Chapter 49: Chapter 49: Lady Eser, Part 4

Laughing, Mahzan withdrew to obey. He'd linger in the delightfully hot water another night if they stayed that long. He found soap and rags and scrubbed himself off thoroughly, then dithered over his hair. The long braids had not fared well, and it had taken two servants to help maintain his hair at the Heart. The smart thing would be to get rid of them, but he still dragged his feet as he climbed out of the bathing tub to rummage through several drawers built into the wall.

When he found shears, he stood in front of the large mirror opposite the tub and started snipping. Several minutes later his hair was an uneven, but short mess. Given enough time, it would grow out and begin to form heavy locks.

"Looks good short, though I admit the braids weren't terrible."

Mahzan could read how not terrible Sule had found them. He scrubbed his fingers through his short hair, not entirely minding the lack of weight. "This is probably much better for traveling; I should have done it sooner."