CHAPTER 33
It felt like I’d barely slept for minutes before I was rudely awoken by the abrupt shouts of Drothmore stablehands and the whinnying of horses. Scowling, I nuzzled deeper into my pillow. I had no idea why there were stablehands or horses in my bedchamber, but they’d be fools if they thought I’d be leaving this terribly comfortable bed anytime soon. It was so warm and firm, albeit a little bit squirmy.
Wait… Squirmy? Beds shouldn’t be squirmy.
“Welcome home, Naria.” The bed spoke to me in a voice that was smoother than syrup as I felt something thick drag across my waist.
My eyes sprang open. This certainly wasn’t my bedchamber. Surrounding me were the bright stone walls of the Steel Palace stables, along with a dozen busy stablehands. They buzzed around like flies as they busied themselves with the huge black horse I was sitting on. Nervous whispers fluttered between them as they shot occasional glances towards me, and someone else. Someone that I was leaning against in a far too intimate way.
Shame flooded my cheeks, and immediately, I straightened up in the saddle. I couldn’t believe it. I’d actually fallen asleep on him. We’d never be able to look at each other in the same way again.
“You’re finally awake,” Lukas commented as he slipped out of the saddle, taking all the warmth with him.
“Sorry,” I croaked sheepishly. I hadn’t noticed until then, but someone had draped a white cotton shirt across my shoulders. Beneath it, I was still scarcely dressed in my corset and bloomers, my destroyed faery gown left in tatters on the forest floor. I supposed that was probably what the stablehands were gossiping about. Of course, they’d be wondering why the strange Corlixin girl had arrived back at the palace in the early morning hours, accompanied by the prince, half-dressed and covered in mud. You didn’t need to be creative to come up with a few scandalous reasons. And my cheeks burned at the possibilities.
“Let me help you down,” I heard Lukas say from the cobbled floor. But when my head turned to face him—
Oh Ancients.
The shirt that had been kindly draped across my chest clearly once belonged to him, as he was now standing on the ground with his perfectly toned chest completely bare. He was also completely filthy. We both were. But still, even covered in tiny cuts, caked in mud, and with his dark brown hair tousled from the ride, I found myself unable to look away. Everything about him was so beautiful, he was almost divine.
“Are you alright?” he questioned innocently. Immediately, my eyes tore away from his chest.
“Sorry,” I said again. “I’m just tired. Exhausted, actually.” As if to prove my point, the biggest yawn heaved its way up my throat. There was no lie there. Even the horse was starting to look like an attractive bed, but the impatient twitch in his black-tipped ears suggested otherwise. I’d probably be thrown to the ground before I got any sleep at all.
I heard a few servants giggle as Lukas helped me down from the horse. I’d slipped his shirt over my head to give me a small ounce of modesty, but still, a girl in her bloomers, arm-in-arm with a half-naked prince wasn’t the most innocent of pictures. The news would be all over the palace before noon.
“Ignore them,” Lukas whispered as he draped a plain cloak over my shoulders. “I’ll make sure any rumours are dealt with. I won’t have anyone questioning your virtue before we’re married.”
I chewed my lip, remaining doubtful as to how he could possibly explain our situation in an innocent way without letting everyone know about the goblin army waiting in the woods. Mass panic or a few disapproving looks – we’d have to choose one.
“I’ll also be speaking with my father today about what we encountered in the forest. He’ll likely want us to send a few small forces out there to deal with them before things get out of hand,” Lukas explained, keeping his voice low to avoid the eavesdropping servants. “For now, please just get some rest.” He accepted another cloak from a servant and fastened it around his own bare shoulders. “I can arrange a meeting between the two of you later if you’d like to discuss… other things with him. But only when you’re dressed and well-rested.”
There were so many other things that needed to be discussed, my mind felt ready to burst. For once, though, I didn’t argue. Lukas was right. I needed sleep more than anything. Sleep first, then deal with all the real problems later.
By the time I finally reached my bedchamber, my heavy eyelids were threatening a mutiny against the rest of my body. It was torture. My silk bed was so close, but I knew I needed a bath more than I needed to collapse onto those soft sheets. Thankfully, the servants were quick to help me peel off the few layers of clothing I had left on. And before I knew it, I’d been plopped into a bath, and mud was being scrubbed off every inch of my body. Though no amount of scrubbing could wash away the feel of a dozen goblin hands tearing at my skin. Only time would clear that memory.
While soaking in the lavender-scented bathwater, I caught a glimpse of the two tiny crystals still embedded in my arm. The one closest to my wrist was slightly larger than the other, but otherwise, they were hardly noticeable. Letting my head rest against the rim of the steel tub, I prayed that Lukas hadn’t yet spotted them. Surely, even if he had, he wouldn’t know what they meant, but still, I’d rather not inform him that I was now engaged to two princes. I doubted that conversation would go over well.
I’d fallen asleep in the tub when the servants reappeared to help me dress. The sun was still high in the sky, but at the prince’s insistence, I’d been dressed in nightwear rather than a typical regal gown. Once the servants were finally finished, I’d practically leapt into the warm embrace of my bed sheets, and with my eyes finally shut, I drifted off before the metal bath had even been carried out of my chambers.