Barefaced (adj)
Shameless; bold
Cherie's POV
I scramble at the sound of Bakkhos walking through the home.
My bare legs sweep over the side of the bed but they feel slightly numb from all the adrenaline pumping through me so I drop to the floor, banging my knee on the way down.
The thud makes Zuko dash to my side and help me up.
"Zuko?" Bakkhos calls out for his friend.
Zuko leaves the room, still shirtless from last night.
Heat embezzles my face and chest. I can't believe I did that!
The worst part is, I don't think I'd want to change it.
The fact that Zuko has now seen and felt the most intimate parts of me...makes my body react in a way I don't understand. I'm nervous around him now, when he helped me up, I was instantly worried about what he thought of when he saw me.
I hear the two talk so I take this opportunity to ditch the night dress and tug on one of my few everyday dresses.
"Good morning, Bakkhos," I greet him as I enter the common room.
Bakkhos gives me a sly smile, "good morning, peach. You look gorgeous today."
Living here has stained my face a permanent shade of pink. Even with my darker skin tone, the pink is prevalent and I know they can tell. They seem to spot my blush before I even feel it come on.
"Thank you," I respond, quickly turning away from his intense blue eyes.
It's become an everyday occurrence for me to prepare breakfast just like I used to do in Abandale. I quite like my dynamic. I love to prepare meals and watch people enjoy them. It's a little more challenging since I've never cooked with most of their ingredients. Things like venison, peanuts, little green bean shaped legumes they call lima beans, plums, black walnuts, squash, and some spices I don't even know how to pronounce.
I grab the cast iron skillet and prop it on the small rack in the fire. Zuko has made it his chore to start the fire every morning for me. He's tried to cook for me and he's great at it, but it also made me feel like I wasn't pulling my own weight; being a nuisance.
The eggs crack into the hot skillet, sizzling due to the fire. On a separate, smaller skillet, I throw on some slices of fresh baked bread one of the older ladies in town have made.
People here love to give. Zuko told me that everyone here shares everything. Most towns are like this except the tiny ones with very few people.
As I stir the eggs around, I add in a few spices to make it taste a little less eggy.
"Did the courier explain why the Empress wanted to meet with us?" Zuko questions. I can feel their eyes on me, but I keep my back towards them and pretend I'm not listening.
I'm still immensely embarrassed from last night, it's like I don't even know how to function around them. Speaking will only probably cause more embarrassment.
"She heard of the new guests, she wants to see them for herself," Bakkhos explains.
My finger brushes against the blazing skillet, making an unsavory sizzle as it melts my skin. A loud gasp erupts from my lips, making both of them rush over to me.
YOU ARE READING
Beyond The Walls
Romance(On Hold) It's been so long since the walls were built. Everyone has their own thoughts about what is on the other side. Hell, madness, some even say nothing. Cherie on the other hand, just needs to know what else is out there. If the Kingdom of Aba...
