tea earlier.

"Come in." ordered Drakkon standing straight. The maid pushed the door open with one hand before making, or at least attempting to make her way over to the Empress, but Drakkon stopped her.

"I'll take over from here, you may go." The maid didn't try to argue and she handed the platter over to the past Emperor and left the room with a bow.

The platter not only consisted of the required LemonGrass tea, but of the Empress favorite snack of FrenchToast and favorite fruits, Oranges, Grapes and Strawberry.

He smiled pleased at the maid's capabilities. "Here." he said, picking up a sliced strawberry to feed her. Diana didn't refute as she allowed Drakkon to do as he pleased.

Once the platter was empty Drakkon pushed Diana into the bed before pulling the sheet up over her. "Go sleep. I promise you'll feel better once you wake up." he smiled, picking up the platter.

"Yes father." she said sarcastically with a smile on her face.

"Now young lady." he played along.

Diana laughed as she moved around trying to get comfortable, before she even realized it, she was out like a light.

Once Drakkon was sure Diana was sleeping he left the room shutting off all the lights. Outside by her door he saw Sir Davis and Sir Evan guarding the door.

"How long have you been here?"

"Ever since you left the training grounds. We rushed out behind you and had been guarding the door since." Evan explained.

Drakkon nodded pleased by their behavior towards the Empress. They had only just met her, but are already showing signs of loyalty.

"We even checked the tea just to be on the safe side." Sir Davis added.

Drakkon wanted to kick himself. He was so caught in making sure she drank the tea to recover that he forgot to check if the tea was actually safe for consumption.

"Thank you, stop by the office tomorrow to pick up a reward for your loyalty, and once the Empress awakens, escort her to the dining room as she might still be weak from overexertion."

The guards nodded but stopped Drakkon before he could walk off. "There is no need to reward me Sir, I was just just performing my duty as a royal knight."

"I agree with Evan Sir." Drakkon smiled once more, nodding before walking away. It seems as though he's been smiling a lot more often these days.

'Did Sir Drakkon just smile?' whispered Evan to Davis who was in as much shock as he was. 'I think so, either that or we need to get our eyes checked.'

…

A few hours had passed since Diana had initially awoken and she was awake once more. "What time is it?" she mumbled to herself sitting up in bed.

She felt a lot better than before, it even felt like more of her magic had recovered. She made a mental note to tell Drakkon to either give him a raise or promote him, whichever he preferred.

She turned to the right and turned on the lamp that was on the bedside table and peered at the clock that was beside it. "8:19." she mumbled the time, but it didn't settle in till a few seconds later. "8:19?! Dinner is at 8:30" she yelled rushing around the room looking for something to wear.

She ran over to her closet where she pulled out a white dress with simple lace designs before rushing to the bathroom. Diana ran over to the tub to see it was already filled. Boy has she never been happier to be the Empress.

She rinsed her body quickly but thoroughly before leaving the tub. She wrapped her towel around her as she tried to think of her next move."What's next? What's next?" she asked herself, spinning around in the bathroom.

"Dress." she said running over to put on the dress after drying off. "Um.." she tried to think of what she needed to do next but was failing as all she could do was worry about time running down on her. "Hair." she said, running over to the mirror.

Diana removed the 'stale' braid from her hair and decided to keep her hair loose. After fixing her hair it seemed as if she was finally calm as it relates to rushing to dinner.

She decided against brushing her teeth seeing as she was going to eat. When she finally left the bathroom it was 8:40. She sighed a bit dejected that she was late and decided to just take her time.

Diana opened the double doors of her bedroom door and saw two males standing by it on the outside. It took a few seconds before it clicked who they were. She remembered them from the training grounds earlier today.

"Empress please allow us to escort you down."

Diana was about to refuse when she remembered the conversation she had with Drakkon earlier this evening. "Ok." she agreed, allowing them to hold her hand in an escorting fashion.

Once they arrived at the dining room Diana was in shock, was she that late? Where was everyone? Where was the food? She asked herself silently. The knights escorted her to the head of the table where one of them, Davis, she believed, left to call Drakkon.

"Tell me about yourself." she smiled at the guard beside her.

"My name is Evan Your Highness, Second Commander of the Battalion of Royal Knights." he declared proudly.

"Well it's nice to meet you Evan. I hope we can get along fine." she smiled at him. Evan nodded eagerly but before he could verbally respond, Davis and Drakkon had returned.

"What is going on here?"