The Valkyrie's Princes Read online

  “No, Flynn, that was amazing. So wild, and free. I’ve never felt anything like that before! It was amazing! And I’m mostly healed. You didn’t do any harm, I’m sure. I’m normally right back to my duties after my punishments, and those are far more strenuous than that flight, and not nearly as fun!”

  Flynn’s shoulders straightened again, and the look he sent me was soft. “You’re a sweet thing, Emberly. But Blaine’s correct, as usual. That wasn’t the most logical move. I am glad I didn’t scare you.”

  Neel clamped a hand down on Flynn’s shoulder and smiled at me. “How would you like a bath? You’re covered in blood still, though we wiped some off when we dressed you. We’d also like a healer to look at you.”

  I shook my head. “Neel, you have all already honored me far more than I am worth. I cannot repay even the nap, the flight, and the tunic I now wear – let alone a bath or the expense of a healer.”

  Blaine raised an eyebrow at me. “I don’t recall Neel stating that you were to pay for it.”

  My nose wrinkled. “Well, how else am I supposed to get it?” My answer was tarter than it should have been, but honestly, these men were just so strange. I couldn’t get my bearings around them!

  Jett stroked his fingers down my cheek. “Think of it as a gift. You’ve amused us greatly and got us out of a very boring council meeting. The least we can exchange for that is a bath, a meal, a nap, and some fun. After all, you’ve amused five of us, and there’s only one of you; and a healer does not cost us anything, as they are paid a yearly sum to always be available. You would just be helping get use out of what we already paid them.”

  My head cocked as I considered this. It made a sort of sense, I guessed. Though I had hardly thought them finding me amusing constituted something to be awarded for. “Alright, Jett. Thank you. A bath would be wonderful. I do not think a healer is necessary as I do not feel as though my injuries are healing incorrectly, but if you insist I won’t object.”

  “We insist,” Neel stated, inclining his head at me. I nodded and stood from the edge of the bed. Hunter pointed across my shoulder to an archway that I hadn’t noticed.

  “That’s the bathing chamber. Feel free to take as long as you like, use whatever soaps are in there.” He winked at me as he added, “I’ll be interested to know if your opinion of our soap remains after your bath.”

  I flushed but was too occupied by his statement to do much more than stare at him. Flynn laughed, and his brothers quickly joined in. “See! She looks just like a fish when she’s surprised like that!”

  I clamped my mouth shut as I whirled away from them, giving them my back in the hope that my face would shift to a more natural color before they forced me to turn back around.

  Flynn wrapped an arm around my neck as he pulled me backward into him. “Aww, don’t turn away. It’s cute! What had you so surprised that you made that face, hmm?”

  I’d have to work on not making that face around them anymore. It was too embarrassing! I mentally shook myself. It’s not like I would continue to be around them, so I needn’t worry about my facial expressions. “You have a bathing pool attached to your chambers! I’ve never heard of such a luxury. There is only one bathing pool for all of the training barracks. Does your pool have hot water?” I couldn’t keep the longing from seeping into my voice.

  Blaine’s eyebrows snapped up again. He seemed to wear that expression quite frequently. It was odd; I wouldn’t think much would confuse him. “Your training barracks don’t have hot water in the baths?” He seemed genuinely confused.

  “I wouldn’t know. I use the river for bathing. I haven’t had a hot bath since I was a youngling.” I remembered our family going to the community bathing pool when I was small. I had almost forgotten the chatter of the other women, the steam rising from the water and the sweet smell of the floral soaps for the customers to use.

  Jett’s voice stroked over me as his brothers snapped their wings. “Yes, Emberly. Flynn’s bathing pool has hot water. Our chambers connect, like a large circle. All of us share a large bathing chamber in the center.” His eyes stayed on mine as he explained, the light making them look more violet than black.

  “Use all the hot water you want.” Neel’s voice was strong and even. “Soak and scrub. Get all of the blood and dirt off.”

  I’m sure I looked a mess for him to make that kind of an offer. All the hot water I wanted? This was like a dream or a story. I smiled at him as I nodded, accepting the command. Flynn strode to a cupboard on the far wall. Pulling it open he yanked out another tunic and a towel. “Our clothes won’t really fit you, but when you’re clean, put this on.”

  I shook my head in shock. “I can just put this one back on! I’ve barely worn it!”

  The men all shook their heads. “What’s the point of getting clean just to put a dirty garment back on?” Blaine asked.

  I resisted rolling my eyes. “I would wash it during my bath, of course. I’m an abomination, not an imbecile.”

  Blaine’s mouth quirked as his citrine eyes blazed. “You aren’t quite as meek as you seem, are you?”

  I looked towards the floor, unsure of how to answer. I was behaving too much like myself around these men. It didn’t make any sense. I was used to hiding who I was. I knew the proper procedure for my life, and I had barely followed it since Neel caught me. Maybe my injuries were worse than I thought, I considered quietly. That could explain my odd behavior.

  Hunter swiped the towel and tunic from Flynn’s hand in a lightning-fast move. “Don’t worry about washing that one. Just focus on cleaning yourself.” The men ushered me towards the bathing room with waves of their hands and sweeps of their wings. They all paced behind me as if unsure I would continue to move without their guidance. I was selfish enough they needn’t have worried. The idea of a long, hot bath was enough of a draw that they probably could have convinced me to go straight to Executioner’s Tower afterward.

  Chapter Three

  As they followed me into the room, my jaw dropped yet again. I was getting tired of looking like a fish! I couldn’t believe this was a bathing chamber! The room was almost round, with five doorways evenly spaced around it. They must lead into the princes’ chambers. It made sense, as each door was framed in stones that matched the princes’ wings. I glanced behind me to confirm that the door I stepped through was, in fact, surrounded by ruby stones. The bathing pool was large, every bit as large as our community pool had been. The water steamed, spirals twirling up in flowing, dancing designs towards the ceiling. Windows in the ceiling were angled to allow the sunlight or moonlight to drift through and illuminate the chamber but prevent anyone from observing the people bathing below. Counters were carved into the wall, appearing to be made of the same stone as the walls as though they had grown there. Pots filled with colorful plants sat on the stones and were interspersed with large chunks of crystal, heavy iron candelabras, and what looked to be crystal jars full of different soaps.

  “I could quite happily live in this room alone.” I murmured without thinking as I took another step forward.

  The brothers’ laughter was rich and deep, swirling and dancing around me, much like the steam did. I looked longingly at the clear water of the pool as it lapped against the dark stone. I wanted this so badly. More than I had wanted anything in such a long time. I glanced over my shoulder as I took another step towards the tub that seemed to be calling out to me. “You’re sure it’s okay if I bathe here? I’m sure I’ll dirty the water.”

  Blaine simply shrugged. “It will drain and refill. Don’t concern yourself with that. It’s what a bath is for after all.” Despite Blaine being rougher than his brothers, I found I quite enjoyed him. His logic was easy for me to understand and I could trust what he was saying to me. I didn’t worry he would be pulling a prank on me, as Flynn or Hunter might.

  Jett nodded in response. “Enjoy your bath.” I looked at it longingly and then back at the men, where they stood with their arms crossed.

  �
�Did you want to bathe first?” I asked, unsure of what they were doing. “Should I wait for your Valkyrie to attend you, so that you’re protected?”

  Their laughter broke out again. “Emberly, you appear to have very low expectations of our ability to defend ourselves. We are princes, after all. We have far more training than you have.”

  That made sense, but it still didn’t explain why they remained there. Blaine was the first to realize what I was waiting for. He shook himself, as if removing a fog from his mind. “Let’s leave her in peace,” he stated firmly, as he ushered his brothers back into Flynn’s chamber.

  Hunter and Flynn frowned deeply, turning to stare at me as they tried to use their wings to keep themselves in the bathing chamber. “What if she needs something?” Hunter called out.

  Blaine just raised an eyebrow. “We’d be able to hear her call us. We’ll just be in the next room.”

  Flynn shook his head in agreement with Hunter. “She still hasn’t been checked by the healer. What if she passes out in the tub? She could drown!”

  That gave Blaine a moment of pause. He looked at his brothers and then back at me where I stood a few feet from the pool’s edge. He seemed torn in some decision. He scraped his hair back from his head and traded looks with Jett and Neel. The heat in the room had begun to dampen the men’s wings and hair, the steam sticking to their skin.

  “Emberly, as much as I hate to say it, Flynn is correct. It would be best if someone was in attendance while you bathed.” He locked his eyes on mine as he continued to speak, his voice even and calm. “Would you trust us enough to allow one of us to remain in here with you? Whoever you choose shall keep his back turned, but he will be close to the pool should something happen.”

  I tilted my head as I studied them. Flynn’s eyes danced, his wings flicking excitedly as the ruby of his hair darkened to almost garnet from the steam. Hunter held nearly the same expression, though he seemed slightly gentler than his rambunctious brother. I looked over Neel, Blaine, and Jett as they all stood quietly waiting for my response.

  I tugged on my short, matted hair. “This is silly,” I stated simply. “You’ve all seen me naked at this point. As long as you keep your backs turned, you can all stay. Maybe you could talk to me while I wash?”

  Flynn and Hunter looked up, nearly as bright as when Flynn had flown me around the room. Jett smiled sweetly at me, his hair now almost as blue as his brother’s where it was stuck to his scalp by the heat. Neel nodded and started towards me as Blaine locked his arms onto Flynn and Hunter’s shoulders. “You heard her.” He stated firmly, gripping them each tightly. “You’ll keep your backs turned. If you can’t, I’ll make you leave.” He looked each in the eye, his expression hard.

  “Don’t threaten them,” I begged quietly. They were royalty. And as I said, they’d already seen me naked, so it’s not like it would hurt my honor at all. They wouldn’t be attracted to an abomination anyhow, so it didn’t matter if they looked. Blaine shouldn’t threaten them over me.

  Blaine met my gaze, his expression as hard as it had been when he looked at them. “My brothers are tricksters, yes, but they also have manners. They understand how a lady should be treated.”

  I couldn’t resist rolling my eyes at that. “I’m not a lady, I’m a maid.” He gave me far too much credit. I was accused of acting above my rank as it was, the last thing I needed was to get used to someone treating me like a lady.

  Blaine inclined his head. “Semantics. You’re a female. There is a way to treat females. Preserving their modesty, should they so desire, is one of the ways in which we honor females of our kind. No matter their rank.”

  I sighed, no longer able to resist the lure of the water. “I’m sure they’ll be fine. Now, may I please get in? I don’t think anything has looked this good in a long, long time.” I couldn’t hold back the wheedling tone in my voice. It had been 16 years since the last time I took a hot bath. This would be a memory I could treasure for the rest of my life.

  Neel smiled at me. “Of course. You may want to choose your soaps first though, so you don’t have to climb back out of the tub to get them.”

  I nodded. That made sense. Jett spread his wings, inviting me to step forward and test the bottles on the ledge at his side. I picked each up, removing the stopper. The scents I had smelled before hung heavily in the air again: cinnamon, rain, pine, honey, and vanilla. I debated, touching the bottles over and over again as I tried to pick just one. Jett’s hand ran down my back as he stepped closer to me.

  “Do you not like them?” he asked quietly, low enough his brothers probably couldn’t hear. “I can fetch something else if you’d like.”

  I don’t think my eyes could have gotten any bigger as I stared at him in shock. Him, fetch something for me? And he thought I didn’t like these scents? I shook my head so quickly I nearly fell over. “It’s not that,” I assured him quickly. “It’s just, they all smell so good. I can’t choose just one!”

  His chuckle spread over me, causing goosebumps to rise on my back and arms. “So don’t.” With a sweep of his arm, he scooped all the bottles up and against his chest. I gasped, terrified the bottles would break. They appeared so fragile! They seemed to show no problem with being handled, however, as he strode towards the pool. His brothers looked at his full arms in confusion.

  “She couldn’t choose a scent.” He briefly explained as he strode closer to the tub. “She said they all smelled too good.” With a grin that was a little wicked around the edges, he dropped some of each bottles’ contents into the steaming pool. The surface began to ripple with bubbles, the air so sweet and fragrant it was like being wrapped in a cloud.

  Without meaning to, I stepped closer to the pool. Maybe I had died when Cecilia dropped me. I couldn’t imagine heaven being any better than this. Blaine cleared his throat and eyed his brothers significantly. Each dropped down to sit cross-legged at the edge of the tub, their backs towards me. I couldn’t wait another second. My hands shook as I dragged the tunic over my head, letting it fall to the ground heedless of the quality. My only goal was that glimmering, steaming, scented pool. I slid in, the heat a shock to my body. Without meaning to I dropped my head back into the water and let out a long, low moan.

  Harsh intakes of breath echoed around me. I ignored them, focusing on the hedonism of the moment. Nothing should feel this good. The water was so hot that it burned where my skin was unaccustomed to such heat. The soap tickled across my skin, silky and supple. The warmth seeped into aching muscles and bones, soothing and relaxing more than anything had in years. I hummed in my throat as I dipped my hair into the water again. Cecilia could kill me when I got back to the barracks. I’d die happy with this experience ingrained in my memory. I found a stone bench etched into the tub where I could comfortably sit and keep my chin above the water.

  The men were shifting restlessly on their perch, their wings flicking clouds of bubbles at me as they twitched. I giggled as bubbles floated over my head, and Flynn groaned. “Maybe this wasn’t my best idea,” he murmured, leaning into Hunter as he spoke. I glanced down at the water, seeing how much coverage the bubbles offered.

  “If you’re uncomfortable, you can change positions.” I offered as I reached up to begin scraping some of the matted blood from my damp hair. The men stiffened, unsure of what I meant. “The bubbles are extremely thick, thanks to Jett’s liberal usage of every type you had. You don’t have to be concerned for my modesty.”

  Blaine’s wings flicked aggressively as he turned his head towards Neel. Neel and Jett shrugged their wings in a gesture I didn’t understand, but each of them relaxed and shifted slightly. None turned to face me, but they didn’t strain their necks anymore to keep their heads turned away either.

  I dipped my head down into the water again, letting the bubbles play over my skin and ease the grime that had become so much a part of me. “You never told me, what did you say to Mistress Lynn?” I asked as I ran my fingers through my hair, striving to undo all of t
he knots.

  Jett reached over and removed a small cloth from the edge of the tub, tossing it over his shoulder at me. I caught it as it flew towards my face. It was a small square of linen, nearly as black as his wings. It was shocking to me to see how differently they lived. They had pure, clean linen to use as bathing cloths. Even when I had bathed in the city baths with my family, the cloths had been leftover squares of material that were too small and worn to be fit for other uses. While they had been clean, they had been thin and rough from so many washings between customers. I scooped up as many bubbles as I could reach, relishing the way all the scents intertwined.

  Blaine was the first to respond to my question. The steam seemed to be irritating his throat, as his voice was slightly hoarser than before. Hmm, I’d have to hurry. What punishment would await me if, through some fault of my own, a prince should fall ill? “We confirmed your identity and your position in the training barracks with her. She was quite unhappy that you vomited on her and did not want to let us remove you from the barracks.” He scoffed at the memory. “As if she has any say over what we do.”

  Flynn picked up the tale from there. Reaching behind him, he pulled his long red braid over his shoulder and began to unwind it. It was hard to focus on what he was saying as I watched the light play over the different shades of red in his hair as he combed it out and began to re-braid it. “She did say that she was notifying the town elders of our removing you from the property. We need a word with the old coots anyhow.”

  I dropped the washcloth into the tub in shock. Had he actually called the town elders “old coots”? I couldn’t believe it. I knew that none in our town currently sat on their council, but surely their age and position awarded them some level of respect from the princes.