"You're lucky that this is the worst that you got." Aster shook her head as she lifted one of my blistered and peeling feet out of the large steel bowl filled with steaming water, oils, and salt. She had filled it according to Rowan's instructions before he had gone to take a shower, leaving me under her watch.
And the soldier who stood outside the door.
"Huh?" I said, distracted by the sting of the salt and water that was a degree too warm.
As I moved back my freshly washed and dripping hair, I couldn't help but let out a groan that sounded of both pleasure and pain when she dug her thumb into my reddened sole. Avoiding blisters, she dragged it up my foot, trying to work the trauma from this morning out. The few hours of sleep I had caught in Rowan's office had only made the pain in my body worse by giving it time to set in. The hot shower I had just taken before coming out to find him, Aster, the metal bowl of water, and various bottles of oils, did little to aid the physical discomfort in my body, but feeling clean, full, and hydrated did go a long way in making me ready for bed again. As was Aster's skilled foot massage.
The perfectly measured press of her thumbs almost had me tuning out her words as she continued.
"This," she said, gesturing towards my feet, my bruised and scratched knees, and my bandaged chin. She couldn't see the bruises that Rowan's sharp swats had left on my arms. They were hidden under his shirt. "You would have gotten much worse than a few scratches and bruises if the Queen had gotten her hands on you first. It definitely wouldn't have ended with a foot massage. You would have been lucky to walk away with all your limbs intact if you were that unfortunate." Her voice lowered as her imagination painted a picture that had her paling.
My brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"
She shook her head free of her thoughts, the strength that had been fading at the distraction only she could see returned to the press of her thumbs. "Your punishment," she said like I should know what she was talking about. "For this morning?" She shook her head when my head tilted, the pieces that she wanted me to click into place still not clicking. "The soldier that reported seeing you climbing out your window to the prince would have also reported it to the Queen. Ever since the Prince became Captain, the two have had an agreement; the Queen doesn't touch those he has already dealt with appropriately. Since the prince gave you a painful lesson in front of the new recruits for trying to escape, she won't touch you."
I felt the confusion that was tightening my features loosen as she spoke and a small weight formed in the pit of my stomach. "So I should be thanking him for that, shouldn't I?"
Aster gave a serious nod. "It would have been much worse for you if he hadn't done what he did."
I let my head drop back as a breath rushed out of my chest. If what she was saying was true... then Rowan had done me a favor by littering my body with blisters, bruises, and scratches.
Like Aster said, at least I still had all my limbs intact to blister, bruise, and scratch.
Yet, the idea of apologizing to Rowan for being upset at his abuse didn't sit right with me. I wasn't going to be thankful for it. Even if it did thaw a bit of the icy hatred that had begun to strengthen toward him.
"Oh. I didn't know." My voice came out sounding small in the large room. We were sitting at the table in the front room, me on the chair and Aster on a cushion she had thrown onto the floor. Neither Aster nor I were worried that Rowan would hear our hushed conversation. He had shut his French doors when he had made his way into his room to wash up after I was done.
She froze and dramatically slapped the back of her hand to her forehead. "I almost forgot! Of course you wouldn't," she said, raising wide eyes to meet mine. "You're human, you couldn't be from around here. You must not have been here long enough to learn how the royals operate yet," she shook her head while lowering her hand and my foot into the water. Pouring more oil into the center of her palm, she rubbed her hands together before lifting my other foot to massage. "Honestly, it's surprising that you're here at all. I heard a ruling was made long before I was born that banned humans from the realm. How did you get here?"
