Pharaoh's First Love

52

After lengthily allowing his tongue to get acquainted with her own Calion finally eased up a bit and turned Shelyn in his lap so she’d face forward again. The pharaoh showing signs of arousal, but it wasn’t achingly obvious yet. Instead he focused upon making sure they finished would their meal. He would wave the servants to clean up and then leave them afterwards even though he suspected they’d be a little let down over the fact neither of them was invited to go back to his bedroom.
“What do you think?” He said softly against her neck, letting his lips brush against her skin. “Will you be able to find such a life comfortable? The worst you have to fear is me stealing a taste of your fruits~” He teased and waited for her to finish.
She followed. Returning to the meal the servants fed them. And once they were alone again it felt strangely cold. Like the warmth had been sucked out the room. Maybe she just found the woman comforting.
"Huh?" She replied without thinking. as if he had pulled her from her thoughts. Her head turning to face him and many questions flooding her thoughts. "Oh...um...no its fine." She started again.
He offered her a gentle smile as he lifted up, having her remove herself from his lap as his hand fell down to reach and grab her own gently. Despite rather enjoying the kiss they had shared he didn’t want to be too greedy with her considering how hectic this day had been for her. With the funeral not being until tomorrow he didn’t mind whether she wanted to sleep or to bathe first and judging by how clingy she seemed to be he figured she simply hadn’t wanted to be alone right now.
Quietly he led her from the dining table and further back into his room. “What would you like Shelyn? Pretend you have a choice. Are you tired?”
She held his hand. Lacing her fingers between his own. Hugging her bunny with the other to her chest.
All she was missing was a frilly dress and bonnet and she would like a little girl or doll. She fit so easily into the role of an innocent clingy younger sibling. It is probably why Helm protected her with so little hesitation. Who knows what might break her?
She followed along around the table and further in before stopping. Her laced fingers lifting with his own before she replied. "A....hot bath?" She replied. However, questioning it. A hot bath in such a hot place probably didn’t sound appealing. But it sounded nice to her. Her body was stressed and exhausted. And all she really wanted was to lay in bed and die too. But after everything she felt so dirty. Another man had yet managed to stain her skin with his foul behavior. And while Yun was cleaner it felt filthy. And not the good kind.
She wanted to wash all the bad away. Let the water have it. Give it back as it were. Of course, who knew what horrible things would happen if Calion would soak in such water. Sick maybe?
Calion looked upon her with grey blue eyes, admiring her beauty, even though she looked so broken and defeated in her expression. But he understood how sad she was and how alone in the world she had felt now. For a girl who had such an attitude when he first met her, she now resembled someone younger and more fragile. Without even speaking he gave her a nod of the head and squeezed her hand gently before walking off towards the quiet and tranquil spa room before he let go of her hand and fetched her a towel.

The water was dark, the candle’s reflection dancing off the surface of the warm pool. “Wash and relax as long as you like.” He said, facing a mirror as he tied his hair back and put it in a bun. He began to disrobe, figuring he’d take the opportunity to bathe as well although this time he was of mind to actually let her just wash herself and try to relax. She’d been touched enough, and it angered his blood to think Yun had seen her so exposed and had he been a couple minutes too late… she would have been taken and claimed. Without any hesitation Calion undid his robes and let them pool around his ankles.
Shelyn gently sat her bunny on a stool away from the water. Almost hesitant to let it go. But she did. She pulled her sip off and used it to cover it.
Once done she moved over to the edge of the bath. It looked completely different than when he brought her here before. It was prettier. She stepped in step by slow step. Until she was in. She sank in. Letting her blonde hair pool around her before she stood again. It felt so nice.
She waited for Calion to join. Hopefully he could help her figure out what to use to wash up.
With his back still turned he heard the water ripple as she must have stepped in and in a short time he picked up a shallow wooden box which was filled with a couple sea sponges as well as a couple scented bars of soap which were created by rendering fat and adding a few chemicals. Shortly thereafter he treaded to the edge of the pool and stepped in gracefully before setting the wooden box on the water’s surface were it floated.
The water was dark at night and as such provided a nice cover for the two the bathe in without having to see the other. Calion stood before her, his skin looking darker in the shadow as his torso mostly was above the water’s surface as he looked down at her and offered her a sponge and some soap.
“I trust you’ve used sponges before?” His brow raised, it was pretty straight forward, although it’s not as if he minded showing her how. “Come, why don’t you let me show you, just stand with your back facing me.” He offered kindly, it was a small and unnecessary thing for him to offer, but the fact he’d offer to wash her was something unheard of for a pharaoh to wash another, it is usually the other way around, but he wanted to pamper her if only a little.
She swam a bit closer over to him. She stood and turned her back to him. Her hair clinging to her back and arms. Though some still floated in the water.
"I... know how to use a sponge." She informed him weakly. But still she was of mind to let him wash her. Even if it were for a moment.
"Is... this going to be one of my other chores in exchange to keep the garden?"
There was probably another time she could have asked. But truthfully, she wanted to get it all out in the open. She knew he expected her to pull her weight. She just needed to know what she had to do.
He waited for her to come to him before the floating tray was beside them and he delicately collected her hair and moved it to lay over her shoulder. He was a good bit taller than her and while he stood close, he wasn’t lewdly close as he couldn’t help but give a small chuckle. “Well, it’d only be a chore if I decided you had to bathe me, which… I could see myself requesting in the future.” He dipped the sponge into the water before getting it soapy and began to scrub her back and shoulders.
“I understand you’ll need some time to adjust so I won’t be expecting you to tend to everything at once. Your duties will vary, but in essence you will be sharing my bed with me nightly, having dinner, bathing with me when I desire, continue your teaching of Jin as well as tending to me in other ways.” He leaned down over her shoulder, near her ear, as he moved the sponge against her abdomen now.
“I’m aware you wish not to be bedded by someone you’re not in love with. I… can hold off on pushing that upon you, although if anyone asks, I would like for you to tell them you and I have already laid. It makes me look weak to have a servant I’ve not claimed, but this is something I can wait on as a courtesy for you. Is this fair enough?” He asked, drifting the sponge higher to now brush over her breasts and nipples, only the sponge, his hands were not touching her inappropriately.
She nodded. Understanding that she basically had no choice. But something else pinned her thoughts.
"Must I be a servant? Do...you not see me as someone you could love?"
This was bold to ask. But it bothered her that sex was what seemed to be the focus of everything. Did he only care about that? or was he truly just determined to eventually have children?
"Maybe I’m not really understanding I suppose. You have so many concubines. No wife or child...do you...really not want those things? Is… quantity better than quality? What happens if they have babies? Do they become royal...or just bastards they could use as a status symbol to prove you took the time to fill them with yourself?"
She wasn’t angry. Or accusing. Her voice calm and she was truly asking him questions because she had no clue.
"Does this make me one of them once you have had me? Just someone you’ll call upon whenever you want to see my face?"
It was depressing to think about. If anything she was only making herself more sad. She didn’t want to be here just for him to get what he wanted and then dispose of her so he could carry on as if she was nothing but his brother's teacher. Why go through all of this then?
“Are you asking me because you’d rather be my wife rather than to even start being a servant?” He asked, the discussion was low tension, simply asking questions back and forth and he didn’t mind knowing what was on her mind nor sharing with her what was on his own. “Could I love you? Sure, it is within the realm of possibilities, although love is nurtured and built slowly so it is premature of me to suggest I do right now. Which I know you’re not asking.”
He let the sponge float to the surface as his hand cupped her left breast, feeling her heartbeat beneath as he shut his eyes and pressed his lips to her neck. “You know all of my concubines think it is an honor to serve their pharaoh. I don’t see it as a punishment and neither do they. I’ve not been able to sire any children yet though so such a question I’ve not had to ask. Typically, how these matters go through is that whomever gives me my first child would become my wife and by extension that child would become my heir.”
“You’re worried I would bed you for some fun and relief and eventually in the future grow tired of you and stop calling on you when someone new comes along and grabs my attention? I assume it makes you quite sad to think you need to give yourself up to another when they might have no need for you later in life. I can see that as a depressing thought, after all you were raised at a social level above what is common for concubines.”
“You won’t like this answer I assume, but all I can offer you is if you do end up pregnant then I would marry you. I would expect by then you’d not be by my side because I demanded it, but because you wanted to. I have a question for you now.” He said softly, wrapping his arms around her gently and pulling her so her back and bottom was pressed against his chest and waist, simply wanting to hold her in the warm water. “Do you see me as someone you could marry or love though?”
Her heart raced when he cupped her breast. It was so heavy and fast that it felt she couldn’t get enough air with each breath she took.