Eternal Love (MewGulf AU)

🌻Chapter 6

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"What does he want with me now?" Gulf groaned.

He couldn't help feeling hostile. After six long years, he'd begun to think that Mew had finally forgotten him, so what did the man want now?

He thought about how Mew was now, Gulf was accustomed to the man's charms, his sophisticated behavior. His fiery gaze.

Mew's kisses were exactly as they had been, so passionate that he felt he was being burned somewhere deep inside his body. His fingers brushed his lips. They were still tender, even aching. He felt it was wrong, but all he could think about was Mew.

He must not have been in his right mind since it was several moments before he noticed that someone was knocking on his door. Gulf shook his thoughts from his mind and stood up.

He drew closer to the door, cautious of the hesitant knock. "Who is it?" he called out.

A woman's voice answered in polite Arabic. When he opened the door, a woman wrapped in black abaya smiled at Gulf.

"My name is Sana," she said, "and I will be serving you during your stay here. Please tell me if there's anything that you need."

Arabian woman ususally cover everything but their faces. He could tell that Sana was about 30. Her features were typical an Arabian woman's, but her black eyes were striking.

It would have been much easier to tell her that he didn't need any help and shut the door, but Gulf knew that that wasn't really acceptable. This was Madina. If Gulf refused her, Sana would not be fulfilling the duty her master had given her.

"I had food prepared for you," she said politely. "I will lead you to the dining room."

He realized for the first time that he hadn't eaten so much as a crumb in a very long time. But he wasn't feeling hungry. He had no idea if it was a side effect of the drugs or if he just wasn't feeling well because of stress.

"I'd rather not," he said.

"Shall I have the food brought here instead?" Sana inquired.

"No," he said, refusing her second attempt. "I'm afraid I'm not up to it. I'm going to lie down. Please don't go to any trouble for me."

"But...his majesty asked me to prepare quite a lot of food for you" Sana protested.

It bothered her not to be able to carry out orders. Gulf wasn't sure what he could do to help, but then an idea came to him. He still didn't feel like eating, but he did want to wash himself. "Can you take me to a bath?"

Sana's face lit up at Gulf's request. "Certainly."

No sooner had she replied than she rushed out of the room on light feet. A different maid arrived to escort Gulf.

"Please follow me," the new maid said.

He left the room and followed the maid through the Saria palace. The palace may have been a secondary residence tucked away in an oasis, but it was still shockingly extravagant. The architects seemed to have exhausted the limits of luxury, from the marble beneath their feet to the pillars covered in finely worked tiles. The large inlaid stones looked like emeralds. A mural of densely painted plant life that arched across the vaulted ceiling was a highlight.

The fact that he was in Madina, finally registered to Gulf. He was impossibly far from England.

"Here we are," the maid announced.

A pair of double doors swung open and Gulf gaped at the sprawling bathing area he saw through the billowing clouds of steam. Round pillars were spaced evenly around the room, and in between them short flights of stairs descended into a round bathtub the size of a pool. In the center of the pool was a statue of a lion, hot water pouring out of its roaring mouth.

Three maid were waiting inside. The moment Gulf hesitantly stepped into the room, they surrounded him and started stripping his clothes off.

"Hey...hold on!" he shouted, surprising the women.

He spread his hands wide in apology, since they had, after all, done nothing wrong. "I'm sorry. But I'd prefer to do this myself," he said apologetically.

Their confusion was infectious. In Madina, he knew it was probably customary for maids to help with bathing, but Gulf simply could not submit to that. He had no idea how to tell them this, so he just asked to be left to bathe alone.

He wasn't sure how they took that. But it was important that he be alone here, and he felt greatly relieved when the maids left the room.

Gulf felt a littke guilty for having the huge bathtub all to himself. That thought made him realize how much of a commoner he was. His family had been part of the upper-middle class. It may even have been in the lower edge of the upper class. But no matter how wealthy he was, it was nothing compared to the royalty of Madina.

He stretched out in a corner of the marble bath and closed his eyes. A faint scent of roses floated up from the water and he began to relax, despite his situation. He'd heard that in olden times, there were fauscets in the palaces of some countries that ran with rose-scented water. That people washed their hands with it. This was like the upgraded bathtub version.

Everything here seemed to belong to a world beyond all imagination. But this was how Mew lived everyday. Even if it seemed unreal to Gulf, it was just a part of humdrum life for Mew. Gulf let out a sigh.

After he'd taken leisurely soak in the bath, he washed his body and hair. He returned for another long soak afterwards, but had to cut it short when he started to get dizzy.

He climbed the steps and returned to the dressing area. The cool feeling of the marble on the siles of his feet was wonderful, and for a moment he forgot his fatigue.

Several little bottles set to one of his change of clothes caught his eyes. They seemed like something the girls at his office would like, little glass bottles decorated with delicate roses. They were filled with amber liquid.

He opened the top of one and brought it to his nose. It smelled like a sweet perfume. It was no doubt intended to be put on the body. It didn't interest him. He replaced the cap, shrugging his shoulders, and, a bit edgy, slipped into the clothes that had been prepared for him. The silk nightgown caressed his skin wonderfully. But he thought it looked like lingerie and he felt uncomfortable. He didn't like the clothes that went all the way to his feet.

It was nothing like a pair of pajamas. Fastening the buttons on the front, Gulf had trouble deciding between a rattan chair and the bed, but wound up choosing the chair. He threw his glowing body into it and closed his eyes.

Mew's face floated up in his mind

'Faridat.'

Mew had called out to Gulf in the same voice as long ago. An imperious, sweet voice filled with affection. There had been a time when just hearing that voice had made Gulf happier than he could say.

He lost himself in the memory of Mew's hand stroking his hair.

"Mew..."

For Gulf, that was a special name. Until that day six years ago. Ironically, Gulf got to know the real Mew only after the man had left. He had been deeply troubled by the differences between the Mew in his heart and Mew Suppasit. He couldn't deal with it, and so erasing the Mew in his heart had been the only way to protect his self-respect.

He thought he'd succeeded---until today.

He remembered the light touch on the back of his neck. He had loved being touched by Mew. When Mew touched the back of his neck. A kiss was sure to follow...

TBC