"Did you see them outside earlier?" "How could I not? They're kind of hard to ignore." I kneel by the edge of the bathing pool, scrubbing the stones with a rag as a few of my Sisters continue to babble about Andres and Mateo. They sit with their ankles crossed at the water's edge as if they're members of the inner circle here for a scrub. One of them flings her rag around as she talks, eyes mischievous and full of gossip. "How do they expect us to do our job when they move like that? They should at least wear a sash to cover those glistening pecks while they spar." "I wouldn't mind Andres pouncing on me like that. The way he was all over our future Kah'Sikae had my mind in a fog." I shake my head and do my best to drown them out with the roar of the waterfall, staring at the rocks beneath me. How can they talk so freely about Mateo like that? "What about you, Cecile?" I glance at them from my peripherals. "What about me?" "I saw you eyeing them earlier. I'm sure you have pleny of thoughts about the future Kah'Sikae." "I do admire the way our future Kah'Sikae spars with his advisor," I say. "It will be a good thing to have a Kah'Sikae so strong to protect us." It's a standard answer. Praising our leaders for their strength and protection while we mill about our chores. And as much as I want to talk for hours about every inch of Mateo's body, I know better. Though they seem innocent enough, one wrong word and they'll send every letter back to my mother by the end of the night. "Oh, come on," my Sister groans. "You have to have some kind of opinion of Mateo." "Yes, please. Do enlighten us." The sound of his voice nearly gives me a heart attack. My Sisters immediately move from their casual stances and fully bow as Mateo stands at the entrance in nothing but a bathing cloth. "Pardon me, ladies. But I believe that Cecile has other matters to attend to at the moment." "Yes, sir," they echo, hurrying to gather their abandoned cleaning supplies. Not another word is uttered as they make their way out of the room, bowing again as they pass Mateo. The firm thud of the door in the distance signals their departure suddenly the crash of the waterfall is dulled out by the overwhelming sound of my heartbeat. We're officially alone. I gather the remaining supplies and take my time putting them away. Earlier, he had teased me about scrubbing his back, but I didn't think he'd go this far. Just the sight of him in nothing but a bathing cloth is more than I can handle. "Cecile." His tone is light, the heat between us earlier completely erased as he moves further into the room. But I know that can change in an instant. "Yes, sir," I squeak, clearing my throat. "How can I help?" "Stand guard while I bathe. I don't want anyone coming in here and bothering me with nonsense." "Yes, sir," I breathe, making my way to the open doorway. He's already submerged in the water, the towel discarded on the edge as he swims towards the waterfall. I take a seat in the entryway and cross my legs under me as he splashes away. "You better not take forever in there," I yell. "I still have plenty of things to do." "Yeah, yeah," he calls back. "I'm serious. I don't have the time to babysit you all day. Some of us have jobs." I wait for his slick response but hear nothing, the obnoxious amount of splashing he was doing is now silent. He must've swum under the falls, and I lean back on my hands in comfortable silence. Eventually, he'll come back up with something to say. Just like he always did when we were kids. But the longer I wait, the more the silence overwhelms me. I know it's against the rules to look at anyone while they bathe, but the silence is more than I can stand, and I lose my resolve. My eyes grow in fear as Mateo floats on his stomach near the bottom of the waterfall, his body limp and unmoving. "Mateo!" I scramble towards him, jumping into the water without hesitation. How did this happen? Did his sparring match take more out of him than he realized? The water is warm as I swim toward Mateo's lifeless body. No sooner do I touch his back does he comes up gasping for air, a wild grin on his face. "What the hell," I yell, shoving him as I fight to stay afloat. "I thought you were dead." "Relax, Cecile. I'm fine," he chuckles. "Just strengthening my lungs." He swims back towards the waterfall, the shadows of his naked body dancing under the water. I scoff and swim my way back toward the edge. Despite my noble act of heroism, I feel nothing short of a fool. I ring out my dress with frustration. What was I thinking? Someone could've walked in on us. Oh, what a field day my mother would have if she heard I was bathing with the future Kah'Sikae. I'd probably be banned from ever bathing again. I shuffle over to the entrance and regain my position. Honestly, how am I supposed to explain this to her once she sees me? It's not too long before Mateo is out of the pool and drying himself. And while my curiosity is eating me alive, I can't afford any more slip-ups. "Ready," he says, walking towards me. I make my way to a stand and bow as he crosses the threshold. "Will there be anything else?" I ask. "Yes. Follow me." I have no choice but to exit the bathing chamber and follow Mateo behind a path of tall watergrass. Secret stones used for the staff are placed across the canal's surface, but Mateo likes to use them as a shortcut to get to his room. We make it to the covered hallway undetected and he holds the door open for me to slip inside. I don't even realize I'm holding my breath until he closes the door behind us. Even though it's been years since I've been here, his room hasn't changed a bit. Aside from the colorful wardrobe of ceremonial clothing and the changing screen, the room is practically bare. A bed, some books, and a few speared weapons that are always forgotten in the corner. Mateo walks towards the colorful fabrics and plucks his outfit for tonight with ease. Don't tell me he wants me to help him dress for the ceremony. My cheeks burn at the thought, but I breathe a sigh of relief once he silently moves behind the folded screen. "You still needed me, sir?" I ask, confused. "So impatient," he laughs. "There's a light blue dress for you on the rack." A dress? For me? This must be another one of his traps. But not accepting a gift from the Kah'Sikae's family is as bad as death. I numbly walk towards the rack, the dress immediately sticking out from all the other fabrics. Shells and gems only found in Kah'Noh adorn the front of the fibers woven together, thick and sturdy. I've never owned anything this nice in my life. I'm lucky that the few dresses I do own aren't tattered to bits by how frequently I wear them. Mateo emerges in his ceremonial attire. A green feathered cloak sits on his shoulders, the front of him bare to show off his strength. His pants are thickly woven with golden thread and sacred fibers. Golden cuffs adorn his wrists and ankles. My heart nearly stops, and I immediately drop to a bow. Even if he is Mateo, the presence of his status is too overwhelming to ignore. "No, none of that here," he quickly grabs my hands to help me off the floor and cups his hand under my chin, eyes shining. "Why don't you get out of those wet clothes? The ceremony will start soon." "Right," I nod, clutching my new dress as I scurry behind the screen. I can't believe I'm doing this. Everything we're doing can get us into serious trouble, but I'm left with no choice. The best I can do is be quick and efficient. The less time I spend here the better. I quickly toss my wet dress aside in favor of my new one. The fabric is smooth on my skin as I unfasten the back and slide into it. Even the dress I wore for my initiation into the staff wasn't this nice. I do my best to work the fastens on the back closed, but they're out of reach. Beads of sweat roll down my face as I fight to close myself in. Panic sets and after a few more attempts, I have no choice. "Um, Mateo?" "Yeah?" I sigh, steeling myself. "Can you help me out?" I hold the dress up against my boobs as he joins me behind the screen. I managed to clasp the bottom part so at least I'm not showing him my whole backside. But knowing that he's seeing more of me than usual stirs my insides. "Right," he chuckles darkly behind me. "Here." He inches closer, fingers hovering over the fastens before grabbing hold. One by one he makes his way up my back. His touch is gentle, and I can't help but shiver a little as he touches the back of my neck. "There," he breathes. "Done." He doesn't step away and I'm paralyzed in place. The space behind the screen is enough for one person to change with ease. But with Mateo's hulking frame standing so close, we might as well be trapped in a crate. If I turn around, he'll be right in front of me. And I might just lose all control. "Thank you," I whisper. "We should be getting back now." "Yeah, we should." He doesn't move a step, and I have no choice but to take a chance and face him. The longer I stay here, the more power he has. At least this way I can try to move around him instead of cowering in a corner. But as soon as I see his eyes, I immediately know I've fallen into the worst trap of all. My chest presses against him, his golden cuffs resting on my lower back as he wraps his arms around me. "You look beautiful," he says, moving closer. I'm too stunned to speak. Anything I say will make me break. I can already feel our hearts hammering against each other and I know there's no way to escape this time. His hold on me is strong but gentle. I know if I tell him to stop, he'll back off. But I no longer have any desire to leave. I close my eyes as Mateo's lips gently meet mine, all of my desires unlocking at once. The feathers covering his shoulders are soft as I wrap my arms around his neck and bring him closer. I feel his desires rise against me with every kiss and a small moan escapes me. The sound alone stirs Mateo alive and his kisses become deeper, hungrier. He leans me against the wall, and I don't object. I'm helplessly at his command. His hips move against me, his tongue stroking mine as I move my hips to his rhythm. My insides are burning with desire as my hands slide down his chest and trail toward the edge of his pants, tugging slightly. Mateo pulls away, just enough to meet my gaze. His muscular frame towers over me as he studies my face, his eyes still ablaze with pleasure as he fights to find his breath. He kisses me once and trails his lips down to my neck. "Cecile," he breathes in my ear. "Are you sure? If you're not ready..." I tug again, so firm that the gems adorning his belt bite into my palm. Even with all my instincts screaming for me to retreat and get on with the night, I can't deny it anymore. "I want to." So much for not falling in love.