AfterTheFallEveryonesCenterOfAttention[continued from Larger the Group, Bigger the Target and A Familiar Face] Several students moved as one to help the stricken girl, including Velnor. An auburn-haired woman – her uniform marked her as a senior chirurgeon - gasped, “She’s not breathing! I think she’s dead.” Although she’d kept her voice low, panic began to settle over the concerned group. Blood oozed from the girl's forehead, her eyes lifeless and empty. And yet, Cynwyd could have sworn he could see her out of the corner of his eye. . . standing up near the stage. The image flickered and disappeared the moment he paid any attention to it. On stage, Prince Benedict fell silent. Assessing the situation, he hopped down and began ascending the steps toward Cynwyd and the others. In the back of his head, Cynwyd’s Voice laughed. <Scarecrow never could resist a maiden in distress> <Neither could I,> Cynwyd mentally responded to the voice, taking the time to note that somewhere along the line, he'd stopped thinking about how insane it was to carry on stilted conversations with a voice in his head... The room disappeared around Rusalka in a stomach-churning swirl. Pain suddenly lanced through her head and she tasted blood in her mouth, coppery sweet. Her flesh felt foreign, unnatural, like an ill-fitting suit. Hands grasped at her, rolling her limp for over. She heard voices through the cloud of pain and color. “Wait a minute! I think she’s breathing. She wasn’t a second ago. I swear!” She did not recognize the faces around her, but their concern was unmistakable. Rusalka blinked, lifting her hand to her head where the pain had blossomed, but for once she thought quickly. Her body had been without an animating force - no wonder it had fallen. Time to take the embarrassment and cut her losses. "No, I..." She mumbled, blushing, "I just tripped and hit my head, that's all... I'm so sorry to interrupt..." Cynwyd hadn't expected that making it through the crowd would be so easy, but then again, a lot of things were easier than they had ever been before, and so it was that he found himself smoothly at the girl's elbow, helping her rise to her feet. It was more than the girl that had attracted him- that flickering that he saw- normally he would have brushed it off, but lately, strange things had begun to seem less strange. "Of course," he interjected smoothly. "Now if you could all step back and let her rise, I'm sure that the air would do her good," he said, even as he tentatively let her take her feet to see if she would totter again. Cynwyd’s aura of calm soothed the anxious students and they followed his directions. All but the auburn-haired girl, who remained protective and vigilant. She supported Rusalka on the opposite side, lending her strength. "Are you quite ok," he asked, concern in his voice. Rusalka blinked up at him, smiling shyly as her cheeks reddened even more brightly. "It's just a bump," she said, but her limbs still felt awkward and a second wave of dizziness made her sway forward into his arms. "Sorry... I'm not usually this clumsy." “You’ve cut yourself, miss,” the girl said. “There’s no telling how badly. We should take you to the infirmary.” A shadow fell over them, cast by a wiry tower of Prince Benedict. “I concur with Student Nadine,” he said in a monotone. The girl stiffened, eyes widening as she realized the Royal knew her name. He ignored this surprise and turned his chilly gaze on Cynwyd. “Student Cynwyd. If you would assist Student Nadine as we escort the Lady Cardovan to the school nurse. Thank you.” He waved his arm dismissively and the other students parted like startled birds. Cynwyd tried his best not to react, but to keep his attention on the stricken girl as he nodded his head to the order from Prince Benedict. Rusalka was not entirely surprised that Prince Benedict knew her name, or at least her title, since pink hair was fairly uncommon, but she found her complexion brightening even further to come close to matching her hair as she realized that her first actual verbal interaction with one of her idols among the Royals was going to be when she had just acted like a complete spaz. Cynwyd, conscious of Prince Benedict's attention, was silent as he helped Rusalka to the infirmary. She just nodded, chewing her lip and trying not to put too much weight on either of her supporters as they helped her away. Continued in Behind Closed Doors |
