- A U R O R A -

The Little Palace

When I woke the first thing I noticed was that I was not back in my cell. And two I was not covered in blood anymore but I was still pretty filthy. What I didn't notice was the man in black next to me in a chair.
"You're awake I see," he spoke calmly.
His sudden voice startled me and my head snapped to him. His voice was familiar, it was the same one I heard last night.
"Who are you?" I asked still on edge ready to run if need be.
"General Kirigan, leader of the 2nd army, but you may call me Aleksander."
I simply nodded my head and continued to look around the room. It was beyond anything I had ever seen before. It looked like paradise made into a room.
"I do hope you like the room, I had them put you in the west wing, it's the safest part of the palace."
He got up from his chair and slowly approached me. I moved backwards, he was coming to close, to close for comfort. He noticed my discomfort and stopped in his tracks.
"I'm sorry I should've know, would it be okay if I had someone to help come clean you up. She's the one who cleaned the blood off you."
I figured I could give it a try. I had never had a woman bathe me, if it was anything like what they did to me in the cells I wanted nothing to do with it.
I nodded at him hoping I could trust these people, maybe they were different from the others.
"Wonderful, and I promise nobody is the place will harm you in anyway, not under my watch." He reassured me.

It had been awhile since he had left but I think he was giving me time to process before anything else happened. A few more seconds passed before there was a soft knock on the door.
"Come in," I mumbled,
The doors opened and in walked a beautiful woman with red hair and a white kefta. The way she carried herself and her grace stood out to me.
"Hello dear I'm Genya, I'm going to be helping you." She told me with a smile.
"I'm Aurora, " I said uncovering myself from the bed.
She approaches me smiling softly. She sat at the end of the bed still remaining a good distance away.
"Follow me, the bathroom is just over there." She said standing back up extending a hand to me. And surprisingly I took it.
Her hands were soft, not a scratch on them, and for some odd reason I felt like I could trust her, she had this motherly feeling to her. She led me to a room which I assumed was the bathroom. It was beautiful, lavish, fit for royalty, I didn't deserve this.
"Are you sure this is for me, I'd be fine with the shed outside."
I saw her give me a sad smile before saying anything.
"No dear this is all for you, you'll bathe in a shed again, not while i'm here."
She began to draw the bath water and put something I had never seen before in it. It looked soft and fluffy, and it smelled good.
"Uhm Miss Genya what are those?" I asked pointing to the fluffy, foamy things.
She smiles at me, "Those are bubbles dear, and just call me Genya."
The tub was almost full when she turned it off, she turned around and let me undress. I stepped in prepared for the water to be cold but it wasn't. It was warm, I had never had hot water or water this clean for that matter. Genya was still looking away till I cleared my throat so she took that a her sign to turn back around.
I sunk into the warmth of the water, leaning my head back onto the tub and the bubbles surrounding me only made it better. It felt like I was surrounded by fluffy clouds. Genya grabbed a cloth and started rubbing the dirt and remainder of the dried blood I had left off my body. Genya was gentle she didn't scratch me or scrub all my skin off. The cloth she used was not like the ones I had used, it was soft and clean, not the same cloth I got every month when I took a bath. And she used actual soap not just cold water and a rag. It smelled like wildflowers that grow in the fields during spring. She finished washing my body and moved onto my hair.
"Genya?"
"Yes dear."
"Are you guys going to send me back home?"
Genya frowned, she knew the druskelle were all Aurora had know but to call them home, it disgusted her. Genya felt a certain pull toward the girl, since she first saw the unconscious girl laying in bed covered in blood. She felt a sense of protection towards the little healer. So Genya choose her next words carefully, hopeful to not upset the girl.
"This is your new home Aurora." She said continuing to wash the dirt out of my hair.
I stayed quiet, I didn't really know what to say. It's not that I didn't want a new home but this was all so new, this luxurious life, kindness, freedom. How would I get used to it, or I guess could I get used to it? I wanted to try but I wasn't sure how.
I guess Genya could sense my disdain and stopped washing my hair.
"Don't worry, I'll be there to help." She said trying to reassure my anxieties.
I had only known Genya for a few minutes and already I felt grateful to her, I had felt safe with someone for the first time in my life.

Genya finished washing my hair and grabbed a robe from a hook on the wall, she showed me how to drain the water and gave me a towel to wrap around myself. She helped me out of the tub after I wrapped it around myself. There was a mat by the tub so I wouldn't get the floor wet or so my feet wouldn't get cold. She told me to hold out my arms so she could help me into the robe.
I had never felt anything so soft, it felt like I was being hugged by a cloud. I guess I didn't realise that I has snuggled into the ribe until I heard Genya chuckle under her breath.
"You like it I assume?" She said in a teasing voice.
I felt the heat seep into my cheeks and I wanted to bury myself back into the robe. This made her let out an actual laugh.
"I'll make sure to take note to get you your own." She said still smiling.