Katerina responded patiently to all the curious questions I could think about at the moment, and I only let her go when someone knocked at the door of my chamber. Judging by the changed light in the room, it was an early evening already.
A couple of maids brought in my dinner, placing several trays filled with food on the table by the window.
"Do you still want to take a bath, my lady? Katerina asked.
"Of course I do," I said, happy that she remembered.
"Come and eat something while we get your bath ready then, otherwise I'll be told off for not having fed you!" She said, too seriously, making me smile.
"Is he back yet?" I asked, getting up and walking over to my dinner table.
She repeated my question to one of the maids who were now wheeling a tall, wooden tub from my dressing room, placing it in front of the fireplace of my chamber. For some reason I was relieved not to see the plump, blue-eyed girl among them.
"Not yet, my lady," the girl responded, curtsying, "but his lordship is expected very soon. Lord Radu has just arrived, he is waiting for him, too."
I shuddered at the idea of Radu being present in the castle, but then I remembered that Vlad didn't want me to meet any of the guests. I hoped it applied to his family as well. Surely his brother would leave soon. I needed to find out more about the reasons for my aversion to Radu, but it could wait.
Katerina dismissed the maids. The water in my bath was now ready, warm and steaming, and I couldn't wait to dive in.
Despite my lack of appetite, I ate a bowl of stew quickly, not really tasting it. But if I refused to eat, Katerina wouldn't let me in the bath, I was sure about it.
While I was finishing my dinner, Katerina disappeared in the dressing room, or rather a boudoir as she called it, coming back shortly with a clean, white shirt, some linen towels and a big bar of soap.
Following Katerina I approached the bath. It was lined with white sheets and
the water inside smelled heavenly of sage and something else I did not recognize. I shed my clothes off as quickly as I could, and climbed in, slipping inside the scented water. The tub was quite big, a welcome change after the shower corner back at home. I sat down comfortably, sighing deeply, relaxing in the warm water. The soap slipped among my fingers and I let it all melt, creating a soft foam all around me.
"Katerina, tell me I can have a bath like this everyday, please?" I begged, closing my eyes with pleasure.
"Maybe not quite every day, but often enough. Don't be too demanding Lady Samara, it doesn't fit..."
"Oh, Katerina, will you treat her nicely, for once!" Vlad's voice interrupted Katerina's complaint.
My eyes shot open with surprise. I didn't hear him coming in at all. He stood not far from the door connecting our chambers, making me wonder how long he had been standing there. I couldn't see him directly, but our eyes met in the mirror hanging on the opposite wall. A captivating smile was playing on his lips, and his eyes were so full of passion, that I felt a blush spread over my cheeks. He took a couple of steps towards me, but stopped when Katerina started to complain again.
"Will my lord remember his manners too, and knock on the door before entering Lady Samara's chamber? She will receive you once she is ready. Now let her have her bath."
He shook his head and retreated back towards the door, smiling at me in the mirror, then disappeared without a word.
"Why didn't you let him come in, Katerina?" I asked, still blushing, once he was gone.
"My lady, this is not how I brought you up!" She exclaimed, genuinely appalled, "where is your modesty?"
Now I was thoroughly puzzled. "Is he not my husband?" She obviously did not understand how I was feeling about him, how much I had missed him.
"Of course he is, but still, you'll see him once you are properly dressed."
Oh, no. I couldn't stand another lecture about being modest, and properly dressed, and whatnot. I decided to disappear under the water completely, not to have to listen to her.
"Lady Samara you were not supposed to get your hair wet!" Her indignant voice reached me anyway, even though muffled by the still nicely warm, scented water.
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