•─────⋅☾Caspian ☽⋅─────•

The heavy air from the throne room seemed to dissipate the second we enter this new building. I could barely make out any details as my eyes were drooping. The exhaustion that overtook me had me barely hanging onto consciousness. A weird tingle of magic has been flittering through me since he made the oath. It was different from the cool warmth from when he healed me. Magic isn’t common where I am from. Many fear it or gain prestige from the ability to do so.  This is magic is the greatest amount I have ever seen. Every little thing about elvish magic feels graceful, beautiful and earthy. It’s as if every little thing is connected. As we walk down the hallway, there’s arched pillars that are on each side finely crafted in some kind of pale looking wood that is nearly white. Ivy appears to have grown on certain parts of it. I could see the outside as if they were windows but I could tell by the night breeze it was open air.

I watch the sexy ass of the elf leading the way. I can’t help but ogle him as moving my head just feels like a can of rocks. If he can tell that I’m staring at him this way, he certainly doesn’t show it. Much like the King, he waves his hand and the doors in front of him open to him without touching them. I don’t have a chance to look around as we seem to rush forward. At some point we start walking down a flight of stairs leaving the previous chamber behind. They are both making quick work about walking forward.

“What’s your name?” I mumble incoherently as we walk.

The blond elf taps his chin as he walks as if contemplating something.

“I never did introduce myself.” He seems to chuckle to himself. “I am called Faelyn.” He says as he takes a turn through another arch. This time when he enters the room he gestures Estarin to put me down.

“What the hell!” I yelp as I have been carefully placed in a steaming bath with my clothing still on. I’m sitting on the edge and Faelyn is standing next to Estarin.

“Go clean yourself. I’ve got him.” He smiles placing a gentle hand on Estarin. That’s when I realize most of Estarin is covered in dried blood. My blood. I can’t imagine what I look right now. I have to look like death paid a personal visit.

The painful realization that’s my dried blood has me gasp. The water around me is even turning pink as I look down. The water itself warm as if it were an underwater spring but the small hidden bath itself is big enough to swim in and is entirely made of marble, if I had to guess. The warmth itself soon started to calm the ache in my bones. I’d barely noticed that Estarin left until a fully naked Faelyn slid into the water next to me.

“OH!” I gasp shielding my eyes, after all staring at naked men is rude. Thankfully I’d only seen is chest and nothing else. The connection between a bath and naked had not fully crossed my mind until this moment.

It was the light hearted chuckle from Faelyn that sounded so warm and gentle that had me peeking at him. “What’s so funny?” The pouting tone of my voice could not be hidden.

“My dear mortal, Is this the first time you’ve seen a naked male?” Faelyn says teasingly, the twinkle of amusement in his eyes.

“Nooo.” I groan feeling heat rising in my face. I could feel the blush creeping on my face. There is no way I am lowering my hands now. Closing my fingers I turn my head. This wasn’t happening. There is no way this is reality. I had to be dreaming. A hot sexy elf brought me back to life and is sitting in front of me.

“Uh huh.” Says Faelyn countering what I had said. I could feel the water ripple and within seconds my hands were roughly yanked from my face. There he was inches from my face in seconds. His eyes narrowing. “Then why are you hiding?”

My throat felt dry as my eyes glance toward his lips for one second more than I meant to. This is not the right time to be thinking of pressing my lips to this elf.

“I uh well.” Stumbling over my words can feel my face heat as if it were on fire. Faeylin’s eyes narrow and he leans away letting go of my hands.

“You have blood crusting your clothing to you. Removing it in the warm bath is easier.” Without time to collect myself Faelyn’s fingers gently coax my cloak and my top shirt before my mind can catch up to what he’s doing.

“If you do that I’ll be naked.” I gasp as he reaches for my hip. His fingers stop at the button of my trousers.

“That would be the idea. Can’t give you a bath and assess your injuries with you like this.” Remarks Faelyn brazenly as he starts to tug my pants on taking everything with it. All I have left is my undershirt. His eyes passively gaze over me. His fingers sliding and checking my injuries. I wince every so often. Then his fingers heft off the shirt over my head with my help. I don’t resist him.

The grave look on his face puts into perspective just how injured I am. Though my bones and muscles ache telling me the story all on its own. His fingers reach for my hand and pulls it toward his face.

“Where did you get these runes?” He asks his eyes narrowing as he scrutinizes the back of my hand.

“What runes?” I blink looking down at the back of my hand. The back of my slightly tan hand has no distinguishing marks on it.  There isn’t anything strange about my hand. My fingers might be slightly long but they give me the agility to tie knots quickly.

“It’s pale. Almost unnoticeable.” He mumbles to himself as he traces the marking on the back of my hand. That’s pretty weird.

Then again nothing about today or the last twenty four hours has been what I would have considered normal. Normal for me was waking at the crack of dawn entering the dining hall. Seeing my mentor sitting among other mentors at the high table eating muffins and sausages. All taking my own plate and sitting among people who I’d once considered close. We used to laugh and tease each other. The joy on their face as I cracked jokes.

A thumb traces under my cheek bring me back to the present. My cheeks wet as the pool of tears start to fall. I hadn’t noticed that the flood of tears had started. I’d lost everything and now I’m pretty sure they all think I’m dead. The Knights in that final group probably told them I had been mauled by the bear we had been hunting. His crystal blue eyes reflecting the purple crystals lighting the room swimming with concern.

“Let’s get you cleaned up alright. You need rest.” He assures me softly, taking a wet hand and brushing the bangs out of my eye. “It will be alright.” He softly runs his wet hand through my hair both cleaning the area and petting me. With each moment that passes after, I just close my eyes feeling his fingers trail up and down my body at the edge of the bath as he wipes water through every inch of me. My wounds start to feel soothed by the warm bath.  The entire time it’s like I can feel a soothing song on the air traveling between us.

It’s like he knows what I need before I say it. Then he’s leaning away from me. I can feel the water shift as he steps away from the bath. My body wants him back my fingers wanting to reach to hold onto him but my arms feel like rocks are holding them down. My heavy eyelids slowly open. The haze in my eyes making it hard to see where Faely went.

“I’m only grabbing a cloth and the soap.” He steps away from a basket near the side of the wall where there appears to be some kind of bench. When he comes back into my field of vision, he’s got a rag and soap. With a gentle smile he puts some liquid soap on a cotton looking cloth. His hands move up and down my body the scent of chamomile, lavender and eucalyptus in the air as he cleans ever inch of me gently being mindful of my wounds. He’s careful not reopen them. In moments I feel clean, relaxed and I can barely hold my head up.

“I’ll wash myself and carry you to bed.” He says softly as I lay there at the edge of the bath on the slope leading downward. I watch faintly as he walks into the deeper section. Liquid soap  in his hand. His sexy round ass visible to me. I can’t help but watch the show as he cleans himself. The winks he gives me ensure’s me that he’s alright with it.