After Miok closes the door behind her, one of the females—the one with a round face—gestures for me to step into the tub while they both avert their eyes. I’m grateful to them for allowing me my modesty despite the fact that I came to them topless. I unknot the tie at my chest and drop my hanbok skirt to the ground. I can’t hold back a moan as I submerge my sore body into the fragrant bath.
The taller of the two females giggles softly. “There’s nothing like a hot bath after a long journey.”
“Tea and sweet treats make it even better,” the round-faced female says with a smile as she lays a wooden plank across the tub and presents me with a veritable feast.
A soothing, sweet scent rises from the teacup. One of the attendants waves a hand over the cup, and a yellow chrysanthemum blossoms at the top. My eyes widen at the casual display of magic, then slide shut as I swallow the warm tea past my parched throat. I can get used to this kind of magic.
Once I quench my thirst, I realize I’m famished and immediately feel ashamed. Ethan is out there facing gods know what, and I want to stuff my face with food? But I need my strength if I’m going to save him. Starving myself isn’t going to help anyone. Despite the logic in my thoughts, my blood pounds in my ears.
Every time I think of Ethan, I become a panicked mess, which is a problem since everything seems to remind me of him. I have to get a fucking grip. I’m no use to him without a clear head and a strong body.I will save him. There’s still time.I breathe in and out through my nose until a steely calm settles over me.
The attendants let me eat as I soak in the tub. I savor the round pillows of white, green, and pink rice cakes filled with honey and sesame seeds, the crisp mounds of fried cookies dusted with citron rinds, and a flower-shaped dessert that’s a cross between a donut and sticky toffee pudding—dense, chewy, and oozing with syrup.
Once I finish, the kind attendants get to work on scrubbing a layer of skin off me, leaving my modesty in the dust. Feeling fresh, pink, andgenerally floppy, I step out of the tub and let myself be wrapped in a warm towel. They quickly dress me in a simple white hanbok that feels as soft as petals against my skin.
“I don’t even know your names.” I glance askance at the females.
They titter and blush as though they don’t get their names asked often. The taller one says, “My name is Seonah, my lady. And that’s Yoonah, my younger sister.”
“Nice to meet you.” I smile, even though the introduction feels a bit odd coming after stripping naked in front of them. “Thank you for the bath and snacks.”
“It was our pleasure.” Yoonah beams at me.
“I hope you had a relaxing bath, my lady.” Miok enters the bathing chamber as though she’s been waiting outside the door. The sisters step back and bow to her. “Allow me to escort you to your chambers to prepare you for your audience with the council.”
Shit.I’d forgotten about that part. My loose muscles tense up again, but I force a smile and say, “Of course. Lead the way.”
We walk down to the opposite end of the hallway, and my handmaiden—I can’t fucking believe I have a handmaiden—slides open the double doors. When she bows and stretches her arm toward the open doorway, I take it as my cue and step into the chambers. I draw in a sharp breath, my hand fluttering to my chest as though to grab a fistful of pearls. I drop the offending hand with a grimace, even as my wide eyes continue taking in the room.
The sight of the serene pond greets me through the open windows facing the front of the pavilion. The room is elegantly furnished with a low wooden desk, a silk embroidered room divider—which I instantlycovet—behind the desk, and an exquisite wooden dresser and armoire with brass appliqués standing against one wall. I see the room as my eighteen-year-old self would have. It’s the most beautiful room I’ve ever seen, luxurious in its simplicity. I would take this room over a presidential suite on the Vegas Strip any day.
“Is the room to your liking?” Miok’s soft voice brings me back to the present.
“I love it,” I say, feeling guilty again for enjoying the comforts of this place when I don’t even know if Ethan is dead or alive.Alive.He’s alive.I will save him. There’s still time.I hang on to that mantra like a lifeline.
“My lady?” Concern lines her forehead.
“I’m sorry.” I shake my head and ask, “Am I going to see the council now?”
Miok smiles. “Not until you’re ready.”
“What more do I need?” I’m freshly washed and dressed in this lovely silk hanbok.
“Well, I would need to do your makeup, style your hair, and help you into your dress.”
Makeup and hair—I guess I get that—but the dress? “What’s wrong with this hanbok?”
“You want to meet the council in your sleepwear?” Her eyes go round.
“This is sleepwear?” My jaw drops.
A huff of laughter escapes Miok’s lips before she claps her hands over her mouth. Smoothing her face into a deferential mask, she removes her hands from her mouth and says, “Forgive me, my lady.”
“Don’t worry about it.” I give her a wry smile that she returns with a warm one of her own.
“Now”—her expression turns all-business—“let’s get you prepared for an audience with the council.”
She has me sit on one of those pretty floor cushions and brushes my hair with a double-sided, fine-tooth comb until it gleams. Then she braids my hair at one temple, then the other and weaves it into a three-strand braid from the base of my head all the way down my back.
