Page 15 of The Time Of Kings

“I have legs, you know,” I told him, feeling the ache in my heart increase, knowing it was only yesterday that I had reminded my true husband of this fact.

“Yes, for I have knowledge of this…along with how efficient they are in running,”he replied, making me sigh before giving up and instead focusing on the new room. One that in today’s standards didn’t really look like a bathroom at all. But more like another lavish space found in a castle that had a bathtub placed in the centre of it. There was a wooden throne looking chair that I was praying was some type of toilet, because if there was one thing I had never gotten used to during my time traveling trip to the past, it was pissing in a pot. And well, we are not even going to think about the second thing they are needed for…eww.

Hence the other reason why I really needed privacy here, because I had admittedly been holding onto my need to pee for at least thirty minutes. As for the rest of the room, it was dark wood panelling with landscape oil paintings decorating the walls and mirroring the views seen from the high arched windows. A gold, gilded, ornate mirror hung over what would have been used as a sink. One with a painted porcelain bowl inset into the tabletop against the wall. In fact, the mirror reminded me so much of the one in our bathroom in Afterlife, it once again had me feeling home sick.

I forced my eyes from it, and instead focused on the copper tub with steam rising from the water. Everything certainly looked ready for me, along with folded linen sheets and a glorious bar of soap. A sight that made me slip up and comment before I could stop myself.

“Well at least there’s soap, this time.”

“Do you usually bathe without it?” he asked, making me realise my mistake.

“Er I… I mean, well not every inn has soap, does it?” I stated, hoping I was right, as naturally I had no clue.

“Especially those that have burnt to the ground and are missing a roof,” he replied teasingly, making me nearly choke on a breath after he reminded me of my first mistake. Oh, who was I kidding here? I had lost count of my mistakes so far. The first being when I ran into the castle instead of continuing to hide in the mud until nightfall.

“Er yeah,” I replied nervously as he lowered my feet to the ground without giving me the space I desperately needed right now. Especially with the way his large hands rested at my waist and purposely stayed there.

“I’m not…” I paused to swallow down yet another hard lump labelled fear before continuing on. “I’m really not a criminal.”

He raised a brow down at me, making me release a sigh before adding bitterly, “Despite what you think of me.”

“I think it wise for you not to know of my inner thoughts of you at this moment,” he replied, his voice taking on a deeper tone and causing me to take a quick breath before braving to ask,

“And why is that?”

He took one long leisurely look down at me, scanning my body with clear intent, despite it being marred with mud and anything but sexy. However, contrary to this belief, he was soon adding words to his heated gaze.

“Because most would consider them not only to be improper for a gentleman but mainly…sinful,”he whispered this last word by my ear as he had started to gather up my top, all while getting closer. Then before I had chance to respond, he shocked me by lifting my long sleeve shirt up and over my head. However, the shock quickly switched to him as now he was staring down at my black satin bra, as if he had only ever seen such a garment back in his Persian days. Back when the girls in his harem wore very little for his pleasure.

“This… I have never seen such… such undergarments,” he stammered, having to pause to clear his voice, and I had to lookdown so as he wouldn’t see my satisfied grin. Because damn, it still felt good knowing that I could render him near speechless. But then I did feel as if I needed to give him an explanation of sorts, so I told him what I think he knew as being obvious.

“I’m not from around here,” I said, making him clear his voice again.

“No,indeed not,”he said, his voice sounding strained and thick, at the same time his fingertips began to skim the edge of the lace that scalloped around the arch of satin. Satin that my breasts were near spilling from with every heavy breath I took. My ample cleavage was rising as if on its own accord to the beat of his own wishes it seemed.

Especially when he started to lower his lips to my own and suddenly all thoughts of why I should not be doing this vanished. Just like they had done that first time I kissed a Persian King. However, my stomach chose that moment to rumble, and it was enough to break the spell I had on him. He pulled back abruptly before his lips made contact.

Something that was enough to cause him to take an abrupt step away from me. As if I had myself uttered the word no, when in fact my whole body had been screaming yes! But whatever reality had hit him in that moment, clearly it was enough to shake him from what he had wanted to do only a few heartbeats ago.

“I will leave you now to bathe…in private,”he told me, his voice again strained, and this time for a different reason as he denied himself what he wanted. Something that made me suddenly feel vulnerable enough to cross my arms over my near naked chest and nod in return. Because right in this second, I didn’t trust myself to speak from fear of what I may say. The irrational hurt no doubt would have laced my tone and just made the moment more confusing for him.

He watched this and it became apparent that I wasn’t the only one that wore a pained expression. However, he was quicker than I was to recover from it, shaking himself back to his stern countenance and reminding me,

“Assuming you still cannot sprout wings and fly away, I am to remind you that the doors will remain locked in my absence, so it is a fruitless endeavour on your part should you think to try to escape again.”

I frowned and because I was hurt by his quick change of heart about me, I told him in an acrimonious tone,

“And I would expect nothing less from a jailor who has already condemned me of my sins.”

His frown deepened before he said, “Yes, just as guilt is fuelled by lies spoken, and the counterbalance to this is the innocence gained with the truths that are told.”

With this, he quickly turned on his heel and left, firmly closing the door behind him with a slam, making me jump.

Which left me to feel as though this was an ancient past I was being forced to live through once more.

Of course, now all I could ask myself was…

Wouldmy heart survive a second round?

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