The next day, a carriage pulled up to the front of the manor. Members of the Undine Knights, as well as Mon-Mon, Kirche and Tiffa quickly made themselves at home. Kirche joyfully reunited with Tabitha (Illococoo and Flame as well), Louise showed off the renovations to Mon-Mon and Tiffa, and Saito showed the boys to the hot spring.

"So this is really how people in your country bathe?" Asked Guiche. "One of them, yes," Saito replied. "Anyway, I figure we can let the girls go first, then us afterwards." Malicorne had a mischievous glint in his eye, "These bushes provide decent covering, we should be able to scope out all the-" "Don't get any ideas," said Saito firmly. "They're guests here, same as you. Don't do anything to piss them off, especially Louise. The last thing you want is for her to get mad and blow the spring up."

Malicorne, perhaps remembering firsthand Louise's Explosion during the Inquiry, cringed with fear and nodded in agreement. "What, no peeking?" Asked Gimli, pouting slightly. Just then, Adrian noticed a person in a dark robe riding up on horseback. "Hey Saito, who's that?" He asked, pointing to the figure, who dismounted a short distance away.

Saito recognized the purple hair poking out from underneath the hood. "I see you got my invitation," he said grinning. "Louise was sure you wouldn't come, thought you had better things to do!" The figure smiled and removed her hood. "I could never refuse the request of a friend," she said.

Guiche gasped, "L-Lady Henrietta!!!" Immediately he, Malicorne, Reynard, Adrian and Gimli went down on one knee before her. "Please, rise!" Said the Queen kindly. "This isn't a meeting at the palace, please treat me as you would any other woman!" "A-are you sure?" Asked Reynard, adjusting his glasses. Henrietta nodded, "I'm certain. This is an informal occasion, so let's speak informally."

"Well in that case..." Guiche, having taken moment to recover, whipped out his rose and turned on the charm. He got up close to the now off guarded Queen. "My dear sweet lady, you're looking positively radiant. Why the sun itself pales in comparison to the glow about you!" Henrietta sweat dropped on the back of her head and looked a bit nervous at the boy coming on strongly. "Perhaps later tonight," Guiche continued, leaning in. "You and I can-" But before he could finish, Saito kicked him away from Henrietta and face first into a bush. "Not that informal!!" Saito scolded.

The rest of the day went mostly without a hitch. The girls were surprised but ultimately inviting towards Henrietta's presence. They bathed together, enjoying the soak. The only hiccup came when Guiche, Malicorne and Gimli attempted to crash the session and join them. Naturally, the combined spells of Louise, Mon-Mon, Kirche and Tabitha blew them out of the tub. All Saito could do was watch as he saw them blast off into the sky. I warned them, he thought, shaking his head.

At one point, Tiffa seemed to have soaked a little too long and was on the verge of passing out. Louise and Henrietta brought her upstairs to Saito's bedroom so she could rest. The boy later learned the two girls talked along the way, apparently about him. He never learned the full extent of their conversation, and he was polite enough not to dig further.

Tabitha, meanwhile, kept true to her word about the pig. It roasted on a spit throughout the day, and it made for quite the feast by the time everyone was done soaking. By the time nightfall came, the guests settled in with high spirits and full stomachs. Henrietta was unable to stay the night, but promised to do some another time. She shared a knowing smile with Louise before mounting her horse. "This was such a lovely day," she said. "I hope to do this again, Louise Françoise. It was good to spend a day together as friends. It felt like we were children again!"

Louise bowed to the Queen, "Thank you, Your Majesty. It did feel nostalgic." Henrietta turned to the boy, "Saito, thank you for your hospitality. I appreciate your continued friendship and loyalty. You are both welcome at the castle anytime. So please, don't hesitate to come and visit!" With that, she turned her horse and rode off down the path.

"She certainly seems happier," Saito noted. "Perhaps you were right about her needing a break," said Louise. "Well, everyone else has turned in," Saito said with a stretch of his arms. "Guess we probably should too." "Did you ever get to soak in the spring at all?" Asked Louise. Saito shook his head, "Things go so busy with trying to keep the guys from overdoing it, I missed my own chance." "Why don't you go in now then?" She suggested. "You deserve to relax a little."

The boy smiled, "That does sound nice..." He walked back over to the spring as Louise went inside. Removing his clothes, Saito stepped into the water and leaned back against the side of the tub. The warm liquid went up to his chest, just covering his dog tags. Closing his eyes, Saito thought back to his first bath in this strange land of magic. An old pot, some firewood, and good company made for a very memorable evening. The natural hot spring was very soothing, but it just didn't feel the same. He wanted someone to enjoy the simple pleasures with.

Saito exhaled, thinking about the conversation he had with Louise the previous night. Do I really need time? I know Louise can take care of herself and she's no longer a target. Sheffield is dead, Joseph's no longer a threat, so why do I feel like I've got this pit in my chest? He sank further into the water, a wave of loneliness enveloped his body.

As if on cue, Saito heard a light splash, as if someone were stepping into the water. Opening his eyes, he could just make out a figure through the steam. As it cleared, his eyes widened at the sight of Louise, sitting in the water across from him. She wore her hair up high on her head and she was submerged up to her neck in the water.

"I hope you don't mind, but you looked like you could use company," she said. Saito smiled, "Thanks. Is Tiffa still sleeping in my bed?" Louise nodded, "I think she overdid it earlier. I've never seen her sleep so soundly before." "Well she's had a lot on her plate, same as you," Saito said. "I guess Henrietta wasn't the only one who needed a break. You know, she actually thought she summoned me as a Familiar?"

Louise blinked, "Come again?" "Yeah, back when those idiots tried to kidnap you in Romalia, she was doing a Summoning Spell with Mr. Colbert," he explained. "That moment I was knocked off the roof? I fell through the portal she made. It was just like the one you sent that brought me here in the first place." "But there's no record of a Familiar being summoned by 2 different people," said Louise. "There was also never a Familiar who was summoned twice by the same person," Saito noted. "Yet here we are."

"Did she, you know... kiss you?" She asked, hesitantly. "Not yet," Saito replied. "She was gonna, but then we heard you left the cathedral on your own and got kidnapped." Louise went red with embarrassment, "So I had a brief lapse in judgement, I was trying to uphold the position I was given as Shrine Maiden!" "Forget it, that's in the past," Saito waved it off. "But if Tiffa brings it up again, I'll probably let her do it."

"Why?" Asked Louise, incredulously. "What would it accomplish?" "Well for one thing, I think it'd put her mind at ease," Saito said. "If it really didn't work, she can stop worrying about it and just try it again." "But if it did work, then it would seriously complicate things," Louise shook her head. "A Familiar being split between two Masters is unheard of. And what if you and her bond? You know, like... we have?" Saito blushed a little, "Look, I like Tiffa. She saved my life and I owe her. But I don't see her as anything beyond a good friend, ok?"

Louise looked a little relieved, but still apprehensive. "Regardless, we should probably consult Mr. Colbert or someone at the Academy just in case. You've protected me more than enough times. Let me make sure you're safe too." Saito sighed, grabbing a towel, "Alright, we can send a message out tomorrow. And I'll talk to Tiffa once she wakes up." The boy stood up, covering himself. "This was nice," he said with a smile. "I'm glad you joined me."

This time, it was the mage's turn to blush, "T-think nothing of it. Are you going to bed now?" "Yeah," Saito replied. "With the guest rooms taken and Tiffa sleeping in my bed, I'll have to use the secret chamber." "Well if you'd like, you can stay in my room with me," Louise offered. Saito looked back at her and smiled, "Sure." Maybe I am ready, after all, he thought.