8. Jasmine

The sunlight streams in from the tall glass windows lining the wall of the room. My eyes, still heavy with sleep, resist opening as my body tries to cling to the pull weighing me down. I roll over with a grumble, stretching my aching muscles, my naked body worn and sated from the night before.

"By Beow," I whisper to myself, bringing my hand to my mouth as my cheeks warm with the memory of last night.

I can't wrap my head around the tenderness Karul showed. The connection we had was unlike anything I've ever experienced, so much so that he couldn't help himself, spilling into me with a straining quickness that I could tell he was embarrassed about.

I roll over to face the other side of the bed, only to find it empty. There is a note in the pillow written in an elegant scrawl.

There is a servant waiting outside for you. She is mute.

I pause halfway through the note, turning to glance at the heavy wooden door.

Mute? Why would the servant be mute?

The rest of the note says that I can order the servants, and they'll respond without question.

The personal servants are mute, so they won't be able to say anything.

I return the note to the pillow and climb out of the oversized bed. When I pull open the door, there is indeed a servant waiting outside.

"Hello," I say quietly. She may be mute, but I won't be rude. I, more than anyone, understand what it's like to serve.

Though she's a dark elf, she keeps her eyes downcast. She gestures to the room, not daring to look at me. As I step back from the doorway, she walks into the room and heads straight to the bathroom, and begins drawing a bath in the giant claw foot tub.

As I sink into the massive tub, the warmth of the water soothes my aching muscles. Every inch of me feels awakened, every sense sharpened. I"ve never felt more like a real woman than I do this morning, my body still warm with the lingering memories of the night we shared.

My heart flutters in nervous excitement at the thought of seeing him again. Karul, with his platinum hair and the scars that map his body—a testament to his survival against a cruel fate. Last night, he was not the rebellious playboy I thought him to be, but something else entirely, something real.

I slide down, the water rising to my neck, and allow myself to bask in the heat of the water, getting lost in replaying the way Karul"s hands touched every inch of my body.

After a while, the thoughts become too intense to bear. I lift myself out of the tub, my movements fluid and graceful, barely recognizing the reflection that gazes back at me from the mirror. Blue eyes sparkle, no longer dull with resignation. They are alive with secrets now, secrets shared beneath the moon"s approving gaze.

"Will he come to see me today?" I ask the reflection, trying to quell the little twinge of hope fluttering within my chest.

But as I make my way through the sprawling mansion, my excitement dims with each empty corridor, with each silent room. His absence is a cold whisper against my skin, raising goosebumps. He"s not here. Not today. The realization settles heavily in my stomach, and I bite my lip to stifle the disappointment.

"Where is he?" I wonder aloud, my words dissipating into the vastness of the chamber.

The days drift by. One after another, they pass in a blur of sameness, each morning a repeat of the last. I find myself drawn to the window, watching as if my gaze alone could summon him. But like a shadow chased by light, he remains elusive, a figment of desire just beyond reach.

"Karul," I whisper to the dusk, the name a prayer, a plea. It"s foolish to think he would appear simply because I wish it so. Yet, I can"t help but remember the promise etched in the lines of his body, the tender fierceness in his touch.

Time stretches taut, the wait an eternity condensed into heartbeats. And still, he doesn"t come. The mansion looms large and empty around me, its opulence a gilded cage. I am caged once more, the fleeting taste of freedom now bitter on my tongue.

"Maybe he"s forgotten me," I concede, the admission like a shard of ice in my veins.

But no, that can"t be true, not with the heat that still lingers in the hollow of my throat, not with the memory of his scarred neck pressed against my cheek. He can"t have forgotten. So why, then, does he stay away?

"Is this punishment?" I ask the silence, my brow furrowing in continued disappointment.

Therein lies the question. I press a hand against the cool glass pane, longing for answers—or, better yet, for him. But as night falls, the mansion whispers secrets I cannot comprehend, and I am left alone, haunted by the ghost of what might have been.

I sit on the edge of the bed, my hands clasping and unclasping in my lap. The sensation of his touch lingers like a ghost on my skin, both desired and unwelcome.

"Stop it," I whisper to myself. My own voice sounds foreign in the silence, like the echo of another life. "He was just a man—the first, yes, but just a man."

My fingers trace the smooth expanse of my skin where his lips had been. The warmth gives way to the chill of the room. With every heartbeat, I feel the pull, the yearning to have him close again.

"Isn"t it too abrupt?" My voice cuts through the stillness—a plea for reason. "This can"t be love. There is no place for such things here." The words are a mantra, repeated to ward off the foolishness of a captive heart.

I rise from the bed, pacing the small space, willing the movement to distract me from the ache inside. My bare feet tap against the cold floor, a staccato rhythm that fails to match the chaos of my thoughts.

"Freedom," I echo, the word a hollow dream. I glance at my reflection in the small, tarnished mirror on the wall. The girl staring back doesn"t know what it means to belong to herself, much less to another.

"Even him," I say aloud, acknowledging the truth that coils tight around my heart. The reality of my existence is a cage, and love—whatever form it might take—is a danger I cannot entertain.

I walk around exploring the mansion. After turning down yet another hall, I get the feeling this place is bigger than I realized. It is huge, and aside from a servant or two, I haven"t seen anyone else here.

"What could one man need so much space for?" I wonder.

The expansiveness of the silence weighs on my sanity the most. I try to busy myself exploring, walking around this sprawling house to try to forget him.

After a day or two of this same routine, I am tired of the elaborate emptiness the mansion keeps showing me. I need to breathe fresh air into my lungs. It"s been longer than I can remember since I"ve been outside purely for my own pleasure.

I have spent countless hours wandering through the halls and rooms of this mansion, feeling like a ghost haunting my own life. With each turn, I have found another opulent chamber or expansive foyer adorned with priceless art and antiques, but they all begin to blur into one another, unable to distract me from the memories of Karul that cling to every surface.

The scent of his skin, his spice-scented hair, his warm breath on my neck—they are everywhere I turn, and I am left wanting nothing more than to escape their hold on my heart.

I pause before an intricately carved wooden door, my hands trembling as I reach out to grasp the handle. It creaks open soundlessly, revealing a hidden staircase leading downward into darkness.

My heart races in anticipation as I descend the steps, unsure of what might await me at its bottom. The steps lead down into a courtyard covered in foliage. I take a deep breath, filling my lungs with fresh air, as a calm rolls over me.

I wander the grounds; the trailing and flowing flowers bring peace to my mind.

As I wander further into the courtyard, my bare feet sink into the soft, dewy grass that tickles and chills against my soles. The night sky stretches out above me, glittering with a million stars that twinkle like diamonds on an endless black velvet cloak.

The air is cool and crisp, carrying the sweet scent of honeysuckle and lavender that teases my senses. A crescent moon hangs low in the sky, casting a soft glow over the landscape, illuminating the silhouette of towering trees and a sprawling lake just beyond.

Intrigued, I make my way towards it, drawn by its mysterious allure. The water ripples softly as I approach, reflecting the flickering light of fireflies that dance around like playful children. The surface is calm - no monsters lurking beneath or dangerous currents to be found.

Instead, there"s a sense of peace that washes over me, urging me closer. I peel off my dress slowly, letting it pool at my feet before stepping into the refreshing water. It laps against my skin like gentle fingers, cool and inviting.

The water washes over my body, filling me with a sense of weightlessness as I swim in this natural wonderland all alone. The moonbeams on the water create iridescent sparkles that catch my eye. As I prepare to submerge myself again, the water a cool caress around my body, I hear a twig snap loudly in the woods.

"Who"s there?" I call out, but there is no answer, only silence and the sound of my own heart thundering in my ears.