The Prince and Liana's Seed

Chapter Three - The Secret Springs and a Naked Encounter

(Liana's POV)

I left the King's presence carrying a staggering burden: a new purpose and a frightening new destiny. I was no longer the lowly, feared orphan; I was a Royal Court Diviner, a position shared only with the Queen.

King Jeffrey assigned me a personal court maiden named Esther, a young lady in her teens too, was tasked with guiding me through my abrupt transition to royal life. My new home was to be within the palace walls, meaning a permanent farewell to my beloved treehouse in the deep woods. All good things must end, I reasoned, telling myself this was for a greater future, one even my own spiritual sight hadn't entirely foreseen.

Esther, bright and zealous, led me through the labyrinthine corridors.

"You will be staying here, Lady Liana. This is your new room, one of the finest in the Palace of Myana."

"Thank you, Esther. Honestly, this is all happening too fast. I feel utterly unmoored," I confessed, desperate for a sympathetic ear.

"It will be fine, Lady Liana," the maiden assured me, her smile unwavering. "You... and the Prince."

Everything felt alien. Even Esther looked at me not with fear, but with genuine, open excitement… a reception I had never known.

She bathed me in fragrant oils, anointing me with rich perfumes, then dressed me in heavy purple court silks and glittering jewels. She couldn't tame my unruly, electrified hair, but she applied a layer of delicate makeup, a foreign sensation that made me drift into silent reflection.

I looked at my embellished reflection, then back at Esther.

"Is this how court women always live? It's elegant, but the big gowns, the makeup... isn't it exhausting?"

Esther cut me off, her eyes shining. "Oh, my Lady, the effort is necessary. You will be officially meeting the Prince today."

My heart seized, a cold knot forming in my stomach. Today? I had just arrived, barely an hour removed from my woods.

"Please tell me I misheard you. Meeting Prince Hermford now?"

"Yes," she chirped casually. "The King instructed me to prepare you immediately for your introduction."

"But, Esther...!" I cried out, the dread returning full force.

"Don't worry, my Lady. If anyone is nervous, it will be the Prince. He is modest, but I know he will be captivated by your beauty."

"You really think so?" The King's flattery had weakened my defenses, and I sought Esther’s confirmation. "Am I truly that good-looking?"

Esther’s eyes widened as she grasped my hands.

"My Lady, you are the most beautiful creature I have ever laid eyes on. Even the Queen cannot compare."

"Stop," I whispered, sudden shyness overwhelming my spirit. "I’m not that gorgeous."

"Don't say that, Lady Liana!" Esther protested, gripping my hands tighter. "I have bathed women of import from across the continent, and none possess features or a naturally endowed form like yours."

"Enough, Esther!" I laughed, feeling a rush of unfamiliar heat in my cheeks. "We are both too young for this conversation!"

"But, my Lady, the Prince will fall head over heels for you," she insisted.

"I said enough!" I shouted playfully, shaking my head at her unintentional comedy.

She placed a shimmering necklace around my throat.

"You are amazing and truly lovely. I am so glad I was chosen to be your personal maiden. I promise I will serve you and care for you well."

It was the first time I felt I was speaking to an actual friend. Esther was fiercely passionate and endearingly loud.

"How are you so young to be a court maiden? You must still be in your teens," I asked, surprised by her seniority.

"I am sixteen," she confirmed.

"Sixteen?" I stared, shocked. "And you are meant to guide me? A sixteen-year-old?"

"You underestimate me, just as others do," she retorted, making a sharp point. "You are only eighteen and have been made an Official Diviner of the Royal Court. Why should I be any different?"

"You're right. I apologize. I didn't mean to treat you like a child. It's just... you look so young, yet you seem to navigate the court without any trouble."

"That is simply my nature, my Lady," she said, beaming.

She then dropped to her knees.

"Can I be your apprentice, Lady Liana? I want to be as beautiful as you and become a powerful soothsayer for Myana, helping our people in a meaningful way."

I laughed at her childish yet passionate appeal.

"First, you are already pretty. Second, you don't need to be a soothsayer to help our people." I pulled her back to her feet.

But she started to weep. "No! I want to be a powerful soothsayer! It has always been my dream!"

"Fine, fine," I conceded, unable to resist her fervor. "You can be my apprentice."

"Yes!" she exclaimed, leaping with excitement. "Thank you so much, Lady Liana! I won't disappoint you."

"Whatever," I replied, rolling my eyes.

"Now, about meeting the Prince. I haven't forgotten. You must comply with the King's order today! The day is almost over!" she yelled, instantly rekindling the panic I had managed to suppress.

"Do I really have to?" I muttered.

"Stop acting like a child! You are a grown woman, Lady Liana. You must act your age, or you will embarrass yourself before the Prince," she scolded sternly, her dual personality both hilarious and frustrating.

"Alright, I will meet him," I finally agreed.

But then a sudden, vibrant urge for freedom… a thirst to exploit my new, terrifying liberty swept over me. My lips curved into a wicked smile. Since I was now in the Royal Palace, I might as well claim its hidden wonders.

"Show me the famous ROYAL COURTS’ SECRET HOT SPRINGS MOUNTAIN," I requested, giving her a cunning look.

"What? You want to go to the Royal Hot Springs? But I just bathed you!" she challenged.

"Yes, but I've heard too many rumors about the Secret Hot Springs Mountain; how it completely changes a person’s mood. They say if you enter moody or angry, you emerge cheerful." I spoke with utmost certainty; these were not just rumors.

The Hot Springs Mountain was not a common bathhouse. It was an outdoor sanctuary. It was a beautiful sacred garden. An open sweep of land, raw and nature-stricken, rumored to be a vast fissure in the earth surrounded by tropical trees and lush landscapes. The springs were natural overflows from Myana’s rich, fertile ground. Legend claimed the Great Mother Amaya herself would restore her spiritual strength there. It was a heaven of pure, elemental power, completely inaccessible to commoners.

"I can show you the Secret Hot Spring Mountain House," Esther yielded. "But you must meet Prince Hermford first, as the King ordered. The day is running out. You must finalize your destiny before nightfall."

"I will meet the Prince, Esther. But it has to be on my terms. Take me to the Secret Hot Springs Mountain first," I demanded.

Esther’s face suddenly drooped, becoming stiff and secretive.

"I'm afraid that area is restricted only to King Jeffrey, Queen Rebecca, and Prince Hermford. I cannot take you in, Lady Liana."

"Well, the King just made me third in command alongside the Prince," I boasted, letting my new status settle between us.

"As the Second Official Diviner of the Royal Courts, I am now among the only people allowed access. I am permitted to enter the Spring," I stated boldly.

"Pleasee, Esther, I desperately want to see the sanctuary Amaya cherished. Take meee… I promise you will not be reprimanded."

Esther eventually acquiesced, leading me far North, to a deserted, overgrown region of the court. She stopped at the edge of a large, untamed parcel of land, instructing me to push further through the thick curtain of trees.

I did as she instructed, and then… I found it.

THE ROYAL SECRET HOT SPRING MOUNTAIN BATH. It was breathtakingly magnificent; no book or tale could capture its serene, primal beauty. Surrounded by towering, gorgeous tropical trees, a large mountain face overflowed, sending plumes of steam into the air. The fountain’s waters pooled naturally below into a hidden, expansive basin—the bath.

The rumors were true: I could instantly feel the bitterness and dread leaving my spirit, replaced by a surge of pure, joyous energy.

Without a second thought, I began stripping off the heavy, suffocating purple gown and the rich golden jewels Esther had forced upon me. I was naked, freed from the trappings of power, and I ran headlong into the hot spring.

"Yes! Hurray! Whee!" I shouted, a wild, forgotten sound escaping my lips.

I plunged beneath the surface, resurfacing quickly, completely refreshed. I swam vigorously, feeling the rush of warm, clean water caressing my skin.

"Ahhh." A deep, contented sigh escaped me, the warm vapor billowing away into the jungle air.

Just as I settled into the glorious embrace of the springs, a low, masculine voice echoed from the dense foliage nearby, shattering the quiet.

"HEY! WHO ARE YOU? How dare you come here? This area is strictly reserved for the King, the Queen, and MYSELF, THE PRINCE. WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"

My mind went instantly blank with horror. I wasn't alone. I had stripped bare and shouted with foolish abandon, completely exposed to... him. DID HE SAY THE PRINCE?

I slowly turned, my arms instinctively crossing tight over my chest, an utterly futile gesture against the hot spring’s transparent water. The exposure was total, shameful.

And when I fully faced the source of the voice, my breath caught.

it was undeniably him… Prince Hermford…

and he, too, was in the water, only two feets away. we faced each other, separated only by the rising steam, the heir to the throne and the girl chosen to bear his seed… his child, completely and utterly naked...