25. A bath with the King.

*SAVIOR'S POV*

"My love." Janette bowed, sitting up.

I narrowed, approaching my bed as if it was graced with lava. "Why are you here?"

Janette fluttered her lashes pretentiously. "I am here to fulfill my wifely duties," she responded, stripping out of her see-through evening gown.

I threw a robe at her. "Just stop, get out." I sat on the edge of the bed, running a frustrated hand through my head. "I have no interest in performing the act with."

"But, my king." Janette moved closer. "Tonight we are supposed to mate. Moreover, I just returned from the Caevirinal mountains from which I went to fetch your favorite fruit. Won't you reward me for my hard work?"

I brushed her hand off my shoulders dismissively. "If you did it to get rewarded, you might as well eat the fruit."

"No, my love, I—"

"Leave, Janette, do not provoke me," I warned her, rising to my feet.

I began to undress, giving Janette the wrong impression, but I only hissed in annoyance and headed to the bathroom for a bath. The maids came in shortly after because I informed them to come, but Janette was still here.

"Leave, I will bathe the king myself," she commanded.

I raised a questioning brow at her, but I didn't want the issues in our marriage to reach the ears of others, so I looked away, patiently waiting for the maids to leave.

Janette climbed into the tub from behind me, and the moment I felt her skin against mine, I felt the food I ate earlier rising to my throat.

"If I ask you to leave one more time, you will be taken out by others because I will break your legs," I threatened her, my voice cold and unwavering.

Janette froze. I waited patiently for her to defy my orders so I could throw her out of my chambers myself, but it seemed as if she believed my threats were true.

"As you wish, my king," she said, retreating out of the tub. "My king?" She called with a shaky voice.

I didn't answer her, but she knew I was listening, so she continued. "If you have time tomorrow, I would like us to have some cake and fruits."

"Tomorrow you will know my answer," I told, but I already knew I'd accept because it would be good news for the maids to spread around the kingdom, good for my reputation.

Janette left, even though she wasn't satisfied with my answer. Alone again, I wanted to call in my bath maids, but Thalia's face instantly flashed in my head.

I ran my hands through my wet hair, groaning. "Why am I thinking about her now?" I looked down and saw that I was rock hard.

I have been avoiding her for some time now, yet I craved her touch. Shutting my eyes to relax, her thoughts again came bothering me.

"I want nothing to do with her," I told my lycan wolf, but I got no reply back.

I mind-linked the head bath maids to come in with the others. Usually, three came, two bathed me while the other one stood aside, handing them whatever they may need, but I didn't expect Thalia to be one of them.

She seemed to be oblivious that she was in my presence because the manner in which the maids greeted me was similar to how they greeted other royals because they didn't add my title.

She kept dazing emptily at the end of the stall, her eyes focused on nothing in particular.

"Sponge," one of the maids ordered her, and she brought out a sponge from the small crate she was carrying and stretched her hand for the girl to receive it.

My eyes gleamed silver momentarily as the mad imagination of her giving me a sponge bath came to mind.

"I want her to do the bathing," I mind-linked the head bath maid, signaling to Thalia.

The head maid was conflicted or confused about my choice but didn't object. "As you wish, your majesty."

"You, blind one, get in the bath and assist in bathing our sire," she ordered Thalia.

Thalia frowned in confusion, looking around like a lost sheep. "You mean me?"

The stern head bath maid cocked a brow, her hands locked behind her back. "Are there any other blind slaves in this room?" She asked sarcastically but didn't wait for the reply as she continued. "Strip and get in the bath."

"Strip?!" Thalia repeated, eyes wide in shock.

"Do not cause a scene in the presence of the sire, slave, do as you are told," the head bath maid said, anger seething beneath the surface.

Thalia shook her head, rejecting the order. "Forgive me, sir but this is not my duty," she said to me but wasn't looking my way.

The head bath maid was infuriated and could see she was visibly shaking with anger. "Do as you are told or—"

"I will accept my punishments, but I will do no such thing." Thalia stood her ground.

I looked at her, a small smile playing on my lips. This was getting interesting, and I couldn't wait to see how this would end.

The head bath maid immediately struck Thalia. "How dare you reject bathing his Majesty? Have you gone mad?"

Thalia's wide eyes blinked, shock in them. "Hi... His Majesty?"

The head bath maid was not patient. She hissed, pulling Thalia towards the tub with force. "I said, strip!" She tore Thalia's dress revealing her perky red-tipped molds.

I felt my balls tightening at the sight of them, but Thalia was still resisting. She immediately hid her molds behind her palms. "Head maid, Laura, please do not force me to do this," she pleaded, stepping back.

The head bath maid had already lost her patience; it was particularly embarrassing for her to get disrespected by her subordinate in my presence. The other bath maid had her head bowed, too afraid of the consequences to get involved.

Tired of the drama, I spoke, "Get yourself in this tub, Thalia."