Chapter Seven

Cassia placed a hand in opposition to his jaw, knowing she had no rights to his past

regardless of what he had shared of his

body. "Why?"

"To courtroom you," he stated with a sly smile. "Or

some different excellent lady, I suppose. Not that it

matters." His voice became bitter. "To make

a identify for myself someplace past the

battlefield."

He shook his head, the motion rapid and

brutal earlier than he stood. "Your reasoning is just

as plenty mine, extra or less. My father will

be apoplectic when word receives round that

we've been fu-together," he shortly corrected

himself, then continued, "but have no plans

beyond that."

A smile performed at the facet of Cassia's mouth

as her fingers traced the equal direction his lips

had taken moments in the past alongside her throat.

Then a concerning thought fluttered to her

mind, making the smile fall.

Perhaps Julianus used to be now not so flippant as he

acted. From what she knew of him, he was,

after all, an formidable man. It was once something

to think about before she determined what next to

do with the general.

"I'm afraid ours will be a quick engagement,"

she tested.

All Julianus did was once raise an eyebrow.

"At the stop of this year, in five months, I take

my travels," she reminded him. "Three years away from the castle."

"And by using that time I will be in Brunia, trying

to maintain the blood out of my eyes," he said

casually. "Your point, Highness?"

"I have no intention of relinquishing my crown

for any man." She determined stark fact would

keep things from turning into messy between

them. For now.

He leaned down and kissed her. "And I have

no interest in marriage, or whatever more

than a dalliance, really. I let you drag me up

here because"-he stopped and looked at

her consideringly, then shrugged-"because

I desired to fuck you. Then I understood

why you dragged me up here, and it applicable me

well enough."

Julianus nipped at her chin before standing

up.

Cassia smiled, comfort flittering in her chest. "It

seems we've a sort of settlement then?"

"If you would like to continue, I would just as

much revel in continuing whilst we're both stuck

in this dismal place," he stated smoothly, eyes

tracing over the naked strips of skin the sheet

didn't quite cover.

"I would," she said, shocking herself with her

own boldness.

She had usually been strong-headed, but this

was perhaps a risky course to tread, for both of them. The identical thinking appeared to

occur to Julianus.

"Will my head be subsequent on the slicing block?"

he requested seriously.

Cassia pursed her lips, crossing her legs

under her. She weighed the distinctive options

and answered him truthfully. "Only if we are

unsubtle. People will speculate and whisper,

but he might not care as lengthy as it becomes no

more than that. As long as I don't do anything

to upset the reputation of the crown," she

finished, a sour twist to her words.

The sheet nevertheless wrapped around her, she

got up and went to the sitting room portion

of her chambers. "Customarily, an Heir

can take fans if they so wish. It's nearly

expected, even though I think about that's because

they've all been male-or rather, the female

Heirs earlier than me have usually stepped down

and married properly. However, that is one

argument that sways my father if he decides

to become...involved in our affairs. Kings are

more trapped through culture than frequent folk,

after all."

Julianus nodded and walked quickly to the

main door, listening at it. They both froze

when a knock sounded right by way of his head.

Her eyes widened, but all he did was maintain up

a hand. The other he pressed over his medals

to maintain them from jingling, and he slowly

walked to her.

Another knock sounded and Cassia called, "A

moment."

Julianus whispered in her ear, "Unless there

is a servant you trust, you'll probable have to

wash the sheets yourself." She felt him smile,

a sort of smugness radiating from him. "Tell

them you are getting in the bath. Now."

"I desire to bathe this morning," she said.

"If I didn't think I'd be tried for treason,"

Julianus whispered, "I'd be tempted to join

you."

Cassia made a rude gesture at him, sending

him into a silent laugh. They each paused as

whoever used to be at the door called, "Will you need

any help, Your Highness?"

"I may want to offer my services." Julianus nipped at

her ear and she nearly desired to take him up

on it.

It would seem Fate may want to from time to time be

kind, she thought. Julianus was everything

she'd been searching for in a potential lover.

Handsome, inclined and happily temporary.

"No," she answered to the servant, a bit

breathless even to her personal ears. "Return in an

hour. I shall be ready to dress by means of then."

"Yes, my lady," came the muffled reply,

followed via chickening out steps.

They both relaxed. Julianus ran a hand through his hair, grinning at her. "About that

bath..."

She elbowed him, then walked toward the

door of her bathing room, letting the sheet

drop. She could sense his eyes moving over her

and looked over her shoulder to find his lips

parted, his eyes glazed with animal want.

"I suppose we've got pushed our success as a ways as it will

go, my lord," she reminded him. "I am very

sure I'll be seeing you quickly enough."

Julianus smirked and nodded before

retrieving his cloak from her bedchamber.

He slung it over his shoulder and crossed his

arms. Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "Why me,

Your Highness? You've had your pick out of men.

Why choose me to play with?"

With a shrug, she said, "You were handsome.

Then you were interesting. Then you

were...accommodating." They each smiled

at what was already a personal joke. "It would

seem we had been each searching for the same

thing. Perhaps we shouldn't query why we

found it, General."

"Don't name me that," he snarled, tone suddenly

dark.

Cassia startled, then nodded and he relaxed,

offering an apologetic smile. He went to the

door leading out into the castle. "Perhaps one

of these days, I will inform you why."

"I might keep you to that, my lord," she answered before he left.

The door clicked shut in the back of him, and Cassia

sagged again towards the wall. The stone was

cool across her back, making gooseflesh

prickle over her skin.

Slowly, she pushed herself up and walked

into the bathing room. Half the size of her

bedchamber, the majority of the room was

taken up by means of a square pool in its center, five

feet long and five wide. Cassia padded across

the golden marble of the ground and became on

all five faucets, the usage of the heat tab.

The water that burbled out was cool, but

quickly warmed as the people working in

the heating room have been alerted somehow

that a resident of the fort required warm

water. Cassia had by no means explored how this

happened, however she favored it all the same

as she descended into the pool and waited for

it to fill. The side of the pool came up just to

her waist, but there was once a low bench around

the perimeter that she sat on.

Soon enough, water lapped at her feet. Cassia

waited until it used to be at the center of her calf,

then became the taps off.

Carefully, she scrubbed the scent of

Julianus from her skin, alongside with any other

condemning evidence. She became on a single

faucet to rinse the soap away, then climbed

out and wrapped herself in a towel before she

fetched her sheets.

They smelled of him and of her, a pleasant

mix. She blushed when she realized why

Julianus had sounded so smug as he made

this particular suggestion and tossed the

sheets into the water before stepping in after

them.

Halfway through washing them, she

realized she had no way to dry them. "Short

of dangling them from the window," she

muttered to herself, then blinked.

A servant would be unwise. They talked too

much and she couldn't let word spread too

quickly. People would already be gossiping

over the fact that both the crown princess and

the new general had disappeared right after

dinner.

No she couldn't ask a servant... But a slave...

Her mouth quirked in disgust. She abhorred

that particular practice of the empire's, but

perhaps it would save her today.

Already feeling guilty, Cassia wrapped up in

her dressing robe and stuck her head out the

door. The hallway was completely empty, and

she darted across the hall to the door that

would lead to the servant's passage.

It didn't take her long before she found who

she wanted.

"You there," Cassia called upon seeing the

telltale iron band wrapped around the bicep

of the woman perhaps a little younger than

herself.