Twisted Beauty (A Sleeping Beauty Tale)

Chapter Nineteen

Two days had passed since our trip to the market. In that time, Drake had taken me to several cafes in the city, we had curled up together reading, and he had taken me riding to see the stunning beaches near the city. Everything was beautiful – the sea glittered like jewels and the golden sand was full of colourful shells.

Katherine had fallen ill and was bedridden. I spent time with her while I could, but it was decided that she would be brought back to Eshon so she would feel more comfortable while she recovered. Though I missed her, I didn't mind that the Kallis maids were helping me dress each morning.

"You would look stunning in red, Your Highness," one said, looking quite upset as they dressed me in seafoam green. I had to admit that I agreed, though red was considered an inappropriate colour in Eshon.

"My parents would have a fit if I wore red," I replied, earning a few giggles.

Another maid piped up, "What about we fit you in a Kallis corset? It would do wonders for your bosom." I fought the red creeping up my cheeks, earning another round of giggles. "His Highness would appreciate the Kallis attire, don't you think?"

I didn't reply, rather nibbling my lip as they giggled about Drake and dressed me. The thought had crossed my mind, but would I stoop so low? It would all but support what Diane had said about me, and my gut boiled at the thought. I tried to shove the thoughts away, just to hear them mention Drake's training.

"Where does he train, anyway?" I asked. One of the maids clipped Drake's necklace around my neck as she replied.

"Near the barracks, there's an area where all the guards train," she said. "Sometimes he joins them to spar, but more often than not, he's in a private room nearby."

"Us maids sometimes go down to watch," one maid swooned. Her dreamy expression shifted into a grin. "Would you like us to take you to him?"

Would it be rude to barge in? Though I supposed I wouldn't do anything of the sort – I was simply curious, as I had never seen the training rooms, even those in my kingdom. All I would do was take a peek. And so, hesitating only a few moments more, I eagerly nodded.

The barracks were near the rear of the castle on the first floor, tucked away past a few narrow corridors. I supposed that no guests would wander to the barracks, so they didn't focus on making it glamorous.

First, the maids showed me the main training room, where two dozen men stood in a circle, watching two men spar. On the walls hung various weapons – swords, daggers, scythes, and so on. I didn't see Drake in the room, so the maids moved along, pointing me to a room just down the hall. With their final giggles, they waved goodbye and left me to it.

I slowly approached the room, noting that the door was slightly ajar. As I came closer, I could hear a rhythmic thudding and the sound of panting. I peeked through the gap between the doorway to see a fairly plain room with weapons on the walls, the floor made of a springy mat, and a leather bag hanging from a chain.

Drake was punching the bag in waves of three hits, his breathing heavy. Just seeing him made my mouth drop open. His torso was naked, showing the muscles of his stomach and arms. He was mostly facing away from me, so I saw his bare back and the tattoo it bore. Lines of black ink twisted to form different symbols – an ancient language, I guessed. It was beautiful – he was beautiful.

All of a sudden, Drake stopped hitting the bag and he ran a hand through his damp hair, turning towards the door. I was too slow to move and his eyes met mine. My cheeks reddened as he gave me a lazy grin.

"Good morning," he said, chuckling at my red cheeks.

I murmured the words back to him and dared to step into the room. "The maids offered to show me the training rooms," I said innocently.

He raised an eyebrow before walking up to me. "Did they?" His voice had a slight rasp, likely from the exercise he had just done, and my breath caught in my throat. With a lazy smile, he tilted my face up and kissed me gently, the taste of salt touching my tongue.

When he pulled away, I blurted, "What on earth do you eat to look like that?"

Drake chuckled, leaning his head against mine. I placed my hand on his chest and stared into his eyes, the question already forgotten. "You look beautiful, my love." My lips tugged into a smile and I pushed onto my toes to kiss him. His lips lingered on mine for a few moments before he pulled away. I was almost disappointed, but he seemed more concerned that he would ruin my dress with his sweat.

"What would you like to do today?" he asked, leading me out of the room. We walked slowly together, and I wasn't too sure where we were going.

I honestly had no idea. "What else is there to see?"

He huffed out a laugh, giving me a sidelong glance. "Quite a lot, my love." He seemed to think for a few moments. "There is a pond not too far from the castle. Perhaps we could have a picnic there?"

"Sounds wonderful," I smiled, and realised we stood in front of a dark door I didn't recognise. Drake opened the door and let me walk in before following.

"I'll just be a few minutes," he said, leaning down to kiss me before walking through another door. It was then that I realised that it was his bedroom and my cheeks went red. The door closed behind him and when I heard the running water, I realised it was his bathing chambers.

If we were in Eshon, I would be in big, big trouble. But . . . this was Kallis. I could only assume there was nothing wrong with me being in my fiancé's room. And so, I decided to do a little snooping.

His room was a similar size and style to my own, though his was decorated with whites and dark greys. He had a bookshelf stuffed with older looking books and loose papers. I noticed that a few books were written in the same language as his tattoo, though I couldn't decipher what any of them said, so I quickly moved on. It was the paintings on his dressing table that caught my eye.

The first painting was a small portrait of him, his parents and a young girl by his side. The second was just of him and the young girl. In both paintings, I saw Drake was noticeably younger. The girl resembled him well, having dark hair that reached her waist and dark eyes. Did he have a sister? A cousin? Why hadn't he said anything?

Warm arms wrapped around my waist from behind me, and I half turned as Drake leaned down to kiss my cheek. He wore a dark suit and I couldn't help but notice the sadness in his eyes.

"You have a sister?" I asked.

"Had," he replied, giving the painting a sorrowful look. I dared to give him a look with the silent question. Drake had to take in a deep breath, almost as if he was steadying himself. "Did you hear about the sickness that went through Kallis ten years ago?" I shook my head – though that was when the ties between our kingdoms had suddenly weakened. "The sickness only attacked certain types of people – something in our blood. It was incurable. Ashley and I both got it and we were bedridden for weeks. I barely recovered – so barely that I was almost dead. But Ashley . . . she was so young. Her body couldn't take it."

"Oh Drake," I murmured, my heart aching. How awful it would be to lose someone so close. I had no idea what to say. "I'm so sorry."

He huffed in a laugh void of joy and pulled me into an embrace. I wrapped my arms tightly around him, providing what silent comfort I could. Despite it happening ten years ago, I could tell the wound was still open. And I would do everything I could to help him heal.

"Come on," he finally murmured. "Let's go have some fun." His smile wasn't convincing, but I returned it all the same.