Taraquin

Chapter 32

Baschera wakes next to a nude Lady Marie still sleeping. He smiles, feeling proud of himself as he looks her over momentarily as a conqueror. He rolls out of bed and as he sits up, he hears a soft knock at the door. He pulls his trousers on and crosses the room while stretching. He opens the door to see the same servant he was with the day before. She smiles and stares at his bare chest as she searches for the words that were just on the tip of her tongue before the door opened.

"Good morning. I um, I mean, here is your breakfast my Lord." She stutters as she walks past him into the room.

Her smile quickly fades as she sees Lady Marie sprawled naked across his bed. She places the food on a small dining table and then walks back toward the door where Baschera still stands.

"I also took the liberty of drawing a bath for you my Lord." She continues somberly.

"Good. Now go wait for me in the bath and I'll be with you momentarily." He orders as he walks past her and slaps her on the butt on his way to the dining table.

She smiles and closes the door behind her as he sits down to eat. He stares at lady Marie as he digs into his plate of food. He picks at the shell of a boiled egg and then swallows one egg after another almost whole. He finishes off a glass of wine, then quickly exits his room without disturbing Lady Marie. He walks swiftly down the hall and enters a room full of warm steam in the air. He meets eyes with the nude servant waiting his arrival in the large steaming bath. He quickly closes the door, strips down, and hops into the bath as he hears voices in the hallway.

"So when would you like to have your wedding your Highness?" Ademar asks Asher as they walk past the room Baschera just entered.

"I would like to wait until the School of Sorcery is out that way Dekker and Zane can attend. I imagine Isabel will want her brother Drake to attend as well. So I was thinking about a week after the school ends to give them time to get here." Responds Asher with a chuckle as he is reminded of his uncle.

"What's so funny your Highness?" Questions Ademar.

"It's still over a month away but yet Uncle Navaar has already started preparing things for the wedding. I told him I didn't want to rush it so I had a chance to get to know my future wife a little better." Explains Asher.

"He's excited. It's not every day his only nephew gets married. I also figured you'd want to wait until Dekker and Zane could be here. I'm going to personally train the both of them to whip them into shape. We're going to need them at their best. When we return for the wedding, you and I will have much to discuss about their future." Adds Ademar as they exit the front of the castle into the courtyard.

"I agree. Will you also fill me in on the things you wouldn't tell me about Zane?" Inquires Asher as they approach the convoy of carriages.