Dragon and Princess - and Cook Pt 16
... I didn't miss him. Definitely not.
Seriously, he could stay away for all eternity for all I cared...
But after three days, I asked Azarang about the missing knight. After all, we were only three people. It was hard not to notice him missing. He'd been in my room at least once a day, the creeper.
So, when I asked him, he'd told me that the knight made a herb garden. And that he'd told him he'd be back in three days, so any time now, supposedly.
Azarang was cute enough to actually worry about the guy. It was almost adorable. Even pouty was a good look for him. Mmmh.
When I later checked the 'herb garden', I guessed he wasn't a knight... he was a gardener. Walking into the... 'greenhouse', it felt like walking onto a summer field in a land that is distinctly less cold and richer in flora. Because no, these plants did not live here. At all. But somehow, they did. Even bloomed. There were bees!
… I petted one.
Anyway, the perpetrator was not there. At least I felt better. Health-wise and also about my condition. My legs had stopped hurting yesterday, too. Turned out it's not wise to immediately start with ten jogs up and down a fivehundred steps tower. I could walk again. And Azarang had offered me another one of his coats. Which smelled just as nice as the last one. And was softer. I rolled up in it for a while. I thought I deserved some niceness within all this bullshit.
It was ridiculous how often I had to keep myself from reaching out and touching his face. He was almost black. I... this was not appropriate behaviour, but just seeing my hand and his skin at once was somewhat surreal. He didn't have that problem. But well... I won't do it and that's that. Except if he allows me to. Well...
… I thought I would have some time to at least daydream a little, but... there he was. The missing gardening knight.
“... couldn't you have stayed away longer?,” he just reminded me that he did absolutely nothing to get me away from here.
“Of course I could, but I have recovered another resource in the castle and I believe it will be of interest to your highness,” it was another matter-of-fact statement. He made a lot of those. I wanted to throw a pillow at him, but... I still was a princess.
“... does it involve leaving the castle and going home?,” at least I needed to make a point.
“No, it does not, it is a resource in the castle, your highness,” he didn't even have the decency to feel chastised.
I stared at him.
He looked back evenly and said after maybe two minutes: “I believe you will be pleased by it anyway”
“It's not leaving the castle,” why should I be pleased!
“It is not,” and apparently, 'why should he care'.
Jerk.
I stared at him some more until I realised he would probably stand there and let the cold in (even though it has gotten better... somehow... it feels less cold when I walk through the halls, I think the cracks get less, too. WEIRD place, like I said) all day if I didn't move, so I pulled Azarangs coat tighter around myself and got up: “FINE! Go, show me whatever strange thing you want to show me!”
“Of course, your highness,” and he started walking down the hall like he had all the time in the world.
… I would have liked to ssay, but he walked pretty much in a comfortable, fast pace and I disliked that even more. Anyway, we came to the door I had looked into the first tame I came down the tower and... the hallway behind... wasn't broken down anymore. I blinked.
“This... is open,” I pointed at it from under the layers of fabric and frowned.
“I said, I recovered another resource. It's now available,” he nodded and held the door for me.
I walked through with a deep frown. It was actually clean and – while looking somewhat battered – it was... stable.
“I almost thought this went nowhere when the marble stopped, but it seems even the builders of this castle had enough of marble at one point. It returns later for a short moment, it showed me that I was still on the right track,” whatever he meant with that. After all, he couldn't have hacked into stone! We had walked downwards, deep down into the mountain – at least it felt like it. And yes, it looked a little more cavernous than I would have liked. Less like a castle...
Hrm. Ten minutes later, he announced: “We're here,” and had his hand on a handle, opening a door and holding it for me. Maybe he had learned some manners. Just ignored them most of the time.
When I looked into the room, I was floored.
There were some torches that lit the room up, but when there weren't, there was a strange green-like shimmer. And there was... there was water. It was slightly steaming. And there were mirrors and a wardrobe with clothes and there were towels and an actual bath with... uh... with marble.
And water was trickling in somewhere and... and...
What the hell?!
After I walked in, he followed and gestured at the different items: “The strange light comes from luminiscent mushrooms. They are non-toxic and just provide and extra-light, you can ignore them. The sand glass is your limit for how long you should stay in the hot bath. After that, please cool off for a bit. You can clean yourself in the hot bath, though. It refills naturally – and takes most dirt with it. If you wish to clean yourself before, you can use the soaps over there and use the little stream to water the sponge. As for the clothes over there, they are all your size, so please, choose what you would like, the rest I will bring to your room when you are done. And... that should be it,” he shrugged.
“You... unearthed a bath... in the last three days,” I frowned at him. Even if it was a bit difficult not to stare. This was a bath. This was an actual, proper, big bath! Almost a thermae! And I'd only seen those in pictures.
… I suspected an answer, and it promptly came: “Yes”
Well, no use arguing: “... what... is that smell?,” because that was the only thing that was slightly bugging me.
“Ah, the volcanic nature of the heat for the water is... noticable, yes. It's not dangerous. The soaps should cover it,” he nodded.
“... volcanic... nature?,” would there be MORE fire than just from the bloody dragon?!
“Yes. It's inactive, but there is enough activity under earth. Again, it is not dangerous,” he smiled.
“... you have an answer for everything, don't you?,” I said it just out of spite.
“No, your highness, but for some phenomena I can provide commentary,” I squinted at him when he said that. It had been flippant. I was almost sure.
But he inclined his head towards the bath: “I will leave now, I hope you enjoy,” he bowed slightly and... disappeared.
And I was alone in a pretty big bath under ground. That was warm.
I shed my clothes and went to first clean myself. I would feel dirty if I was soaking in water with all my sweat and... yes, dirt that clung to me.
So I sponged myself with cold water that flew down in a kind of practical little waterfall. I could fill a bucket and empty it over me. I shivered after, but I felt clean for the first time in... in weeks!
And then... I went to soak.
… as a reward for actually unearthing this – however, right now I cared little – I turned the hour glass before I went in... and then seated myself, like it was planned, relaxing almost entirely submerged.
It was warm. And water. And... even the smell was kind of reassuring now. Cleaning. A little burnt.
I made bubbles under water.
Maybe today wasn't that bad. I felt almost relaxed.