FROST AND FLAME

Levi Asher IV paced his grand chambers like a caged lion, his fists clenched at his sides. His body betrayed him—his manhood straining against his control, his thoughts consumed by images of Sabi. Her smile. Her fiery spirit. The curve of her figure that haunted his mind, refusing to be forgotten.

He ran a hand through his disheveled hair and growled in frustration.

'This is madness! I am Levi Asher the fourth!' he said to himself, frustrated. He slammed himself onto the sleek leather chair in the corner of the room and grabbed his gaming console, desperate for a distraction.

But even as explosions and battles played out on the screen, all he could see was her. Every move he made in the game felt sluggish, uncoordinated, as though she had stolen his focus entirely. Tossing the controller aside, Levi flung himself onto the bed. He stared at the ceiling for what felt like hours before sleep finally claimed him, leaving his dreams filled with a maid who dared to invade his cold heart.

***

The morning sun filtered through the heavy curtains as Levi stirred in bed. His rare vulnerability, the rumpled hair, the half-buttoned shirt, the slightly groggy eyes gave him a disarming air.

He could hear Paris' voice. "Your Grace..."

He sluggishly went to open the door.

She was carrying a tray of breakfast, something she had never done in their years of marriage.

"Good morning," she said softly, almost uncertainly.

Levi turned to her, his sharp jawline tense and his eyes still clouded with sleep. "What are you doing?"

Paris flinched but quickly composed herself. "Sorry for invading,". She paused for a while "I thought I'd bring you breakfast," she said, her voice steady, though the gesture felt out of place between them. She had never seen him like this, unguarded, unpolished. And yet, her awe at his rare vulnerability was quickly extinguished by his scowl.

"I don't need it, don't waste my time, Paris."

Before she could respond, he slammed the door in her face. The sound echoed through the hallway, but Paris didn't flinch. Instead, she turned and walked away with a calmness that made Sabi, who had been watching from the corner, narrow her eyes in confusion.

Sabi had seen everything. Her chest tightened with anger at Levi's rudeness, and she couldn't understand why Paris seemed unaffected. To her surprise, Paris simply adjusted her gown and continued down the hall with the same poise she always carried.

***

That evening, Sabi was carefully arranging linens in the guest wing when she felt his presence before she saw him. Levi. He cornered her again, his tall frame leaning casually against the doorframe, his piercing gaze fixed on her.

This time, there was no cold rudeness in his tone. "Sabi," he said, his voice softer, more measured than she had ever heard.

She froze, her heart skipping a beat before she quickly composed herself. "Yes, Your Grace?" she asked, her tone formal, her hands steady though her insides felt anything but.

"I need to talk to you," he began, his words deliberate, as if he were carefully choosing them. "About..."

"About your treatment to others?" she interrupted, surprising even herself with the boldness of her words. "Because if so, I'd be happy to share my thoughts."

Levi's jaw tightened, but he motioned for her to continue. "Go on."

Sabi stepped closer, her chin tilted upward in defiance. "Your Grace, with all due respect, you have treated the staff...and even your wife...with such disdain, as though they're beneath you. You never say a kind word or offer a simple thank you. Respect isn't just given to those in power, it's earned."

Levi stared at her, stunned into silence. No one had ever spoken to him this way, least of all a maid, but he couldn't bring himself to feel anger.

He felt something else entirely, a strange mix of admiration and intrigue.

"I'm sorry,... I'm so sorry, it's just something that had been eating me up and i saw an opportunity to let it out." She said remorsefully bowing as though bracing herself for his retaliation. But Levi simply nodded, his face unreadable.

"Noted," he said curtly before walking away.

Sabi watched him leave, her chest rising and falling with a mix of relief and frustration. She hated the way her heart fluttered when he was near, hated the pull he seemed to have over her without even trying. "What have I done again with this my big mouth" she thought angrily.

Paris, who had been watching through the window, stared in disbelief. Sabi had done what no one else dared, spoken back to Levi.

"...and what was he doing in there trying to talk to her?" She thought. "He's interested in her, isn't he?" she thought, her lips pressing into a thin line. "She's beautiful and ...curvy" she nods her head as she walks away.

***

Levi returned to his chambers, pacing once more as Sabi's words echoed in his mind. He hated how they unsettled him, how they made him rethink his actions, his demeanor. But more than that, he hated how much he yearned for her approval.

He poured himself a drink and stared out the window, the weight of her fiery spirit pressing on him.