Chapter 10: An encounter with the Shadow King
Cassia's POV:
Honestly, I can’t remember when the last time I showered or bathed, so this will be very refreshing. As I was thinking deep in thought, the servant had clothing arranged for me as he promised. I was amazed and astonished by the treatment and kindness of the Shadow King’s servant. It almost made me think was the stories father told me growing up really true, that these people were heartless and brutal? I thought these thinks in my mind and my heart as I decided to get undressed after Lucious has left my presence to let me bath, so I undressed myself and walked into the hot spring to bath. I sighed a sense of relief as the natural hot water springs engulfed my body as I sat in the hot spring bath and let the hot water wash away all my stress and worries, even if it were only briefly. As I was sitting in the bath comfortably, I thought I heard noises through the steam and the midst of the steam. I grasped as I got up and went to grab something to cloth myself when suddenly as I got up, all of the sudden, I see a man before me… and it is none other by the Shadow King himself, completely naked before me…. I was so shocked and feared for my life that my body stood still in shock that I could not move… because no man has ever seen me naked before… not have I ever seen a naked man in my life… The Shadow King looked young but well built, his body was muscular but fair to look upon…and I was completely naked and vulnerable right now….”Ahhhh!!!!” I screamed in shock and panic as I covered myself completely and sat back in the bath to try and have the water cover me somehow as he looked at me with a poker face expression. He just stared at me and never said a word for a moment but I seriously thought he was going to kill me or do something to me seeing me naked like this. He stared at me from top to bottom as I sat in the bath.
There is an eery awkward moment of silence for a moment as I sat back in the bath covering myself with everything within me.
“Well princess, looks like you couldn’t wait for our marriage, huh?” he teased and chuckled at me. “Nothing of the sort!” I said in self defence, splashing the water at him to make him look away, “You’re the one who’s turned up unannounced!” I said blushing like there was no tomorrow. My arms covering my breasts as I sat naked on the rock bed of the hot spring bath as the hot spring water was mirky enough to cover my body as it contained natural minerals in the water to cover my body entirely under the steam of the water that covered me and the King waist up as he stood there before me.
He chuckled and grinned at me as he walked closer to me, “Well, princess, this is my castle and I believe I could do as I please while I am King in this castle….” He smirked and grinned walking towards me as I leaned against the stone wall behind me in the hot spring as he placed his arms between me as I was between his arms, looking into both his eyes as we were both naked, “Well well, what a site for sore eyes” He teased me with a smirk on his face.
“I could say the same thing about you, your highness….” I blushed as I tried to remain calm. “Heh, Well played” He teased. I looked at him for a moment. “How old are you, your highness, if I may ask…?” I asked him curiously as I never got his age when we were talking in his room earlier. He looked a little puzzled as he chuckled, “Why, do you think you are marrying an old man?” He joked and teased with a smirk and an eye brow raised as he crossed his arms. “I am just curious, that’s all” I told him looking up at his face. His face was beautiful and handsome to look upon, but looking a little closer at him he did have a scar across the side of his face but I never asked him about it. He still looked beautiful to me. He walked closer to me as he sat down in the hot spring bath and sat across from me in the bath.
“I am twenty six years old, warrior princess….” He told me as he sat on the hot spring bath seat in the bath with me. It was a large hot spring bath that could fit at least ten people in this thing, but he chose the one just across to me not to make me feel uncomfortable…. Although I already was… He smiled tenderly as he told me his age and looked down to wash the tips of his long hair with the soap that was near the edge of the bath. I swallowed a breath as there is silence between us for a moment.
“Perhaps I should get going…” I told him… “Wait, please sit. I may as well converse with my bride to be before we do wed to… get to know each other a little more” He winked and smirked at me. I don’t get this man…. He is teasing me yet… I can’t describe this feeling I am feeling right now…
“Ok… I questioned him….” I sat there still covering myself.
“Ask me anything you want…. Warrior princess….” He said to me. “Huh?” I questioned him. “I said… you can ask me anything you want to know about me…. I will freely tell you…..” He told me. I swallowed a breath for a moment. “That scar…. On your face… is that a battle scar?” I asked him. The first thing I asked him, out of all things. Stupid of me but I was curious to know.
He stopped washing the tips of his hair for a moment and touched the scar on his face with the tips of his fingers and smirked, “Does this make you feel uncomfortable around me?” He asked me. “No!” I told him. “I know… relax…. I look like a monster with this thing, but you are right, it is a battle scar…. I was protecting my mother before she died in battle when one of the enemy soldiers attacked her…. And they slashed their sword against my face just missing me… but…. my mother eventually died in battle….” He told me….