The palace appears to be waking up as we make our way inside. Maids and footmen scurry about, and the wafting scents of bread and meat fill my nose, causing my stomach to rumble.
“I’ll have breakfast brought up to us as soon as we get settled.”
“Thank you, Kian.”
He’s not what I expected. With all the rumors floating about court of his partying and womanizing, his care toward me is a surprise. But then, perhaps his amenable nature is precisely whyhe is adored by the women of court. Is this how he treats his nightly conquests? I try to shove the feelings deep down before I find myself drowning in them. I just need to keep reminding myself that this isn’t real.
When Kian finally escorts me into his wing, my eyes widen as I take in the main living space. The midnight blue and ebony fabrics mixed with walnut wood seem to fit him perfectly. While everything is clean, there’s organized clutter on tables and shelves. The room looks lived in. I gaze longingly at the oversized settee by the fire. How I’d love to curl up and take a much-needed nap.
“Would you like to bathe?” Kian asks, startling me from my perusal.
“That would actually be quite lovely,” I admit.
Kian rings for his valet, and I take a seat, waiting to be told what to do. I feel so out of place in the palace, everything foreign compared to home.
Within minutes, Kian leads me to his private bathing chamber, the giant tub already filled with piping hot water, a luxury I haven’t had in what feels like forever.
“Um, I’ve asked for clothing to be brought for you, but for now, I’ll leave this robe for after your bath,” Kian says. He seems almost shy, which is so unlike the prince I’ve barely begun to get to know.
“Thank you. This is perfect.”And intimate . . . and stirring up all kinds of confusing feelings . . .
“Well”—he clears his throat—“I guess I’ll leave you to it. Shout if you need anything.”
“Thanks.”
“Of course.” His gaze lingers, and I need him to stop looking at me that way.
I wrack my brain for something, anything to distract me, when a thought pops into my head.
“Kian?”
“Yes?”
“I had a lady’s maid at the manor who was dismissed a little over a month ago when Stepmother took over . . .”
Kian nods for me to continue.
“Is there any chance I might be able to employ her here?”
“I’ll see what I can do.” He smiles. “Just give me her name, and I’ll see if we can find her.”
I feel a little guilty that I’m not sure where she lives—so used to her being at my beck and call in the manor, I hadn’t ever considered where she’s from. I’m a terrible friend.
“Thank you so much. Her name is Sera Elsterbrock.”
Once Kian leaves, I strip off my filthy clothes and sink into the bath. It’s so luxurious to be allowed this simple pleasure after days of working morning til night with hardly a break. While this isn’t necessarily how I envisioned my life, it’s better than the prospect of serving my family for the remainder of it. I’m also starting to doubt Father would have even been able to put a stop to it with Stepmother holding the scandal of my parentage over our heads.
After scrubbing every inch of skin and washing my hair thoroughly, I stand and reach for a towel to dry off. Kian’s soaps and oils worked wonders on my rough hands, and I look at them in awe, my mind snagging on a thought, but my exhaustion seems unwilling to allow me to go there.
I towel off and try to ring as much water out of my hair as possible before I put on the black, oversized robe Kian left me. Glancing in the fogged-up mirror, I catch sight of my reflection. Wiping the mirror with the sleeve of my robe, I lean in closer, holding back a gasp.
My cheek looks completely normal, no bruising or swelling in sight, and most surprising of all, tiny flecks of gold that I never noticed before surround the green of my eyes. Is this an effectof the marriage bond? I glance down at my right wrist, and the faintest shimmer of the ribbon glimmers up at me.
I’ll have to ask Kian to show me the palace’s library. There are some things I desperately want to research . . .
I’m startled by a soft knock on the door.
“Rae? Are you all right in there?” Kian’s voice sounds muffled.
