Hajin let his head sink back against the smooth marble tub rim while steaming water climbed up toward his tight chest.
'Warm water... I almost forgot how good this feels after hauling an unconscious royal across two miles of rough mountain forest.'
His chaotic memories from the past few days drifted past his closed eyes, bouncing between deep wilderness clearings and grand royal throne rooms.
'Twelve feet away, wearing his polished court mask... the moment our eyes met, I felt how badly he wanted me gone.'
'Will I really be fine here? Why does that question sound far smaller inside a marble suite than on a mountain ridge?'
'The polished marble offers no answers, the rising steam offers nothing, yet this tub never charges me a single copper coin.'
The King offered official protection within these palace walls, yet an influential noble family like the Flints never needed to strike anyone openly.
