Page 19 of Of Song and Scepter
Odissa squeals with piercing glee. She performs a weird little dance and giggles yet again as she buries her face into the sleeve of something pink.
“Isn’t this glorious?” Odissa exclaims.
“I’m glad Your Highness is pleased with the accommodations,” Clio says.
“Yes, very much.” Odissa runs her hands along the large copper bathtub, frowning. “Where will my handmaid be staying? I do not see adjoining quarters.”
Clio shuffles on her feet. “Well, Your Highness, this is an unusual situation. Your handmaid is a siren, is she not?” She turns to look at me, shrugging apologetically. “We usually treat our magic-wielders with the utmost respect they are due, but because of her role, we thought the servant quarters would be appropriate, if her ladyship is prepared to keep them company.”
It’d be nice to have my own space, away from Odissa. In my time with her, she’s never let me sleep alone. I’mtoo valuable an asset, she says.
“Fetch a cot for my handmaid,” Odissa orders. “Enna will sleep in my quarters. I prefer to keep her close, you understand?”
Clio hesitates. “Your Highness, I encourage you to reconsider. It would be most improper for an attendant toshareyour quarters.”
“She’ll sleep here,” Odissa presses, her fists tightening around the pink fabric.
Clio tips her head, then smiles tightly. “As you wish, Your Highness. The prince has invited you to a sunset dinner on the terrace. I’ll come to retrieve you beforehand. And in the meantime, might I suggest a relaxing bath after a long journey?”
Odissa releases her grip on the fabric, smoothing out the wrinkles. “That is an excellent idea, Clio, thank you.”
Two pairs of eyes flick toward me. I stare at the tub perched on four knobby legs, unsure where to begin with the task.
With a sigh, Clio approaches the tub. She twists both handles and water gushes out, filling the basin. Her fingers trail in the stream, testing the temperature until the water begins to steam. “There,” she says, stepping back. “That should get you started.”
I flash her a smile in gratitude, and she nods curtly before retreating from the room. “Call if you need anything else, Your Highness.”
The door closes, sealing us in.
The room grows silent, save for the sound of water splashing into the tub. An assortment of vials sits beside the tub, labeled with various floral patterns. I frown. “Do you want…?” I pick one up, studying the pink label.Rose. I sniff it, then snort, offended by the smell. “Ugh.”
Odissa snatches the bottle from my hand, pouring its contents into the bathwater. When the water nears the top of the basin, I turn the knobs in the opposite direction that Clio showed me, proud of myself when the water stops.
Odissa peels off her undergarments and drops them on the floor, dipping her fingers into the water. She hums with pleasure and closes her eyes. “Everything here is so warm,” she whispers, smiling. Then she leans over the water and inhales the strong fragrance. “Goddess, can you believe my luck?”
As she slides into the water, her legs snap together, shifting into her silver, glittering tail. She sighs, leaning her head back until the water laps at her chin. After a moment, she peels open one eye to glare at me. “Sponge me.”
I look around the room, finding one in the basket next to the fragrance oils. I drop it into the water. The sponge bobs, wobbling on the ripples.
“Have you never given a bath before?” She sneers, eyeing the sponge.
“Have you ever had a bath before?” I snap.
I could slap the look off her face. If we were in Vespyr, I might do it. Instead, I slap the water, sloshing it over the edge. “Look,princess,” I hiss. “Nobody’s watching. Do not fuck with me.”
Odissa lifts her lip, revealing smooth, round teeth where sharp points used to be.
“I’m here to Voice for you, to fulfill my oath. Not to scrub your ass with a sponge.”
“You agreed to help me, whatever the request,” she says, nudging the sponge closer to me and closing her eyes. “Or don’t you remember our bargain? Now, scrub.” When I still don’t move, she says, “What if Clio comes back to find me scrubbing myself? I’m sure she’d find that ratherinappropriate.”
Annoyed, I snatch the sponge, yank her arm up, and begin scrubbing at her skin in harsh circles. She doesn’t even flinch. My master smiles and leans her head on the back of the tub, settling in while I attempt to rip her skin off scale by scale.
“Good girl,” she says. “Now, tell me about my prince. Since you obviously met him first.”
“I didn’t know he wasyourprince.”
I wring the sponge with too much force as the prince’s face flashes in my mind, bright and handsome, his mouth curved into that flirty smile. Warmth spreads over my face. I duck to hide my reaction from the death-dealer, scrubbing at her tail.
