can hear."
"Unusual wager."
"You're normally such a blabbermouth, I bet you couldn't make it all the way to the capital without talking. If you make it all the way to being presented to the queen, you win." She paused. "If not, we all lose."
"I understand. And the collar?"
"Some silly custom of your family's. It's an ugly piece of jewelry, but you refuse to take it off until we're properly married."
"So we're to be married."
"You will look so darling in white."
I stared at her. "You're doing it again. I am your prisoner, not your friend."
"Of course."
We separated again. I stood at the windows, staring out at the courtyard. There was a knock, then the door opened. I ignored it. Dareena spoke to someone with a female voice, then she stepped up beside me and took my hand, speaking quietly to me in Tendarian. She began pulling me towards the door, and I grabbed my dry clothing as we went past the bed.
The maid led us to another room on the same floor. When we stepped in, I saw we were in a bath. There were two copper tubs, each filled with steaming water. A second maid was waiting. The door closed, and the two maids approached us, one to each of us. Mine took the clothing from my hands and set them aside, then she began undressing me. The other maid was undressing Dareena.
Once my clothing was off, my maid reached for the collar around my neck, but Dareena spoke sharply, startling the maid, then spoke more softly. She nodded then took my hand and led me to a shower in the corner of the room. I eyed it dubiously but stepped in.
When the maid reached for the chain, I was expecting to be deluged by frigid water, so I gritted my teeth and vowed not to make a sound. The water was cold, but not frigid. The maid doused me well, and I did what I could to rinse my hair as well.
I stepped out and Dareena stepped in behind me. She yelped at the cold water. I smiled sweetly at her then allowed my maid to draw me to one of the tubs. Holding her hand to steady myself, I stepped into the tub, then lowered myself into the water.
I moaned in pleasure but managed to avoid any words.
The maids bathed us. I let mine do whatever she wanted to me, and she was very good. She left my more personal regions for me to wash myself, but she took care of everything else. I adjusted as necessary so she could wash me. She did my hair last, and it took several cleanings.
While she was bathing me, I wondered if this was the last kindness I would ever receive.
I ignored Dareena, but from the sounds she was making, I gathered she was enjoying her bath as much as I was enjoying mine.
Once we were clean, the maids left us to soak for a while. I closed my eyes and dozed, not waking until my maid was back, touching my arm. I glanced over to see Dareena being helped out of her tub by the other maid.
I let mine help me out of the tub then stood still while she dried me. She dressed me in my under things, then pulled a chair over for me to sit in while she dried my hair with several towels. She spent quite some time brushing the snarls out as gently as she could. Then she stood me back up and finished dressing me.
I glanced over, and Dareena was being treated in the same fashion I was. The innkeeper had found clothes that fit her, more or less, although they were not as fine as mine. I was now dressed in the clothing I had been wearing when I had been kidnapped. It wasn't pressed and had been left folded in the chest for several days, but the clothes were clean and dry and of the quality I typically wore when out on the town for an evening.
Dareena's clothing was more in keeping with a member of the merchant class or an innkeeper's daughter. But it fit and was pressed, so it was a toss up which of us was better dressed.
One of the maids collected our old clothes and spirited them away. The other led us back to our room. Both Dareena and I were barefoot. As soon as we got to the room, I went to my chest. There were two pair of fine dress shoes, which
"Unusual wager."
"You're normally such a blabbermouth, I bet you couldn't make it all the way to the capital without talking. If you make it all the way to being presented to the queen, you win." She paused. "If not, we all lose."
"I understand. And the collar?"
"Some silly custom of your family's. It's an ugly piece of jewelry, but you refuse to take it off until we're properly married."
"So we're to be married."
"You will look so darling in white."
I stared at her. "You're doing it again. I am your prisoner, not your friend."
"Of course."
We separated again. I stood at the windows, staring out at the courtyard. There was a knock, then the door opened. I ignored it. Dareena spoke to someone with a female voice, then she stepped up beside me and took my hand, speaking quietly to me in Tendarian. She began pulling me towards the door, and I grabbed my dry clothing as we went past the bed.
The maid led us to another room on the same floor. When we stepped in, I saw we were in a bath. There were two copper tubs, each filled with steaming water. A second maid was waiting. The door closed, and the two maids approached us, one to each of us. Mine took the clothing from my hands and set them aside, then she began undressing me. The other maid was undressing Dareena.
Once my clothing was off, my maid reached for the collar around my neck, but Dareena spoke sharply, startling the maid, then spoke more softly. She nodded then took my hand and led me to a shower in the corner of the room. I eyed it dubiously but stepped in.
When the maid reached for the chain, I was expecting to be deluged by frigid water, so I gritted my teeth and vowed not to make a sound. The water was cold, but not frigid. The maid doused me well, and I did what I could to rinse my hair as well.
I stepped out and Dareena stepped in behind me. She yelped at the cold water. I smiled sweetly at her then allowed my maid to draw me to one of the tubs. Holding her hand to steady myself, I stepped into the tub, then lowered myself into the water.
I moaned in pleasure but managed to avoid any words.
The maids bathed us. I let mine do whatever she wanted to me, and she was very good. She left my more personal regions for me to wash myself, but she took care of everything else. I adjusted as necessary so she could wash me. She did my hair last, and it took several cleanings.
While she was bathing me, I wondered if this was the last kindness I would ever receive.
I ignored Dareena, but from the sounds she was making, I gathered she was enjoying her bath as much as I was enjoying mine.
Once we were clean, the maids left us to soak for a while. I closed my eyes and dozed, not waking until my maid was back, touching my arm. I glanced over to see Dareena being helped out of her tub by the other maid.
I let mine help me out of the tub then stood still while she dried me. She dressed me in my under things, then pulled a chair over for me to sit in while she dried my hair with several towels. She spent quite some time brushing the snarls out as gently as she could. Then she stood me back up and finished dressing me.
I glanced over, and Dareena was being treated in the same fashion I was. The innkeeper had found clothes that fit her, more or less, although they were not as fine as mine. I was now dressed in the clothing I had been wearing when I had been kidnapped. It wasn't pressed and had been left folded in the chest for several days, but the clothes were clean and dry and of the quality I typically wore when out on the town for an evening.
Dareena's clothing was more in keeping with a member of the merchant class or an innkeeper's daughter. But it fit and was pressed, so it was a toss up which of us was better dressed.
One of the maids collected our old clothes and spirited them away. The other led us back to our room. Both Dareena and I were barefoot. As soon as we got to the room, I went to my chest. There were two pair of fine dress shoes, which
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