"What are you doing here?" Kael demanded, a hint of annoyance in his voice.
He had expected her to come around sooner or later but the fact that she was here in the bathhouse when he was about to bathe annoyed him immensely, he did not want to have to deal with Althea most especially right now.
She stepped out of the shadows and stared at him then she slowly began to take off her robe and dropping it to the floor before getting into the shallow water and swimming over to where Kael sat in a chair.
"What are you doing here?" He repeated, his voice stern and uncompromising.
Althea drew closer to him then stopped a short distance away from him and slowly rose out of the water, her hair sleek with water and plastered over her smooth alabaster skin.
"I am here for you, I have come to offer myself to you." She said, her gaze fiery with lust for him.
He remained still in the water and with his strong wide bare chest and his bottom half hidden by the water he was sitting in, he looked like a merman and as far as Althea was concerned he was simply perfection.
She wanted to put her hands on him and touch him, the mere thought of another woman being able to do those things to him drove her insane and she sought to seduce him so that he could be only hers, who could resist what she was offering?
"I don't know what else I have to do to make you understand how much I want you, you know that it would be better for you politically if we joined forces by our marriage. My father would be a formidable ally."
"Is that why you are here?" Kael asked sarcastically, "to be your father's advocate?"
"No Kael, I am here because I love you and I am the perfect woman for you. Can't you see that?"
"My bride is already here…" he trailed off.
"That weakling? That human is who you refer to as your bride?" She drew back and glared at him. "You could have me on a platter of gold yet you will reject me for that human?"
"I guess platters of gold have very little appeal in my eyes." Kael said coldly, his eyes which held hers hard and unapologetic. "You insist on trying to sell yourself to me when I have told you that I hold no affection for you but you have insisted on plaguing me with your unwanted desires."
Althea remained undaunted by Kael's insults, she knew that he was just trying to push her away but she had to try. She had to make him see all that she had to offer.
"You can't say that." She spoke beceechingly. "She is not deserving of you, she can't even defend herself."
Kael spoke harshly, his voice raised higher. "Out of respect for your father I will not punish you as you deserve but I want you to leave my kingdom by dawn."
Althea drew back in disbelief at his words, "How dare you?" Her voice dripped with anger.
"You dared to raise your hand against the future queen of this kingdom, i should have your head on a stake for that!"
Althea gasped as her eyes widened in the realization that Kael was being serious, he would actually risk the wrath of her father for that puny human.
She raised a hand to slap Kael and just as quickly, she felt herself being thrown backward into the water with a loud splash that had her sputtering and coughing.
"I will forget for the sake of your father that you did not try to raise your hand against me. Get out." Kael said dismissively and Althea could feel her rage grow in the face of the humiliation she received.
She had lowered herself to be a crippled man for affection and he treated her the way a full bodied man would not even treat her. She decided on a second thought that he probably deserved the human. Two weak creatures together.
She was about to get out of the water and storm off when she heard a spud some distance away.
She slowly waded in the water till she came to a stop and bent so that her face was mere inches away from Kael's then she spoke softly so that only he could hear.
"You will regret this decision you have made here today."
Then she tilted her head and stared up in the direction of the sound she had heard with a provocative smile. Her eyes locked unto a pair of eyes which belonged to the human who stood almost hidden by a pillar and stared at the both of them.
Then Althea stood up in the full glory of her naked body and spoke loudly.
"I guess the maids can come in and do the rest of the work, I am done here."
Then she sensuously swayed out of the pool before scooping up her robe and leaving the bathhouse.
"Come out, I know you are there." Kael said after a while, a note of annoyance in his voice.
Naiari had come to the bathhouse looking for Kael in order to thank him for the jewelry, she had been taken there by Marie and to her surprise she had been let in by the guards who stood at the entrance without much ado.
The bathhouse was a beautiful place which looked more like an underground stream than a bathhouse, there were plants hanging down tree branches and the floor was covered with rough granite to prevent slipping.
As she wondered how they had managed such a feat, she pulled off her shoes and walked along the cold floor until she neared the pool and realized that there were two people in it.
She stopped behind a pillar and watched, feeling like a voyeur as she watched the woman's perfect shape lean over the bare back of a man as he sat before her. She could not tell who the woman was until she moved her head slightly and looked directly at her.
Then Naiari saw that it was Althea so that must mean that the naked man was Kael.
Naiari fumed at the thought that he had lied about his relationship with the vampire princess because there was nothing innocent about the way she was leaning close to him and whispering so intimately in his ear, naked for that matter. She felt a pang of jealousy as she saw the scorn in Althea's eyes.
He had lied! Lied about their relationship and lied that he would be faithful to only her. Naiari felt betrayed because she had allowed herself believe his words but what else had she expected from a king? She had seen firsthand her own father's behavior, why should this stranger be any different?
Despite her feelings towards the vampire princess, Naiari could not help but acknowledge her beauty. It made complete sense that Kael would want her but why wouldn't he just marry her instead?
'Oh yes, the council ordered his marriage to a human princess.' She rolled her eyes.
She began to withdraw in order to retreat out of the bathhouse, not wanting to be discovered when he spoke and she stiffened.
"Come out, I know you are there." He said.
'Why is he sounding annoyed? What right does he have to be annoyed? He should have asked his guards not to let me in if I was going to bother his time with his lover.'
Unfortunately, she had been caught and there was no going back so she climbed down the stairs and stood some distance from the pool, taking care not to look at him.
Kael stared at her bent head then said, his voice teasing. "Have you come to help me bathe wife."
Her cheeks bloomed a rosy red of embarrassment, how dare he tease her after what he had been doing with his mistress.
"I am sorry your highness but I believe that is a task for your maids." She said curtly, another pang of jealousy annoying her as she realized that the maids who bathed him would also get to see him naked too.
"Kael." He said and she looked up at him in confusion, her breath catching at the magnificence of his naked chest and she gulped.
'Why did he have to look so good? Like Poseidon.'
"Call my name." He demanded, his eyes hot as they concentrated on her lips as if willing her to open them and speak his name.
She quickly dropped her head again, avoiding his gaze that made her think uncomfortable thoughts. She concentrated instead on what he and Althea had been doing.
"Say it!" He demanded, firmer this time.
"Kael." She answered in a small voice.
Kael grunted. She had barely even whispered but it was good enough for this time, next time he would force her to say his name aloud.
He was aware that she had seen Althea in the pool with him and he could bet that it had looked very suspicious but he was not willing to explain anything to her. Besides telling her that Althea was not his lover, he had also told her that for the year that they were married he would be true to her. She would need to learn to trust him.
"What have you come here for?" He asked.
"Huh?" She said distractedly.
"The reason your sought me out princess, what was it?" He asked gently.
"Oh erm, I just wanted to thank you for the jewelry you sent me." She said while still staring down at her feet.
"You are welcome." Kael said.
"Good night your majesty—"
*GRrr*
Kael growled softly.
"Kael, Good night Kael." She corrected herself quickly and scurried away while Kael watched her in amusement.
She had taken off her shoes so he could see her small feet but that was not the funny part, it was the way she ran over the floor, on her toes as if afraid to touch the ground with her feet. He had noticed that when she stood she had placed her toes and heel on the ground while not letting the middle of her feet to touch the ground.