I give up and sit on one of the beds, grabbing a hairbrush to keep myself busy.
Maybe he won’t notice that I’m in nothing but a small towel.
“You can come in!” I call out to him.
I hear the click of the key in the lock before the door swings open and Callum steps into the room. I avoid eye contact, absentmindedly brushing my hair as if I didn’t have a care in the world. His footsteps come closer, and I realize he’s carrying a tray with some steaming bowls of food on it.
“I hope the bath was to your liking,” he muses, placing the tray on the table between the beds.
My stomach rumbles, the noise causing him to turn towards me. I shiver as his eyes rake down my body, taking in my appearance.
He clears his throat and opens his mouth as if to say something, decides otherwise, and closes his mouth.
He clears his throat again.
I resist the urge to laugh or roll my eyes. A girl in a towel can’t be the worst thing he’s seen, can it? I’ve lived in a camp for the last decade, and this ishardly considered scandalous.
Then again, if he hasn’t had any action in the last - what did he say? Five years? Then maybe this is the first time in a while he’s seen any bare skin, sexual or not.
I stop brushing my hair and eye the tray he set on the table, mouth watering at the smell. “Is that food for me? Because I’mstarving,” I drawl dramatically, putting a hand over my stomach. I move and sit on one of the chairs next to the table and bring one of the bowls to me. “Are you planning on eating, too?”
I can see the exact instant he collects himself and sits opposite of me. “Yes, please, eat. If you don’t like it I can request something else.”
He doesn’t realize how good any food without a coating of sand sounds to me. Or any food that’s not scraps.
I take a spoonful of the hearty stew and groan. “I haven’t had a meal that hasn’t tasted gritty in a long time,” I grin. “I almost forgot that food could taste this good.”
I try not to devour the whole bowl too fast. Callum’s manners are impeccable, and I don’t want to be a disgrace already. I’m sure there will be plenty of opportunities for that in the future.
Callum joins in eating, and we sit there quietly enjoying the meal until we finish. The combination of the hot bath and dinner has staved away some of my fatigue.
“Can I get you anything else?” He asks, stacking the dishes on the tray and putting it outside our door.
“Something to sleep in? I don’t want to have to put on my old clothes, and I suspect you’d rather I stop wearing this towel around. Although I’m happy to sleep naked if not.” I throw him a saucy wink.
It’s so easy to push his buttons and I find myself enjoying that I can affect someone so easily. It gives me a small surge of power I’ve never felt before. Sure enough, Callum’s face goes beet red, the blush easily visible on his pale skin.
“Sorry, I didn’t even think.” He goes over to a trunk I didn’t see him bring in and pulls out one of his shirts. “Is this okay?”
“Perfect.” I catch it as he tosses the shirt to me, and I start to pull it on over the towel, loosening the towel underneath so it falls to the floor.
Once I’m dressed, I notice that Callum had turned around slightly for my privacy, and I smirk. It might be fun trying to loosen him up and shed some of that prudish formality.
“You can look, I’m decent.” I hop back to sit on my bed. “You could’velooked even if I wasn’t decent.”
Callum shakes his head and goes to sit on his side. “You’re going to be trouble, aren’t you?”
I feign a gasp. “Me? You’re the one who hunted me down.”
“I have a feeling I’m going to regret that.” He’s serious at first, but I see the dimple start to emerge. Maybe he does have a playful side behind all his sternness.
“Probably.” I stretch my arms over my head and fall back on the surprisingly comfy bed. “Thanks for the bath and for supper. I feel human again.”
“You’re welcome. And thank you again for coming with us. I know it may not seem that important, but it is, and any help is appreciated.”
I still haven’t stopped wondering about what the relic could be, especially with his insinuating comments. It has to be very rare, that much is obvious, but what ability would the relic hold that would be that important? For a king, I imagine the relic would have to provide wealth or riches, but could it be a weapon of sorts to be used in a future skirmish? Callum promised he would tell me when we arrive at the palace, so I’ll do my best to be patient for now.
I tuck myself into bed, pulling the quilts tightly around me. “You’re welcome, too. Something tells me that we’ll be the best of friends after all this.”
