•Meadowlark Village [Restaurant Inn]•
[Ovelia's POV]
Gale's hand was still cold in mine. His head rested heavily on my shoulder, his breathing deep and even, but the unnatural stillness of it was a constant, quiet worry. Around us, the private dining room of the restaurant inn was warm and smelled of polished wood, pre-seasoned broth from the central hotpot burner. We had all placed our orders for add-ins for the communal pot. For Gale, who remained unconscious, I had quietly asked for a sweet pudding. He likes desserts, I reasoned, a small, hopeful gesture in the face of his exhaustion. Now, we were waiting, the silence comfortable but charged with the unspoken events of the evening.
My gaze drifted across the table to Ann. She was watching me, a soft, unguarded smile on her usually solemn face. Her black eyes held a warmth that eased some of the tightness in my chest.
"That rose hairpin looks very good on you, my lady," she said, her voice gentle.
