"It's quite cold, but a moment to ourselves by the river sounds nice, does it not?" Leah asked.
Maren smiled, her gaze focused on the ground, so as not to trip on the countless roots and vines hidden under fallen leaves. "Yes, it does sound quite nice."
Though, that wasn't quite true.
In the last stretch of their journey to Forsythe, the weather began to warm, but not nearly enough for the rivers to catch up. On top of that, the air was still thick with humidity from the rainstorm that rolled over them the night before. The odds of gathering materials dry enough for a warm bath were slim to none. That only left the materials for cooking.
Provisions were slim in the last part of any trip. Maren knew this, and she wasn't the type to ask someone to give up their comfort for her own. Having been raised a royal, she understood that every request — no matter how much she emphasized its insignificance — was treated with the utmost importance. She would not use her words to steal even a small part of their necessities.
"Though, a warm bath would be quite nice," Leah jumped in, her tone even.
Maren only shared her glance and offered a half-hearted smile.
There was a moment of hesitation where Maren wondered if Leah was going to bring up the idea of using some of the materials for the fire, but instead she said. "I know Princess Coralynn has been rather quiet, but I wonder if she would heat the water buckets for us."
Maren stopped dead in her tracks, blinking at Leah.
Leah turned, her long, dark braids fell behind her as she looked at the Princess with her large, innocent green eyes. "You know, with her magic?"
Right, Maren thought. Cora can heat the water with her magic.
"U-uh…well," she stuttered, continuing on the path. "We could ask her, but I'm not sure how receptive she would be. I don't know if you've noticed but she won't even look at me."
"I was wondering about that," Leah tightened her lips. "But I don't dare ask what happened."
Maren smirked, still looking at the ground. She knew that meant Leah desperately wanted to know.
"It was nothing really," Maren answered, her tone cheerful but her eyes held a deep sorrow. "Cora's family visited for the Announcement. They have high expectations of her, and deep prejudice toward me. Rightfully so, of course. I am but a commoner exalted as a Starblessed…and second-born."
"Not at all, your highness!" Leah cried out, her fingers gripped the wash bucket harshly so that her knuckles turned white. "You are an extension of the Goddess! You're higher and more precious than any royal!"
"Leah…" Maren's eyes softened, a smile pulling at her mouth. "While I appreciate the sentiment, perhaps keep that to yourself. I don't want anyone at the Palace to take offense at your words."
I don't want her to be punished.
"Yes, your highness," Leah grinned as Maren patted her on the back.
"Now, we must prepare ourselves," Maren shuddered. "At least the freezing water will numb my skin enough that the scrubber won't hurt as much."
Leah stopped abruptly, looking into the bucket, blinking.
"Ah, Princess…" She grimaced, her expression regretful. "I may have forgotten the scrubber."
"No worries," Maren pulled the bucket and lantern from her maid's hand. "I think the river is just around the bend. I'll wait there for you."
Leah's eyes widened. "Thank you, Princess!"
As her maid rushed off, Maren trudged along the path in silence. The sun had fully settled beyond the horizon, the smile of the moon risen in its place. She knew the riverside would surely be cold to the touch, but it was far better than facing Cora, let alone asking her for a favor.
Not that Cora didn't take favors for herself.
Maren let out a big sigh, watching her step along the path as she braced herself for the cold as she made her way around the last bend of the path.
But instead of an icy breeze, steam lapped at her flesh, warm and damp, with only fragments of the cold around her. Maren looked up, her breath hitching. Below the small waterfall, tucked to the side in a shallow pool of water, stood Cora — partially veiled by the gathering steam. It blurred her form, refusing Maren the mercy of taking her silhouette in all at once. But it hardly mattered. Even if she was stripped of her memory, Maren knew she would recognize that red hair anywhere.
Maren's pulse fluttered at the sight of the other Princess.
Cora had her back turned, her mark on full display, its twists and turns tracing the flushed skin of her back, down to the curve of her spine. Maren stood frozen in place, unable to look away as Cora slipped beneath the surface of the water, then reemerged moments later, letting an arcane breath of heat slip from between her lips as she pushed wet strands of hair from her face. Droplets of heat and water slid down the length of her toned arms, cascading down her shoulders, and further down her back before disappearing behind the haze.
The cold air had evacuated the air when Cora's heat took its place, and instead lodged itself within Maren, rooting her in place, leaving her breathless as she absorbed Cora's image. She took her in — the long, toned line of her back, the heat softening the dip of her bare waist, and the deep, glowing flush of skin kissed a deep shade of pink by the heat of the water, yet still smoother and more enticing than silk sheets.
The ice that had seized Maren melted at the scene before her, dissolving into something much warmer. Cora's heat reached her even at that distance, melting the ice that had kept her in place. Melting, its heat traveled down her face and cheeks, flushing her chest, her limbs, and every curve and crevice until it pooled, leaving her completely undone, standing in place, breathless and aching.
She didn't want to face Cora, but especially not like this.
Suddenly, Maren's strength deserted her. The metal bucket slipped from her fingers and struck the stone with a sharp, echoing clatter.
At that same moment, Cora turned.
Red locked on blue.
Maren's heart nearly leapt from her chest. She wanted to speak — to say anything that might help her case, make her look more than a pervert. But when she opened her mouth, all that emerged was a pathetic, breathy high note. Mortified, she closed her lips almost as quickly as they'd parted, heat surely steaming from her body now.
Cora straightened, letting her arms fall to her side, her gaze sharpening on Maren.
Maren's knees gave out under Cora's pressure, now truly as pathetic as a melted puddle of ice.
Ia save me, she thought.