But after an hour or of fighting back yawns, staring in the silence at an unmoving door, she was already fading. She couldn’t help but lie down…just for a few minutes. The security of the Shadow Woods was all too far away, and the prince shehated was all too near in this castle somewhere, but for now, she didn’t care. She just needed a few moments of sleep.
10
Interrogation
Caramyn
When she woke, it was late morning, and she’d managed to come to her senses just as Azell tiptoed in with breakfast—two eggs and fresh berries on toast. Caramyn hurried to hide the bone shard dagger away under the pillow as she sat up.
“Good morning. I hope you rested well. The prince is planning to question you today, just so you’re aware. You might want to wash up.”
“I—I meant to last night. But I was so tired…” Caramyn watched Azell as she flitted to the door, still rubbing sleep from her eyes. She glanced over at the tub, and the hearth to see if there was enough wood to heat some water.
“Check the bathtub. There’s a handle that draws up warm water. Some type of Spellbound magic I believe. No one in their right mind would be hauling buckets of water up these stairs.” She laughed, and Caramyn wondered if she’d read her mind or just got the hint from her rank appearance.
Azell closed the door, leaving her standing in front of the massive mirror of the vanity. Caramyn examined herself from top to bottom, pondering whatever questions the prince might ask her, and what she might give for answers. How much could she say without risking her own neck? And how much could she get out of the prince in return.
It had been too long since she'd last been able to see herself this clearly. Her small handheld mirror back at the cottage couldn’t capture the way she had blossomed from a clumsy fifteen-year-old into a graceful woman with petal-shaped lips, fierce eyes beneath strong brows, softened by a delicate chin and neck, and a healthy sun-kissed glow on her skin.
She touched a finger to her matted hair and pictured how wonderful it would feel to scrub all this dirt off her face and body. Her nimble, lean body that had been so accustomed to surviving in the wild. It was a thought to imagine what she might look like if she’d eaten more meals like the ones she’d been served in this castle. She was a good enough cook, but game was scarce in the woods. And fresh eggs were quite a rare treat.
And strangest of all was that she'd survived like this for so long, never having to show herself to another person that wasn't a target at the end of her arrow or a slimy merchant in Havenswood. Yet now, in an instant, her life had changed once again, and she'd spoken to more people in one week than she had in the past five years, trapped within this castle by a prince who blurred all the lines she thought she knew.
She could tolerate the feeling of grime and filth against her skin no longer, and her eyes fell on the bathtub in the corner of the room. She strode over, looking for the handle Azell spoke of.
It was polished wood, marked by some symbols or runes. One she recognized from the witch’s books back in her cottage as the sign for water—the clear work of Spellbound magic. It took a moment or two, but the wall behind the handle rumbled with the sound of water rushing up just before it spewed out steaming clear liquid into the porcelain tub. She leaned over, feeling the heat rising to her face as every fiber of her being yearned to crawl into the hot water right then and there.
She worked to peel away the layers of her clothes. She pulled off her breeches that were nearly rubbed through from so much time in the saddle and spattered with so much dried mud it had hardened in the seams. A breath of relief slipped from her lips as she removed the leather belt around her chestnut-brown tunic that was so long it fit more like a dress. She was careful to twist her arm to conceal her marks as she slid her arms out of the sleeves, paranoid that someone may be watching or burst through the door any minute. And once she was out of the soiled clothing, she couldn’t get in the tub fast enough.
She dipped a toe in, then sunk down into the warm water and let it wrap itself around her like a cocoon as the heat soothed her aching muscles. She simply soaked for a minute or two before scrubbing her skin with the soap sitting on the tub’s edge. It smelled like lavender and was a treat to her nostrils. Scented soap was a luxury she tried her best to stock up on from Havenswood but often found herself running short. Her hair had long come undone from its braid, and she combed her fingers through the tangled locks before lathering some soap through it as well. When she dunked her head beneath the water to rinse it, she felt reborn.
She wrung out as much water from her thick locks as possible, and then coiled her hair up into a loose bundle on her head, securing the bone shard dagger deep in the tresses just in case she needed it.
And just as she thought of her, Azell’s tiny voice chimed through the wooden door. "Lady Caramyn, the prince has requested to see you in an hour. Shall I help—oh!” She had opened the door just a crack, and Caramyn instinctively drew herself down into the water to make sure her arm marking was submerged. “I see you figured out the tub.” She walked over to a drawer and pulled out a candle, lighting it and placing it on the vanity. Then she stooped over and picked up Caramyn’s soiled clothing.
“You don’t have to—” Caramyn began, but Azell held up a hand.
“Nonsense. I can’t leave those filthy rags on the floor. There is plenty of clothing in the wardrobe for when you’re done.”
Caramyn leaned back in the tub, still relishing its warmth as she closed her eyes. “Thank you,” she said.
"I can see you’re making good use of that thing. I don’t blame you after all you’ve been through. I’ll leave you to it," Azell said with a half-smile, wiping her hands and gesturing toward the vanity. "But mind that candle. Asterious will be coming within the hour. You’ll need to be out and ready before it's burned down to the third notch." She moved to light a single candlestick on a barrel beside the bathtub.
Caramyn nodded, and Azell excused herself from the room. Despite the disdain at the thought of having to see the prince again, she had never been so comfortable in her life. In the Woods she only bathed in creeks and streams, though sometimes she heated a kettle of warm water to soak her cold feet in winter. But now she indulged in that warmth across herwhole body. And after a few moments, she drifted off in the comfort of the tub.
The sound of squawking and pecks on the window stirred her, giving her just enough time to see Nocthar outside fluttering the way he did to warn her. She shot up, grabbing the sides of the tub. But it was too late. Violent knocks on the door rattled her. She glanced at the candlestick, which was now burning long past the third mark. Asterious’ voice boomed outside her room, growing closer with each word.
"If she's not answering then she might have escaped. We can’t wait around out here to find out. I'm going in." The door burst open, the hinges nearly snapping from the force, and Asterious rushed in. "Caramyn?"
At first, she was shocked, completely frozen as the prince stood in the doorway staring her down as she sunk down into the tub. But then she noticed the way he withered, too, like a frightened dog that had barked at the wrong beast. And suddenly she didn’t feel so small anymore. In fact, she felt as though she could turn his own game against him by doing something he’d never expect. It'd be the perfect chance to toy with him. To see how much she could bend him. "Yes, Your Highness?" She hummed, relaxing back in the tub, drawing his eyes to her.
"Shattered gods, this is highly inappropriate." The prince flushed red and his hand flew to his eyes as he turned away. But he still lingered in the room.
"Then leave.” Caramyn leaned forward, propping an elbow over the rim of the bathtub. “Oh, but wait. You wanted to ask me something?"
"Yes...but please get dressed first." Asterious stumbled.
"Why?" She stood up in the tub, water droplets racing off her bare skin and trickling back down into the water. She was careful to keep the Shadowblood veins on her arm concealed by keeping it turned inward and pressed against her side, just in case he turned around. "Will whether I'm dressed or not make a difference in what you ask?"
