The Banished Shy Luna Chapter 18

Elder Thora led me up the marble staircase and down a long hallway lined with golden sconces and thick crimson carpets. Every step muffled beneath my feet felt unreal, as though I had stepped out of my life and into someone else’s dream.

At the end of the hall, she unlocked a door and pushed it open.

My breath caught in my throat.

The suite was enormous. Crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead, scattering light across polished wood floors. Heavy velvet curtains framed tall windows that looked out over the city below, glowing with a thousand lights. A king-sized bed sat against the far wall, draped in satin and silk with pillows stacked so high they looked like clouds. A seating area sprawled across the room—couches of deep emerald velvet, a marble-topped table with a tray of fruits and pastries, and golden lamps that glowed warmly.

It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

Waiting inside was a man dressed in crisp black and white, his posture perfect, his expression calm. Her butler.

“Prepare a hot bath immediately,” Elder Thora instructed, her tone leaving no room for question. “Then fetch an extra fluffy robe from the front desk along with more bath items. Quickly.”

The butler bowed and hurried off, silent and efficient.

Thora guided me toward a door on the left. The bathroom. When she opened it, steam was already beginning to curl through the air. White marble floors gleamed beneath golden sconces, and a bathtub large enough for three people dominated the center. The butler had filled it with steaming water, and Elder Thora herself scattered rose petals across the surface, the blooms bobbing gently in the ripples.

She handed me bottles of shampoo and conditioner, a bar of soap so fragrant it made my head spin, and a razor still in its package. “Strip,” she said softly, her tone gentle but firm. “Wash yourself thoroughly. Use all of these. Take your time.”

My body stiffened. The word felt foreign. *Strip*. Like this was a command, but one I couldn’t understand.

“I’ll give you privacy,” she added, her eyes softening as she pressed the items into my trembling hands. Then she left, closing the door behind her.

I stood frozen, staring at the steaming water. The petals floated across the surface, delicate and red against the heat. A bath. A real bath. For me.

I swallowed hard, my throat tight. My hands shook as I began to strip off my clothes, layer by layer, until I stood bare. The air prickled against my skin, and shame twisted in my stomach.

But when I lowered myself into the water, everything changed.

Heat wrapped around me instantly, sinking into my bones. The tension in my muscles melted, the ache in my joints unraveling as though the water itself was healing me. I sank deeper, my body turning to liquid, my eyes closing as I let out a sigh I hadn’t meant to.

I’d only ever washed myself in the cold lake near the woods, rushing to scrub myself clean before someone found me. Never like this. Never surrounded by warmth, comfort, roses. The last time I’d touched hot water was when I was scrubbing pots for the pack. Never for me.

I let myself float there, weightless, for long minutes before I remembered the bottles in my hands. I poured shampoo into my palms, the scent of lavender filling the room as I lathered my hair. Conditioner followed, silky and smooth, sliding through strands that had always been tangled. Then soap across every inch of my skin, scrubbing harder than I should, desperate to erase the dirt and shame that clung to me.

My hands shook as I unwrapped the razor. I had never used one before. It felt strange, awkward, but slowly, carefully, I figured it out. My armpits, my legs—smooth and soft for the first time in my life. My skin glowed against the water, baby soft, new.

I was leaning back again, letting the water soothe me, when the door opened.

I gasped and sat up, arms covering my chest, heart pounding.

Elder Thora stepped inside silently, carrying a fluffy white robe and a folded towel. She hung them neatly on the hook by the door, her expression calm, almost maternal. “When you’re finished,” she said softly, then stepped back out without another word.

My cheeks burned as I sank lower into the water. She knew how dirty I was. That’s why she had brought me here. She expected me to wash away the filth.

When I was done, I rinsed my hair one last time just to be sure, then stood. My legs trembled as I stepped out of the tub. The water in the basin was murky, gray with dirt and soap, shame curling in my stomach. I searched for a way to drain it, fumbling with the edges of the tub, but found nothing. Finally, I gave up. Elder Thora would know.

She knew everything.

I grabbed the towel, drying myself quickly before wrapping the robe around me. It was impossibly soft, thick and warm, swallowing me whole.

Taking a shaky breath, I pushed the door open.

The butler was waiting just outside, standing silently with his hands clasped behind his back. His expression gave nothing away, though his eyes flicked briefly to me in the robe before he bowed his head slightly.

For the first time, I felt… *presentable*. Not like a servant. Not like a ghost. But still, my stomach fluttered with nerves.

What now?