With a thud they were both  lying flat on the muddy ground. For a moment Iris kept her eyes shut, she could hear the Thump...Thump... of his beating heart and for some reason this sound was oddly comforting. She wasn't sure if it was the way he had cradled her to absorb the impact of fall or the way he was holding her close, she didn't quite understand but in that moment, enveloped in his embrace, Iris felt strangely safe.

She finally opened her eyes and found herself drowning in the depths of two golden orbs. His gaze was intense but gentle at the same time. Her face was so close to him that she could clearly see the smooth texture of his skin and the way his dark brows gracefully arched on his wide forehead. His jawline was sharp and chiseled as if sculpted with granite and his lips... they were...they were perfect. For a fleeting moment she was tempted to touch her lips to his and feel their softness.

Iris blinked quickly and tried to refocus her indecent thoughts to the person lying beneath her. She noticed his taut expression then and how his mouth was pressed in a hard line. A jolt passed through her body as she realized she had been studying him for far too long.

"Oh, Well." She tried to sit up using her elbows to push herself up, but the wet mud caused her to slip and fall again.

"Ah... My lady... let me try", his voice sounded strained.

They both attempted to break free from the entangled embrace once again and failed miserably as the ground was getting more slippery. The water had escaped from the basin which was meant to collect the stream of water at the feet of the marble dragon. By the time they finally managed to stand on their feet there was a shallow mud puddle formed around them.

Iris took one look at her disheveled condition and started chuckling.

"My lady? Ethan scanned her face anxiously thinking that she was probably hysteric but he found her bubbling with helpless mirth instead. Slowly he grinned as her infectious laughter caught him as well.

It was in this condition that Sasha found them. Their arms and clothes covered with mud, water dripping from their hair and both chortling like children, standing in a pool of murky water.

"My Lady!" the beautifully assembled drinks slipped out of her hands as she rushed to Iris's side.

Her behavior was unthinkable and Sasha would have swooned then and there if it would not have been for Iris. Before she could worry about her own shocked state she needed to see her mistress safe return to her chamber away from this commoner.

They both abruptly stopped and looked at Sasha. Iris with a sheepish expression and Ethan with an annoyed one. He was enjoying himself after such a long time but, one look at the maid's horrified expression reminded him that he was not the Monarch here, instead an unwelcomed guest and that guest was just caught guffawing with the princess of the palace. He sobered up at once and excused himself before Sasha could blame him for being forgetful of his lowly status.

"Mylady, I will take your leave then", he said quickly and went towards his room keeping a safe distance from Sasha who was now glaring at his retreating back.

"Umm... let's go, Sasha," Iris said in a careful tone, avoiding eye contact with her friend and maid. She knew too well, how improper was her behavior a moment ago.

Ethan was fuming with anger. He always got careless when Iris was around him. She had bewitched him with her alluring smile and innocence. He was so close to kissing those rosebud lips today and not only kiss but maybe more as their bodies collided in places that were hard to ignore.

He threw off his mud sodden clothes on the floor and reached for the water pitcher to wash away some of the tough stains off his body. A damp washcloth would do the job for less problematic areas for now as he did not think it would be wise to ask Sasha to draw him a bath at the moment.

This little nymph has surely addled his brain. He was not a monk and had his fair share of liaisons and indulged pleasures but, never had he felt any difficulty in controlling his desire or ignoring a feminine charm when not suitable.

What he needed now, was to find a chance to leave Lucusorbis as quickly as possible. Since he had already sent a message to Dennis, he was sure he would move heaven and Earth to help him escape, but his men were not rash. They must be planning carefully without causing mayhem. His presence here was a breach in their peace treaty and a slight mistake could result in the initiation of a horrible war that they had been trying to prevent since the past century.

One such mistake would be getting physically involved with Princess Iris Fletcher, he thought grimly. He was sitting on a wicker chair near the French windows and was once again lost in thoughts.

"My lady, your bath is ready", Sasha announced from behind the bamboo screen.

Iris stepped into the wooden tub and sighed as the fragrance reached her nostrils. Sasha had added rose oil and sandalwood powder to make the bath aromatic and relaxing. Iris closed her eyes as she thought back on what had happened in the garden a while ago.

She had to prevent such incidents in future. Ethan was from an enemy clan and this could lead to trouble. She had been neglectful twice and who knew what he would do the next time she offered her body to him without a care in the world.

Her mind was seething with the realization that she was behaving like a wanton in front of him. She was the princess of this realm and she could not allow her mind to be the slave of her desires. Already she had taken the biggest risk by hiding a dragon spirit in her palace and what more she had even put a spell on him to disguise his aura with a nymph's, but this was not required anymore.

He was stronger now and well enough to travel. When she saw him in his true form, that night, she could not deny the tiny notion of fear she felt, thinking if her people could sense his presence. But she was so infatuated with him that she pushed the thought to the far corners of her mind. She could not let her own feelings jeopardize his safety. After all this was the sole reason for her helping him in the first place. She needed to plan his departure from here soon.

"Sasha!" she called her maid as an idea struck her, "Prepare my dress, I am going to visit my brother."

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