Page 52 of Lake of Sapphire
SCOTLIND
The banquet wasn’t over,and I knew there was probably more expected of me during the night. But I needed to be alone.
I focused on my breathing as I leaned against a stone wall. I was in a deserted hallway with only a torch as company. The embers slowly fading and dying off, making the room dimmer as the minutes ticked on.
The music was faintly playing in the distance. The only indication that the banquet was still going on. I listened to it until it grew softer, using the melody as a map to guide myself further from that room full of Advenians. I didn’t stop walking until the sound faded into silence, and I was left with nothing but my panting, ragged breaths.
I wanted my bed. I wanted to curl up inside the warm sheets and forget about everything. It would be my last night of peace. My last night before a guard would be stationed at my side. The problem was, I had no idea where my room was. Each hall looked identical to the next, each passageway a maze. I embraced the silence of the empty halls, but the more I roamed through the castle, the more I realized I had absolutely no idea where I was going.
I wandered into a wide, oval corridor with an arched, glass ceiling I didn’t recognize. Light was shining through the dome-like window, but it was impossible to tell how much time had passed since I’d left the banquet.
I was still looking up, searching for the position of the sun through the stained patterns on the glass, when I heard a light, whimsical voice sound from behind me.
“You look lost.”
I spun around. It was the beautiful blonde from the party. “Is it that obvious?” I asked. She laughed, it was warm and sweet and nothing like I expected. “I’m Scottie,” I added.
“I know.” She cocked her head to the side. “Reagan. Come, I’ll help you find where you are trying to go.”
“Back to my room,” I admitted.
She reached out and clasped her warm fingers over my wrist. I held back a wince as the cloth wrapping dug into my charred flesh.
“The castle is huge. We know it well now because we have been coming here since we were young, but Sie, Alec, Peter, and I got lost numerous times as children. I can imagine how overwhelming it is to you. You’ve been here for how long again?”
“Only today. We arrived this morning.”
“I’ll walk you back,” was all she replied.
She started leading me through the castle. I happily followed, knowing my bed waited for me. Sie said I couldn’t trust her. Frankly, I didn’t trust anyone, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t accept her kindness, and I needed sleep.
Reagan halted in front of a tall black door studded with metal spikes.
“This isn’t my room,” I started. I could, at least, remember what my door looked like.
“I know. They had to change your sleeping chamber. Some remodeling of yours needed to be done. Sie sent me to come find you once you left the banquet since they didn’t get to tell you about the change.” She smiled, exposing a row of teeth so white it was blinding against her skin. “You will be able to pick your belongings up tomorrow. There’s some shirts in the top drawer that you can sleep in for tonight. I hope you don’t mind. I know it’s not fit for a Princess but—”
“No, it’s fine. Thank you so much. It was lovely meeting you.”
“Pleasure is all mine,” she said over her shoulder as she stalked off. “I’m sure we’ll get along just fine, Scottie.”
The room was larger than the one Peter showed me earlier. Torches hung on the slick walls, and candles were scattered throughout, already lit and half melted. Black silk sheets were spread across the bed. It was just as grand and just as pointless of a waste of space as the rest of the room. No one person could take up that much room while sleeping. Unless it wasn’t meant for just one person.
I shook off that thought and walked over to the black leather sofa, facing the crackling fireplace. Stone surrounded the relentless flames, taking up a substantial portion of the wall. I usually wouldn’t sit so close to the open fire, but my body felt numb. It didn’t help that my dress barely covered my skin.
Red wine was poured into a crystal glass. The bottle was left open as if someone had been drinking from it moments prior. I didn’t care. I grabbed the glass and sank into the cool seat, the leather bit against the slit in my dress.
A thud sounded from the next room as I went to lift the glass to my lips. I jerked, and the red liquid spilled down my chest and onto the very expensive, very sheer material, staining my dress. Goddess above.
I walked toward what I presumed was the bathing room, praying to Pylemo this stain would come out with water.
I pushed the door ajar and slammed into something hard and wet. My feet gave out from under me, and I tumbled with whatever I’d hit, coming down with me.
A shriek escaped my lips when I opened my eyes. I was lying right on top of Sie… again.
I quickly jumped off of him. He chuckled softly as he propped himself up on his elbows and looked up at me through his wet, wavy locks. I tried not to notice how his legs were slightly spread, or the fact that he was only wearing a towel that hung dangerously low around his waist. He shook his head slightly, causing his hair to flip and move away from his eyes.
The water clung to his still-bruised body, making his skin glisten. I couldn’t help but watch the droplets trail down his broad shoulders, down to his defined chest and lithe abdomen. His biceps bulged as he adjusted himself and propped himself up a little higher. My eyes traced down over his stomach where his wound from Lunder was starting to crust over. A little bit of dark hair started below, forming a thin line, leading down to his towel.