Chapter 228 (2/2)
“I-It’s not like I have experience doing this sort of thing,” I rebutted, embarrassed
I was about to put back the brush, but a glance back from Tess stopped me “I didn’t tell you to stop”
“Yes, Princess,” I replied Nor from a response like that Tess had always hated it since the first time we met whenever I referred to her as ‘princess,’ but not even the slightest hint of emotion could be seen on her face
Still, it was just good to hear her voice
For a while, I just absent her hair I told her stories of ether in Elenoir ere kids While we had spent a lot of ti with Sylvia’s beast will, that didn’t mean we didn’t relax and have fun
The memories of simpler times made Tessia titter on occasion and correct my story
“I was the one that had told you we shouldn’t go down that ravine, not you, wise guy,” she chortled
“Really? I’m sure I was the smart and cautious one ere little”
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She rolled her eyes “Smart, I’ll adh, I still re the moss leeches on my body even hours after weclearly how grossed out she had been at the har leeches that stuck to our skin She didn’t even have the courage to slap the in a spastic flail of li
“Why are you laughing?” she asked, narrowing her eyes
I didn’t answer, instead doing et-these-leeches-off- me in the arm
“Finally, you show solared at me, but when I raised my arms up in submission, she turned fully towards me and wrapped her arms around my waist
Tess remained still, her face buried inher completely bare, she didn’t react
Suddenly, I was all too conscious I was conscious of her soft pale flesh, the intoxicating smell that emanated fro eyesup in her cheeks and ears, I could see the longing and need for affection
She closed her eyes then and pursed her quivering lips and it took all I had to stay sane I re The days of loneliness where I questioned ed in physical inti loved felt like—not as a political figure, but as a person
I lowered my head, and for a second, I was tempted to meet her lips with mine We had done so before, afterall
But I knew that given the circuentle kiss on her forehead, feeling her flinch under my touch
She pulled away “Why? Ah? Is it because you still see hteen Or…is it that you blame me for what happened too?”
“Do you blaaze and nodded “I-I was selfish and I thought that—”
“Then you’re growing,” I cut her off, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear “We alltheain”
Her shoulders trembled as she sniffled “So it’s not because I’m unattractive?”
It took a second to realize what she was talking about Iure “No, it’s not because you’re unattractive I just want to do it properly, when neither of us are doing this as a way to escape”
Prying ht in front of et dressed There’s oneI wanted to do for you”
The kitchen was eredients stored in the chilled containers to ht snack for ourselves
“You wanted to… eat witha wrapped slab of e, I held it up “I wanted to cook for you”
“Cook? Why?”
I shrugged, gathering the rest of the ingredients and laying therown up with meals made for you by the chefs in the castle”
Rather than useand redients “Back in Ashber, when I was a kid, my moy just to see a smile on my and… my dad’s faces while we ate”
My hand tre at the dinner table…laughing and joking over good food It was one of those things that I never truly appreciated—not until it was… too late”
I hurriedly wiped away a tear “Ah, s-sootten into ot about the water” I turned away fro pot of broth
Through gritted teeth, I held back the sobs for in my chest, but the tears wouldn’t stop My hands shook and my breath came out in choked bursts
Flashes ofup in Ashber pierced at my head like hot iron stakes, but I held firm I needed to comfort Tess
“It’s okay I’entle, and her soft caress was enough to drive me tosobs tore out frohout the rest of the night Maybe I didn’t want to reed down by the unfa away at me
What I did re me anchored and sane