The Serpent's Chains

Sabine

I stared at the steaming surface of the bathwater. How long had it been since I took a real bath? Years. Most of the time, all I had access to was some damp cloths to quickly freshen up.

The water looked so enticing, the way little bubbles frothed on the surface and steam rose into the room. I noticed several bottles of soap and scented oils lining the bathtub. A prince had to have some exquisite soaps on hand.

I chewed the inside of my cheek and glanced toward the bathroom door. He was still in the room beyond. I hadn't heard another door open or close.

There was nothing for it. The bath was too tempting to go to waste. I slipped behind the changing screen and peeled my dress off. The fabric was scratchy and tough. It was made to last so my master wouldn't need to spend money on new clothes for me.

The dress was a neutral beige, the color of undyed fabric. There was no sense in wasting luxurious resources like dye and soft fabric on someone like me. I wasn't there to be looked at or appreciated.

It was designed to last, but after years of wear and use, my dress had several small holes and tears in it. It was stained with dirt and muck. I happily tossed it in a heap on the floor and slid into the tub.

"Thank the Dragon," I muttered, sinking into the delicious, warm water until just my eyes were above the surface.

I grabbed a sponge and ran it over my skin, loosening all the dirt that clung to me. As I lifted my leg and started scrubbing, I was pulled from my enjoyment when a door snapped closed.

Prince Cole left me alone in his quarters.

I bit my lower lip and grabbed the soap bottles. I popped the tops off and smelled them. Each one was more divine than the last. Giddily, I poured the sweetest-smelling soap into my hands and lathered it around my fingers. I tackled my hair, working out years of tangles and knots.

It took a long time for me to get my hair smooth and silky and my skin rosy and clean. I didn't want to leave the warm, relaxing embrace of the bath. Closing my eyes, I leaned into the curve of the tub and rested.

In all that time, I didn't hear the prince return. It was strange being left alone. I couldn't remember the last time I hadn't had someone's eyes on me. Whether it was my master, the foreman with his whip, or the women of the house who picked on me because I was younger than them.

When my fingers and toes were so pruned they ached, I got out of the tub. I found a folded robe on a nearby shelf and slipped it on, rubbing it against my skin to dry off the water.

The prince told me there would be a new outfit for me in the other room. I tied the robe tightly around myself and found my way to the parlor. I was expecting a new beige dress of the same harsh material I'd worn my whole life.

Draped over the back of one of the couches, I found a shimmering, pale green dress. I narrowed my eyes. That dress couldn't be for me.

Timidly, I reached out. Quickly I glanced from side to side, expecting someone to be watching. I was still alone. My fingers fell on the shimmering fabric. It was soft and silky, the finest garment I'd ever touched in my life.

I picked up the dress and it practically slipped through my fingers like water. I gasped and clutched it tighter. This had to be a mistake.

I looked around again but there was no other dress laid out. What if I put the dress on and it wasn't meant for me? When the prince came back, he'd be furious. And after how he treated his concubine... but if he came back and I wasn't dressed...

My fingers clenched around the silk fabric and I returned to the bathroom. The dress was so soft and delightful as it fluttered over my skin. The silk kissed my stomach and legs, rippling into place, and settling on my hips and around my body.

It was a few sizes too big. I pinched the excess fabric at my waist and pulled it out from my body. Not that the size mattered, it was a stunning dress!

The long sleeves hugged my arms snuggly and the neckline and back were low enough that they didn't tangle with my collar. Glittering gold embroidered the wrists, hem, and neckline with a matching, braided belt around the waist.

I smoothed my hands down the sides of the dress and a shiver ran up my spine. I giggled and wiggled around inside the amazing dress. Pure feminine delight overtook me.

There was a mirror across the bathroom. I bit my lower lip and moved in front of it. Faced with my own reflection, I gasped and moved my hands to my cheeks. Pale and thin, a little bony around the cheeks, shoulders, and hips, but otherwise, I might consider myself beautiful.

The heavy collar on my neck clashed with the pale color of the dress. There was a bright red gemstone like a pendant gleaming at the center. It wasn't a pendant; it was what prevented me from doing magic.

I knew the palace didn't normally have slaves. They had no need for them with the many loyal commoners willing to work for low wages. But if Prince Cole intended to free me, he would have had my former master remove the collar.

I was still as much a slave as ever, despite the bath, a new dress, and an upgraded position.

Sighing, I let the cool steel fall back to my skin.

The walls around me trembled and a deep, thundering rumble went through the bathroom.

An earthquake! I grabbed my head and crouched down. The bottles on the edge of the tub shook and toppled onto the floor. My robe fell from its hook into a heap.

The rumble slowly subsided and things settled down. I looked around the bathroom. It was a mess.

If the prince came back and found the room in disarray, he might be angry. Whenever I was left alone in the past and anything got moved or displaced, I was met with a vicious beating. I didn't want to incur the wrath of the War Dragon on my first day in his service. He could be back any moment. This was his suite.

Hurriedly, I tidied up the bathroom and I checked the other rooms in the suite, making sure nothing was disturbed or out of place. Outside of the bathroom, the mess in the rest of the suite was minimal.

What a strange earthquake.

I avoided going into any rooms with closed doors but I had a moment to get the layout of the prince's suites. I assumed it would come in handy as I was his acting personal attendant. The rooms that didn't have closed doors included the parlor, the bathroom, and a large library.

In the library, I paused at one of the bookshelves when a book title caught my eye. It referenced mage magic. I looked over the other books on that shelf.

The History of Mage Magic

Elemental Magic from Dragons

Mage Bloodlines of Stivalia

The entire shelf was dedicated to books on magic. My fingers itched. I wanted to get my hands on those books! My former master let me study magic to become more proficient and have better spells for him but I always loved studying.

He only allowed me to read spell books but my curiosity went beyond that.

Another rumble trembled through the walls and I stepped away from the bookshelves. What was going on? Telasia, especially the capital, was not known for earthquakes.

I headed back to the bathroom where the rumbling was loudest and most violent. I didn't know much about earthquakes but it seemed strange that it was stronger in the bathroom.

This wasn't an earthquake. What else could cause that kind of rumbling? I ignored the soaps when they toppled over again. The rumbling was coming from outside but I couldn't just leave the prince's quarters and wander around the palace on my own.

His order had been to take a bath. I had to wait until he returned with more orders.

A shuttered window sat just out of reach near the bathtub. I pushed a stepstool against the wall and reached the latch on the window. The shutters popped open.

The rumbling grew louder and I was greeted by a massive, lidless, yellow eye with a slitted pupil. Red, horned scales wreathed the eye. Translucent, reptilian lenses closed over the eye and peeled back, making it brighter and shinier. The pupil narrowed in on me.

"By the dragon!" I gasped.

I leaned back and my foot slipped on the stool. Pitching backward, I grabbed at the wall, anything that would hold me up.

"Ack!" I tipped over.

My fall halted suddenly and thick, steel cable arms came around me. I thudded against a brick wall of a sturdy chest. I sucked in a sharp breath and looked up at my rescuer.

The War Dragon himself stared down at me with an arched eyebrow.