I turned back to Talia, whose smile was bright and probably well practiced.
“Why am I here?”
“For this.” She pulled back one of the linen curtains, revealing a large square pool sunken into the floor. The steaming water was faintly opaque and dotted with pink flower petals, and the light of a hundred candles reflected in the water and cast bobbing glints of light around the room.
“Fuck the moons” was all I managed to whisper, gooseflesh pebbling my skin at the possibility of sinking into that water.
A space this large had to be a communal bath. There was one in the stronghold used mostly by older men who wanted to roam around naked and free. But who bathed with others in a damned palace?
“Who else is here?” I asked.
“Here?” Talia looked around, then at me. “I’m not sure what you mean. Only me and the servants.”
“Am I supposed to help them with the water?” The prince said he wasn’t going to put me to work, but he was Lys’Careth.
“Help? Gods no, girl.” There was a smile in her voice. “You’re a guest of the prince.” She pointed to the water. “You’re supposed to get in. This is your bath.”
I snorted my disbelief, but her expression didn’t change. “Are you serious? This”—I gestured at it—“is all just for me?”
“Yes. Who else would it be for?”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I woke up in the palace, and it’s only gotten stranger since then.”
Another servant, this one with pink cheeks and a pert nose, came in and offered a long strip of linen. “Clothes, please. And I’ll wrap you in this.”
I had a moment to consider whether I’d ruin myself by accepting this monumental gift, and decided I could do with some ruining.
“This is Orda,” Talia said. “Please do as she asks.”
“All right,” I said, and deciding modesty would take too long, I stripped off my tunic, trousers, and undergarments.
“Oh, what happened?” she asked, her gaze on the scratches across my chest.
I crossed my arms. “Nasty fight.”
Orda looked up at me. “Did you win?”
“For now.”
“Good.”
“Don’t tell the prince. He’ll just worry, and there’s nothing to worry about.”
“It’s none of his concern,” Orda said with a nod, then wrapped the linen strip around me like a thin blanket, just wide enough to cover the important parts. Talia picked up my clothes.
“What are you doing with those?” I asked.
“I’d like to burn them,” Talia said dryly, “but as I imagine you’d object, we’ll clean and mend them. You can wear those in the meantime.” She gestured to a stack of folded fabrics at the side of the bath.
“The water is spring fed, so it stays hot. We’ve put in some soothing oils so it shouldn’t irritate your injuries, but if you need something else, let us know. And don’t come out until you’re clean.”
They disappeared behind the linen, leaving me at the edge of the pool. I didn’t think this was a trap—the prince had carriedme here, after all—but I still waited for a moment to ensure the Lady hadn’t changed her mind, and wasn’t preparing to wrench me from the water to prove her authority.
Wooden steps led into the water from the edge. I blew out a breath and dipped a toe into it, scattering pink petals. It wasn’t just warm, but hot. Deliciously hot. I eased my foot in to the ankle, then went to my knees. I hadn’t combusted, so I took the chance, removed my wrapping, and sank into the water to my chest. It stung a bit on the chafed skin above my breasts, but the pain dissolved quickly enough.
I hadn’t meant to moan, but the sound escaped me like a sigh. This was no chilly bucket or frigid river, and it didn’t smell of rotting vegetation or frogs.
I sat on the steps until the tension dissolved and I felt boneless. A small tray was nearby, bearing a set of pale green cubes. I sniffed. It smelled like the prince. Woodsy and bright.
