“That was the plan and it was working….too well…” he sighed and paused as speaking hurt more than he realized. “We were tracking a boar and it…” another sigh. “It charged him and I could have let it kill him and then he would be gone and we could be together…but I couldn’t do that. I’m not that kind of man, so I pushed him to safety and it got me instead. I’m sorry…”<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"> Her worst fears nearly came to realization because he saved the one person they both wanted to be rid of. She couldn't fault him for it, not when it was ingrained in the very person he was to save people. But that didn't mean, if it came down to it, she wouldn't choose Bradach over Ivor every time. "Don't...don't apologize..." she whispered, shaking her head. "You wouldn't be..." <span style="font-style: italic">the man I love</span> "...who you are if you didn't push him out of the way..." There was a deafening pause as life without Ivor flashed through her mind. "...What did the doctors say were your chances for recovery?"</span><br/><br/>“I should be fine…” he said softly. “I will be weak for a long time…and I may have trouble breathing from time to time but I should be ok with lots of rest and drinking some kind of tonic. I will make my own remedy when I can…” another pause he then gestured her closer to him. “The king…he knows…about us…about the baby…” it was something that he would have wanted to never tell her but at the same time, knowing this could make their lives easier if they played their cards right.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"> The prognosis was better than she was expecting, but that was barring he rested like he was supposed to. And if the last time he was injured was any indication, he likely wouldn't as he'd not want to "be on his ass" again. "If you tell me what you need for the tonic, I'll get you the ingredients so we can get you recovering sooner rather than later..." It gave her a renewed sense of purpose, allowing her to focus on being an active participant in his recovery, something she hadn't been able to do the last time. Given he'd helped her so much after the...night with Ivor, it was the least she could do for the one she loved. But in the blink of an eye, the rest of what she knew was shattered as all the breath left her again, a sense of dread and anxiety taking hold as what he said resonated. The King knew. He knew all of it. The way Brad said it, there wasn't a shadow of a doubt that he knew everything. Just as she was preparing a way to get him out of the castle to protect him, another thought crossed her mind. "You're still alive...and being taken care of..." Maria started, voice barely above a whisper as her mind tried to work over it all. "And he didn't send me to the dungeons...so what does this mean? What did he say?"</span><br/><br/>“He wished that I was his son…” voice soft and filled with kindness. “That we can see one another in secret but the child would never know who I was and would think of Ivor as its father…if I can’t do this then he will kill me…” sadness there at the end. “The idea of my child calling that…man…father it does not sit well with me and I would not have it that way if it can be helped…” he sighed again and tried to shift in the bed for more comfort but failed. “I will tell you what flowers and herbs to get me, but you have to take someone with you. They are found in some of the darkest places in the woods so you will need protection. Promise me that you will take a guard and a hunter with you?”<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"> A lot went through her mind in that moment. On the one hand, to finally have someone who knew outside of the pair of them, was a relief. It felt like maybe, if he knew and they both remained standing, that this wouldn't be as bad as she thought. Add that he was okay with them continuing to see each other in private, and the hand was a positive one. Better than she could've hoped for in any scenario that she played out. On the other hand, though, their child could never know that Brad was their true father. The tone of his voice and the way his face fell at the thought of it, she knew he would never be happy with that. Her thoughts silenced as he started to shift, immediately standing up to try and help him if she could. Poised and ready to help him move, her actions froze as he started in on where to find the herbs he needed and the new promise he asked of her. "...Even now, you worry?" was all the woman remarked quietly. "How do you need to move to get comfortable? I'll help you the best I can, or I can get someone to help shift you. Tell me what you need, and I'll do it."</span><br/><br/>“Of course I worry…” waiting for her gaze to meet his. “I love you,” he whispered to her. “I will always worry about you until there is no breath left in my body.” There he paused to allow the moment to sink in before he thought about how to get comfortable. To Brad it hurt no matter what he was doing or how he was positioned because he literally hurt all over, “I am trying to sit up to see you better and be able to drink a bit easier. If you could help me by putting the pillows behind me when I manage to sit up that would be perfect.”<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"> It took her a moment for her gaze to move up to his, as she'd been fussing over him only a moment before. But, when she eventually did, her breath hitched and her heart skipped a beat. "I love you, too..." Maria whispered back. "But you must be careful of how you speak...if someone else were to come in and hear it..." Her voice dropped off as she, instead, focused on trying to figure out how to shift him up and gather the pillows behind him. "Should you be sitting up? You're in so much pain laying down, and where your wound is at your core, shouldn't it be as relaxed as possible? I could hold your cup for you so you could drink...and I could sit closer so you could see me... I don't want you hurting any more than you already do..."</span><br/><br/>“Now who is always worrying?” he asked with a grin. “Then I will lay still and you can come closer and help me to drink. I want to just have you close…I feel better when you’re close…”