Her voice reached me from the open doorway. “Can I have more stones?”
“You’ll scald yourself.”
“My frostbitten hands and feet sucked all the heat away…”
I dropped my quill and returned to the room. The pot of stones was on the floor beside the tub, so I carried it back to the fireplace and hooked it in place. I returned to the desk once more. I worked as the stones heated, and after a couple minutes, I carried the pot back into the bathroom. “Knees to your chest.”
She moved at a snail’s pace, but she did it.
I dumped the rocks on the opposite side of the tub, steam immediately coming from the surface of the water like smoke off a fire.
She closed her eyes. “Ahh…that’s nice.”
I returned the pot to the fireplace then sat in my chair once more.
“Your mom’s a cunt, you know that?”
I stared at the map without really looking at it.
“A fucking cunt…”
The insult from somebody else would result in a bloody tub. But I didn’t defend my mother’s honor—not when it wasn’t right.
“Good…you agree.”
With a sigh, I pushed myself from the desk and returned to the bathroom. “Sounds like you’re feeling better.”
Her knees were still to her chest, her arms wrapped around herself, and her neck rested against the edge of the tub. Her head was slightly turned my way, her damp hair over the edge of the tub, some strands in the water. “Got any food? I’m starving.”
I pulled up a chair and took a seat.
“Haven’t eaten since yesterday morning…”
Which meant she’d refused to eat out of my mother’s chamber pot. She’d rather starve than suffer the humiliation. No surprise there. “I’ll take care of it.”
“You didn’t take care of it when your mother smashed that glass over my head.” The betrayal was still in her eyes, even though I’d just saved her from the freezing cold and promised her food. “You just sat there…that old look on your face.”
“That was for your benefit.”
Her eyes searched my face.
“Because if she knew how I felt—” I faltered because that was a poor choice of words. “That our night was consensual, she would send in Geralt to do what I couldn’t. If I don’t publicly despise you, there will be consequences.”
That answer seemed sufficient because that betrayed look started to fade. “Let me guess… She asked how it was?”
Perhaps she was as observant as my mother. “Yes.”
“And what did you say?”
“I lied.”
She gave a shake of her head. “She’s sick…”
I still didn’t come to my queen’s defense because it just didn’t feel right.
“Why would anyone want someone so unhinged to be their leader?”
“I don’t know…your father is your leader.”
She went absolutely still, her eyes locked on my face without reaction, as if she didn’t know how to react.
“I know you don’t want to believe me, but it’s true.”
She looked away, dismissing what I said.
“I’ll get you some dinner.” I rose to my feet.
Her head turned back to me, her eyes immediately moving to my chest. Now she didn’t play games, didn’t pretend she wasn’t staring.
I walked out, went to the pub across the street in just my boots and breeches, and collected my dinner on a tray. I didn’t grab two because that would draw more attention than I needed, and I returned to the cabin.
“Yes.” I heard her excitement from the other room.
I stepped into the bathroom, pulled up a stool beside the tub, and set the tray on top.
“It’s hot.” She sat up in the tub, some of the water sloshing over the edge, and inhaled her food faster than I did.
I sat there and watched her.
“You aren’t going to eat?” she asked, finally coming up for air.
“Already did.” I’d just given my dinner to her, but I would be fine.
She ate everything, every single drop of sauce, every crumb of bread, everything that was served to her. “I feel so much better.” She relaxed in the tub again, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.
I cracked a smile.
“What?”
I pointed at my face. “You got shit everywhere.”
“Oh, whatever. I don’t care.” She sat there for a minute, but then she must have cared because she wiped it away with her wet fingertips.
My smirk remained.
“Shut up.”
“Didn’t say anything.”
“But that smile says it all…”
I should go back to work, but I knew the second I left the room, she would call me back for something else. I leaned back in the chair and watched her soak in the tub, the steam slowly fading as her body cooled the water once more. Her hair stuck to the back of her neck, and her small shoulders breached the surface of the water.
“I really don’t understand how you follow her.” Her eyes were on the water in front of her, the liquid blanket that thawed her organs from the cold. “I get that she’s your mother, so it’s complicated…but I wouldn’t want to serve a queen who was maniacal.”