My hand brushed over the silk of the gowns in the cabinet. After going through the stacks, I chose a bright red one. It was new. I’d unconsciously been saving it, unwilling to wear it on a mission. The hair ornaments that went with it were red beads and gold pins. A smile hovered on my lips as I took them out and laid them on the bed.
I began taking off the dress I wore. The layers of lavender silk fell down my body, leaving me in my white linen robe. A sudden realization crossed my mind. Naya would always stay perched on the cushion while I undressed. My cheeks turned hot at the thought. Prince Norvin had seen me naked! Heat gushed through my body at the thought, leaving me flush and breathless.
Tightening the ties of my robe, I wore my straw slippers and came out of the cottage. The late afternoon breeze felt cool against my hot cheeks. The bath house was close by, so it didn’t take long for me to reach to it.
The wooden tub was already filled with steaming water. Springs lavender and rosemary floated on top, adding their scent to the mist. Letting the robe fall off my shoulders, I stepped into the deliciously warm bath. When my body was immersed fully under the water, I pulled on the bell rope nearby, hoping someone was around to help me bathe.
There was a shuffle of footsteps behind me.
“Help me wash my hair, please,” I said without turning towards the maid.
With gentle hands, she took out the ornaments and pins from the tight braids of my hair. I felt even more relaxed as I stretched out my legs and leaned back against the tub. The maid poured hot water over my shoulders and head. A murmur of absolute relief escaped my lips as my eyes closed shut.
After a while, I felt thick, hard fingers massaging my scalp. It felt a little strange because most of the maids had soft skin. I didn’t feel like complaining because she was doing a good job but I turned around to see who it was, making up my mind to call her the next time I took a bath.
A heavy hand closed around my mouth, drowning the shriek that rose up within me.
“Sshh!” said Prince Norvin, putting a finger to his lips. “I’m letting go. Just don’t scream.”
My heart was beating wildly in my chest. “What are you doing here?” I hissed, shrinking under the water.
“I missed you,” he said simply. “Besides, it’s nothing I haven’t seen more.” My cheeks warmed at once. Leaning close to me, he caressed my cheek. “I never got the chance to say how beautiful you are, Daria.”
“Thank you,” I murmured, looking into his beautiful purple-hued eyes. “I’ve missed you too.”
He chuckled softly. “Me or Naya?”
“Naya,” I admitted with a smile.
“I would turn into a snake for you, Daria,” he said, moving behind the tub to gently massage my shoulders. “There’s no way for me to return back to Redfall. My stepbrother is on the throne now. He would capture me the moment I set foot in the castle and do the same thing to me once more. Don’t you think it’s better to stay here with you?”
I tried not to let myself get distracted by the feel of his warm, rough hands on my bare shoulders. It made my insides throb harder. I had to keep my thighs pressed tightly while he spoke.
“What about the plan you discussed earlier? Don’t you want Emperor Ivan to die?”
“I want him to die a thousand deaths for what he did to me and my people,” he hissed.
“Your friends need you. They have been very worried for you. You can’t imagine the pain in their voices every time they spoke of you. It’s rare to have people who care about you. I’ve never had such a relationship with anyone, so let me tell you how precious it is.”
Norvin’s hand slipped under my chin. He turned my head around so I was looking at him. “I care for you, Daria. Truly.”
“Really?”
“You’re beautiful, kind and smart. I don’t think I would have survived the ordeal if you hadn’t taken me in. The Ice Elixir was in my system for days, keeping me weak and on the verge of death. Only by sapping some of your inner power I could stay alive.”
“I am glad I could help, Prince Norvin.”
“Call me Norvin.” He leaned so close to me I could feel his warm breath fanning the stray strands on my forehead. My heart beat hard as his lips brushed over mine. “You’re mine, Daria.” There was no mirth in his purple-hued eyes. He was being serious.
“If I take on the mission, you’ll come with us?” I asked.
He moved away from me, going back to massage my shoulders. “Are you sure you want to do it?”
“It’s the most dangerous thing I’d do in my life but things have never been easy for me. I don’t remember the anything that happened before I came to live to Linmoor. Every lesson, every advantage I gained came with a price. I have killed men without a question.” I stopped, feeling the tension rising in my muscles. “Linmoor is familiar but I have no ties to it. Death is always a companion when you’re an assassin. You do your best to hunt but you never know when things will fail and you’ll be the one to end up dead.”
“I wish I could take you away from it all,” said Norvin, pouring water over my head. “Can you ever be free of the old hag who commands you?”
I chuckled at his choice of words for Elga. “I am always free to leave. It’s just…there’s nothing out there for me. This place, its people…this all I’ve ever known.”
“So if you get a chance, you can leave?”
“Yes.”
“If our mission succeeds, you’re welcome to live with me in the castle of Redfall.”
“You’ll make a concubine of me, Prince Norvin?” I asked in a soft voice.
“No. You’ll be my one and only wife.”
I smiled at that, treading the water before me in playful swirls.
“Does that please you, Daria?”
I gave a nod, flushing with pleasure.
“Cain and Adal seem to like you too,” he added after a while.
“I like them too.”
“What?”
I laughed. “I like all three of you.”
“You have to choose.”
“I don’t want to choose.”
Norvin chuckled softly. “You’ll drive us crazy fighting over you.”
“There’s no need to fight, Norvin,” I said. “From this moment on, I’ll belong to all three of you.”
Suddenly, I realized I’d spoken my mind very clearly. I wanted all the three princes beside me. The notion of belonging with them felt right. “I have made up mind.” I rose to my feet and stepped out of the tub. Norvin came behind me and covered my body with a fresh linen robe. Tying it at my waist, I turned around to face him. “I am going to assassinate Emperor Ivan.”
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