(Sunniva)

Our castle had separate bath areas reserved for the royal guests. One of them was chosen to arrange the bath for General Silvayn.

The thought of being alone with him in the sunken pool made my heartbeat quicken, not because of excitement but due to the past traumas I carried.

I didn't trust men, especially not being alone with them. It took me an immense amount of time to develop trust, and still, I didn't trust them fully.

Silvayn must have sensed the change in my mood as we got closer to our destination. I was barely holding onto his arm.

“Is something the matter?” He suddenly asked, shattering my thoughts.

“No,” I lied.

“Maybe, you are disappointed that you didn't get to fix the bath for Prince Virion, and are instead stuck with his lousy General,” he said in a way which was both calculated and controlled as if testing me.

I sharply turned while keeping my facial expressions neutral. Now that I knew he wouldn't rat me out in front of my family and could handle the truth, I calmly answered.

“Who says, I wanted to draw a bath for any man?”

A slow, genuine smile graced his lips. “Spoken like a real princess. Not twisted or sugar-coated.”

He thought it was my pride but the truth was much deeper and uglier, the one that had tainted my soul forever.

The golden doors of the bath house were opened by two guards standing erect and we were let in.

Finding two maids inside, made me relax slightly. They stood at the side, waiting for orders with their heads low and hands clasped in front.

The torches mounted on the walls flickered, casting dark shadows underneath while saturating the room with their orange glow.

The small sunken square pool under which a warm natural spring existed lay at the side of the room. It had been connected to the larger rectangular one, created from stones and baked mud with three large stairs climbing down into it.

Having a separate bathing pool ensured that the natural spring area remained clean and unpolluted. Also water cooled down to a temperature more suitable for the body.

The water gushed out softly, fresh and clean filling the larger pool. The steam rose from it like curled snakes as I stepped closer to the large body of water.

The low table had been set up near it by the maids, loaded with all kinds of scented oils, fragrant herbs and dried petals. Along with sponges, soaking clothes and spare robes.

Silvayn's presence remained behind me at a distance, and I heard him snatch in a deep breath.

“This is amazing. Can't wait to let loose my sore muscles,” he said.

I slowly turned to face him and boredly asked, “I would like to know your preferences so I can prepare the water for you.”

He stared at me with his eyes cast down and his head slightly lowered.

So tall, the man was huge as he blotted out everything else from my sight of vision.

“Surprise me. I want to see what the youngest princess of Aldaria likes.” He leaned in and whispered, “The one who doesn't like to entertain men.”

I should have flinched, I didn't trust the males, no matter what form they came in, other than the ones I read about in books.

But I didn't. I stood my ground. There was something about him which irked and excited me at the same time.

“Men are predictable, so I find them boring,” I dragged out my words, watching the flickering fires of the torches being reflected in his mesmerising eyes, as if the most precious gemstones had melted and seeped into them.

“Maybe, you haven't met the right ones,” he suggested knowingly, folding his huge muscular arms over his flat chest. The action slightly hiked up his tunic.

“Maybe, I don't want to.” I merely shrugged my small shoulders at him, appearing like an uninterested cat in front of a tiger.

His smile deepened. “Interesting.”

I needed to get this over with and return to my chambers to take off this death grip around my body and this revealing dress.

From his height, I knew he could see even more of my bulging breasts.

“Your dress says otherwise,” he carefully added, making a point of dragging his gaze down and letting it rest on my twin peaks.

I knew he was just teasing me.

Still, the embarrassment flooded me like a torrent of sudden rain and I instantly turned away.

Yes! He was going to think I was some starved-for-attention princess.

Seeing my reaction, he quickly spoke. “I didn't mean to embarrass you, Princess Sunnara.”

Again, the wrong name. He seemed to be insistent on pushing my self-control to its limits.

“Seemed like you did.” Moving closer to the table, I flicked my fingers and the maids quickly moved. Their heads lifted up.

“Help General Silvayn with his attire while I prepare his bath,” I commanded, making them shift their legs and move towards him.

The shuffling of clothes followed but I paid no heed.

Kneeling near the table that had been placed on a soft rug, I gently placed the flower alongside the bottles. Picking up a green glass bottle, the size of my hand with a round flat base, I removed the lid.

Bringing it near my nose, I took a whiff, and the smell of sun-baked herbs reached my nostrils. Strong, wild, and packed with the essence of the forest. These oils were released from being treated under the sun.

I tipped the bottle over the surface of the water. A few drops of these oils I released straight into his bath.

The scent surrounded me, thick and invigorating. While the shuffling of feet and clothes continued behind me.

Placing the lid back I returned the bottle to the table and picked up another one with a rose symbol on it.

No, too sweet and womanly. I returned it and picked up the third.

Myrrh Bark, taken from ancient trees with silver leaves. It was ground under the moonlight to turn it into powder, known to have healing and relaxing abilities.

I extracted a pinch of the white powder and rubbed it between my palms, adding the oils from my skin to mingle with it, enhancing the effect.

Opening my palm, I blew, letting the powder scatter through the air and decorate the surface of the water like tiny sparkling diamonds.

“You may leave us,” I heard Silvayn's gentle voice behind me. He had dismissed the maids. My heartbeat quickened and I touched my leg to ensure my quill was securely strapped under my dress, around my right thigh.

His feet made no sound while he approached me. I returned the bottle to the table, my hands shook no matter how steady I tried to keep them.

He halted just behind me, maybe a few inches away. The radiating heat from his body, I could feel it.

Trying not to think too much, I removed the lid from an earthen pot containing wild blue bells. The dried and preserved petals of these flowers resided inside. Gathering a handful, I spread it across the water and slowly rose to my feet.

“Here, all…” I turned to face him, and the rest of the words just died in my throat as my eyes landed on his naked chest.

The heat rose into my cheeks and my gaze refused to move. I had seen my share of naked torsos. Soldiers training, and some other encounters, but this was something I had never beheld before.

No one held a candle to this male.

The long silver strands of his flowing hair arched against his perked up nipples. The hard planes of his chest, the sculpted valleys and the shapely mounds. The buffed arms as if he had trained for centuries.

‘I should look away,’ I reminded myself but my treacherous eyes kept roaming, until I found his smirking face.

“Like what you see, Princess Sunnara?” he suggestively asked, increasing my embarrassment.

“Your bath is ready,” I tried to boldly inform him, but even my voice betrayed me.

Thankfully he decided to have mercy on me and walked past me towards the stairs leading into the water.

The tight-fitting white braies, which hung low on his tapered waist and came above his knees, were the only piece of clothing on his lean body. His feet were agile and long, the ankles perfectly shaped. Every part of him seemed to have been created with finesse.

He lowered himself into the water, placing his arms on the side stones for support and rested his hips over the third stair, so his back pressed against the second and his head against the first.

“Ah! This feels heavenly, and smells like that too.” His head tilted back and body relaxed, the slowly moving water kissed his clean chest as he spread his legs and let loose.

And then his head tilted and his eyes shifted sideways and found me.

“We elves are pretty open-minded. Please, join me.”