"Sakuya, bring some more tea to my room, please." The Scarlet Devil was thirsty from being bored. Not an unusual occurrence, but a particularly troublesome one this evening. This was, after all, the third serving of tea she has requested.
"Yes, Mistress," was the response of Miss Sakuya Izayoi, the chief maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion and a reliable and loyal servant of the Scarlet sisters, in particular Remilia, who was in charge of the place. "What kind of blood would you like added this time?"
Remilia pondered the options for a brief moment before giving a response. "Just bring the tea for now and I will decide when it arrives." The usual signal that she would probably like to use Sakuya's own blood, or on rare occassions use the reserves replinished monthly from who-knows-what-source. Sakuya quickly bowed in affirmation and took off to fulfill her duty, leaving Remilia to ponder things again.
"What am I going to do with that girl," Remilia softly spoke to herself. "She is clearly beginning to age. I'm not so sure I'm comfortable with that." Remilia began to think about how long Sakuya's been working for her. While Sakuya was still quite young even for a human, Remilia's sense of longevity was quite distorted due to her own long life. She was concerned for her servant's well-being, but also for herself. Patchouli was gifted a very long life line. "Was Sakuya also gifted such a long life?" She continued to ponder the matter until the servant returned with the tea, which slightly startled the mistress due to her deep thought, though this wasn't recognized by Sakuya.
"Here is your tea, Mistress. Is there anything else I can do for you," Sakuya inquired expectantly, thinking she knew what Remilia was going to ask.
"No, Sakuya. This will be fine, thank you." Remilia picked up her tea and began to drink it without the blood sweetener. It was very bitter without it, but she didn't care. She was still deep in thought about her servant's future. Sakuya certainly took note of Remilia's distanced tone.
"Is something the matter, Mistress," Sakuya asked worriedly.
"Nothing...nothing at all..."
"You look distressed. Are you sure there is nothing more I can do?" Sakuya sat across from Remilia and looked deeply into her eyes, worried about what her master was thinking about. Remilia didn't respond and instead continued to sip on her tea. The uncomfortable silence lasted for what seemed like hours, until Remilia finished her tea and broke the silence.
"Sakuya, do you...have the lifespan of a normal human?" It was a question seemingly out of the blue and it took Sakuya by complete surprise.
"Not quite. I believe I will live longer than most of my ancestors. Is that what was troubling you all this time?"
"Well...yes, to be honest." Remilia looked straight into Sakuya's eyes and held her gaze. "You've been a wonderful servant and you are one of my closest friends. I know Patchouli will live a very long time yet, but I haven't the faintest clue as to your own fate. I'm...rather fond of you, Sakuya. I don't want to lose you to something as silly as old age."
"Oh, Mistress," Sakuya replied sheepishly as Remilia voiced her feelings and concerns. "You really do not have anything to concern yourself with. I am, after all, the Master of Time. Though my days should come to an eventual end, I believe you will know how to deal with things at that time." Sakuya's reassurances seemed to ease her mistress's mind a bit.
"Yes, I think I know exactly what I will do. I can manipulate fate, after all." Remilia was suddenly wrapped up in Sakuya's arms, her head pressed against Sakuya's chest.
"Mistress, I am forever yours. I will never leave your side, not even in death, when it comes to pass. Please, do not burden yourself with this matter any further." Tears began to stream down both their faces as Sakuya continued to reassure Remilia that she would never truly be separated from her servant and closest friend.
