Read Online The Dragon’s Treasure by Caitlin Ricci - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Caitlin Ricci
Ads: Link
dressed in some men’s clothing she took from the wardrobe before finding a guard in the hallway.
“Hello,” she said as she approached him. He quirked an eyebrow at her unusual attire, but wisely kept his mouth closed. “I would like to go see Faolan. Can you take me to his rooms?” she asked. The man nodded quickly and began leading her. Just a few doors down the long hallway from her room the guard stopped, gave her a quick bow and went back to his post down the hall across the door from her suite.
“This is his room?” she called to him. The guard nodded. “You could have pointed, you know.” He smiled briefly before turning away. With a shake of her head, Isabelle knocked on the door and when there was no answer, let herself in. The room was designed much the same as hers was and there was steam coming from the door to the bath.
She approached cautiously, not wanting to startle Faolan if he was in there. The scene that met her eyes though instantly brought a soft smile to her lips as she saw him up to his neck in the hot water, his head leaning back against the smooth stone, his eyes resting closed.
Feeling uneasy about spying on him, she still couldn’t resist seeing him so vulnerable and unguarded. He really was beautiful with his pale skin and fine muscles. His dark hair, so neat before, now lay in wet clumps around his neck and shoulders.
His eyelids began to open and, not wanting to be caught staring at him, Isabelle knocked on the open door. She forced herself not to smile as his eyes shot open and he sat up quickly, splashing water over the stone. In a moment, the unguarded look in his face was replaced by the cautiousness that she was starting to grow used to.
“Isabelle…Hello…” he stammered, a bright blush already forming over his cheeks.
“Hi,” she replied, forcing herself to look away from him.
He leaned forward slightly and forced himself to slow his breathing. “I’m almost done if you want the bathe to yourself,” he said quietly.
Isabelle shook her head and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. She couldn’t meet his eyes. “Um, actually, I was wondering if you could…um…”
“You went to see your brother, didn’t you?” he asked quickly, already reaching for the towel beside him.
“How did you know?” she said as she turned slightly towards him, her eyes wide.
“A hunch I suppose. Is he better after…Well, what happened…”
Isabelle nodded. “Much. He seems so much stronger.”
“It makes sense that doing that would help the most. It’s hard for my father to have his precious heir without that after all,” he said.
“You don’t want a child?” she asked.
“I wouldn’t have forced marriage and a child on someone just to have an heir,” he replied seriously.
“It’s not so bad. I will have my brother back and that’s worth it,” she said softly.
“I’m glad for you.”
She squared her shoulders and caught his gaze. “I want my brother well again as quickly as possible. You can help me with that. Like you did last night.”
* * * *
He instantly stopped and stared at her, not fully believing what she was saying. “Are you sure, Isabelle? I don’t want you getting hurt.”
She pressed her lips into a thin line and nodded once more. “I want my brother to get better.”
“If that is what you want, we will do as you wish. Would you like to wait on the bed and I will join you in a few minutes?”
Isabelle nodded and left the doorway. She was vaguely aware of her hands shaking as she began stripping off the loose tunic. At least the simple clothes didn’t take too much concentration to take off or else she might never accomplish it. After a few minutes of struggling with the pants, the clothes lay in a crumpled pile around her feet. Not wanting to seem lazy and hoping to stall for a few extra seconds, she neatly folded them up and placed them on the seat of a nearby chair. She crawled into bed, her pulse ringing loudly in
“Hello,” she said as she approached him. He quirked an eyebrow at her unusual attire, but wisely kept his mouth closed. “I would like to go see Faolan. Can you take me to his rooms?” she asked. The man nodded quickly and began leading her. Just a few doors down the long hallway from her room the guard stopped, gave her a quick bow and went back to his post down the hall across the door from her suite.
“This is his room?” she called to him. The guard nodded. “You could have pointed, you know.” He smiled briefly before turning away. With a shake of her head, Isabelle knocked on the door and when there was no answer, let herself in. The room was designed much the same as hers was and there was steam coming from the door to the bath.
She approached cautiously, not wanting to startle Faolan if he was in there. The scene that met her eyes though instantly brought a soft smile to her lips as she saw him up to his neck in the hot water, his head leaning back against the smooth stone, his eyes resting closed.
Feeling uneasy about spying on him, she still couldn’t resist seeing him so vulnerable and unguarded. He really was beautiful with his pale skin and fine muscles. His dark hair, so neat before, now lay in wet clumps around his neck and shoulders.
His eyelids began to open and, not wanting to be caught staring at him, Isabelle knocked on the open door. She forced herself not to smile as his eyes shot open and he sat up quickly, splashing water over the stone. In a moment, the unguarded look in his face was replaced by the cautiousness that she was starting to grow used to.
“Isabelle…Hello…” he stammered, a bright blush already forming over his cheeks.
“Hi,” she replied, forcing herself to look away from him.
He leaned forward slightly and forced himself to slow his breathing. “I’m almost done if you want the bathe to yourself,” he said quietly.
Isabelle shook her head and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. She couldn’t meet his eyes. “Um, actually, I was wondering if you could…um…”
“You went to see your brother, didn’t you?” he asked quickly, already reaching for the towel beside him.
“How did you know?” she said as she turned slightly towards him, her eyes wide.
“A hunch I suppose. Is he better after…Well, what happened…”
Isabelle nodded. “Much. He seems so much stronger.”
“It makes sense that doing that would help the most. It’s hard for my father to have his precious heir without that after all,” he said.
“You don’t want a child?” she asked.
“I wouldn’t have forced marriage and a child on someone just to have an heir,” he replied seriously.
“It’s not so bad. I will have my brother back and that’s worth it,” she said softly.
“I’m glad for you.”
She squared her shoulders and caught his gaze. “I want my brother well again as quickly as possible. You can help me with that. Like you did last night.”
* * * *
He instantly stopped and stared at her, not fully believing what she was saying. “Are you sure, Isabelle? I don’t want you getting hurt.”
She pressed her lips into a thin line and nodded once more. “I want my brother to get better.”
“If that is what you want, we will do as you wish. Would you like to wait on the bed and I will join you in a few minutes?”
Isabelle nodded and left the doorway. She was vaguely aware of her hands shaking as she began stripping off the loose tunic. At least the simple clothes didn’t take too much concentration to take off or else she might never accomplish it. After a few minutes of struggling with the pants, the clothes lay in a crumpled pile around her feet. Not wanting to seem lazy and hoping to stall for a few extra seconds, she neatly folded them up and placed them on the seat of a nearby chair. She crawled into bed, her pulse ringing loudly in
Similar Books
