The aftermath

Fiona woke up startled by the sounds of birds screeching outside. Her body trembled and she felt disoriented at the blinding sunlight that made Fiona shield her eyes.

Once her eyes slowly adjusted only then did she remove her hands. Fiona's heart raced as she still recalled the vivid dream of being stabbed by a knife.

As she tried to sit up in bed a shooting pain cursed through her leg and she sank back on top of a few pillows with a soft whimper.

Her leg still ached, it wasn't a dream!

Fiona didn't know how long she had been knocked out cold and she worried that without her being awake to care for her injury the stab wound would have begun to fester.

She flung the coverlet aside to get a better look at her injury.

To her surprise the wound had been already cleaned and treated with what smelled uniquely like gentian violet.

The purple stain from the medicinal herb soaked through the white cloth bandages.

The bandages appeared to be changed regularly which meant someone had been taking care of her while she was out cold for which she was thankful.

Slowly her memory returned and her face flushed with embarrassment at how she must have been found sprawled out on the ground with her knickers at her ankles.

Her head pounded. She could use some aspirin right now but her chances of getting that drug in this world were very slim.

The most they could probably offer her was some laudanum which according to her studies was an alcoholic brew that contained traces of morphine and opium.

No thanks. If she got offered even a teaspoon of laudanum as a pain reliever she would surely decline and just bear the brunt of the pain as those substances were addictive.

Everything about the room was unfamiliar but at least the bed was comfortable and fluffy, probably stuffed with feathers, hay, wool or other similar items.

She sat up again in bed even slower this time around than the first, careful not to upset the injured leg.

While she was unconscious, who had undressed her nude body?

With horror Fiona realized that she was completely naked under the coverlet but that didn't deter her she just wrapped the coverlet toga style around her nude body.

Nothing could stop Fiona as she eagerly arose from the bed because she spotted a mirror.

Her body felt sore from her fall but her head felt like it weighed a ton. She finally stood up and she felt discomfort when she moved but she ignored the pain.

She moved toward a large mahogany furniture piece that reminded her of a vanity table with a circular mirror perched atop.

Her hair looked a frightful mess but she did not come to the mirror to just stare at her reflection.

Fiona carefully parted her hair in sections, searching until she found the main source of her discomfiture.

The closer she got to the center part the area was very tender.

Hidden under her scalp was a tennis ball sized lump that made tears come to her eyes even though she barely touched it.

There was nothing she could do about the lump but leave the hair parted so that the injury could breathe.

The hair style made her look much younger like a fresh faced kid in pigtails.

An orange breasted robin with mostly gray feathers flew up to her windowsill to stare at her curiously.

Then it chattered with the other birds that were circling outside. Its friend was probably asking in bird talk what it was doing perched there on the windowsill.

When she inched forward to get a closer look at the birds they flew away.

Fiona walked up to the windowsill to watch the curious bird and company dart around playfully in the sky.

Their shrill cries reminded her that the day was still young, there was no time to lie about lazily in bed.

Just then the heavy door squeaked like it was sorely in need of oil for its rusty hinges.

It made Fiona turn her head sharply in reaction and her head started to pound again.

"Young miss, I leave the room for a few minutes and you wake," a mature feminine voice greeted her. The pleasant voice tutted, "Now…now. Please return to bed where you belong my lady."

Firm hands reached out to coax Fiona back into bed, "You shouldn't get out of bed so soon you've been through quite the ordeal young lady and your body needs time to heal."

Fiona resisted, "Please put my mind at ease and answer this question, was it you that stripped me of my clothes?"

Glenda sighed, "That dirty tattered thing you wore could no longer pass for a dress it had to go."

"What a relief," she exclaimed as she sagged against the wall.

"Just who do you think changed your clothes?" hazel eyes twinkled at her merrily. She whispered conspiratorially, "You don't have to worry about such things with me around and it's my duty to look after you until you feel better."

She left a dress on the bed for Fiona and then went over to the wardrobe to tuck three other similarly styled dresses inside." Closing the wardrobe door she once again turned her attention to Fiona, "This should tide you over for now at least. I had to go and search the keep for someone of a similar build to get your size. My lord ordered the seamstresses to get started on a new wardrobe for you but it will take some time."

"That's very generous of him," she said breathlessly.

Her head started to throb again so she gingerly went and sat on the bed again after she bathed she would put on her new dress.

"Thank you Miss…" she said to the rosy cheeked lady.

"Oh how remiss of me, My name is Glenda, I am the local healer and herbalist."

"Nice, to meet you Glenda you can call me Fiona," she said quite happily, glad to finally have a name to go with such a friendly face.

Another knock on the door and a younger woman entered, "I'll be taking my leave shortly, this here is Clare, she'll be looking after you for your stay at Thornwyck."

"My lady," Clare bobbed and curtsied, "breakfast is on the tray, just quail eggs, bread and oatmeal with a cup of cow's milk. If you need more just ask, that's the master's order."

Clare lost no time getting busy, it made Fiona dizzy just to watch her move swiftly around the room.

In no time she replaced all the linens and curtains with freshly laundered ones that gave the room a pleasant smell.

"Thank you both," Fiona said warmly. "It's very kind of you to be so warm and hospitable to a stranger. I'm sorry if I caused you any unnecessary trouble and -"

"Psshhh," Glenda dramatically cut her off. "You are not the first cursed bride to step foot on Thornwyck, hopefully you will last a lot longer than the others."