Aqua couldn't help but crack a small smile as she walked next to Azure. Sheira and Lucia slowed down, leaving the two girls alone while they headed toward the bath. Azure was rather filthy and thus wished to clean herself.
"Aqua, sorry I smell so bad. I was stuck in some basement for a while."
"It is completely fine, Azure. Only a fool would blame a victim for smelling bad." She covered her mouth and chuckled.
The white haired girl made sure to keep the distance, even if Aqua had said it did not bother her; it was rather rude to spread her filth over someone.
"When I think about it, I haven't seen you in your usual outfit for a while now." Azure got slightly closer, just enough not to bother Aqua's sense of smell.
"Did you miss it?"
"I am just saying that it really fits you. I could even say that it's like it was created just for you." Azure blushed slightly as she continued to praise her heroine.
Aqua stopped for a moment. She doesn't even know how right she is. She chuckled for a moment before wrapping her hand around Azure's.
Azure's eyes widened as she reeled back from the sudden sign of affection. "A…Aqua?! What's wrong?" Her arms instinctively wrapped around Aqua despite the reluctance of dirtying someone so pristine.
"I am glad you are okay…" Her lips stretched into a line as she pulled Azure into a tight hug before just as quickly letting go of her.
"I… I will dirty you."
"So what, not like I wasn't rolling in filth all my life." Aqua rubbed her face against her armor before pulling back.
However, while Aqua merely looked relieved, Azure's face gained a red hue as her ears twitched.
"Still! You got this disgusting smell all over yourself now!"
"Doesn't matter, we are going to a bath anyway, right?"
Azure's pace slowed down to a crawl as the information hit her, "You… you will join too?!"
"Why not? I haven't bathed in years at this point."
"Years?!" Azure gasped as she stared at Aqua, "How come you are so clean and smell so nice?"
A small blush appeared over Aqua's face, "I… I keep myself clean using a thin layer of mana over my skin… and these clothes can't get dirty either because of their material." Her fingers wrapped around her skirt and lifted it slightly.
"Not here!" Azure pushed her hands down on Aqua's and forced the piece of lifted cloth down. Her face became even redder as she grabbed Aqua's hand.
"What did you think I was about to do?" Aqua chuckled. "I wasn't about to lift my skirt, you know."
"Well, I can't risk that! What if someone sees?" Azure huffed as she let go of Aqua.
"Adorable…" Aqua blushed slightly as she adjusted herself. "We should head to the bath, I am sure you are rather uncomfortable. I will help you brush your hair afterward."
"Really?!" Azure squealed as if she were a little girl.
"Why not? You have really beautiful and long hair. It deserves proper care."
"I… see." Azure's head slumped down.
"Are you okay? Do you not want me to help with your hair?" Aqua tilted her head slightly while wearing, and her eyes watered. Azure stared at the floor.
"No, no!" She raised her hands in front of her, "I am not complaining at all! I would be honored to have you help out with it!"
Aqua's sad expression faded and was replaced by a small smile, her hands clasped together. "Good! Come to my chambers as soon as you wake up, and I will do my absolute best!"
"I got it! Thank you, Aqua!" Azure sheepishly smiled before picking up her pace.
Soon, the duo approached a large marble arch with a sign hanging from its top. The duo stepped in, and they were greeted by two sets of large mahogany doors.
One led into the Male section of the baths, and the second toward the female section.
While Aqua and Azure stood still, Sheira and Lucia caught up. "Hey~ I am glad I gave you two alone time."
"Ah, Sheira!" Aqua smiled, "I almost forgot that you would be joining."
"Of course I will, and I also pulled this girl with me!" Sheira grabbed Lucia and pulled her forward.
The maid's face and ears were red as she stared at the floor. "I… I should not, your highness!"
"No, you are joining us. Be a good girl!"
"Okay…" Lucia sighed.
The female section door opened, and from there walked out an elven girl with red eyes and beautiful, long pale blue hair who wore a similar maid dress Aqua had used before. As her gaze fell on the group, she gasped and attempted to retreat, yet Sheira was quicker.
"Aurora?"
"Sheira…" The girl gripped her uniform.
She approached and bowed.
"Why are you masquerading as a maid again? Is this some kind of a kink for you?" The princess approached her elder sister and looked over her closely.
"Not at all, I just like helping with the duties. It brings me closer to those under us, isn't that what Mom always taught us we should do? Well, I guess you didn't get that lesson yet, as you are so young." Aurora spread her arms and squished Sheira's cheeks.
"I guess so," Sheira mumbled as Aurora treated her like a toy. Her gaze wandered to the remaining trio and let go of her sister, who promptly rubbed her own face.
"Always treating me like a damn kid."
"Of course, you are a tiny little thing." Aurora grinned before turning to Aqua. "You must be a reason my little sis can use spells now?"
"Oh, you are aware of that?" Aqua scratched her chin. The girl before her reminded her of Soleah in many ways when it came to appearance and even her manner of speech.
"Of course I am, rumors cannot be stopped." Aurora smiled as she approached them. "However, as much as I would love to stay and chat, I need to talk to Mother. Please excuse me~" With a wink, Aurora curtsied and removed her presence.
"Your highness, what was that for?"
"Aurora is weird like that. Don't mind her, Lucy. Let's go and clean ourselves."
"Lucy…" Lucia blushed as she followed Sheira closely.
The quartet entered the changing room, which was a room of marble with multiple shelves that lined the wall. Unlike most of the time, they were empty, which was an indicator that the Bath house was empty other than the newly arriving girls.
"How fortunate!" Azure clapped her hands, "We are alone!"
Sheira grinned before hitting Azure with her elbow, "Of course, you are excited about it, Lucia and I will keep our distance."
The champion merely nodded; she could not deny the fact that she was about to go into the bath with Aqua, which excited her at least a bit. With her eyes widened, she slapped her cheeks; it was not the time for such thoughts.
Aqua placed her hands on her hips and approached one of the shelves. I guess it will be a nice change of pace from using mana; bathing was always refreshing.
The shelves contained three towels each, and Aqua's hand slid underneath and brought them to her chest. "I will go and change." With a smile, Aqua turned to the area that was covered by a curtain.
She stepped into a comparatively small room, with a mirror that took up most of the marble wall.
On the opposing side was a stall where water constantly poured, akin to an artificial waterfall. "Surprisingly advanced for them…" She stood in front of the mirror and snapped her fingers.
In an instant, her clothing disappeared into her pocket dimension, leaving her fully nude in front of the mirror. She stretched her hands up and moaned softly. Aqua leaned closer, making sure to check her body fully.
The long red hair flowed down her body and around her generously sized breasts, giving her a rather seductive appearance.
She used to carry many scars of abuse and battle, yet they were all healed by the time she faced the supreme tyrant. Her hands landed on top of her breasts as she exhaled slowly. "He is gone… I still have a hard time believing it."
Her hands pulled up her long hair and tied it in a bun before reaching into the pocket dimension and retrieving a small band and tying her hair tightly.
With a shake of her head, she turned toward the cleansing chamber. While she was as clean as one could be, it was common courtesy to obey the societal norms of the host.
She stepped over a small stone seat and let the cold water hit her. It sent shivers down her spine, yet she quickly adjusted as it flowed down her body.
After a quick wash, she turned to the side and grabbed the dry towel, which she promptly wrapped around her body, and made her way out to the lobby.
"I am done." She smiled.
However, despite it being Azure's turn, she was merely left staring with a slight blush for a moment before Sheira nudged her. "Azu, your turn. Come on."
She looked toward Sheira in shock before nodding and rushing ahead. "Ah.. Yes, right away!"
"I guess you put your clothing into the pocket dimension thing you have?"
"Yes."
"Hah, of course~ Mommy and her tricks."
"Not a trick, it's a part of Authority. It's far too early for you to learn it, but one day!" Aqua stated with pride.
"Alright, I got it!" Sheira grinned as she turned to the silent Lucia, "And why are you so quiet? I'm not gonna bite you."
"I… I am just a servant!" Lucia bashfully replied. "Shhh~" Sheira's finger found itself on Lucia's lips. "You proved to be trustworthy and even helped us remove Lira. You are my friend now, please do not resist."
"I understand." Lucia's shoulders slumped forward.
"Good girl."
Lucia covered her head with her hands as Sheira kept teasing her.
Sheira never changes. Her lips formed a wry smile at the scene.
Moments later, Azure made her way out of the changing room. She cleaned herself, including her hair, which was left loose unlike Aqua's.
Her face turned slightly red as Azure proudly approached her, "Ahhh, much better!"
"Lucia, we are going in together, come!" Sheira grabbed Lucia and pulled her toward the changing room.
"Eh?!" Her voice grew distant as the duo disappeared.
"Sheira seems to have found a new friend."
"I would say so."
"I finally have something to tease her with!"
Azure chuckled before bursting into laughter, quickly followed by Aqua.
"You won't be at her complete mercy anymore, huh?~"
"Finally! I doubt she will stop, that's just who she is."
"I believe you don't mind it as much as you lead on."
"Of course I don't. If it's about you, then there is a lot of truth."
"Oh? What do you mean?" Aqua crossed her arms as she leaned to the side.
Azure's face became as red as a tomato. "Never mind!"
Aqua was about to speak up as the princess and the maid made their way outside, their hair was styled much like Aqua's, and their bodies were covered by towels.
While Sheira wore the smug expression she usually did, Lucia seemed as if she was ready to fall through the ground.
"Alright, Ladies, it is time to enjoy our evening. I believe we all deserve it!" With a swift gesture, Sheira headed toward the large exit.
Her words were greeted by unanimous nods; after all, the past few days were rather eventful due to Lira's actions.
The way toward the baths was through a marble arch, much like the entrance to the lobby area; however, it was covered by gold and blue curtains.
The quartet entered the large marble room with a large pool of water in the middle, multiple steps led into the water, which released a large amount of steam due to its heat.
"Lucia, you and I will give some space to those two, let Azu and Aqua take the time to chat~" Sheira grabbed Lucia's hand and pulled her after herself.
Azure and Aqua looked at each other and smiled before stepping into the water together. Azure shivered slightly as the warmth coursed through her body; however, for Aqua, it was nothing she was not used to.
The girls took the seats at the bottom of the steps and relaxed as their towels soaked up the warm water. "Ah, this is so nice…" Azure exhaled with satisfaction as she leaned back.
"It really is…" Aqua's face turned slightly red as she relaxed.
This is exactly what I needed.
"Azure."
"Yes?" She tilted her head, and her face gained a worried expression.
"Nothing…Your curse has spread again…" She tilted her head up as she plunged into thought. Azure's disappearance made her realize that she had grown attached to the white haired girl.
Azure giggled as she splashed water at Aqua, "I thought you were about to deliver me bad news!"
"Would you like me to trim it down?"
Azure seemed to get lost in her thoughts for some moments before she answered, "Sure, but I also have to say something."
Aqua nodded as she approached the girl and placed her hand on her skin. "What is it?"
"The goddess… she protected me from Lira's mind control." Azure forced a smile; she knew how much Aqua hated anything related to divinity by the way she talked about them.
What is that goddess playing at? She hid herself from Aqua, yet the moment Azure was separated, she pretended to be benevolent.
"Did she?" A frown formed over Aqua's face.
However, instead of answering, Azure merely nodded.
"Azure, they are all the same." The flame coursed through her body as it trimmed the divine blessing's skin.
"Maybe…but she still saved me, even if she had ulterior motives."
"I suppose you are correct." Aqua bit her lip. She should have protected Azure better.
Yet, Azure noticed the expression on Aqua's face and quickly switched subject, "Enough of that, not like I can do something about it. Tell me, how are you enjoying life in our kingdom?"
Aqua's expression brightened as she smiled, "It is rather pleasant, other than Lira, I had really enjoyed my time here."
"I am glad to hear." Azure chuckled. "I will come to your chambers before tomorrow's breakfast so you can brush my hair as promised~" She inched closer to Aqua before leaning slightly against her.
Aqua rubbed slightly against the champion as she adjusted herself into a comfortable position.
"It's a deal." Aqua calmly responded.
Their eyes wandered toward Sheira and Lucia, who were deep in conversation, yet soon they stood up and approached Aqua and Azure.
"We are done with the bath. We will go dress up. Let's see each other tomorrow~" Sheira winked as she grabbed the speechless Lucia's hand and dragged her to the changing rooms.
"I really did not expect Sheira to become such a friend with a servant." Azure nodded in a satisfied manner.
"Same here…" Aqua giggled before she stood up, "We should get going too."
The water splashed as Aqua stretched her hand toward Azure.
Azure's face turned red as a tomato, and her eyes widened as she took in the image of soaking wet Aqua.
Azure's ears slumped down slightly before she nodded, "I guess we should." She gripped Aqua's hand and stood up.
Soon after, the duo headed toward the changing room.
For Aqua, this was truly a moment of rest she desired for so long, a time to fully relax and not worry about many enemies that wished for her kin's end.