Page 69 of Prize for the King
“You’ll look later. Come on, man. She’s starving.”
Raduna shakes off his daze and nods with a mumbled apology. He lays the bag aside and grabs a stool, sitting by the tub.
“We have bread with pâté, a fresh zucchini salad, and plums for dessert. To drink, I brought you weak tea, milk with honey, and wine mixed with water.”
I nod, my eyelids so heavy, I can’t keep them lifted. Raduna hums, cutlery clinking against the plate, then brings a fork to my mouth. “Open, my queen.”
I let him feed me, the hot water untying the knots in my muscles. Arvi excuses himself and goes into the bedroom, and I keep my eyes closed. I barely have enough strength to chew and swallow, every bite of food taking effort. When I say I can’t have anymore, Raduna coaxes me to drink the milk, then to take a few more bites. Slowly, my stomach fills, and the jitters in my hands subside.
“I don’t think I’ll be able to wash myself,” I mumble. “I guess I can just soak.”
“Or I could wash you if you’d like,” Arvi offers. “I cut my nails just now. I won’t hurt you.”
Raduna gasps in outrage. “What, all of them?! By the gods! Arvi, you need your claws!”
“No, I don’t. I have knives,” Arvi says, his voice growing sullen. “Though you’re right, I’ll look pretty fucking stupid if she says no. Ah, who cares. They will grow back.”
“But even Magnar cut only two!” Raduna says, incredulous.
I crack one eye open, his distress rousing me enough to look. I just catch the moment when Arvi snatches both palms out of Raduna’s stunned hold, clenching them into fists at his sides. He gives me a defiant look.
“You said you wanted me to wash your hair, and since I have no clue how to care for it, I thought it would be safer if I cut them. So. Are we doing this,laruna?”
I blink at him, finally understanding what a blunder I made. Arvi isbald.Obviously, he doesn’t deal with long hair on a daily basis like Khay. And yet, he was determined enough to please me that he even cut his nails, which seems like a big deal.
“Yes, we are,” I say. “You can… I mean, if you want… You can wash all of me.”
Arvi makes that gesture again, both thumbs pressing to hisforehead as he bows his head, and Raduna scoffs. “Cut it out. You’re not religious.”
But Arvi shakes his head. “I’ve just regained my faith. Amoya has blessed me greatly tonight.”
“Our gods never listened to me,” I confess, sitting up while Arvi rummages in my bag, pulling out soaps and bottles of cosmetics. “Maybe yours are better. You should teach me that prayer.”
Arvi comes to my side, shooing Raduna off the stool. He has a soap in each hand, smelling them in turns, until he settles on the one scented with orange and basil and hands the other to Raduna.
“You don’t have to pray, though,” he says, lathering his hands. “You’ve got three knights ready to make your every wish come true. Do I wash your face with soap?”
I nod emphatically. “Please. I want to rinse away every nasty memory from today.”
“Of course, sweet. Close your eyes.”
Unlike Khay, Arvi uses his hands, his declawed fingers gliding slowly over my forehead, down the slope of my nose, around my cheeks and lips. Both men are quiet, the air tense with concentration. He rinses the soap off and swallows audibly.
“Do I have permission to touch you everywhere, or is something off limits?”
I sigh, suppressing shame. “Everywhere.”
Both men gasp in surprise, but my eyes are closed, which is the only way I can handle it. My exhausted body, now fed, awakens with sensation. As Arvi’s warm, safe fingers glide down my throat, I realize I need a distraction.
“So, why is cutting your claws so shocking?”
Arvi grunts, his hands splashing into water as he wets them to make more lather.
Raduna’s voice is low and rumbly as he speaks. “Agnidari men take great pride in their teeth and claws, my queen. Sharp, healthy teeth and long nails are the marks of a great warrior. Arvi’s have always been the longest. He cultivated his claws because he doesn’t grow long hair, which is another thing warriors take pride in.”
My eyes flash open, and I sit up, causing Arvi’s hand to slide from my collarbone down to my breast. He snatches it away with a hiss, his cheeks dark. I wanted to say something else, but his reaction makes my stomach fill with ice.
Just like with Khay, I’m terrified I’m putting Arvi through something he’d rather not do.
