Author's Note: Many have noted the discrepancies between my story and the canon on Void Mages and Gandalfr presented in the manga. To which I reply... there's a manga? Sorry guys, I've never read the light novels or manga or whatever they may have available. All I knew when I wrote this was the back story presented in the anime, and only three seasons at that. I hope it doesn't ruin the story for you.
Chapter 12.
"You didn't have to hit him that hard mistress." Siesta was complaining. Saito could feel a gentle hand holding a warm cloth to his forehead. He could also feel his head resting against two large soft mounds. From the soft warm feeling against his back he could tell that she was also cradling his body against her own possessively while they both lay in the hot springs soaking.
Saito slowly opened his eyes to darkness. He was blindfolded. "I didn't mean to walk in on you girls. My grandfather was probably playing a prank on me."
"W-w-w-well you should have checked before you came in." Louise stuttered from nearby.
"It's not like I saw anything." Saito countered. "You knocked me flat before that."
"What about Tabitha?" Louise retorted. A poke at his ribs let him know the quiet girl was in reach.
The trickle of blood from his nose was probably going to betray him, so he decided not to hide it. "Well, it's not like I saw anything else."
"You've been out for a little while, so behave yourself and count yourself lucky. You got to bathe with all four of us." Louise admonished him. "At least you're harmless when you're unconscious. We're getting out and dressed for bed. Don't you dare move until I come back for you."
"Okay." The blind familiar agreed, waiting for the soft flesh to leave his back. When it didn't he figured that Siesta was going to stay. At least she didn't require him to wear a blindfold. After he heard the door close he reached up and deftly tossed the thing aside before swiftly pulling the girl around into his lap. "I told you Siesta, you don't have to bathe me here."
The girl in his lap though wasn't Siesta. What he found himself holding in his lap instead was a quivering and terrified Henrietta. Saito briefly let his eyes drop to her naked form before snapping them shut. "I-I-I'm sorry."
"It's okay." Henrietta said softly. "You... you can look."
Saito slowly opened his eyes to his queen as she sat balled up in his lap. The girl was beet red from head to toe and it had nothing to do with the heat of the water. "I figured Siesta somehow managed to win the right to bathe me or something."
"She wanted to, but I talked the others into letting me have this time alone with you." Henrietta explained.
"I'm shocked Louise went for it. After last night she sounded like she'd had about all she was going to stand of this Jus Primae Noctis stuff and was reasserting her claim on me." Saito said seriously.
"Well, she didn't like it, but we made a deal." Henrietta explained carefully. "We all agreed to let you and Louise... be together, and after that we'd decide what to do."
"You mean 'we' as in..."
"All of us Saito, not just us girls. I know you keep getting angry at us because we don't seem to notice you're feelings." Henrietta said leaning against his chest still balled up. "Though one wrong move from you and I might be breaking my promise."
Saito blushed deeply and set Henrietta down on the floor of the bath between his legs so that intimate parts of their anatomy were no longer pressing so closely. "Sorry."
"Do you hold Siesta like that in the bath?" Henrietta asked too casually.
"No. I've only bathed with her twice. We weren't that close the first time either." Saito explained. "The second time was after I officially told her that I belonged to Louise."
"I see." The small queen said shivering.
Saito pulled the girl's back to his chest and wrapped his arms around her midsection. "Better?"
"Not really, I wasn't shivering from the cold." Henrietta replied. "But don't move, this feels nearly as wonderful as sitting in your lap."
Saito chuckled and squeezed his 'wife' a little closer. "So, why did you want to bathe with me?"
"I... I needed to talk to you. Alone." Henrietta whispered. "I... I haven't been honest with you and I felt like I needed to tell you now before I lose my nerve."
"You can tell me anything Henrietta, you know that." Saito said worriedly.
"I was going to tell you after the wedding and then everything started happening. Saito I'm sorry about all this." The emotional ruler wept.
Saito shushed the girl and rocked her back and forth. "What's wrong?"
"Saito, do you know why my marriage was called off when Ward got his hands on the letter I sent to Wales?" Henrietta asked suddenly.
"I assumed that whoever it was didn't want to marry you when you were in love with someone else." Saito answered uncertainly.
Henrietta shook her head sadly. "Political marriages have little to do with love. It's all about honor. Saito... I... I'm not pure."
"What?"
"I... When Wales and I were younger, we... were together. I had mentioned it in the letter and when it was found out, I was rejected." Henrietta sobbed.
"Why are you telling me this now? Why not before the wedding?" Saito asked softly.
"I... was going to tell you. I didn't think you would care since you don't really love me and you only love Louise. But ever since you agreed to marry me, and we've been trapped here, I've come to know what it feels like to be protected by you. You've stepped up and guided us with no thought for yourself. That's when I realized... I really am falling in love with you Saito. I'm in love with you just as much as the rest of the girls and I'm sorry I can't give you what Louise can." The young woman cried quietly.
Saito hugged her closer and laid his head against her back. "I'm glad."
"You're glad?" Henrietta asked in bewilderment.
"I'm glad you shared yourself with the person you loved before he died. I've already decided that Louise will be the first girl I ever love for the same reason." Saito said as he stood up, pulling his wife along with him. The two of them stood there together naked in the moonlight as he turned the queen to face him. "Henrietta, to me you are still pure, because it's what's in your heart that has remained pure despite all the turmoil the country has been through. You are a beautiful young woman, inside and out, and don't think for a moment just because I love Louise I don't love you too."
Henrietta looked up into his eyes and melted into his embrace. "I love you Saito."
"Henrietta, we never finished the ceremony, but I think we were at the part where the old man was going to ask if I would love you forever and stay by your side in sickness and in health until death do us part." Saito said with a grin.
"Will you?"
"I do. And will you put up with me for the rest of my days even though I'm going to probably be having children by other women, making you worry, and otherwise making your life miserable?" Saito asked with an even bigger grin.
"I do." Henrietta answered with a laugh that only ceased when Saito caught her lips with his own. They stood there kissing passionately until Saito heard a rather dainty voice clearing her throat.
Saito and Henrietta broke their liplock to see an irate sorceress tapping her foot impatiently at the edge of the hot spring. Siesta and Tabitha were spying from the door to the girl's changing room. Siesta was openly crying. "That was the most romantic thing I've ever seen."
Henrietta was a deep red and not entirely from embarrassment. "We haven't done anything, just like I promised."
"Yet." Louise snorted as her best friend and bitter rival climbed out of the water and wrapped a towel around her body. "You better show us to our rooms, dog, before you end up mating."
"Yes, mistress."
"I'll help you dress master." Siesta offered with an undisguised leer.
"Down girl." Louise reprimanded. "Saito is sleeping with us tonight."
"Us?" Saito asked as he looked at the other girls and saw Henrietta blushing heavily.
"Saito, I... I want to see if we can make it home before we... well, you know. I want my first time to be something special instead of just something we did while we were on the run or adventuring. That's why we're going to do this together, Henrietta is going to keep me honest and Tabitha and Siesta will be with you when we're not." Louise offered in explanation. She almost sounded like... she was pleading with him.
"I don't know if I like that suggestion." Saito said heavily as he stepped closer to the diminutive little woman who had stolen his heart.
"Please... Saito, for me?" Louise begged. He could tell she wanted him. He wanted her too. Her resolve wouldn't stand against his advances if he pushed her, he knew it. Still he relented, not wanting to hurt the woman he loved.
"Yes, love." Saito agreed. "When?"
"As soon as we get home. The only place I've ever felt at home with you was in our room at the academy. I... I want it to be there, so I can prepare myself. Please wait until we get back. Let me love you where I feel like I'm home." Louise gushed.
Saito nodded and headed off to get dressed, behind him he never heard the explosive breath Louise let out as soon as he had disappeared.
"I love my life." Saito said in contentment as he felt his two loves wrapped around him. Louise was in his arms where she belonged, with his arms wrapped around her waist and her body cradled against his chest while Henrietta's arms were around his waist and she nestled against his back.
"I love your life too." Louise said sleepily.
"I hope you roll over again soon." Henrietta complained playfully.
Saito leaned down to kiss Louise on the neck and rolled over to kiss Henrietta good morning too.
"The snoring takes some getting used to." Siesta said as she came into the room. "Good morning, Majesty, Master, and Mistress."
"To be honest I wasn't able to sleep much just because it was my first time having a man in the bed with me." Henrietta said with a blush as she got up to the breakfast that Siesta had brought with her. Louise was likewise rising while Saito noticed Siesta's attire.
"That's the inn's hostess uniform." Saito noted looking his maid over.
"Yes, I went to the kitchen this morning to prepare breakfast and Grandfather told me I could wear this while I was working. There are some of what he calls 'Westerners' staying in the inn and I helped the kitchen staff this morning prepare breakfast for them too." The girl reported happily before laying a hand on Saito before he too could get out of bed.
"Breakfast in bed?" Saito asked uneasily.
"Sort of." Siesta chirped before jumping on top of him and claiming her good morning kiss.
"How am I ever going to safeguard my familiar's virginity until we get home?" Louise asked rhetorically.
"You could always get a chastity belt." Henrietta helpfully offered as the two ate breakfast.
"Stay." Siesta ordered when she got up from kissing Saito.
"Even the maid has started ordering him like a dog. Good girl Siesta. There's hope for you yet." Louise mumbled between mouthfuls of poached egg.
Siesta happily put a tray over Saito's lap and began setting out dishes in front of the swordsman. Saito's eyes began to water as a traditional Japanese breakfast was given to him. "Siesta, did you make this?"
"Some of it. The kitchen staff helped me with the rest of it." Siesta said happily. Saito rewarded his maid with another kiss and eyed his food with a growling stomach.
"Grandfather is eating breakfast with Tabitha. He wants to see you and Louise after you eat. He said he was going to take you to the shrine today." Siesta reported before getting her cart ready to leave.
Saito finished his breakfast and headed off for the shrine with Louise in tow. His grandfather had grown tired of waiting and had already left by the time he'd gotten dressed and downstairs. It was late fall and the cold morning air had him wrapping his arm around Louise to keep the small girl warm. Saito couldn't shake the feeling of uneasiness at the idea of possibly not being able to get the girls home. The idea that his grandmother had been from Gallia was a shock, and hopefully something would turn up, but he wanted to get home.
A/N: Sorry for the late post. I hate working weekends.