Tinaja sunk down in her bath up to her ears. One lone candle of purest white provided the only light in her bathing chamber. It flickered erratically casting strange shadows across the pure white walls of the room.
She inhaled deeply of the fragrant herbs she'd added to her bath – cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, ginger, and almond extract. Then she added powdered milk, oatmeal flakes, and honey to the warm water.
These ingredients may seem better suited for baking cookies. But for Tinaja, they served another purpose.
When asked by other concubines why she needed such things when the palace cooks prepared all of their meals, she simply replied that it was good for her skin. This was certainly true. And seeing how unblemished and smooth her skin was, they had no cause to doubt it.
But that was not the only reason she used these items. The main reason was that it encouraged her visions.
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