Page 10 of Seas and Scepters

We climbed to the second floor, past the common rooms where other clients were entertained.The sounds of laughter and conversation filtered through closed doors, creating an atmosphere of relaxed intimacy that stood in stark contrast to the cold formality of the palace.

Lydia stopped before a door I'd never entered, her hand hovering over the brass handle."Her name is Selene," she said softly."And Your Highness...she's untouched.A virgin.I've been saving her for you."

My chest tightened.The implications of what she was offering—the honor she was bestowing—left me momentarily speechless.

"Lydia, I—"

"Just meet her," she said, her eyes kind but insistent."See if she’s to your liking."

She knocked gently, and a voice like liquid silver answered from within."Come in."

Lydia pushed open the door, and I followed her into the most elegantly appointed chamber I'd ever seen in the establishment.Green velvet curtains framed tall windows, while candles cast dancing shadows across walls hung with tasteful artwork.A fire crackled in the fireplace, filling the room with flickering amber light and the scent of lavender.

But all of that faded to nothing when I saw her.

She stood near the window, silhouetted against the moonlight streaming through the glass.My first impression was of otherworldly beauty—the kind that made men write poetry and wage wars.Her hair was white-blonde, cascading over her shoulders in waves that caught the candlelight like captured starfire.Her skin was pale as pearl, with a luminous quality that seemed to glow from within.When she turned toward us, I felt my breath catch.

Her eyes were the deep green of the ocean's heart, and they widened slightly when they fixed on my face.For a moment, neither of us moved.There was something in her expression—curiosity, perhaps, or surprise.As if she had been expecting someone else and found me instead.

"Selene," Lydia said smoothly, "I'd like you to meet a very special gentleman.A man of great importance who values discretion and kindness above all else."

The girl continued to stare at me with those remarkable eyes.I waited for the inevitable moment when her gaze would fix on my scars, when her expression would shift from mild interest to revulsion.I had seen it happen countless times before.

But it never came.

Instead, she stepped closer, her movements fluid and graceful.Her eyes roamed over my face with intense focus, but not the kind that made me want to hide.She studied my scars the way one might examine a work of art—carefully, as though wanting to capture and understand the intricacies.

"Your face," she said softly, her voice carrying an accent I couldn't place."What happened to you?"

The directness of the question caught me off guard.Most people either stared in horrified fascination or went to great lengths to avoid looking at me altogether.No one had ever simply asked.

"An old wound," I replied cautiously."From...before I knew better than to trust in protection that comes with a price."

Something flickered in her eyes—comprehension, perhaps, or sympathy."All protection has a price," she murmured."The question is whether what we gain is worth what we lose."

Her words were strange, almost philosophical for someone in her profession.I found myself studying her more closely, noting the elegant way she held herself, the cultured quality of her speech despite its odd inflections.

"I'll leave you two to get acquainted," Lydia said, though I had almost forgotten she was there."Take your time.There's no rush tonight."

The door clicked shut behind her, leaving us alone in the candlelit chamber.Selene moved closer, close enough that I could smell the scent of her skin—clean and fresh, like sea air and jasmine.

"Are you afraid of me?"she asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Afraid?Why would I be afraid of you?"

"Men are often afraid of women who see too much," she replied, her fingers lifting toward my face."May I?"

I nodded, not trusting my voice.Her touch was feather-light as she traced the worst of the scarring, her fingertips following the twisted landscape of my left cheek.Her expression remained one of fascination rather than disgust.

"Does it pain you?"she asked.

"Not anymore.Not physically."The admission slipped out before I could stop it."But it marks me.Makes me different.Monstrous."

Her hand stilled against my cheek."Monstrous?"She seemed genuinely puzzled by the word."I see no monster here."

"You're very kind," I said, trying to step back, but her hand followed, keeping that gentle contact.

"I'm not being kind," she replied with startling honesty."I'm being truthful.You're beautiful.Both sides of you."

---