Chapter 4: The Foolish Princess
493 Words
Moonlight shimmered across the steaming spring, turning the rising mist into silver veils that drifted lazily through the trees. The quiet should have been peaceful.
Alice stopped short.
She was not alone.
A man stood waist-deep in the water, shoulders tense as he turned sharply at her presence. Droplets slid down his skin as he moved, the heat of the spring clinging to him like a living thing. His gaze was cold, assessing—irritation flashing across his face the moment he saw her, sharp and unmistakable.
“What are you doing here?” he demanded. “Leave. Now.”
The heat in Alice’s blood surged again, sharp and disorienting, her pulse racing as if her body were reacting to something beyond her control. The world tilted slightly, steam blurring her vision. She swayed, catching herself before she could fall, jaw tightening as she forced herself to remain upright.
“I didn’t mean to intrude,” she said, forcing steadiness into her voice. “But I can’t leave yet.”
He scowled, clearly unimpressed. “Then you will regret staying.”
She took a step closer despite herself, drawn forward by a force she didn’t understand. The steam clung to her skin, dampening her lashes, her vision blurring at the edges. The heat intensified—unnatural, suffocating—until her legs finally gave out.
She would have collapsed into the water if he hadn’t reacted first.
With a curse, the man caught her by the arm, steadying her just enough to keep her upright. His grip was firm, impersonal, clearly irritated by the situation.
“Are you trying to get yourself killed?” he snapped.
“No,” Alice muttered through clenched teeth. “But my body seems determined to disagree.”
For a tense moment, he studied her—her pallor, her unsteady breathing, the way her fingers trembled against the stone. Whatever he saw made his expression darken further.
“You’re burning up,” he said flatly. “What poison are you carrying?”
“None that I know of,” she replied. “But if you let go, I will collapse.”
Reluctantly, he released her only once she braced herself against the stone edge of the spring. The heat receded slowly, leaving exhaustion in its wake, her limbs trembling as the night air cooled her skin.
When her vision finally cleared, Alice straightened, adjusting her robe with deliberate composure. She glanced at him once more, unimpressed.
“For someone so sharp-eyed,” she said coolly, “your manners leave much to be desired.”
His jaw tightened. “You shameless woman. If I see you again—”
She cut him off by flicking a jade pendant toward him. It struck his chest before dropping into his palm.
“Compensation,” she said. “For the inconvenience.”
She turned and left without waiting for a response, disappearing into the trees as his furious glare burned into her back.
- Writer
