“What’s going on with you?” Nathanie’s deep voice cut through her haze. “I called your name three times. You didn’t even react.”
Even after years at his side, being held so close still unsettled her. Heat crept into her cheeks as she met his steady gaze. There was no sign on his face that he knew she had just secured approval to leave him behind.
“I was thinking about the infirmary,” she said lightly. “There’s been a lot to handle.”
His eyes narrowed slightly, as if weighing her answer, but he let it pass. Instead, he crouched in front of her, lifting the hem of her trousers to examine her swollen ankle.
His fingers pressed carefully along the joint.
She hissed at the sting.
Without hesitation, he slid one arm beneath her knees and the other behind her back, lifting her as though she weighed nothing.
“It’s not minor,” he said. “You’ve strained it badly. You shouldn’t be walking for a few days.”
The courtyard guards glanced their way, and Adriana stiffened.
“Put me down,” she whispered urgently. “People are watching.”
He ignored her protest entirely and smacked her lightly on the hip when she tried to wriggle free. “Stop struggling. You’re injured.”