The warmth and comfort enveloping Harper kept him from waking far into the morning... a high fever also likely a culprit in his decision to remain in bed past proper hours. He was snuggled beneath the heavy blankets, quietly breathing through his mouth, his nose stuffed and cheeks pale. He remained oblivious to the world until he felt the thick blankets pealed back one at a time, finally revealing him to the chilly air of Rule's bed chambers. 

Logically, he knew that the room couldn't have been too cold as he tried to force open eyes that felt sealed shut, but he was already shivering when his body was only half uncovered. His stomach growled faintly, too, but the thought of food did nothing to rouse him further. He had no appetite. 

"I wouldn't bother him much today, my lord. He has quite a high fever." 

Frustrated pacing echoed in the room as Harper tried to huddle in on himself to warm up. He knew in the back of his mind that he could just reach down and pull the blankets back over himself, but his mind was too tired to process the simple idea. 

"You are certain he's not faking?" Rule's voice growled on a sigh. 

Another shiver ran down Harper's spine, making his muscles ache from the continuous shaking he'd likely done throughout the night. "I assure you that he indeed unwell. If he was feeling fine yesterday, perhaps something had stressed him out to the point of being ill, or he had eaten something bad, but I must advise you from forcing him to wake until at least this evening, and only to try and offer him some broth." 

Another sigh, then the sound of Rule's footsteps took him right up to the bed to stand beside where Harper lay. Silence stretched for a few moments before Rule replied. "Alright. Thank you, doctor. I will let him rest... but please keep this situation to yourself. I want no one else hearing of it. I called you here for a simple check up for myself, that is all. There was no boy." 

There wasn't a bit of hesitation when the doctor responded. "Yes, my lord." Then the sound of his footsteps dissipated until he was gone from the rooms.   

Harper drifted off to sleep soon after only to be awoken by the feeling of something gently brushing against his cheek. The blankets had found their way back over his body, fully covering him up to where they were tucked beneath his chin. He felt overheated, but couldn't find the strength to move them, nor the will. Chills swept through his body, sending mixed signals to his tired mind. 

"You are a fool, Hari." 

There was a pause as Rule moved in the room, the sound of his shoes on the wooden floor giving away what he was doing. 

"Actually, I doubt that's even your real name." 

Harper heard him put something down on what had to be the desk in the corner by his washroom, then his footsteps came closer again. 

"I had intended to call the magistrate in here the moment you awoke this morning before he left, yet you ended up so sick that you slept through me trying to wake you for nearly half an hour." 

A frustrated sigh left his lips and he walked away into the sitting room when the sound of someone knocking echoed into the bedroom, then he returned a few moments later, setting down what sounded like a piece of dishware somewhere nearby. 

"You need to wake up, Hari. It's late and you have eaten nothing all day." He stated as the bed dipped with Rule's weight near where Harper lay. 

He didn't want to, for obvious reasons that had been bombarding his mind all night, but Harper knew that he couldn't just sleep away his problems. His sickness did hinder his ability to move more than he thought it would, however, and forced him to take several minutes to pry his black-rimmed eyes open, and another couple to pull himself up against the pillows in order to sit up slightly. 

"You look horrible." Rule noted as he reached over, brushing Harper's damp bangs out of his sore eyes. 

He wanted to reply, but he couldn't find the words to say so he just closed his eyes and focused on his breathing. "Hey now, don't fall asleep again. You need to eat something." 

No, thank you. He thought as he opened one eye, only to see Rule smirking down at him from far too close. 

"You don't get a choice. If you don't eat some soup, I'll send for the magistrate to come back right away." 

That got Harper's attention. His stomach twisted at the idea of the man returning, but it settled again as he realized what Rule had just said. "You sent him away?" He rasped, his voice sound horrible even to himself. 

Rule frowned at the sound of his words and leaned over, pressing a spoon that Harper hadn't noticed, to his lips. "Eat." As he took in the small amount of soup offered, Harper's mind ran over Rule's words again. He actually sent the magistrate away. But why? Impersonating the opposite sex was not okay in society, and with the knowledge he had now, he likely knows that I was, indeed, a thief when I was younger and deserved an appropriate punishment. 

Rule lifted a bowl, another thing Harper hadn't realized he was holding, and dipped the spoon into it. "I sent everyone away. The event is over. I don't care for people overstaying their welcome. The magistrate's friend left you a letter, though. You may read it once you are feeling better." 

Wait. He sent everyone home? 

"Arthur?" Harper asked quietly before sipping the proffered spoon of its contents. 

There was no response as Rule continued to feed him. Deciding to just relax and not stress himself further into his sickness, Harper settled against the pillows more comfortably and just allowed himself to eat. He wasn't able to finish the bowl, but he did well enough to bring a small smile to Rule's face when he finally turned his head away, declining to take another spoonful. 

"Are you feeling a little better now?" He asked, drawing Harper's tired eyes to his, only for Harper to realize that Rule didn't look that great, either. His eyes were bloodshot and dark smudges were growing beneath them. He was also only wearing a pair of simple trousers and a loose white shirt, as if he didn't intend to live his rooms anymore for the evening.

When Harper remained silent, Rule leaned over and tugged the blankets that had fallen to his lap when he'd pushed himself up against the pillows, back up around his shoulders. "Rest. No one knows what happened besides that bastard of a lord and Matilda, and both have received a very unfriendly warning about their actions. The lord will no longer be welcome in my home, and Matilda has been demoted to strictly scrubbing clothing and dirty dishes..." 

He frowned as his words drifted off into silence, anger flaring in his eyes as he ran a hand through his hair. Is he mad that he didn't really punish them? Would he have told the magistrate? Harper thought about the situation for a few moments, trying to think through the heated haze in his sick mind. When he finally figured out why Rule was frustrated, he slumped further against the pillows and blew out a warm breath. 

If he had reported them, Matilda could have told by mistake, or more likely, on purpose, that he was a boy pretending to be a girl before the party. Shaking his head slowly against the pillows, Harper couldn't believe the situation that had played out. 

"You should have reported them, my lord." He rasped, coughing a few times before Rule pressed a small cup of warm water to his lips. Harper expected him to reply as he drank, but when he didn't, he pursed his lips and let his head fall back onto the pillows, sending the man a frustrated, tired look. 

Rule was giving him the same look, his dark eyes narrowing in the dimly lit room. They remained that way until Harper felt the heat of his fever begin to pull him back into his previous slumber. His eyes began to close on their own accord, but when he felt fingers gently sift through his hair, he forced them open again. 

"Hari... What am I to call you now?" Rule whispered, his eyes half-lidded as he stared down at him from where he still sat beside him.

 Biting his lip, Harper hesitated. Could he give Rule his real name and risk him saying it in front of others? 

"I promise that I will not speak it when we are not alone, but I believe that I deserve the small favor of learning the real name of the young man in my bed." 

Fair enough. 

Turning onto his side, Harper yawned once, then nuzzled into the pillows, whispering right before he fell back to sleep. "Harper."