Chapter 1.6

Chapter 1.6

"You should consider it an honor if the dragons would like to make you the mother of their children," he remarked pointedly, running the warm water into the tub.

The water was produced by a complicated, magical mechanism. Quinn watched it because she was unfamiliar with such a thing. In her village, it was far too expensive and elaborate. Besides, hardly anyone knew anything about magic.

Rei went to one of the cabinets and took out a small bottle.

Meanwhile, Quinn was sitting on the floor, exhausted, because Rei had just let go of her, and she had collapsed. Her gaze fixed on the water, whose splashing soothed her in a certain way. "Is it really?" she asked quietly. "The women with the dragon didn't seem like they had anything that looked like honor," she murmured. "If we're so valuable, shouldn't we be treated as such? I wouldn't have run away in the first place if they hadn't locked me in a small room and left me alone with my pain and fear."

With the bottle in hand, Rei returned and poured some into the bathtub, which was filling with warm water. A pleasant lavender scent spread through the bathroom, and foam began to form.

After that, he brought it back and closed the small cabinet. "Then you were very unlucky and went to the wrong person," he said calmly. At that, he seemed cold and arrogant. As if it was her fault that things had turned out this way. Quinn couldn't have known that it didn't leave him cold at all.

The latter leaned her head against the edge of the tub. "Really?" she asked, almost hopefully. She only knew this one dragon and didn't know what it was like with others.

She closed her eyes because she felt so exhausted and tired. But at the same time, she was starving.

Shrugging his shoulders, Rei said that for sure, not everyone was like the stone dragon. However, he could not know but only assume. He knew mainly the men who were here in the castle, and of these, he knew that they were not exactly pleasant.

"If you're lucky, you'll end up with one who appreciates you after this," Rei said, warning her not to get into the tub without him. He was going to go get the bedding to throw in the hamper. But also the clothes they hadn't taken with them.

"I won't move," she assured him because she had little strength. However, she still wanted to look out the window if she somehow managed to reach it.

The idea of getting to someone who appreciated her gave her some hope.

"I advise you to do the same," he replied thoughtfully. She didn't want to know what kind of punishments he could enforce if she didn't bow to his words.

Rei went back to his former bed chamber with hurried steps and retrieved the things he needed before returning to Quinn. The tub should already be filled enough for her to bathe.

The young woman stood at the window with wobbly legs, leaning against the wall while her gaze was directed outside. She looked longing, although there was only ice and snow there.

"The bathroom is ready. Do you need help getting in?" Rei asked her with a sideways glance as he stuffed the dirty bedding into the basket and laid her fresh clothes on a chair.

For himself, he had brought a new uniform since he was stained with her blood.

Quinn averted his eyes from the window and looked at the bathtub. "I guess," she murmured softly, not believing her legs would even carry her to the tub. Already they were shaking badly, and she was finding it hard to stand, despite supporting herself. That she had made it to the window at all was a miracle.

Actually, Rei had been thinking more of a boarding aid. One look at Quinn was enough, and he knew that she would not make it without help. With a quick decision, he walked up to Quinn and stopped close in front of her. From above, he eyed her as if to gauge. Whether or not she was about to blare her ears at him.

He lifted her up with a nimble movement, like a child, to take her to the bathtub. She wasn't heavy, which made it easy for him to do.

Quinn made a surprised sound, for she had not expected this. She found herself in his arms so suddenly that she didn't know what to do at all. Therefore, she just stayed still and stiffened a bit.

His pectoral muscles, despite the uniform, were quite noticeable. His muscular upper arms wrapped around her body proved that Rei had to be strong.

Keeping his eyes on the tub, he brought her there and bent down to let Quinn gently slide into the warm water.

The latter bit her lips as she felt the herbal bath burning in her wounds. In response, a soft whimper left her mouth.

Her hands clawed at Rei's arms, not wanting to go all the way into the water while it hurt so much.

Instead of leaving her alone, he allowed her to cling to him. The fact that it hurt her did not escape him. Unfortunately, Rei couldn't help her. For many, the best position would have been uncomfortable, but not so for the man holding Quinn. Calmly, he stood there but kept his gaze fixed on the sink. As if something was interesting to see there.

A soothing sound came from Rei's mouth, which should mean that the burning would soon subside.

Only when the part that was in the water had gotten used to it did Quinn let himself slide even further into the tub, finally releasing her grip from his arms as well. A sympathetic sound left her lips, for the warm water was beautiful.

"Thank you," she whispered, closing her eyes to just enjoy it. "I haven't been swimming in a little while."

Shaking his head in disbelief at this information, he finally straightened up to go back to the cabinets. There he searched for some shampoo to give her. Very much choice Rei did not possess.

Before returning to her, he took a small wooden step that was actually meant to be an entryway and placed it close to her to take the little bottle if she wanted to use it. It was joined by a fresh towel before Rei began to undress.

Not directly in front of her, but in front of the basket meant for dirty laundry.

Uncomfortable, Rei seemed, but he didn't want to put her in an awkward situation. That's why he stopped there.

First, he undid the white belt at his hip and put it aside before detaching it from his top. A broad, muscular back was revealed, on which gauzy blue and silver threads could be found. These spread over the entire skin and looked like the most delicate marbling. These threads also went over his shoulders, giving his body a unique appearance.

From the mirror above the sink, he could see Quinn and intervene if she tried to do anything.

Quinn still seemed to be lying in the water, barely stirring. Rei kept watching her in the mirror because he was sure she was planning something. Why else was she so calm and actually sociable? He had expected entirely different things when they had said she was coming here. But lying in the water like that, she didn't seem like she would cause many problems if she was taken good care of. Probably a gentleman who respected her and treated her well would have very few issues with her.

However, Quinn was not here to take a vacation. Rei had clear instructions on what he was to do. Whether he wanted to or not. It would probably be hard work, but he would get his way. He had enough experience with reluctant people.

Actually, he even felt sorry for Quinn, only there was nothing he could do to help her.

It went without saying that he should not trust her. There would only be consequences.

Continuing to watch her, he also rid himself of his pants, which he threw into the basket along with his dirty top. Then he ran water in the sink to remove the blood from his skin.

A bath would be a lot faster, he knew. But him getting into the tub with her was out of the question at all. Quinn would probably take it the wrong way, and he would not indulge in that distraction.

He noticed in the mirror that Quinn sat up slowly and then looked around a bit. She was not looking toward him, however. "What's that?" she asked softly, pointing to the things standing next to the tub.

He vigorously rubbed his skin before looking into the mirror with narrowed eyes. Was she serious, or did she really not know?

"Wash your hair with the liquid from the bottle to make it clean," he explained, adding dryly that she must have known what a towel was and that the clothes next to it were for her.

"What's in the bottle?" she asked carefully, lifting it up. She came from a poor farming family, and there it was not common to have hot water. She had mostly been in the river to clean herself. In winter, she had only washed with a rag because it was too cold. There had been only one heated room in her house.