Ash-Colored Despair (20)
The thick smell of water and the pungent aroma of mint rushed into my lungs.
Thalia looked up at him with a trembling gaze. Longboat leaned towards her ear and said quietly, almost in a whisper:
- If you continue to make such noise, then why should we share one room?
There was something so sobering in this reproachful tone that she instantly came to her senses. Pushing his hand away, Thalia recoiled convulsively. When a distance formed between them, her gaze involuntarily slid over the impeccably sculpted body.
She quickly lowered her eyes.
- At least get dressed! Do you have no shame at all? - she blurted out in a quiet but indignant voice.
Longboat frowned, something akin to irritation flashed in his gaze. He slowly shook his head and, getting up, said dryly:
“It’s strange to hear this from someone who walked around the imperial court half naked.”
- When was it me...! “Talia raised her chin sharply, but then stopped short when she noticed him taking out a new shirt. While he was putting his hands into his sleeves, Barkas did not forget to sarcastically:
“From the very day you started pretending to be an empress before you came of age.”
Thalia's face twisted painfully. Memories of the days when she had desperately tried to get his attention filled her with bitter resentment. She grabbed the pillow with all her might and threw it at his back with all her might.
- But now I have such a body that there’s nothing to dream about! Glad, perhaps?!
Longboat, fastening the buttons, threw an icy look at her. At that moment, Thalia, who was burning with anger, suddenly became quiet: since the moment of misfortune, he had silently endured all her hysterics, but now it seemed that his patience had run out.
The man climbed onto the bed with a pitiless gaze. Feeling his heavy step, Thalia rolled over to the other edge almost on instinct. She tried to slip and run away, but a hard hand grabbed her around the waist.
In an instant she was under him again, looking at him with a numb gaze. He was the one who didn't hesitate to use force to subdue her when she got out of control. And yet my heart skipped a beat, as if everything was happening for the first time.
Longboat leaned even closer and said coldly:
“It’s time for you to unlearn this habit.”
Thalia stared at him in horror. His merciless gaze slid to her lips, chapped and bitten, and he slowly added:
- And from the habit of self-destruction too.
The heart, which had just frozen, began to beat so hard that it was ready to burst. She didn't know if it was out of fear or something else.
Thalia squeezed her eyelids.
- Take... your hand away.
-...
- Don't you hear? Take your hand away!
The longboat did not move. Under the dull, pointed gaze, her lips went dry. She tried to hide her torn lip behind her teeth, but he only narrowed his eyes more intently. His fingers released their grip on her wrist, but before she could take advantage of the freedom, he grabbed her chin.
Talia took a shuddering breath. Rough, calloused fingers roughly pulled her lip out. The pad of my thumb slid across the swollen skin, leaving a wet mark.
- Stop tormenting your lips already.
Thalia looked up at him, full of fear and confusion. If someone else touched her like that, she would think it was a hint of desire. In the luxurious halls of Senevier, she met hundreds of men who were burning with thirst to touch her body.
But there was not a shadow of lust in this face. His cold gaze only confused her thoughts even more. It really didn't mean anything to him.
She exhaled restrainedly:
- O-okay... I understand... Take your hand away.
Her voice sounded almost like a plea. His silver eyes looked up at her, and his bottomless pupils seemed to deprive her of all reason.
Out of habit, she ran her tongue over her lips and accidentally touched the tip of his thumb. Her face immediately flushed red. Longboat carefully watched her reaction, as if checking whether she was really unpleasant.
It seemed like he was reading her right through. This caused cold sweat to break out on my forehead.
Talia, unable to bear the silence any longer, exhaled convulsively:
- My... leg hurts.
The longboat twitched slightly.
She stubbornly turned her head away and repeated hoarsely:
- I woke up in pain... C-call the healer.
Only then did he slowly pull away.
Thalia, like an animal escaped from a trap, darted into the very corner of the bed. Longboat, looking at her with thoughtful eyes for a while, sighed briefly and turned away.
- I have already prepared the medicine.
“I don’t need your medicine.” Sleeping pills work much better. Call my healer, she herself...” Thalia muttered, but did not have time to finish: the icy gaze glared at her again. She stopped short and pulled the blanket up to her chin.
Longboat took a glass bottle from the shelf, opened it and handed it to her. Thalia glared at it as if it were her worst enemy, but finally reluctantly snatched it away. From the first day in the East, when she was forced to drink this potion, she poured it into flower pots.
Closing her eyes, she hardly swallowed the bitter liquid that burned her tongue.
Longboat habitually took the empty bottle and easily put it back, as if he were handling a ten-year-old child. This calm, cold-blooded concern made my head even more confused. Why then was it necessary to scare her like that? Just to teach you a lesson? Or...
- Lie down. Tomorrow is a hard day, you need to get some sleep.
His hand carefully straightened the blanket, and her thoughts were cut short.
Thalia watched him as if he were watching a snake that could attack at any moment. Longboat, as if not noticing her prickly gaze, walked up to the lamp and dimmed the light. Then, without turning around, he wandered to the corner of the tent and sat down at the table. There he opened a ledger-like book and seemed to be engrossed in studying the financial records.
Thalia watched him with bated breath. She wanted to know when he would still lie down next to her. But the night went on, and Barkas was still sitting at the table, not moving from his place.
In the end, she was the first to give up and, exhausted, fell asleep.
When Thalia woke up, the tent was empty. As if someone mockingly proved to her that all her fears were in vain: no one even touched her.
Talia breathed a sigh of relief, looking around the dim tent, bathed in morning light, with eyes still full of sleep. He promised that nothing would happen. So why was she so worried?
- Madam, are you awake?
While Thalia was staring at the empty space next to her, the nanny's voice came from outside. The girl carefully climbed off the bed.
- Yes, I woke up.
Soon the nanny ran inside, holding a large tray on her head.
— How did you sleep at night? — she chirped joyfully and, smiling from ear to ear, put the tray on the table. - I brought you breakfast! You will definitely enjoy it today. Last night the manager gave us a real feast, everything was incredibly delicious.
Thalia looked at the expensive dishes with a frown. The tray was piled with bowls of cereal porridge, coarse white rolls, stringy cheese and cloying jam. Just the sight of it made my stomach churn.
- Take everything away and just bring me some mead.
- Under no circumstances! His Excellency ordered me to personally see to it that you eat properly. Do you want me to be punished later?
Thalia picked up a piece of bread, suspiciously examining it for midges, and looked at the nanny incredulously. This old woman always firmly believed that the emperor, or at least Senevier, loved his illegitimate daughter deep down in his soul. And now she probably attached too much importance to accidentally dropped words.
Thalia smiled wryly:
“Where did this great duke go early this morning?”