rising moon. The scene was designed to cover all four walls of the lounge, giving its guests the impression of standing in the middle of the lake as the sun said goodbye for the day. The ceiling was black, meant to accentuate the wall art. Black curtains framed the windows, while the floor was covered in a soft, dark blue carpet—the lake itself, beneath my feet.
The sofas and the coffee table reminded me of an eighteenth-century tea salon. The woodwork was exquisite, with fleur-de-lys-style bass reliefs along the edges, sculptural armrests, and fine silken tapestries stretching over the soft seating foams and wools. I took a moment to sit and fully take in the experience of resting in this place, while the sky continued to darken outside. A pitcher of fresh blood and several glasses rested on a silver tray in front of me, on the table. Below, on a bottom shelf, books had been left for me to read. I browsed through their pages for the better part of a quarter-hour, noticing the selection they’d made. They were all history books describing the rise of the Aeternae and their conquests of Nalore and Rimia, complete with ink illustrations.
The bedroom was just as wonderful, with a massive canopy bed. A window had been left open, and the ocean breeze swooped through and made the delicate tulle curtains hanging from the upper frame billow out. The posts were sculpted, depicting maidens with long, flowing hair, their hands reaching for the heavens. The flowers they held in their hands served as finials, and the headboard was upholstered in lavish dark red velvet, which matched the floral red-and-white ensemble of the bed covers and pillows—so many pillows…
“This is freaking royal,” I mumbled, noticing the giant wardrobe which had been fitted into an entire wall, the reddish wood commode with brass, rose-bud-shaped handles, the vanity table with its upholstered stool, and the plethora of perfumes and lotions nestled in a square, mother-of-pearl tray by the tilted mirror. “The home of a princess.”
Indeed, whoever lived here would clearly be given most special treatment. The lounge was restful and warm. The bedroom was sensual and elegant. The bathroom, I quickly realized, was a slice of ocean heaven, with gray stone brick walls, white marble, and brushed brass fixtures. Lights burned softly in the swirling wall-mounted sconces, and a white linen curtain covered the only window.
The tub, a giant white shell, was fitted with a drain. The faucet had two knobs, and I quickly realized they had a hot water system running through the entire palace. My first guess was a coal-powered base beneath the building, its fires used to heat the water before it was pushed through the moaning pipes.
It didn’t take long for me to slip out of my clothes and dip into the hot tub, which I’d enriched with several essential oils left on one of the white marble shelves precisely for this pampering moment. The air filled with relaxing aromas of lavender and acacia-like blossoms, as I leaned back and allowed the bath to work on my skin and muscles.
Glancing around, I smiled, feeling much like a princess. If this was the impression they’d gone for with this room, well… I had to give them an A+. They’d nailed it, and then some.
A knock on the door outside startled me. “Who’s there?” I shouted.
“Zurah, milady,” a delicate voice said. “Your handmaiden.”
“My handmaiden?” I asked, loudly enough for her to hear me.
“Yes. I am here to look after you and run your bath, if you’d be so kind as to let me in,” she said. This was a tad awkward, I realized. I’d already run my bath.
“I’m already in the tub,” I replied. “I mean, you can come in, but—”
“Oh, no!” I heard her exclaim as she stumbled into the room. I could see her through the open bathroom door, flustered and panting, tightly fitted into a servant’s black dress with a white lace collar and waistband. “Milady, I should have done this for you. Please, accept my apologies!”
I chuckled softly as she closed the outside door and meekly walked into the bathroom, her gaze stuck to the floor. She looked skinny, her skin dark, her eyes the color of ruby chestnuts. “There’s nothing to apologize for,” I said to her, comforted by the foam that covered the water in my tub. Not that I was shy, in general, but I did not know what the nudity norms were around here. Tristan and I