ARC 6-Winter War-30


    The four of us follow Geneva to my bedroom. Laid out on the bed in four distinct piles are clothes of all styles. Dresses dominate but there are also shirts, jackets, trousers, and anything in-between. Quite a selection and they all appear to be of high quality. That doesn’t mention the two tables on either side of the bed holding a variety of essories. “When did you have time to prepare this?”


    “During our adventure the other night, I grabbed and stashed away anything that caught my eye or looked as if it would sell for a good price.”


    I stare at her. Do you mean to tell me that while you were wreaking havoc and tracking down one of the hunters that attacked Howie, you also managed to steal from what looks like half the city? “You weren’t carrying anything but our witness when you showed up.”


    “It wouldn’t do for anyone to spot me with my ill-gotten gains.” She giggles. “I stashed the loot and had Bell retrieve itter.”


    “But…why? We have plenty of money.” Well, my wife does. Really, where does she keep getting more? “If there was something you wanted, you could have just asked.”


    “Taking it was part of the fun~ It was a whim, Lou, though it has served a purpose. I have begun teaching Anna to sew and intend to assign her projects while we are in the north. It was also good training for Earl, determining the worth of items without context to give hints and quizzing him on how to sell them off if it came to it.”


    Why would he need…oh, never mind. I suppose it’s good to have all kinds of knowledge.


    “Alright. Pick something you like and—”


    “Lou, would it not be a tad inappropriate to simply change into such wonderful clothes? Why not take a bath?” I once again turn to stare my subus, who is grinning unrepentantly. “It has already been prepared and I took the liberty of sourcing new soaps, including new ones meant to clean hair.”


    “You—”


    Kierra interrupts me with a chuckle. “Come, lily,” she says, extending a hand to Miss Talia. “I am quite good at washing another after pampering my Lou.”


    “Hey!” I shout at her back, a little embarrassed to have her throw that detail out casually. My eyes flick to a frowning na. It’s not her disapproving frown but her ufortable frown. The one that says she’s not quite sure how to handle this situation. “Ignore her. You don’t have to join us. There’s a smaller tub for individual use.”


    na’s frown eases, as she considers her options. She sighs heavily. “If I’m going to do this, then I’m going to do it properly.” I’m not quite sure what she means but her eyes are determined as she marches toward the bathroom. Shrugging, I follow her, pulling my shirt over my head as I go.


    Despite her determination, na stalls just inside the door. Though it may have less to do with her hesitance and more to do with Kierra pulling Miss Talia’s robe off her shoulders. She’s certainly staring at them hard enough.


    I don’t me her. My wife’s strong fingers trailing over Miss Talia’s stomach’s before wrapping around her waist, the dorm mother limp and pliant in her grasp, the picture of willing surrender, mm.


    I tear my gaze away and shuck off my pants and underthings, kicking them against a wall. Then I tap na on the shoulder, making her jump. “Need some help?”


    “I have it,” she grumbles. She practically throws off her clothes,bating her reticence with haste. I leave her to it as I step into the sunken bath. A bit early for it but the hot water feels amazing, the soaps filling the room with pleasant-smelling steam. I close my eyes, immediately rxing.


    Something entering the water distracts me and I open an eye as na sinks into the water beside me. Her shoulders are stiff and her lips are pressed tightly together but it’s already impressive enough that she’s here at all.


    Miss Talia is the opposite. I have to wonder what my wife has been doing with her, as she has zero shame. She has no problem sitting between Kierra’s legs, her head resting on my wife’s shoulder. Mm, if they didn’t look so good together, I might be jealous. It also helps knowing that could be me, in either of their ces, any time I want.


    Gentle hands enter my hair, massaging my scalp andthering in the new soap Geneva spoke of.


    “I’m fine,” na says in a strained voice, rejecting Bell who kneels behind her.


    “I’ll do it for you when I’m finished,” I offer.


    “No one asked you.” Hm. That wasn’t a refusal.


    “Soooo…” I drawl, half in y, half because of thefort of Geneva’s massage. “…anything interesting happen to anyone?”


    Wouldn’t it be a shame if we let this wonderful opportunity to bond go to waste? na has grown more ustomed to Kierra through their training but she seems wary of Miss Talia and the dorm mother naturallyes off as distant. I’d prefer if everyone got along well.


    “Nothing as interesting as what you get up to,” na mutters. The bath is doing its work and her shoulders have rxed, the future saint sinking in the water down to her chin.


    “How’s the training been going?”


    Her eyes cut to my wife who shes her a smile. “Good.”


    “Just good?”


    “Mm.”


    Okay, then. “Well…”


    “Lily,” Kierra purrs. “Do you have any news?”


    “I do not think it relevant.”


    “It is relevant because we want to know.” She taps the dorm mother’s lips. “Share.”


    “I have recently received a letter from my benefactor, Lord Remmings. A personal request for me to return to the capital. He has even offered to send a recement from the interrogators to take over my duties, despite the unfeasibility of it. It speaks to how much he wants to me ept.”


    I have questions. “Who is this Remmings? Why does he want you in the capital? And why are you saying he can’t send a recement from the interrogators?”


    She turns to me. Feeling her focus on me despite her closed eyes used to unnerve me but I’m entirely used to it now. “Remmings is the head of the interrogators. When my affinity and talent were discovered, he took me in as his disciple and an unofficial daughter. I don’t know why he wants me in the capital. It can’t be too serious, or he would have sent someone to fetch me.”


    “Fetch you?” Kierra growls. “Whoever should dare try will lose their hands.”


    Miss Talia is unaffected by the passionate deration. “It is unfeasible to rece me with a member from the interrogators as they are seen as the hands of the crown. Heirs from many powerful families stay in the Gold Dorm. Families that may not support the crown. The Hall is meant to be neutral in kingdom politics. Allowing a member of the interrogators to watch over their children will be seen as catering to the king.”


    “Huh? But you’re this Remmings’ disciple. The crown already has an insider in you. Unless you’re going to tell me they haven’t asked you to pass on information?”


    “They have.” I knew it. “However, as I’m not a member of the interrogators, there is an illusion of neutrality. Nobles hold their pretenses dear.”


    Don’t I know it. I sigh in pleasure as Geneva maniptes the bath water to rinse my hair. “Is he going to be a problem?” I’d be very upset if I returned from glorious battle to find my mistress snatched back home by her domineering father. Haha, I sound very much like the hero of a trashy bard song.


    “No. My benefactor puts reason above emotion. It is why he never adopted me, as it would invite the trouble of giving a girl more talented than his own children his family name, despite how he cared for me. He cannot force me to leave and can’t anger the Hall by forcefully removing me.”


    “Hm.” Geneva, pass me the hair soap. I take the vial and move closer to na.


    “You were serious?” she asks as she sits up.


    “Of course.” I gently tug on her until she moves between my legs, mirroring the positions of Kierra and Miss Talia. Like that, we enjoy the rest of our bath.