When Zen opened his eyes again, the light streaming through the windows had shifted completely. The sun was high in the sky now, no longer the early-morning glow.
He sat up slowly, blinking at the room. "What time is it?"
He stood and walked to the bathroom door, pushing it open. The copper tub was there, filled with water. He dipped a finger in, and… cold—ice cold.
The door suddenly burst open. "My Lord, I heard you stirring! Do you require…"
Elara froze in the doorway, her eyes going wide.
Zen froze, too, with one leg in the tub, basically half-naked.
There was a very long, very awkward silence as Elara stared at him.
"Elara."
"I... I apologize. I thought you might need assistance."
"I don't."
"Of course. I'll... prepare fresh hot water immediately!" She turned on her heel, nearly tripping over her own feet in her haste to leave.
"Don't bother," Zen called after her. "It'll take too long. I'll just use this."
