Take a bath

“I suppose I can stay awake long enough for a quick bath,” you say. “Will it take long to heat the water?”

“The water is always hot,” Aressi says, hurrying past you into the bathroom. “Let me get the water running and I will help you out of your clothes, Sir.”

“Oh, I know how to get undressed,” you say.

Aressi turns toward you, a shocked look on his face. “But, Sir, it is a valet’s duty to see to the needs of the man he serves. It is a source of pride and a great responsibility. I would be too ashamed to show my face if you don’t allow me to assist you.”

“Sorry, Aressi,” you say. “This is all very strange to me. I’m just a poor farmer.”

“Not anymore, Sir,” Aressi says with a slow, knowing nod. “Now, you are the future of the kingdom.”

He leaves you to let that sink in. The future of the kingdom. You can almost feel the weight upon your shoulders. You don’t know much about being the Vessel—it is a responsibility you never thought you’d have—but you do know one thing: if you cannot produce a male heir, the kingdom will be torn apart by war.

You hear water running and move to the bathroom doorway, watching in awe as steaming water pours from a spigot into the tub. Back home, on the rare occasion when a bath was needed, it meant buckets of cold water pumped up from the well by hand, and carried to the wooden washtub where Mama also did the laundry. If you were lucky, a pot of hot water heated over the fire was added to take away the chill, but most of the time you had blue lips and chattering teeth by the time you were done.

Aressi selects a bottle of fragrant oil from the tray and pours a few drops into the water, filling the room with the smell of juniper and sage, then he turns to you and without a word, takes the hem of your shirt in his hands.