Chapter 38 Plan In The Steam

• The palace was quiet, wrapped in a hushed stillness that always followed sunset. Torches lined the gilded halls, flickering against tapestries of ancient battles, their flames dancing like restless spirits. The air smelled of sandalwood and rosewater, a mix so rich it clung to every breath. Servants padded across the polished marble floors on soft leather slippers, their heads bowed low, their voices barely whispers.
• At the heart of this vast fortress lay the king’s private bathing chamber—a cavernous, domed room carved from ivory stone and inlaid with veins of emerald. The pool at its center stretched wide enough to resemble a small lake, its edges adorned with golden braziers that cast rippling light over the steaming surface. The king himself reclined in this luxurious pool, his long black hair floating like ink on water. His broad, scarred shoulders glistened under the soft glow of firelight, his eyes closed in serene relaxation.
• Two attendants fanned the warm steam toward him with enormous crimson plumes, while another knelt nearby, pouring fragrant oils into the water. The crown of Tharion rested on a pedestal of polished obsidian beside the bath, its presence a silent reminder that even here, in his private sanctuary, he was still king.