Page 11 of Fate and Flame
“Sorry.” He gave me those bedroom eyes as he slowed. “I finally get to have you alone, and I intend on using every minute as productively as possible.”
“So, no bath?” I whined.
“I will bathe you.” He grinned, sending a wave of heat through me.
We rounded a corner and he stopped short, staring at the uniformed soldier standing outside the only door in that hallway.
He held his hand up to cut the fae off. “No. Not now, Brax.”
“But Sire, she says it’s urgent.”
“Who?” he asked, squinting.
“She won’t say. She requests only to speak to you.”
Fen growled, groaned, moaned, and then turned to me. “Duty will always call when I am here in the castle. Will you forgive me?” he asked, kissing my fingertips.
I tugged him forward and kissed his cheek. “I promise I’ll be waiting for you when you come back.”
“Five minutes.” He lifted my chin and kissed me soundly. “Ten max.”
He and the soldier disappeared down the long hallway as I let myself into his room. I walked around long enough to realize he had not only a room but an entire wing of the castle. A castle that had the sea queen hiding somewhere below. I glanced at the door and looked away. Not now, but soon, I’d find a way to confront her.
Intricately woven pillows of every jeweled color lined the floor with matching artwork and tapestries covering the walls. A slight breeze brought my attention to the silk curtains billowing in the room from the open columned balcony. I stepped outside and sighed as I watched the stars twinkle over the ocean. If there were heavens, this was one of them.
We’d made it. Through everything, all the chaos, all the fighting, we were here. So close to being lost in only each other, I leaned against the railing and watched the stillness of the ocean beyond the sands, longing for something. I couldn’t quite decipher what was missing, but as I closed my eyes and listened to my heartbeat in the night, I realized what it was.Home. I hadn’t had that feeling for so long, and perhaps I was envious of my companions and their newfound comfort while I still sought my place. Or maybe I was reluctant to let myself feel at home, knowing I’d come with the biggest secret of all. I felt the call of my power even now and hated it.
I would never look that old fae in the face and think ill of him. He was kind. You could see it in his ancient eyes. In the wrinkles around his smile. Fate may have brought me to the Flame Court, but somehow, I’d find a way to fight back. To still have a choice in my promised future.
I stepped back inside and searched for the bathing room. The main room was massive with the bed directly across from the balcony, but beyond that, there were several closed doors. I opened two dressing rooms before I found the one I wanted. He didn’t mess around when it came to baths. I reached down and turned on the water to the giant tub, recessed into the floor, and it began to fill from the bottom up. I couldn’t help my squeal.
Finding a drawer full of oils and lathering creams, I plucked the lavender and citrus bottles and poured a heaping amount into the rapidly filling bath. I undressed quickly and let myself sink all the way down into the near-boiling water. I sighed and sent Fen a mental picture of my feet in the tub. He jerked on the bond, and I giggled as I waited for him. His five minutes were up. I washed myself and my hair several times until all the grit and dirt from traveling for so long rinsed clean from my body.
Still no sign of Fen. We were supposed to meet the king in the kitchens soon, and that was where Kai said to meet him also, so I reluctantly pulled myself out of the water, wrapped a cloth around myself, and padded back into Fen’s bedroom. The breeze from the window was just warm enough that I could have curled up naked on his bed and fallen asleep for days.
A knock on the door pulled me from that little daydream.
“Who is it?” I asked reluctantly.
“It’s Frair, my lady,” a female voice called out. “I’ve been sent to assist you.”
“Assist me with what?” I opened the door but kept my body hidden behind it.
A high fae female with long, slender legs and ashen hair stood before me with a stack of fabrics and a smile.“Dressing, my lady,” she smirked. “The prince sends his apologies. He will meet you in the kitchens.”
You can kiss my ass if you think I’m using a servant.My inner thought was doused in sarcasm. I didn’t think he’d hear me. It was mostly internal frustration. I was so used to having him right beside me I just sent thoughts like I had been sending the mental images.
She’s employed, not a servant. And trust me, no one is more irritated than I am,he answered.
I jerked at his clear voice in my mind.Holy fuck, Fen. You just answered me. In my brain.
Well, this is a welcomed new development. Shall I tell you what I wish I were doing right now?
Save it, Prince.
I felt his joy and it tugged on my heart. Something about having him with me all the time was so comforting. I’d never be alone. “Come on in,” I told Frair as she waited patiently for my mental conversation to be over.
I’d never seen a high fae working as a servant by choice. I hugged my towel close as she sauntered in and tossed her armful of fabrics onto the enormous platform bed.
