vivre wakes up naked in a castle with no memory of how she got there.
she tries to find her way out, with the help of a man named Raphael. except it looks like there may be no way out. and Raphael may not be have the most friendly of intentions.
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EXHAUSTED FROM THEIR ARGUMENT, TESSA PUSHES AHEAD. Hair sticks to the back of her neck, curling in spirals. Vivre follows like a lost spirit. Her mind is aimless. Thoughtless. Golden flowers twist up the walls. Light, a soft cream, flutters above their heads. And then, the room widens to reveal pools of bubbling water and hot steam.
The three of them pause in unison.
Tubs of water beckon temptingly, each one large enough to be an Olympic-sized pool. Soap suds and jasmine petals swim at their feet. Rushing water sounds from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Lights twinkle on the surface of the wet tiles, like miniature fireworks. Thick clouds of stream rise from the pools, shielding the room into curtains of white.
"Wow," In a daze, Tessa steps into the room. Her voice echoes in the chamber. She goes on her toes, twirls around so that her dress flares out around her waist. "It's so pretty here, like a really expensive spa. And it smells so nice."
Vivre lurks at the door. "It's hard to see. Should we turn back?"
"Oh my god," Tessa starts to disappear into the steam. "Vivre. Do you have to be so boring?"
"We're stuck in a castle."
"And we have been walking for days," She points out. "Let's take a bath."
"Right now?" Raphael questions. He steps into the room, face glistening with the moisture, and starts to unravel the coat of his suit.
"When are we ever going to get a chance to do something like this again?" Tessa smiles over her shoulder. She reaches for the back of the dress, tugging on the strings that hold it together. "Ralphie, could you help a lady out?"
"Ralphie?" Vivre repeats.
Raphael winks at Vivre as he passes her. He rolls his sleeves up to his elbows as he walks up to Tessa, then moves her curls away from her neck. Bit by bit, he starts to undo Tessa's strings, his knuckles brushing against her luminous skin -
Vivre can't watch. "This is... this is no time to be worrying about our hygiene."
"And you want to - what - walk around all day, sweaty and cranky?" Tessa shrugs out of her dress to reveal smooth and unblemished skin. A soft chemise kisses her skin, pushing up her breasts up invitingly. She shakes her head back. "Maybe this is a trap - or whatever you're so afraid of - but it's one I'm going to savor."
