Night counsel

"Tsk…" 

Hidden within her private tent, Etaria bit down on the nail of her thumb. 

"Don't tell me you are still thinking about that kid," Zanba asked before dropping the empty bucket to the ground and wiping the sweat off his forehead. 

Filling up the bath for the princess was no easy task. Yet, as close to the only luxury she ever demanded during the campaigns, he was more than happy to keep heating the water behind the tent before hauling it inside. A task that took him an hour and that could be completed by a mere hand-servant… 

And yet, here he was, an officer of a ranking higher than any commoner should ever be allowed to gain, toiling for close to an hour every day just so the princess could relax in her beloved bath.