Page 19 of Winter's Scorching Kisses
Chapter 6
Adorra heaved a sigh as she finally entered her chambers. She plopped down on the cushioned seat of her vanity chair. A smile spread across her lips as the sweet scent of tea drifted up from the cup beside her. Just the scent had her racing nerves calming.
Today, she’d received another letter from an interested suitor. There were only so many hints she could give that she wasn’t ready to be courted before she lost it with one of these men. Was she interested in finding another love? Yes, but on her own. She didn’t need them thrusting themselves on her.
She tested the heat of the tea by placing her hand against the side of the cup, but it was still too hot to drink.
She rose from her chair and ambled her way over to her window. Placing both of her hands on the separate window panes, she pushed, causing them to fly open. The cool air of the night rushed into her chamber, and she breathed it in. The scent of recently crushed grass whipped past her. Someone from the manor must have passed by her window recently. That someone was most likely one of the guards that were posted around the manor.
Resting her arms over the window sill, she leaned her chin on her arms and let her mind wander away with her.
It’d been long enough for her to heal. Months had passed. Edmund had been ripped away from her cruelly, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t find love again. There was another man out there for her. She just had to build up the courage to go back to court and face the gossipers to find him.
There were no eligible men out here near the manor. She was in the middle of nowhere on the edge of Arcaern territory.
Adorra still wanted to have children, to have a house filled with laughter and a million tiny feet, and a husband who would love her. She wanted the largest family she could create, and she wasn’t going to do that by staying at the manor.
Edmund had been a good man, but he was gone, and she’d always carry him in her heart, but she doubted he’d want her to spend the rest of her life alone.
It was beginning to feel lonely here at the manor. She had plenty of people around her, like servants and guards, and even some noblewomen who dropped by to check in on her. But it wasn’t the type of love she could get from a family.
It was also expected that she find a new husband at some point. She was a woman with a little bit of wealth to her name, and she had men just waiting for her to give them some attention. She had to admit, it would be nice to be the center of attention again. Courting had always been the best part of falling in love, to have men falling at her feet because of her beauty and money, and the tiny trinkets she’d receive from suitors like sweets and cute handwritten notes.
Her sister, Jasmine, had never been into it, but Adorra enjoyed court in small doses and when she didn’t have to worry about other ladies trying to eat her alive for their own amusement. She revealed in the frills of elegant dresses and the bustle of a busy castle.
With a sigh, Adorra pushed away from the window. Her tea had probably cooled down enough by now. She ambled over to her vanity and took a seat. With deft fingers, she dug out all the hairpins in her brunette hair until it fell in loose curls around her shoulders.
Then she reached back behind her neck and undid the clasp on her necklace. The rubies slipped off her neck, and she placed them onto the wooden vanity top. She took off her earrings and laid them out on the table as well, before running her fingertips over the gemstones. These jewels had been her mother’s and were one of the last things she had of her mother’s… she even had a couple of fading memories of these same jewels adorning her mother’s lovely face.
Then Adorra slid her teacup over the table, so it was right in front of her. She lifted the delicate cup off the saucer and placed it against her lips as she took a sip of the warm liquid. The bitter taste washed over her tongue, as a hint of sweetness mixed with it. A cup of tea before bed was one pleasure she always enjoyed. It relaxed her after a long day of managing the running of the manor and the constant flow of letters from concerned friends and amorous suitors.
After she finished the cup of tea, she felt her eyelids begin to drift shut as tiredness fell over her quickly. It was time for her to get some rest before she thought more about moving herself back to court for a while.
Adorra left the window wide open. A little fresh air while she slept sounded sublime. Maybe it would allow her to have some clarity during her dreams about what she should do in her life. Although she might be expected to marry again, she had enough money to fight against it until she found a man she could love.
Walking over to her wash table, she poured some water from the jug into a bowl on the stand. Bending over the bowl, she scooped up the water with her hands and splashed her face with it. The shock of cold water did nothing to wake up. Sleep was creeping up on her. She could feel it clouding her mind.
With closed eyes, her hands skimmed over the front of the wash basin until she found the towel that was draped over a bar on the front. Lifting the towel, she patted it against her face, enjoying the feeling of the soft fabric against her face.
She opened her eyes only to find her eyelids drawing closed on their own, and she couldn’t resist the pull of her bed any longer. She didn’t even have enough energy left in her to change out of her dress and into a nightgown.
Adorra stumbled over to her bed, her legs nearly buckling under her as a yawn pulled her lips apart. Reaching out a hand, she pulled back the covers and laid down. The moment her head hit her soft down pillow, she was out, unable to resist the pull of sleep.
Mathar glanced in through the open window when he heard the noises inside die down. He found Adorra laying in bed under her covers, still in her gown. That would be convenient. Those thin nightgowns he’d seen her slipping on in previous nights would’ve done nothing about the ice giant cold.
The berry juice had done its work. She’d been so tired. She hadn’t even thought to blow out the flickering flames of the candles.
Placing his hands on the window sill, he heaved himself up and over the sill until he landed inside her room without a single sound. He was being careful not to attract any attention.
Not that he thought she’d wake. He’d given her enough of the berry juice to keep her conked out. Not even the guards trumpeting the human king’s arrival would wake her from this sleep, but he didn’t need a passing maid to wonder about any of the noises in their lady’s room.
Striding up to the side of the bed, Mathar glanced down at Adorra. Unlike last time he’d visited the manor, there was plenty of candlelight to see her clearly. Her brunette hair spilled over the crimson pillowcase and onto the mattress like a glistening waterfall. Her pale skin glowed against her crimson covers like a beacon that called to him. He had to admit she didn’t look half bad spread across her bed like this.
And those lips. He felt himself lean in. They looked so kissable and perfect. They were just slightly parted as if asking for him to sweep in and take them.
Shaking his head to clear his disturbing thoughts, Mathar straightened back up as he inspected the empty room with a quick glance. It wasn’t as grand as her last room, the one she’d been in the night he’d killed her husband. For one brief second, he felt something pinch his heart. He’d changed her life.
Again he shook his head. “Focus on the mission. The less time spent here the better.” He reminded himself.
