Verity's pov

The water was warm. Not scalding like I’d expected, but comforting in a way I’d never felt before. I dipped a toe in first, hesitant, still wondering if this was real. Then slowly, I stepped in. The warmth wrapped around my ankles, then my legs, until I was submerged in the large copper tub. I let out a shaky breath as the heat loosened muscles I didn’t even know were tense.

I had never had a proper bath before. Not like this. In the tower, I had been given cold water in ...