Chapter 12
AFTER DINNER—which gradually turned into a strategy meeting—Mira, Mariana, and Cleos returned to the Tower of Evocation. It was nearly ten in the evening, and Mira let out a small sleepy sigh as her eyelids fluttered.
All I want to do now is take a bath and head to bed, she thought, preparing to pull out her Master Key to get back inside. But Mariana opened the door for her.
“Ah, thank you, Mariana.”
“My pleasure.” Her expression was one of elation. She was glad to perform a task after so long, no matter how small or simple.
“I’m going to prepare for tomorrow and then go to bed,” Cleos said. “Goodnight, Mistress Mira, Miss Mariana.”
“Oho, need my assistance?”
“No, no, nothing you need to trouble yourself with. I will be giving a safety lecture to prospective summoners and just need to check over my material.”
“Hrmm, okay. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, but I’m leaving the tower in your capable hands.”
“I’ll do my best!” Cleos replied confidently, then headed off to his office. Mira watched him go and entered her own quarters, heading straight for the changing room. When she opened the door, she turned to find Mariana standing close behind with an expectant look on her face.
“I’ll be all right, Mariana. You can head off to bed as well.”
“No, if you’re going to be taking a bath, it’s my duty to wash your back.”
“You don’t need to do that for me.”
“I will wash your back.”
“But—”
“I will wash your back.”
“Hrmm, fine. If you’re going to force the issue…” Mira conceded, defeated by Mariana’s persistence and utter refusal to back down. Well, so long as it’s just a back scrub. No point making a big stink about it.
Despite Mariana’s position as her attendant, it still felt awkward to accept, but if she insisted, there were no grounds to refuse. Mariana was focused completely on Mira as though venting years of pent-up desire to help and serve. When Mira grabbed her coat to take it off, Mariana was there to gently assist before placing it neatly on the storage shelf.
With Mariana’s assistance, Mira found removing her dress much easier than putting it on. She slid off her panties before heading into the bath. Left alone in the changing room, Mariana cheerfully arranged the discarded clothes and then reached for the hem of her own dress.
Mira was utterly conflicted.
Mariana was currently very nude and waiting on her hand and foot. Was it more suspicious to avert her gaze to avoid catching a glimpse, or would she give offense if she looked at Mariana like this was a perfectly normal situation? The more aware she was of what was going on behind her, the more Mira’s rationality suffered. Her relaxing bath time was now tense and dominated by Mariana.
“I’ll wash your front as well.”
“Hrmm? Sure…” She just kept agreeing with whatever her attendant said, and now she was getting a full-body scrub-down.
Flashes of pale skin in her periphery were accompanied by infrequent, soft touches against her back, arms, and shoulders. While fighting against the naughty urges that welled up within, Mira tensed at the sensation of being stroked all over during the full-body wash.
For over twenty minutes, Mira somehow managed to endure. The experience pushed the limits of her self-control. The whole affair forced her to recognize that she had never truly appreciated how cute Mariana was. When it was all finally over, Mira couldn’t bring herself to offer to scrub Mariana’s back in return. She simply told her attendant to enjoy a long soak before she fled the bathroom.
In the changing room, she found a simple robe had been laid out for her, intended as loungewear. Of course…
Appreciating all Mariana did on her behalf, Mira slipped on the robe before relaxing on the sofa with a post-bath apple au lait. While she fiddled with the robe’s hem and thought about summoning, Mariana reappeared from the bath, her skin slightly flushed.
“I’ll make sure these are washed.”
“Hrmm, very well.”
Mariana was dressed in a robe identical to the one Mira was wearing and was holding her maid’s outfit along with the neatly folded technomancy robes and panties. That reminded Mira of her Elder’s robes—the original article, not the replica.
“Speaking of, I think I left one of my robes here last I visited.”
“Ah, I cleaned those and put them in my room. I’ll fetch them for you,” Mariana said with a bow before taking her leave.
I suppose I’ll get ready for bed.
Mira leaned back against the sofa and lightly stretched, then tottered over to her bed and flopped down on it. She dozed off until Mariana returned with the robe.
“Here it is.”
“Hrmm, thank you.”
Accepting the robe, Mira looked at the other item Mariana was holding. It was a small cloth bundle that was cutely decorated, soft-looking, and cylindrical.
“What’s that you’ve got there?”
“A pillow.”
Did Mariana think she needed an extra pillow? No, that couldn’t be it. There could only be one reason.
“You’re sleeping here tonight?”
“Yes.”
“So we’d be sleeping together? As a man and a woman—”
“But you are a woman now, Mistress Mira. So that’s not an issue, right?”
“Urk.” It didn’t seem like such a problem when she said it that way. But as Mira well knew, spending the night beside a pretty woman like Mariana would be an endless struggle between reason and libido—and the fairy wasn’t a thing to be taken in a fit of desire.
Mariana’s perception of the situation was undoubtedly different. She’d devoted her body and soul to Mira when she bestowed her Fairy Blessing. Mira was both a master to be served and a partner.
“Would it be so horrible to share a bed with me?” Mariana asked, her voice lonesome.
Mira remained silent for a few moments while her mind struggled to catch up. “Not horrible, no. Just…” She denied it, but deep down, she was feeling more embarrassment than desire. If she’d been given more notice that this might happen, she would have been a little more prepared. Refusal was not an option.
“All right,” she sighed, scooching toward the left side of the bed along with her pillow.
Mariana placed her pillow in the now-vacant space and slipped gracefully under the covers.
“I really am glad to see you again,” she murmured, her voice trembling as the two lay side by side.
I abandoned her for thirty years…
Mira turned to look and found Mariana’s eyes wet with tears. Suddenly, Mira was fine with the situation. Thirty years was easy to say, but an awful long time to live through.
“I’m sorry.” Staring up at the canopy, embroidered with images of angels dancing in paradise, she apologized for the umpteenth time. Then she felt Mariana’s hand come to rest on her tummy.
“Wh-what is it?” Mira’s body twitched at the tickling sensation, and she turned back to Mariana only to find herself almost nose-to-nose with the fairy.
Then Mariana’s hand reached further.
What…? What’s going on here?!
“Mistress Mira…once more,” Mariana whispered in Mira’s ear, sliding her hand over to Mira’s and grasping it tightly. She closed her tear-filled eyes, and a faint light shone from under the covers.
“Ah, so that’s what you were after,” Mira mumbled, simultaneously relieved and disappointed.
She squeezed Mariana’s hand in return and raised them up to their faces. Their eyes met as they both looked at the renewed feather marks on the backs of their hands.
“What did you think I was doing?”
“Uh… N-nothing.” Mira looked away in panic, and Mariana giggled and squeezed her hand a bit tighter.
A Fairy’s Blessing was proof of a strong bond linking two people together. As Mariana smiled happily, Mira blamed herself for letting degenerate thoughts run wild in her head. Mariana was an innocent soul, and her longing for her master’s approval was pure. Reaffirming this fact for herself, Mira felt a sense of clarity as though her sinful thoughts were blown away.
“Mistress Mira.”
“What is it?”
“It’s nothing,” Mariana said, giggling childishly.
“What’s this about?”
“I just like saying it.”
In the pale glow of their entwined hands, the pair discussed their likes and dislikes, their recent interests, and other trifling matters until they both finally slipped off to sleep.
***
Despite not being a morning person, Mira awoke the following morning with a clear head. She felt wonderful until her cheeks reddened with embarrassment as she recalled the events of last night.
Speaking of which…
“Hrmm, she’s already up?” Looking to her left, she saw Mariana’s abandoned pillow still on the bed. The menu on her Control Terminal informed her that it was just past eight in the morning.
Stretching out the kinks, she squinted through her sunlit window out at the morning scenery and reveled at the signs of life in the city below. Soon, she noticed the gentle sounds of breakfast preparation coming from her living room. Mira emerged from the bedroom to see what Mariana had in store.
“Good morning, Mistress Mira,” Mariana said, wearing her usual maid outfit. A faint savory aroma drifted from the table, where two place settings were arranged. Mira stopped and stared at the little piece of heaven.
“Um, is everything all right?” Mariana added, unsure what to make of Mira’s intense look. Her voice pulled Mira back to reality.
“Uh…no, I’m fine. Good morning.” Mira averted her gaze and disappeared into the restroom. It wasn’t like she could admit to fantasizing about being newlyweds. Pulling up her robe and going about her business, she issued herself a stern mental warning about getting carried away.
With freshly washed hands, she returned to the living room to find Mariana waiting and holding her freshly laundered clothes.
“Here you are, Mistress Mira. Your clothes for today.”
“Now then—” Mira began, but was interrupted as Mariana handed her a pair of underwear. When she unfolded it, she was blown away. It was incredibly cute and girly, decorated with lace and ribbons.
“H-hrmm.” She hesitated, but a stern look from Mariana prompted her to pull them on. Then she removed her robe, leaving her mostly naked.
Mariana smiled. “By the way, I didn’t notice a brassiere in your laundry. Do you not wear one?”
Last night, and now this morning, Mira was only wearing panties; Mariana was sure that this might lead to serious issues down the road.
“I don’t really know how to put one on,” Mira admitted, sticking with her policy of being honest with Mariana. “I have some, though.”
“Are they with you?”
“Hrmm, I suppose.” Mira retrieved a bag with various sets of clothes out from her Item Box. Inside the bag were several sets of underwear, split into two compartments: clean and dirty.
Right, I forgot to put out my laundry.
“Do these need to be cleaned?” Mariana took notice of the sets of panties that had been carelessly wadded back in the bag. All of them had fairly simple decorations.
“Yes, could you take care of it?”
“Of course,” Mariana replied immediately. After folding them, she went to fetch a laundry basket from the changing room. “Anything else?”
Thus prompted, Mira pulled out her first magical-girl-styled robe and the Wise Man’s replica robe that she’d itemized and stuck in her Item Box rather than the bag. The first she probably wouldn’t wear anymore. It had been a thoughtful gift from the palace maid corps—and she was pretty sure she’d be cursed if she mistreated it—but it really wasn’t her style. The replica might make a good gift for a child somewhere down the line, but she didn’t think it would be wise to keep wearing it either.
“These as well, please.”
“As you wish.” Mariana added the two articles of clothing to the basket, then reached into the bag and pulled out some of the bras. “These should fit you.”
“The palace maids gave me those. They showed me how to put them on, but I forgot.”
Mariana picked one out and stood up. “Then I shall teach you again.”
Knowing refusal was futile, Mira demurely accepted the lesson. At least this time it wasn’t Amarette accosting her on a busy street and threatening an act of spontaneous exhibitionism. So, as Mariana instructed, Mira shyly but carefully listened to the explanation.
After Mariana put it on her once as an example, Mira removed the bra and reattached it a few times in succession to make sure she remembered the process. After a dozen or so repetitions, she seemed to have gotten the gist of it. Mariana smiled when Mira thanked her, pleased that she’d been able to teach her something.
With all that out of the way, Mira donned her technomancy robes, and the two sat down at the table to enjoy a leisurely breakfast.
***
As Mira sipped a post-breakfast hot cocoa, a bell chimed somewhere in the chamber.
“Hrmm, isn’t that the thing from yesterday?” she asked at nearly the same moment Mariana stood.
“It’s the technomancy communicator. I’ll get it.” Mariana opened a cupboard near her private quarters. Inside was a device like the one Cleos had used the day before. She twisted the lever on the device to connect the two parties, and for just a moment a high-pitched squeal echoed throughout the room.
“Mariana, attendant of the Tower of Evocation speaking.”
“This is Suleiman, attendant to the king in Palace Alcait. Is Lady Mira there?”
“One moment, please,” said Mariana before calling Mira to the device.
After a short conversation with Suleiman, Mira found herself called to the palace to discuss the documents he’d been tasked to decipher. A problem required her immediate attention.
“Looks like you’re leaving already,” Mariana said, looking deflated.
“I’ll be back as soon as this is settled. Thank you, Mariana. So long as you’re thinking of me, this is where I’m meant to be.”
Mira was slightly embarrassed to say such a thing, but her words were heartfelt. She couldn’t deny the realization that had developed over the past evening. Mariana nodded slightly, then moved toward Mira, taking her right hand. As they renewed the Fairy’s Blessing, the two exchanged quiet smiles. But they couldn’t linger long; there was much to do before Mira returned.
Mira’s fastest way back to the palace was by dragon, but she didn’t have the clothes to ward off the inevitable chill. She and Mariana raided the storeroom, and a few minutes later, they found the perfect fur coat. It was surprisingly soft and pure white like freshly fallen snow. Being one of Danblf’s garments, it was a bit large for her current size, but that wasn’t much of a problem as she intended to wear it as an overcoat to block the wind.
Next stop was the refining room, where she gathered up a supply of element-attuned Magic Stones that Solomon had requested along with Blasting Stones that could be used to forge summoning contracts. Then she considered what else she might need.
I wonder what the urgency is? I hope it’s nothing major.
She fretted about the problem at the palace. Unforeseen issues were always a pain, and hopefully it would only be a minor inconvenience. Regardless, it never hurt to stock up on the essentials.
***
“Right, shall we be off?” Cleos’s voice buzzed through the communicator in intercom mode. If not being used as a long-distance telephone, the device could be set so people could talk to one another no matter where they were on the top floor.
When he’d heard that Mira was returning to the palace, he had decided to come with. A few moments after checking in, he stepped into Mira’s chambers.
“I wish I could have shown you how to tie up your hair as well,” Mariana muttered regretfully, a ribbon in her hand. Her opportunity to style Mira’s silver hair was growing short, and Cleos’s sudden arrival meant she had even less time than she thought.
“Hrmm… Maybe we’ll have the chance next time,” Mira said as Mariana stared daggers at Cleos. “Well, I guess I must be off.”
“Take care, and come back soon,” her assistant murmured, forlorn.
As Cleos and Mira stepped into the elevator, he wondered what had transpired after he took his leave the night before.
***
In front of the Tower of Evocation sat a small wood and metal carriage with no horses hitched to it. It was just barely large enough for one person.
“Now, Mistress Mira. You know we can’t take Eizenfald,” Cleos said, driving the point home with a pointed glance as he stood beside the carriage and affixed a summoning location.
“I’m aware…” She sulked, but before she could think of another summon that would allow her to fly, Cleos cast his spell.
[Evocation: Garuda]
A great gust of wind blew away the summoning circle. As it subsided, a giant bird emerged, scattering light in all the colors of the rainbow. The spirit settled on a perch atop the carriage.
“Oho… Garuda, eh? So you’ll be flying on him.”
“No, I’ll be riding inside. Garuda will carry the wagon as he flies.”
It looked like a tiny carriage to her, but Cleos insisted on calling it a wagon, so a wagon it was. Mira looked up at the bird which was about the size of a small house as Cleos threw open the door to the carriage with a flourish.
Would this be a bird-drawn wagon? Mira wondered. Not so much drawn as carried, really. Peeking inside, she found the interior most comfortable.
“Oho! I see! This protects from the cold nicely, and it keeps your butt from getting sore to boot!” Jumping inside, she sank into the plush seat, repeatedly saying, “Nice. Very nice.”
“It’s intended for one passenger, but you’re small enough that I think we can squeeze in together. Would you like a ride?” Cleos asked with an almost paternal smile.
“Can I?!” Scooching over into the corner, she made just enough room for him to sit as he closed the door behind him.
“It should be fine,” he replied, prompting her face to light up with childish innocence. “Yes, I think this will do. Off to Lunatic Lake!” When he knocked on the ceiling of the wagon, the bird began flapping its wings, creating a wild gust all around them.
“Will we take off or not?!” Mira looked excitedly out the window at the surrounding plants and flowers being buffeted by the wind.
With a sudden shudder, they rose into the air, and the world dropped away beneath them. She gaped at the world below as each flap of Garuda’s massive wings gently lifted them higher. Cleos watched on, a protective instinct sprouting up alongside his loyalty.
“Oho! Look how small the tower is already. This is great! Truly fantastic!” Mira managed to peel her eyes away from the window. “How do I get one of these?” she asked expectantly.
“The wagon? Well, first, if you’d be so kind as to sit back down…” Cleos went on to explain that he’d had it made by the palace craftsmen and that another could probably be made if necessary.
Determined to see to it as soon as they arrived, Mira pulled out two bottles of apple au lait and offered one to Cleos. Together, the pair enjoyed a nice relaxing flight.
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