Page 19 of Sun's Roar

The woman had dark hair pulled into a neat bun, her crisp black dress resembling some kind of uniform. Helena accepted the water gratefully, letting the cool liquid soothe her raw throat.

“Better?” the woman asked softly.

Helena nodded, finding her voice. “Who are you?”

“I’m Deina. I’ve been assigned as your personal servant during your stay.”

“My personal—“ Helena glanced around the opulent bedroom. Tapestries depicting nature scenes adorned thewalls, and delicate silver candelabras sat atop antique wooden surfaces. “Where am I exactly?”

Deina smoothed her already immaculate dress. “You’re in the Prince’s castle, within his territory.”

Helena’s head spun. “The Prince? What prince? Why would a prince want me at his castle?”

Deina approached a large wardrobe and pulled out a green sundress. “The Prince rescued you from a fire in the city just beyond our borders. He happened to be there on business and brought you here for your recovery.”

Fire. The word triggered a cascade of memories—the kitchen, the gas stove, flames leaping unnaturally high and reaching for her. The restaurant. Oh god, the restaurant.

“The fire!” Helena threw back the covers and stood up, ignoring the dizziness that followed. “The restaurant—is everyone okay? How bad was the damage?”

Deina gently guided Helena back to sitting on the bed’s edge. “The Prince pulled you from the building while you were unconscious. Everyone is safe. The fire was eventually extinguished.”

Helena’s fingers trembled as she accepted the green sundress. “I need to call my coworkers. They must be worried sick about me.”

“In due time.” Deina gestured toward an arched doorway leading to the bathroom. “First, you should take a nice, soothing bath, and then change into that comfortable sundress.”

As Helena followed Deina into a lavish bathroom, more questions bubbled up. “So this prince just... what? Rescues random restaurant workers and takes them to his castle? That’s not weird at all.”

“He’s known for his generosity,” Deina said as she started the bath water. “He wanted to personally oversee your recovery.”

Helena surveyed the large copper clawfoot tub as steam rose from the water. This place was beyond luxurious. Definitely not what she was accustomed to in her practical lifestyle.

“And when do I get to meet this mysterious Prince Charming who whisked me away?” Helena wrapped her arms tighter around herself, suddenly aware she was wearing unfamiliar silk pajamas. “And who changed my clothes?”

“That was me,” Deina replied, handing Helena a fluffy towel. “And you’ll get to meet the Prince soon enough.”

Helena’s mind raced as she pieced together the bizarre situation. One minute, she had been in her restaurant kitchen with Victor, the next she was waking up in some castle fit for royalty. The timeline seemed impossible, yet here she was about to take a bath while a personal servant waited on her.

“Wait—is Victor the prince you’re talking about?” Helena asked, watching Deina test the water temperature.

Deina’s brow furrowed, genuine confusion crossing her face. “Victor? I don’t know anyone by that name. The Prince has been the ruler of this territory for many years.”

Helena considered this new information. “So, the man who now owns my restaurant isn’t the same person who brought me here?”

“I’m afraid I don’t know anything about your restaurant,” Deina replied, adding fragrant bath salts to the steaming water. “The Prince simply instructed me to tend to your needs until you’re well enough to join him.”

Helena ran her small hand through her tangled hair. Of course—it made perfect sense.

“He must go by Victor when he’s conducting business,” Helena muttered, more to herself than to Deina. “I guess that’s what millionaire princes do—use different identities when buying restaurants.”

Deina’s expression remained neutral as she arranged more fluffy towels beside the tub. “The bath is ready, miss. I’ll wait outside while you refresh yourself.”

Left alone, Helena slipped out of the borrowed silk pajamas and eased herself into the copper tub. The hot water enveloped her body, releasing the tension in her muscles. Steam rose around her, carrying the scent of lavender and vanilla.

“This is absolutely ridiculous,” she whispered, sinking deeper into the water. “My new boss is some kind of royalty who rescued me from the fire and brought me to his castle. What is this, a fairy tale?”

She examined her arms and body, searching for burns or evidence of her close encounter with the flames. Strangely, her skin was unmarked, and other than her brief coughing fit, her lungs felt surprisingly clear and she was breathing normally. How had she escaped without injury? The memory of the fire rising unnaturally high from the stove haunted her. Just like on her birthday—flames that seemed to extend toward her rather than away.

She dunked her head beneath the surface, willing the water to wash away her troubling thoughts. When she emerged, she focused on the practical. Victor—or whatever his name really was—had saved her life. At minimum, she owed him a thank you before finding her way back to reality.

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