The bathing room was filled with steam, a large tub already filled with water that smelled of herbs and something floral. He set her on her feet beside it, his hands steadying her when her legs wobbled slightly.
"I can manage," she said, though the thought of climbing into the tub on her own made her muscles ache in protest.
"Can you?" His tone suggested he doubted it, but he stepped back, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. Clearly not leaving, but giving her space to handle it herself.
She let the sleep shirt fall to the floor, too tired to be modest about his watching. His eyes tracked over every mark, every bruise, cataloging his work with clear satisfaction.
The water was almost too hot, but in the best way. She sank into it with a groan of relief, feeling her muscles begin to unknot immediately. The heat soaked into her sore thighs, her aching back, all the places that bore evidence of the previous night and morning.
For a few moments, she just let herself float in the warmth, eyes closed, breathing in the herbal steam. It smelled like lavender and something sharper, something that helped clear the fog from her mind.
A small splash near her elbow made her eyes open.
Frederick surfaced from beneath the water, his translucent form shifting from blue to pleased green. His gill-fronds waved excitedly, creating tiny currents around her arm.
Despite everything, she felt herself smile. "Frederick. You found me."
The water sprite did a little loop, his whole body flashing brighter green before settling back to his usual translucent clarity. He swam in circles around her, clearly delighted to see her.
"I heard you made it to the Star Court," she said quietly, running her fingers through the water near him. "That you're the reason they came for us."
Frederick's color shifted to an even brighter green, his movements becoming more animated. He pressed against her hand like he was seeking affection, and she felt that strange sensation of cool silk against her skin.
"You did so well," she told him, and he practically glowed with pride, doing another little spin that sent ripples across the bath.
"The sprite has been living in the main fountain," Eliam said from the doorway. "Arion lets it swim wherever it wants."
Frederick released a stream of bubbles that looked almost indignant, his color flickering toward defensive blue before settling back to green. He swam protectively around Briar's arm, his gill-fronds waving in what Briar translated to mean he did not approve of Eliam’s dismissiveness.
"He has a name," Briar said. "And he helped save your life. Be nice."
Eliam made a noncommittal sound, but Frederick seemed satisfied, returning to his pleased green and doing lazy circles while she washed.
She reached for the soap, and Frederick immediately investigated it with apparent suspicion, his color shifting to cautious yellow as he swam around the bar. When she lathered it in her hands, he darted away, then cautiously approached the bubbles with what looked like fascination.
"I don't think he's seen soap before," she observed.
"Water sprites are easily entertained," Eliam said, but there was less dismissal in his tone than before. Maybe because Frederick had, in fact, saved them all.
She worked the soap through her hair, her arms protesting the movement. Everything ached in a way that was going to make today interesting. Frederick watched with rapt attention, occasionally poking at the soap bubbles with his gill-fronds, which only made more bubbles, which delighted him further.
When she dunked her head under to rinse, she opened her eyes beneath the water to find Frederick right there, eye-spots wide, his whole body doing an excited shimmy. She surfaced with a laugh, water streaming down her face.
"He's very enthusiastic," she said.
"He's a nuisance," Eliam corrected, but without any real heat.
Frederick did a loop, flashed blue, then dove deep into the tub, disappearing from view. A moment later, he popped up near the edge, perched on the rim like he was surveying his domain.
Briar finished washing, taking her time, letting the heat work into her sore muscles. When she finally stood to get out, Frederick did one more cheerful loop and dove back under, presumably off to find another fountain to explore.
Eliam was there immediately with a towel, wrapping it around her before she could reach for it herself. His hands were careful as he dried her off, mindful of the marks he'd left, though his expression suggested he had no regrets about putting them there.
"Can you walk?" he asked.
"Yes," she said, though her legs still felt unsteady.
He kept one hand on her elbow anyway as she moved back into the bedchamber. A fresh sleep shirt lay on the bed, soft and oversized, and he helped her into it with the same careful attention he'd used with the towel.
