don't turn away now

Her voice sounded pained, and it ate at him that he hadn't been there the moment the bear was sighted. He had almost lost her...but he had made it in time. Just barely. Had he not, would he have found her body mangled and broken? Or would there have been no trace left other than the blood that would've been spilled? He didn't want to think about those things as she said she was alive, "I'm glad," He murmured. She leaned away from him, and his ears fell back though he tried not to show that it pained him. Considering what had happened between them the other day, he couldn't exactly blame her. He sighed as he shut his eyes for a moment. This was his fault. He had caused this. Although the bear had been some turn of bad luck, perhaps it was karma coming to bite him for being an idiot.

"I think I need a healer," He opened his eyes to look at her, his gaze worried as he looked over her wounds. While he could more or less determine the severity of the ones on the outside, he couldn't determine the severity of the ones on the inside. The only healer he knew of that might be able to help her was Actaea, and...potentially Ignis. The two were always together, surely his wayward nephew had picked up a thing or two? "We'll get you looked at...just rest for now," It was both a request and an underlying order. From both a concerned friend and concerned king. She had fought valiantly despite her wounds, and he didn't doubt she would have done it if she were forced to fight alone.

"I...thank you, for saving me."

His ears fell back as his brows pulled together, thinking about the moment he had stood there, frozen in the face of the bear while that voice had spoken to him. "I could not stand by and allow someone I care about to die again..." He murmured softly. His gaze sought hers for a moment before he turned away, seemingly trying to occupy himself by acting like he was searching for more injuries that might have been previously missed. He took a deep breath, trying to still his pounding heart as the "what-if" thoughts started to flood him. Truth be told, he wasn't sure what he would have done had Heloise been taken away like that. He wouldn't have been able to forgive himself this time had she died...especially when things hadn't gone so well the last few days. He wouldn't have been able to let himself forget. But here she was by fate or dumb luck, he wasn't sure. But she was alive, and that was what mattered.