A Rafael Interlude

Rafael Walt woke up.

For a moment, he just lay there, staring up at the ceiling and ignoring the morning pile of paperwork, listening to the sound of breathing as the gentle predawn light glowed from the window. He could feel the warmth of Maria's arm over his torso, of her pressed against his side. One of his arms was curled around her back. An idle part of him contemplated that she was right, this sleepwear was much more comfortable…

He ignored the way the arm wrapped around Maria was being pressed on both sides, ignored the way a hot breath was blowing across it.

The thought came to him that he should probably get up to get ready for the Ministry… but no, Larna said she'd take care of that.

That thought nearly sent him into a panic and almost made him get up and start getting dressed anyway, but for once—even if a sliver of his better judgement was telling him this was going to end with him having to deal with an extra-large pile of paperwork of the non-euphemistic kind when he went back to the Ministry—he decided to ignore it. It was important but not that important.

No, what was more important was the possibility of impending death.

Rafael sighed. Well, best not to put it off any longer.

Slowly, he raised his head, looking past Maria to what was pressing on his arm from the other side. Sadako lay there, curled up against Maria's back, and from what little that her could see her maid uniform in a state of disarray. Or perhaps 'undone' would have been more accurate. The usually completely covering and enfolding garment… was not. The cloth belt—sash?— and the waist tie of the apron seemed to be the only thing still holding it together, resulting in less of a modest garment and more of an open robe…

For the first time, he could see more of her face than just a thin sliver. She was pale, and there were fading dark circles under her eyes from her sleepless nights before. Her features were beautiful and exotic looking, and her shoulders were showing and so were her—he had to remind himself to not pile the paperwork any higher as he hastily averted his eyes and stared back up at the ceiling.

Ah. So, he hadn't been mistaken.

He glanced at the woman sleeping between them.

All right, she was probably waiting for Maria to leave before she dealt with him. If watching Katarina Claes had taught him anything, it was that all the really nasty stuff was kept out of the view of the person in question. Thought he doubted Maria wouldn't notice the blatant fake smiles and unconcealed hostility… well, it wasn't like he couldn't do a better job of hiding his emotions. Katarina's pursuers had the advantage of her being denser than a mythical Titanite slab.

He'd hidden his fear for years, he could do it again.

Neither of them seemed to be waking up any time soon. Rafael considered putting his clothes back on and going to his room, but this was his room now. His wardrobe had been moved in next to Maria's, full of Ministry uniforms and what brown suits he'd had at the Academy.

…he really needed to buy new clothes…

Rafael drifted off the sleep with these mundane thoughts, his pile of paperwork toppling over with him in his fall into unconsciousness.

Lady Maria Campbell woke up.

Her bedroom… smelled. It smelled of sweat, beastly musk, phantasm slime and… a distinct lack of blood.

The relief that flooded through her was almost debilitating, so intense was it. She hadn't lost control, hadn't given in to the sweet, sweet yearning for blood.

For a moment, she just lay there, listening to the soft sounds of breathing as she let herself recall the evens of the night before. She felt an actual blush coming to her face as she recalled how they had snapped their trick weapons together. Raised the gate that only opened from one side. Rang their bells in jolly cooperation. Dove as a team into the Chalice dungeons. Loaded their pistol with a quicksilver bullet…

Yes, her cheeks were definitely burning, even as the memories of the night before became a stamina-devouring blur of frenzied enthusiasm. Maria tried to chide herself. She was no innocent maiden taken from a nearby village to serve as a night's amusement. Maria of Cainhurst had done this before. Many times. Sometimes she'd even initiated it. Occasionally she'd even enjoyed it beyond the rapturous ecstasy of blood…

At the thought, Maria recalled what it had meant for the prodigal lady of Cainhurst to enjoy herself, and her heart clenched, blood running cold as she lifted herself up, Rafael's warm hand falling away from her, looking around frantically…

She sighed in silent relief as she saw her maid was sleeping safe and well and unbloodied. The pale blue garment she wore as a maid uniform had come undone and immodest, and Maria gently, carefully fixed the front as closed as she could so that her maid wouldn't feel embarrassed upon waking. Providing assistance was one thing—in hindsight, Maria was glad of her thoughtful intervention—but she probably wouldn't appreciate being revealed like that.

Maria lay back, closing her eyes and waiting for Rafael to awaken as she prepared herself to greet him.

…

Why did she feel like she was forgetting something?

A Katarina Interlude

Katarina Claes, squire of Maria Campbell, didn't hum cheerfully as she did her morning sword drills only because she was too busy saying "Heigh-ho! Heave-ho!" a lot. Without any nonsense like parrying with a shield or using broken swords, her morning was soothing and relaxing and kind of reminded her of those radio exercises in the park she used to do as a kid in her past life, before she discovered otome games and became a fervent worshipper of Fallen God to guide her through their complicated flags.

Thank you Fallen God. Without you, she would never have seen the endings!

Still, as the sun began to rise, she had to wonder where Maria was. The blonde was usually out here in the morning, even if only to check up on Katarina and have a few quick exchanges to keep Katarina on her toes. Had the party yesterday really been so tiring? Well, she supposed since Maria was the one who'd thrown the party, she had to be in charge of cleaning up, but she was pretty sure that was what servants like Ghirardeli was for.

Ooh, maybe she'd finally found the hidden flag to put all of Rafael's affection points to good use, and they were now in their room fucking like horny doujin characters, getting hot and heavy and unlocking all sorts of lewd CGs in the gallery to the sounds of the soundtrack's 'getting laid' BGM!

…

Katarina nearly stumbled out of step as she fought to keep herself from laughing. Yeah right, and the black-hearted prince was actually in love with her. Maria had been doing a pure run this whole time, she probably wasn't going to stop now. Shaking her head at her silliness, Katarina went back to her routine, her stomach grumbling as it awaited the call to breakfast in the mess.

Eh, it couldn't have been all that important if Maria forgot about it.

She lay there, getting herself ready and eventually Rafael began to stir, his breathing subtly changing rhythm as he awakened. "Good morning, Rafael," she greeted as his eyes fluttered open.

"Good morning, Maria," he said, a sleepy smile on his face.

She leaned down and kissed him, making her intentions known. Rafael's arms wrapped around her as he responded with slowly rising enthusiasm, the fog of sleep burning under the fire of their ardor. Behind her, she could hear Sadako moving almost silently as her maid slid off the bed as they had snapped their trick weapons together. Raised the gate that only opened from one side. Rang their bells in jolly cooperation. Dove as a team into the Chalice dungeons. Loaded their pistol with a quicksilver bullet. Jabbed in a bloodvial. Set off the room full of gunpowder. Offered his blood dregs to her queen…

Maria heard Sadako quietly step out of the room.

When she returned sometime later, Sadako was impeccably dressed once more, her maid uniform smooth and crisp, her hair once more a dark fall as she carried a serving tray full of covered food into the room. The maid placed it on Maria's small table—not a tea table or a coffee table, just a low table in front of Maria's sleeping chair with a small couch opposite it—and began to uncover the plates, letting the smell of the warm food filled the room.

After what they'd been doing all morning, Maria was well inclined to have a short rest and breakfast, as her stamina was flagging. Sadako helpfully came forward with a pair of robes for them to don over their matching sleepwear. Rafael hastily put his on, using the hem to wipe himself discreetly while Maria accepted Sadako's help sliding it over her arms and closing the front.

Normally, Maria was occupied with thoughts of the coming day over breakfast, and thus could only spare brief flirtations under the table with Rafael—they were in public after all— but in the intimacy of their own room, she was able to be much more daring. She held Rafael's hand as they sat together on the couch, and she finally got to do what she'd once recalled seeing her parents doing outrageously over breakfast: feeding each other small forkfuls of tidbits. It was a surprisingly intimate and arousing act, especially since it encouraged them to sit close together so they could be close enough to watch the other eat…

It took a while for them to finish breakfast.

In the background, Maria could hear Sadako opening the windows fully and drawing back the curtains to air the room, then quickly and methodically stripping the sheets off the bed and replacing them, putting on a fresh bed sheet and coverings for the pillows. In the bathroom, she could hear the tub being filled with water from the pump as a small kettle heated in the fireplace.

"Lady Maria-dono, Rafael-dono," Sadako announced in the quiet way she had, "bath ready." She methodically began stacking up the plates and utensils and putting them back on the serving tray.

The night and morning's exertions had become a sticky patina on her skin that over the course of breakfast had started to become mildly uncomfortable. "Thank you, Sadako-chan," Maria said gratefully. Ah, her maid was so capable, and so attentive to Maria's needs, even before she realized she needed it! Miss Sh—Anne had taught her well. She looked at Rafael and gave him a shy smile to hide her eagerness. "Will you join me?"

For a moment, Rafael looked reticent as he always did, and she feared he would turn her down again. Then his eyes stared into hers, then began to slowly sweep down, taking in her robed form. "Sure," he said eventually, and even managed his own blushing smile as Sadako went outside to leave the tray next to the door. "I got you dirty, it's only fair I help clean you up."

A shiver ran down Maria's spine as she stifled the predatory, beast-like grin that wanted to spread across her face into something more reserved and less off-putting as Rafael gently took her hand and helped her up. They headed for the bathroom hand in hand as Sadako followed them in, then closed the door behind them.

CUT CONTENT: Maria's Panic Attack

She sighed in silent relief as she saw her maid was sleeping safe and well and unbloodied, even if she was—

Maria frowned. Why was Sadako still wearing her maid uniform, even if improperly? It almost looked like she had been rav—

Cold as chilling as the winds that surrounded Castle Cainhurst filled her and she stared at her down at her hands in horror.

No… no, she didn't! She couldn't have! She'd given her word, she'd said she'd protect them, that she wouldn't let anyone else use them without choice again…!

And yet Sadako was there, her clothes seemingly pulled open and bringing to mind countless memories of the maids Maria of Cainhurst had partaken of and in, lacking only the blood that had brought to them a final end…

Desperately, Maria tried to recall the night before, tried to find evidence to deny the conclusion before her: that in her lust for Rafael, she had succumbed to old habits and her maid, one of the women she had promised her protect to and had trusted her word, had paid the price.

"Lady Maria-dono? Daijoubu? All well?"

Maria blinked. Sadako was awake and kneeling sideways to face her, heedless of how her garments were falling as she looked at Maria fearfully. Now that she was upright, the maid's hair was falling back into a haggard curtain over her features,

"Maria?" she heard Rafael, dear Rafael, sweet and kind and vengeful Rafael, say sleepily as he roused next to her. "What's wrong? You're shaking."

She was, she realized. Before she could reply, Rafael was there, enfolding her in his arms, pressing her body against hers in an effort to share his warmth. She could feel her shaking shoulders rub against him, and her began to rub his hands in soothing circles on her back.

To Maria's surprise, Sadako did the same from the other side, using her sleeves and the robe-like folds of her uniform to cover Maria like a small blanket even as the maid pressed up against her as well. It wasn't much—the fabric barely covered Maria's knees—but the sudden contact surprised Maria. Hadn't Sadako looked at her with fearful eyes?

"Sadako?" Maria said, a slight quaver in her voice. "Last night… "

"My Lady Maria-dono?" the maid said. Her face was so close, Maria could almost see through the sweat-matted hair, which wasn't its usual perfect black fall.

Maria took a deep breath. "Last night, did I… touch you inappropriately?"

Behind her, she heard Rafael making a choking sound, though his hands never stopped moving.

"No, my Lady Maria-dono," Sadako said, and Maria let out a sigh of relief. That… still didn't explain why her maid's clothes were undone like that, but at least she hadn't—

An even more chilling thought came to her. Had Rafael…?

"Do Lady Maria-dono want to?"

The question caught her so off guard she stopped shaking and grew still.