Author's Note: I was quite surprised watching the latest episodes that have been released in the new season. There are elements here and there that I had envisioned in my story as well. I hope you guys are enjoying the new season as much as I am, and I hope you find this story a pleasant read as well.

Chapter 3.

"I can't believe this is happening to me." Saito whined as Siesta drug him bodily towards her room. After all the times she'd insisted on sleeping in the same bad as him and Louise, finding out she actually did have a room was a bit disturbing. Saito looked in to the room where she'd brought him that disastrous day to play house and whimpered, then he noticed something.

"I wondered where my tub had gotten off to." The nobleman said looking at the large tub he'd salvaged for a bath. It looked like it now served to do his laundry and everything else. Most of the furniture in the room had been removed to make room for it.

"The groundskeeper wanted it removed since the fire you lit under it was killing the grass." Siesta said happily as she set a large cauldron to boiling on the fire in the fireplace. "I'll have your bath ready in just a moment master."

Saito looked around the room at the sparse other furniture. "I guess making room for it was the reason you started sleeping in the same bed with me and Louise."

"No, I just wanted to sleep next to you. I hope mistress still allows me that luxury." Siesta said as she wandered around gathering things from around the room.

"I'm sorry Siesta, all this stuff about master and servant doesn't really have to..." Saito began to apologize.

"Yes, it does." Siesta pressed seriously. "Master... Saito, it is the way of life here. I thought that perhaps I could have stolen you away from Louise, but I was wrong. It doesn't mean that we can't be together, it just means that I won't be your first love."

"And, you're alright with that?" Saito asked dubiously.

"It stings at first knowing that you love her as much as you do, but I don't see the mistress accepting any other servants to be close to you apart from me so it will be fine." Siesta said holding up some pieces of fabric against his chest. "I think you will look best in royal blue and pearl grey."

"What are you doing?" The curious boy asked.

"I've been making you some clothes so you'll look more like a native here rather than always wearing the same thing all the time. I'll just make them look a little fancier for your dinner with the queen tonight." The maid explained. She then looked at Saito seriously. "And I'm going to teach you how to act like a noble. Let's get you undressed."

Saito was immediately uneasy as his hand strayed towards his shirt guardedly. It was promptly slapped by Siesta. "Lesson one, nobles are always dressed by their servants. Don't you dare move."

The young Japanese boy stood there while Siesta began to undress him down to his boxers. From the blush on her cheeks she was definitely enjoying herself. "It's a shame mistress said I wasn't allowed to push you."

"I was afraid you were going to get in the bath with me." Saito said nervously.

"I plan on it. I can't get my uniform wet bathing you now can I?" Siesta said sweetly. That was all the warning he got before his boxers and his dignity left him.

Saito quickly jumped into the tub, the cold water doing wonders to keep things under control.

"Meanie." Siesta pouted. She then began undressing. Saito averted his eyes until she poured the hot water into the tub to warm it and joined him. Once again he found himself bathing with a beautiful young woman.

"Siesta, why do you want this? Why would you want to live like this as my property? Why do you insist on following me even when I love someone else?" Saito asked seriously as Siesta began to wash him, making sure he saw as much of her as possible.

"I've never met anyone like you Saito. Even beyond being the handsome hero who fights for those he loves, you are more kind and caring than anyone else I've met. I've been pursued by lots of men, but never has any of them meant as much to me as what you do. You show me more kindness and affection being your second love than most men do to their one and only. I guess that's why I'll be satisfied if this is all there is." The beautiful maiden explained as she gently rubbed soap all over his body.

"But how does having a mistress even work? I mean, in my culture even the thought of having another woman is just about grounds for divorce." Saito whimpered as he was cleaned.

"There are many times in which a noble husband and wife cannot be together. Business that causes them to be separated, pregnancy, a woman's monthly..."

"Not listening to that part! LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA" Saito nearly screamed putting his fingers in his ears. This earned him a slap on the hands from his servant.

"Well, you did ask. Marriages among nobles are frequently for convenience, so it isn't surprising that the two of them would have lovers." Siesta explained.

"Wait a minute... both of them?" Saito deadpanned.

"Men can be so jealous though." Siesta continued somberly. "Nobles have a tendency to eliminate their enemies in love even when they're servants. It isn't over you know."

"What? But... but..."

"Louise isn't going to punish you for things that happen anymore, don't worry about that. But she and I will never stop vying to be the one you love the most. Someday... maybe you'll only look at me." Siesta said seriously.

"I don't think I could handle Louise having another lover." Saito confided.

"I don't think she will. If she showed affection to someone else she'd probably be afraid that I'd steal your heart from her." Siesta said sadly. "Maybe I could set her up with someone..."

Saito grabbed his maid and pinned her against the edge of the tub before capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. "Behave."

"Yes master." The lovely young girl gushed.

The young swordsman was washed everywhere, dried everywhere, and was finally dressed... slowly. It was during this that he came to realize how devious these girls were. Louise had sadistically ordered Siesta to do this without making him lose control, and for her part Siesta had tried her best to do just that while trying to make it look like all she'd done was follow orders. "How am I ever going to survive this?"

"And you're okay with that?" Saito again said in astonishment. It was like he wasn't talking to Louise.

"Saito, I don't need to hear about every little thing you do to the help." Louise replied waspishly. "So you kissed her, it's not like you slept with her."

Saito just stared at Louise. After hearing her say it, he couldn't help it any longer. "Louise, I can't do this."

Louise actually seemed to soften a bit as she looked at him. They were alone in the carriage headed to the palace. Even the driver wouldn't be able to hear. "So... you only have eyes for me. I guess it's only natural since I'm your master." The young sorceress replied smugly.

"It's not that. Siesta said that noblewomen sometimes take lovers from among their servants as well. I don't want that kind of relationship." The swordsman explained.

"You're a noble now Saito, I'm not going to make you stand by while I marry another." Louise said impatiently.

"That's not what I mean. I don't want you to have a lover that isn't... me." The young man said heavily. "Siesta even offered to hook you up with one in order to turn your attention off me. I can't live with the idea of anyone else touching you. Even if it meant sending Siesta away in order for it to be fair to you, I can't share you with anyone."

Saito looked up to see tears brimming in Louise's eyes at the sentiment. She was just about to reply when the carriage stopped. "We've arrived Lord Saito, Lady Louise."

Saito and Louise stepped out of the carriage to be met by Agnes. "You two follow me."

"We're not dining in the main hall?" Louise asked in confusion.

"No, this isn't a formal dinner." The woman replied roughly, looking at Saito's new clothes in disgust. "You're dining in Her Majesty's sitting room with her tonight... privately."

As Agnes led the two of them towards Henrietta's apartments Louise took Saito's arm and squeezed, hard. "If you embarrass me tonight in front of Her Majesty, so help me you dog I'll order Siesta to beat you after my arm gets tired."

That's my Louise. Saito thought happily. Maybe tonight would go alright after all. With luck, Louise would only yell at him all the way home for what was going to be his inevitable breach of etiquette.

The prisoner blinked her eyes looking up at her captors. She hadn't been beaten or tortured, but then her keepers hadn't been overly gently either. Bedraggled and disheveled she was dragged through the corridors toward some unseen fate. Her guards pulled her along silently. They hadn't said a word as she had been loaded onto the ship, or moved to the wagon. In a way she was glad it was finally over. She would meet her death with the dignity of a noble even if she no longer were.

She hadn't looked up as they removed her from the wagon. She didn't know where she was nor did she care. She'd just as soon not see the gallows.

She was vaguely aware of a door opening up, and she was roughly deposited on a carpeted floor. Her clothes were little more than rags now and she'd lost her wand long ago. All that was left now was to die.

"Leave us." An elderly voice said imperiously. The guards turned and left her there. Then the next words made her blood run cold. "I see they're purple today."

Matilda looked up from the carpet into the face of the old headmaster and her former boss in undisguised hatred. "They've been purple for months now thanks to your vermin."

"I see." Osmond said as he scribbled away at the papers on his desk, before shuffling through a stack to his right. "Let's see I think the report is here somewhere. Ah, yes. You were caught trying to sneak back into Albion by the military shortly after the Battle of Tarbes. Since then you've been incarcerated as a prisoner of war, awaiting acknowledgement and negotiation of your release."

"No acknowledgement of my existence will come." Matilda replied bitterly.

"Quite right, the Albion aristocracy disavows any knowledge of your activities. Not surprising since you weren't allied with them but with the shadow group that took over that government. You reported directly to the late Master Ward I believe." Osmond continued looking over the report.

"Just kill me and get it over with, or am I here to sate your lust first?" The dirt caked mage spat at the old man.

"I'm afraid that wouldn't be possible. I haven't been capable of that in years. However it is nice to see your panties again Ms. Longueville." Osmond replied happily.

"It's Matilda."

"I know your name." Osmond said directly, setting aside his report. "You are Matilda Longueville from South Gotha, also known as Fouquet of the crumbling dirt. Your father, was bankrupted by unscrupulous merchants from Tristain and was left destitute and stripped of his title to pay his debts. You were ruined along with him. You became Fouquet and came to Tristain seeking revenge and a way to regain your father's wealth by stealing from the nobles here. You were recruited by Ward when he caught you trying to steal from the palace and became part of the plot to take over Albion. What confuses me is why you would turn on your own government."

"Those vultures knew my father. They did nothing but smile and greet the Tristain dogs that drove my father to dishonor. They never even came to see him after he got sick. When Ward gave me the chance to take over their government and eventually invade Tristain I jumped at the idea." The young sorceress shot back. "So what do you want from me, some tear filled apology for what I did? I'm not going to play your game old man."

"Nothing of the sort. I'm simply using this as an opportunity to exchange information." The headmaster said simply as he stood and turned to look out the window. Fouquet stared at his back and wished she had a dagger.

"I know nothing other than what Ward told me. I worked for him alone." Matilda said curtly. It wouldn't matter if they tortured her, because it was the truth.

"I know." The old man said sadly. "The information I am sharing is on my part. After your defeat at Tarbes Village, Tristain invaded Albion with the help of Germania. They managed to reach as far as South Gotha during the invasion. The new Albion government, the one you helped support, abandoned your people and fled leaving the citizens without food."

"Papa..." Matilda whispered.

"That was when her majesty the queen arrived in South Gotha on the Silver Pentecost. She shared the food the military had brought with them to keep your people from starving, and helped evacuate the town when the new government used a magic poison to turn her own soldiers and part of the townsfolk into mindless zombies before staging a counter attack." Osmond told her.

"You lie!" The former insurgent spat at him.

"If you do not believe me, then you may read it here." Osmond said waving his staff. A stack of letters floated up off the table and settled in front of her on the floor. "They've continued coming here since your departure. You will be pleased to know that your father was safely evacuated from South Gotha and has since safely returned home after the end of the hostilities where he has been living comfortably."

"But... how? I was caught with all the money I'd stolen." Matilda asked in stunned disbelief.

"In his letters, your father expresses his gratitude for the money you have been sending to him from your job here. He would also be happy if you would write to him." Osmond continued. "My apologies. At the time I believed they might have had useful information in them, but now I've come to realize he was completely unaware of your activities."

"You've been... sending him my salary?"

"Yes, Ms. Longueville, I have. It might surprise you to know that I wasn't very surprised when you betrayed me." The old headmaster replied with a long suffering sigh. "You might also be surprised at how many spies have served in your office over the years. The only thing that I didn't know when you were here was who you were working for or why. When you came to work here I investigated you and learned of your father's circumstances. Most young women who come into my employ leave very quickly. I have no idea why. The only ones who stay are the ones who simply have no choice but to put up with my constant sexual harassment. That usually means they're spies."

"So... why am I here now?" Matilda asked.

"Because your work has been piling up." Osmond replied pointing at a desk that was overflowing with paperwork. "Since all those who were captured fighting for Albion in the war have been allowed to return home and no one there has laid claim to you, the only thing that remains is your sentence for the thefts that you committed while you were here. You will be serving your sentence here at your post, and your salary will continue to be sent to your father so he may live out his days without worry."

Matilda finally stood, facing the old man and cradling the letters to her chest. She couldn't help but shed tears knowing her father was safe and cared for. "Thank you." She whispered.

"It is good to have you back Ms. Longueville." Osmond said coming around the desk to give her a hug. She moved his hand up from her bottom to her back out of habit and then turned to go.

"And Ms. Longueville, once you've had a chance to get cleaned up and settled back into your old room please change your underwear to a different color." Osmond said slyly as he gently petted his mouse familiar. "It isn't any fun if I can see what color they are through the tatters."

A/N: It took me three days to write that bath scene, what with the nosebleeds and all. When the latest season started and they had the scene with Saito and Louise dining with Henrietta I nearly cried manly tears of joy. I'll let you guys compare the quite different outcome the dinner in this story had next week. Until then... Behave. (Bloody nosebleeds...)