It was the rain that woke her first.
Bleary eyed, Noelle took a deep breath, then threw herself forward.
The Cathedral. She was in the Cathedral.
And Lumine was nowhere in sight.
But to her left sat Venti, his legs up on her bed, his head lolled back, cap pulled over his eyes. A snore choked from his open mouth. Out of habit, Noelle smoothed the top of her bedsheet. She was tucked in so tightly she could barely move her legs. She wiggled her knees, leaning forward to pull her sheet out from under her.
Thump.
Venti yelped as he fell forward, his feet hitting the floor hard. His cap catapulted forward, landing just at the foot of the bed.
"Oh dear!" Noelle cried, though her voice was hoarse. "I am sorry, Venti!"
The bard rubbed his eyes, leaning his elbows on his knees.
"The maid-knight awakens," he said. "Welcome back to the world of the living! I should get Barbara—"
"Wait!" Noelle said, grabbing his arm as he stood. "I would rest another moment."
Venti looked at her, eyes narrowed.
"Please."
"Alright." The bard sat down again, and after a silent moment, began to twiddle his thumbs. Noelle's brain felt… Crunchy. Like being zapped by an electro slime, but sharper. Like the wind was slapping rain water against her face.
"How long was I…?"
Venti whistled.
"A day or so? Maybe eighteen hours?"
"I see." The buzzing was subsiding now, replaced by hollowness.
Hunger.
Noelle put her head in her hand. Her hair was unbraided, her roses and gloves removed. Suddenly feeling exposed, she pulled the cover up to the hollow of her neck.
Her stomach growled, refusing to be ignored.
"Apple?"
Venti had procured a shining apple from seemingly nowhere.
"No, thank you," said Noelle, tucking her hair behind her ear.
"It's good," Venti insisted. A pairing knife flicked into his hand, slicing the fruit in half. Noelle accepted the offered piece reluctantly, examining the red flesh.
"I really should get Barbara—" Venti began, slipping his own half into his mouth.
"No need!" came a voice from behind. From the doorway, a young nun entered, carrying a silver tray. The deaconess smiled, her blonde pigtails bouncing. "You're awake! We were so worried."
"I am sorry to have caused any worry—" Noelle began, but Barbara shook her head, placing the tray next to Noelle.
"Lumine was quite insistent that you saved her from those nasty men."
"Lumine," Noelle breathed, shifting up. "Where did she…?"
The deaconess and the god shared a look.
"Speaking of which, I'll go let her know Noelle is awake, yes?" Venti turned to Barbara, catching her hand, and brought it to his lips. Barbara immediately flushed crimson, her free hand flying to her heart.
"Venti!" she exclaimed, pulling her hand away.
"Aha," the bard laughed. Noelle's eyes narrowed as the bard looked to her with a salacious wink. Venti snatched Noelle's hand next, planting a cool kiss against her warm hands.
"Out!" Barbara snapped.
"This is how they do it in Natlan!" he insisted as Barbara planted her hand firmly in the square of his back, his heels dragging as a pole of water shoving him out the door. A rainbow spray appeared between them for a moment as the water danced around the green-clothed bard. Noelle smiled to herself the door slammed, water splashing hard against the wood. She turned on heel to Noelle, her face redder than before.
"I'm sorry for that… Him," she said, heading back over to Noelle's bed. "I thought it was best you weren't left alone, and when Lumine had to leave…"
"Trouble?"
Barbara sighed.
"Always somewhere. I've never seen her slow down, not once since I've met her. She was loathe to leave you, though." Barbara looked at the maid-knight, her eyes hard. "You two have a lot in common, you know."
"I am afraid I do not," Noelle said, avoiding Barbara's blue stare.
"Well, whatever happened out there, you were very badly hurt." The deaconess finished untucking Noelle from the sheets. Noelle swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood. A bushel of stars clouded her vision and she staggered. Warmth pressed against her side as Barbara slunk her arm around the dazed maid-knight. "Easy, easy! Do you remember what happened?"
"No," said Noelle. Only a half-lie, she reasoned. The glittering blue orb flitted through her mind's eye. She shook her head, hand rising to rub her temple. "Barbara, may I rest a bit longer?"
"Yes. Eat, rest! And then a bath. You'll feel better in no time!"
Noelle sat in the tub, staring up at the plaster ceilings of the cathedral. It appeared the bathhouse was quiet at these hours, and regardless, Barbara had pulled a bamboo screen around the single bath that she had drawn to give her patient more privacy.
Above, a fresco split the ceiling into three gigantic triangles. In the first triangle, the elf wisp of Barbatos transformed into a figure closely resembling the State of the Seven that resided outside of the Cathedral. Like a clock, the fresco portraiture transformed, showing Vennessa's triumph over the Lawrences. Here, Barbatos loomed over the tree that still stood today, the tree that Noelle had tasted her first wine with Lumine under. And finally, a depiction of Mondstadt, shining in all its glory, the Statue of the Seven looming over the castle.
But something else was there, too. Noelle squinted, sitting up and bracing herself on the sides of the tub.
In the hands of the Statue, barely visible from her spot in the tub, was a green figure sitting with a lyre. From his hands were little blue dots, glittering just so.
Dandelions? They didn't look purposeful, and at least they had certainly been painted by a different hand than the rest of the ceiling. She would have to ask Barbara.
Her neck was beginning to ache from of looking up. She thought of the anemoculus, the feeling of wind rushing against her face.
Would Lisa know more about it? she wondered, absently pushing the suds around on top of the water. But then I would be betraying Lumine's trust…
She sunk lower into the tub, sighing through her teeth as the hot water rose up to her chin. Her body had ached terribly as she eased into the scalding water, but the soreness was beginning to evaporate. Noelle closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, trying to fight the rising anxiety in her throat. Resting did not come easily to her.
"Sorry to disturb you," came a voice suddenly, startling her out of her daze. She sat up, then sat back just as quickly, arms coming across her breasts.
Through the bamboo screen, the silhouette of Lumine appeared, the shadow of a bouquet next to her chest.
"Not at all! Er…" Noelle looked around wildly, searching for a robe.
"I won't be but a moment," said Lumine through the screen. "These are for you." Suddenly, Lumine appeared around the screen, startling Noelle.
"Oh!" the traveler said, immediately turning her head away. "I'm sorry! I didn't realize… Um, these are for you," she said, holding the qingxin bouquet out to Noelle. The maid-knight tried to sit forward in the tub, conscious of her body below the water. The heat from the water was making her dizzy, perspiration pricking her forehead.
"Thank you," Noelle breathed. She took the flowers, fingers brushing Lumine's, and brought the petals to her face before sitting back. They smelled like the sun, fresh and warm. "Would you mind holding on to them until I am out…?"
"Of course. I'm sorry I wasn't there when you woke up," Lumine said, taking the flowers back. "I feel awful." She paused. "About that, and—"
"It's quite alright," Noelle said, waving her hand. She shifted in the water, trying not to make it obvious that she was trying to arrange the bubbles to obscure herself. "It was an accident. There was no way you could have known."
"I shouldn't have pushed you," Lumine argued. "We shouldn't have gone out alone. You were right."
Noelle shrunk.
"Perhaps next time you can bring Amber instead, or Klee."
Lumine's face twisted.
"What do you mean?"
Noelle had felt exposed when Lumine walked in, but now she felt like the tub was melting away from her.
"A true Knight of Favonius—"
"Would also have been affected by the anemoculus in the same way."
"But you aren't?"
"No!" Lumine snapped, her fists clenching. "I'm not like the other Knights; it isn't about that at all! And your jealousy here is misplaced, Noelle. I didn't know it could hurt you. I shared this with you because I trust you. I needed your help!"
But Noelle was defiant now, a bile rising in her throat that she had fought down many times before. And now she did not know if she could be angrier. Head spinning, she rose from the bath, the water cascading from her naked form.
"Everyone always needs my help," she said evenly, hot tears pricking her eyes. "But I am too weak to do anything more useful than wash dishes and fold sheets."
A throat cleared from behind Lumine. Barbara had appeared with a towel, her fiery eyes fixed on Lumine.
"Honorary Knight," she said, her voice sweet as honey. "My patient needs to rest. Perhaps you can return another time?"
"I…" Lumine looked back at Noelle, then Barbara. "Of course. I'm sorry." And she turned on heel, pressing the flowers into Barbara's arms as she left.
The tears were freely flowing down Noelle's face as Barbara approached. She barely felt the warmth of the towel as Barbara wrapped her naked body.
"There, there," the deaconess whispered, catching Noelle's tears with her thumbs. "Don't cry, Noelle. That won't help You still aren't feeling good."
"And I'll never be good enough," Noelle whispered. She took the towel and pulled it tighter around her, burying her face in it. Barbara's arms surrounded her, pulling her close, as the lump in Noelle's throat grew. Led from the tub, she walked numb through the Cathedral. She barely felt Barbara as she dressed her. Finally back in the hospital bed, blanket over her head, Noelle felt her heart crack in two, and sobbed.
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