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Chapter XXXI - The Mistress's Bedroom

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"And then the goddess in a fit of jealous rage turned Medusa into the monster we all know her as today: a gorgon," read Athena. "What a story!" She poked Sir Claudius scales, checking to see if he was still awake. "Are you awake? Are you listenin'?"

He snorted, smoke coming out of his nostrils.

"Then why do you have your eyes closed?" She closed the book and folded her arms.

Sir Claudius opened his eyes wide and moved his enormous head closer to her so she could see.

"Fine, I trust you. I'm getting tired myself, anyway." She yawned. "It's almost mornin'." Athena looked out of one of the dungeon cracks, seeing if dawn had broken yet.

"It's almost time," she said. "Do you want me to stay?"

He sat silent.

"Oh, please, Claudius?" She walked over to him and patted the scales on his head. "I've never seen you transform back into a man before. Please, just this one time."

He looked off into the dying embers of the fire and rattled the scales on the end of his tail, whipping it around.

Athena got right up into his face and grinned, her dimples seeping into her cheeks.

Sir Claudius swung his head back-and-forth: no. He then gestured, lifting one of his clawed arms and motioning for her to turn around.

She grunted, stiffened up her body, and turned around like a nutcracker, to face the other side of the dungeon. "Why not?" She lifted one of her eyebrows. "I've done everything you've asked, read you your favorite stories, and made you tea!" She listened for any sound, the shifting of scales on the stone floor, the crackling of the fire, but there was nothing. "I don't understand why it has to be this way."

Claudius cleared his throat.

Athena turned bright red. She spun around and saw Sir Claudius standing there, buttoning up his sleeves.

"You already turned?" Athena blushed. "Oh… now I understand."

Claudius laughed. "I'm not exactly clothed when I transform, Athena. That's why I don't like you staying here past two or three o'clock. I was just—" he yawned, "so tired I didn't realize what time it was. I believe I slept through the story of Medusa as well."

Athena put her hands on her hips. "I knew it."

Claudius finished buttoning his sleeves and then grabbed a comb from inside the Chester drawers next to the fireplace. "I'm sure you're wondering why nothing… out of the ordinary occurred when I transformed."

"I wanted to see all of the flames! I thought there would surely be some." Athena pouted, drawing near to him.

"When I turn into a dragon, I feel all of the burning sensations, but turning human… I've slept through it so many times and only wake up when I can't stand the freezing stones any longer. I can't explain why. There are… so many things I don't know about myself. The elder of my clan never did quite explain certain elements of my curse." He looked off into the distance. "But I digress, you now know why I don't like for you to be here when I transform into a human. I don't much like it when you're here as I transform into a dragon either. Do you know how many clothes have been shredded because of your curiosity?"

Athena giggled, putting a hand over her mouth. "Oh, stop. You hate those ole things anyway," she said. "I can tell those outfits are older—not Henri's work."

"Well, I suppose I can't fault you for that then. You're right. I hate those outfits." He smirked. "But once I run out of them, you'll have to leave."

"Fine," Athena said. "Deal."

"Now, get to work," he said sternly, a boom in his voice. But his face soon melted into a playful grin.

Athena giggled. "Oh, but I can't. I'm too sleepy." She waltzed over and fainted in his arms, one arm over her forehead. He caught her.

"Now, Miss Everleigh, this is quite improper and no way to act around your employer." He brushed a hair away from her forehead.

She snored.

"Athena!" he laughed. "You've got to be joking, Athena." He lugged her a few feet away until dropping her into his chair.

She grinned, snoring even louder.

"I can't stand you sometimes," he said, kneeling down before her. "Perhaps you should go to one of the castle bedrooms and doze off for an hour or two."

"Carry me," she whispered.

He rolled his eyes. "Why must you always be so dramatic?"

"Let us not forget how dramatic you can be, Sir Claudius." She wrapped her arms around his neck.

He picked her up bridal style, bouncing her a few times before getting a good grip.

Athena felt his neck muscles, rubbing up and down his veins. She then trailed her hand down his suit. The soft fabric felt like flour under her skin. She looked up and only saw his black mustache and beard. He looked straight ahead as he walked out of the dungeon doors. Athena cradled herself into his chest and shut her eyes.

A few minutes passed; Athena felt Sir Claudius climbing up several sets of stairs. When she opened her eyes again, he was laying her down over an animal skin bed. She spread her fingers out across it and breathed in the scent of the room: old forest pine.

"Are you cold?" Claudius asked.

"A little." Athena snuggled up to the animal skin cover.

Claudius breathed in a puff of air. Athena watched as flames rose in his throat. He then blew out just enough flame to light up the fireplace.

The room lit up. It was the first one that Athena had seen that wasn't made of stone. Rather, the walls were all planks of dark, golden-brown wood. The bed was in a canopy-shape, made of thick logs.

"I haven't been in this one yet." Athena glanced about. "What was it for?"

"It was one of the original rooms. It was meant to be… the Mistresses' bedroom." Claudius fumbled with the buttons on his sleeve.

"Oh," Athena said.

"It's the nicest room out of all of the originals," said Claudius. "You can come in here to rest anytime you would like."

Athena furrowed her brows. "What about your room? Shouldn't the Master's be nicer?" She looked up at him.

"It should be." Claudius rubbed the back of his neck. "There's a reason I haven't wanted you to clean it. It's… quite a mess, but it's my mess. I understand it and don't want it to be changed."

"Oh, alright," Athena said, sinking below the covers. "Well, thank you for letting me stay here. I'll wake up at nine and get to work." She turned over, facing the wall.

Claudius winced and drew himself in. "Athena…"

"Hmm?"

She sounds so tired, he thought. I really shouldn't bother her anymore, but...

Beads of sweat dripped out of every one of Sir Claudius's pores. His bed-head only became greasier and grimier. And the only words he could think of were…

"What is it, Claudius?" Athena turned back over, her eyebrows knitted together. She had grown so much since the first day he met her. From a timid, shy little thing with some fat under her chin, to a lively girl who always knew how to make him laugh, to now… a beautiful woman who he couldn't live without.

"Athena, I—" He choked on the words. They almost came out, but every time he just sucked them back in, as though he were about to loosen an arrow but drew back the bowstring at the last second.

"Your parents," he said, "probably wouldn't like it if they knew you were asleep in my castle." He could breathe again.

She smiled. "Well, they don't have to know."

"I suppose you're right."

He patted her hand, stood up, and walked out of the room.