Page 19 of The Wrath of Ashes
Asha shivered, less bothered by the cold than the anticipation. For a moment, he’d forgotten about the life he’d left behind, the death of his friend. Rath held him firmly, his arm a protective barrier from the elements and certain death if he fell. Heckle knew how to land, following the others and Rath’s tilting grasp.
Through the misty clouds, they dropped lower until the peaks of the mountain came into focus, interspersed amid the jutting stone of the keep’s castle. The dark stone grew from the mountain itself, organic, as if celestial beings themselves had shaped them, dotting the cliff faces with windows and landings so that others who lived amid the ranges may thrive. Beyond the mountain keep, farther off and barely in Asha’s sight were other keeps, smaller, less ostentatious, and on a clear day, Asha had no doubt he’d see Rath’s kingdom in full.
Rath brought Heckle down, holding tight to Asha to balance, his strong thighs gripping Heckle’s sides. Asha’s wind-chapped cheeks burned with heat as Rath situated himself into the landing, his noticeable hardness pressing into Asha’s back. The jostling landing made Asha hiss, his back still tender. Rath had been so careful while flying.
Once landed, Rath ran a hand down Asha’s back in a less-than-intimate way. “I’ll have the physician tend you. I’d heal you with my magic, but you’re not ready for that.” Rath pressed his cool lips to Asha’s ear before dismounting and helping Asha slide off, stumbling into the dragon’s arms, to his slight amusement.
Rath glanced off and smiled at someone, turning Asha’s gaze toward a petite young man with bright citrine eyes and gingerhair. He brightened and bounced on his feet, extending his hands to gently guide Asha away from Rath’s comforting grasp.
“My liege, he is far more beautiful than I imagined. Such soft, thick hair and those eyes… You’ll be gorgeous once your scales come. There’s ice in you, I can feel it,” the red-haired attendant said.
“Almost. It was very cold up there.” Asha gave his best grin and shrank under expectant gazes, people gathering and whispering, but not in the way of rumors in corners but with bright eyes.
A soft, “Oh, he’s gorgeous,” carried in the air.
“Our king did well for himself with that one.”
“Lord, isn’t he the sweetest thing?”
Asha glanced about nervously and steered away from the prodding gazes, following the giddy attendant under Rath’s gentle pressure.
“To the guest quarters, my liege, or—”
“I’ll be taking the guest quarters for the time being. Let Asha settle into the master suite.” Rath nodded at people as he passed by, mostly humans, the odd dragon with shorter and differently shaped horns. Nearly everyone smiled at him, and none offered a single awkward grin or silent fear.
And in contrast to the Tippen estate, the floors were in immaculate repair; the tapestries hung proud and clean. All the wood in sight shone with beautiful polish, well-oiled and soft. Were it not for Rath’s steering, Asha would have stood in place, overwhelmed by the wealth. He felt dwarfed in the opulence, stilled in place, a mere occupant in a palace so large thatownershipseemed like an impossible concept.
“Asha, this is Jeron. He’s asked to be your valet. I’ve given him permission to be of any assistance you wish and to care for you. Anything you say to Jeron is private, and he will not speak of it to me. So, feel free to confide in him.” Rath’s firm grip rolledover his shoulders as they reached a grand set of polished ornate doors that swung open for them into a wing of rooms. Asha stumbled when Rath released him and stepped back.
“Th-thank you.” Asha glanced down at the floor, the stone so clean and glossy, then up toward a bedroom door a little less ostentatious than the wing’s door. Stepping in, his eyes went wide in wonder. The room was large, as he’d expected, half as big as the dining hall at the estate, with luxurious lounges near a fireplace over a tufted mat, impeccably clean, a perfect place to lay and soak in the heat of the fireplace. The room’s ceilings went up to a buttress point, forgoing the need for pillars.
Not at the center of the room, almost tucked out of focus, was a frame of long silks that stretched from ceiling to floor, cordoning off a corner in brilliant royal blue in contrast to the soothing darkness of the stone. Embroidered amid the silks were bright stars, and the weave was such that as he rotated, the threads shifted and shone black, becoming less vivid as they cast a stone basin of sorts, impressively large and lined with velvet pillows, more silks, embroidered woven blankets, and soft woolen throws.
“I want to—” Asha couldn’t stop himself. The long, cold journey combined with his days of pain and exhaustion made him yearn to feel the softness of the nest before him. It was perfect, secluded in darkness and so very warm. “I’m too dirty to get into a bed—nest like that.” Asha plucked at his shirt and stared at himself.
“Come. I knew to expect you. The bath is being kept warm for you.” Jeron slid Asha away from Rath’s touch, and he turned his head to catch a glimpse of the dragon and froze when their eyes met. Rath’s pupils were dilated wide, his iris nothing more than a blue glow around dark orbs. His nose twitched, and he grasped the front of his shirt, shuddering as if in pain. Asha wanted to comfort him, but Jeron tugged and pushed himthrough the room into an innocuous door that led into a room of cave-like stone set with recessed windows leading to nothing, framing candles that flickered with the strangest fire that Asha had ever seen.
“You are freezing, Prince Asha. Come. Off with those clothes. My king has little knowledge of the way of humans.” Jeron tsked, openly criticizing his king! Asha froze.
“He c-can hear you…” Asha’s whisper carried and Jeron huffed.
“I should hope so.” He stepped to the door. “My liege, you are a fool to have let the poor boy freeze atop your beast!” Asha covered his mouth as Rath’s chastened grumble responded and Jeron sniffed.
“He tried to share his jacket with you. How noble.” Jeron sniffed and before Asha realized, was plucking the buttons of his shirt open to his bare chest, his pale skin hidden beneath the flaxen fabric. Asha stilled, allowing Jeron to tug the shirt free.
Please let me not shame myself.Asha winced as Jeron dutifully undid Asha’s breeches and circled him. Jeron was quite the specimen, soft, not as young as Asha, but had a cultured beauty. Asha prayed his cock remained tame, but the mere thought of Jeron in that way stirred nothing in him.
“Oh, no wonder you were in such pain. Prince Asha. Come, step into the water. I figured as much. I had the alchemist send something for you.” Jeron ushered Asha to step into a recessed pool into the floor, going down the three beautifully tiled steps into the mineral-rich murky water scented heavily of rich Saurian spices, something that smelled uniquely of Rath, and Asha immediately felt the betrayal of his amorous cock twitching to attention at the thought of Rath, but all that traitorous want faded at the sting of the water on his back. He hissed and Jeron shushed him, rolling up his trouser legs to sit at the side of thetub with a basket of sweet-smelling things. “Come, let me apply something to stem the pain and heal.”
Asha sank back to the edge of the tub and found a ridge at to sit upon and soak in comfort. He’d never been bathed by another before, not since he was a boy and Lyss’s mother scrubbed him raw in the family washbasin.
This was nothing like that, as soft crystal clinked and what had to be a potion or poultice bubbled free. Asha tensed and waited for a sting that never came, a jute scrubber, anything besides the soft, cool, damp cloth that Jeron placed over his stinging back, instantly ebbing the pain, replacing it with a fierce itch that made him shiver.
“Once they close, I’ll give you a scratch. No worries.” Jeron hummed politely and daubed at Asha’s tingling and itching back.
Asha hissed, twisting as his skin crawled, and a nervous shuffle of feet had Jeron turning his head.
“My liege—” Jeron started, but Asha glanced over in time to see Rath’s expression, his eyes so focused and intent, unreadable.
