Apologies for the delay with chapters. Christmas is creeping nearer and things are a little busier for me than usual!
...
Michael decides to relax with a hot bath.
Meanwhile, Siesta settles into her new living situation with Louise and the familiar.
Relaxation
I watch with folded arms by the door as Louise pens Siesta's letter of employment at her writing desk under dim candlelight. Quill in hand, Louise finishes her signature and rises to dip the tine into ink again and places the first onto the second when she catches my eyes. Setting it aside, I smile at her when she draws the tine back out and jots onto the parchment.
"You've been writing that for a while now, Princess," I observe, stepping over to the desk and glancing over her shoulder. "I'm guessing formal contracts here are just as wordy as they are in England, hmm?"
Louise nods and dips the tine again in the inkwell.
"Correct. As a noblewoman, it's expected of me to write these things myself when hiring a maid. Or at least, that's what my big sister Éléonore did when hiring her first servant."
I nod at the pinkette's explanation.
"Gotcha. Still..." I pause and scratch the back of my neck. "It's nice of you to take Siesta on like this, Louise. We both know what Mott would've done had she stayed at his estate."
Louise stops writing at this and gently sets the tine in its holder before turning in her chair and leveling me with a softened look. "The same goes for you too, Michael. After all, it was your intervention on Siesta's behalf that ultimately spared her from Count Mott's vile advances."
Louise's eyes then become downcast as I hear the girl take a trembling deep breath before continuing in a shaken tone.
"I... If someone like him ended up taking advantage of her, then I fear the experience would have ruined her forever."
I gently clutch Louise by her biceps and give her a reassuring hug from behind, before softly kissing her cheek.
"You know, you're a lot kinder than you let on, girl. Gotta admit, I like this side of you," I admit with a gentle hum.
This seems to help get Louise out of her brooding moment as, to my surprise, she smiles and turns her head over her shoulder to lean it on my chest.
"My mother and father raised me with respect," Louise informs me in a whisper, pausing to sigh contentedly at the closeness we share. "Nobleman or not, Mott is an arrogant man who takes what he wants from whomever he likes, especially women."
"Doesn't sit right with you, hmm?"
Louise immediately shakes her head and sighs glumly.
"Had I been the peasant in Siesta's shoes, I would not have wished to stay with someone who had such awful intentions," the pinkette confesses. "Just as I would never want a...a..."
"A guy who'd have his way with you against your wishes?" I bluntly pose.
"Yes. Exactly that, Michael."
I pick up Louise by the waist from her chair and sweep her into my arms. Doing so earns me a surprised but playful yelp.
"Wh-what's gotten into you tonight, idiot?" the pinkette chides me jokingly.
"Can't a guy show his mistress a little appreciation after being out cold for so long?" I ask her with a grin.
Louise looks away from my gaze, her dainty body shuddering excitedly in my arms.
"...Are you being like this because of what happened in the infirmary earlier?"
I can't help but smirk at the question.
"Nope. Why? Still thinking on that, are you?"
Louise's cheeks surge a deep, dark red.
"...I don't know what came over me..." The petite noblewoman manages.
"But did it feel wrong, Louise?" I murmur, my question making the pinkette's breath catch.
Sensing her embarrassment, I reach my hand down and firmly grasp Louise's.
"I... don't think it did... given how much you mean to me, Michael."
I grin at the mage and squeeze her hand gently before kissing her cheek.
"Glad to hear it. If things ever get too heavy between us, though, just say."
Being younger, I don't want my mistress feeling out of place with any of this. And beyond that, I don't want to snuff out the fragile flame flickering between us.
Louise casts her eyes my way.
"You...mean it, truly?"
I nod and kiss her forehead.
"Yep, through and through. Because whether or not either of us asked for this, Louise...we're here now. You, me, and Siesta." I feel Louise shudder contentedly. "And even though I never intended to get this close to the two of you, I'm far from unhappy with how everything turned out."
I plant an affectionate kiss upon my companion's cheek.
"Neither am I," Louise whispers.
My eyes crinkle in a smile and I pull her close to hug the small pinkette tighter.
"Still... I wasn't kidding. You taking on Siesta's nice, Louise," I inform the mage in all seriousness.
Louise narrows her eyes.
"O-Of course, idiot... I'm nothing if not a paragon of magnanimity! After all, who amongst us can turn down a maiden in need?!"
I chuckle at Louise's absolute lack of modesty and simply enjoy our hug.
After a minute, though, I ease the girl down onto her own two feet.
"Anyhow, you carry on with your lett-"
A gentle knock at the door cuts me off.
"Miss Vallière? Michael?" comes Siesta from out in the hall. "I've brought my things as instructed."
Louise leaps away from me and hastily dries the spot of ink marring her letter. Then she straightens up and proceeds to open the door. She stands demurely, inviting Siesta into her chambers.
The curvy girl carries a fair-sized wooden trunk in her hands and follows Louise's invitation.
"Need a hand with that, Siesta? It looks seriously heavy," I point out, eyeing the maid's belongings.
"My sincerest apologies for dropping in on the two of you so late. Had it taken me any longer to collect everything then I would have waited until dawn's first light."
"You are forgiven," Louise tells her matter-of-factly, as I walk over and reach for the hefty-looking trunk to which the beauty eases carefully into my waiting arms.
"Where should I set this down, Louise?" I ask her, walking back inside the room.
"You may place it at the foot of your bed, Siesta will sleep there from now on," my mage companion replies.
"Gotcha, mattress bed it is." I set down the stack of things I eased out of Siesta's hands where asked.
Louise draws in a breath to steady herself before speaking in a very poised fashion. Her usual when the two of us aren't alone together, I'm noticing the longer I spend with her. "You may unpack now if you'd like, Siesta, while I finish preparing your letter of employment."
"Very well, Miss Vallière," the girl agrees, opening the lid to her trunk and kneeling beside it.
Siesta pulls a plain green nightgown from inside the trunk and hold it up to her curvy body to admire. Then she folds it. I quickly glance back at Louise and notice her watching me eye Siesta's body with interest. Her lips fall into a subtle frown.
Alright, Louise. You do you.
I smile at the pint-sized mage to calm her down. When it doesn't work, I glance back over at the curvy maid.
"So, Siesta, can I lend a hand with anything, or are you good?"
The busty girl looks up at me and flashes a grateful smile. "Thank you for offering, Michael, but I'll be fine. You're too kind."
"No problem. Just let me know if you change your mind."
Siesta nods. "I will, Michael. Thank you."
"Cool, cool."
With that, I return to Louise's side by the desk and glance over her shoulder once more. The pinkette is stamping a wax seal onto Siesta's letter.
"Almost done?" I ask, touching a hand to her shoulder
"Mmhmm," Louise hums, putting her step down and blowing on the freshly affixed seal.
"Here you are," Louise states, rising from her seat and handing the parchment to Siesta. "The three of us will go to Headmaster Osmond's office once you're done unpacking, to formally request he release you from the Academy's employ and into my care," she continues.
"Yes, Miss Vallière. I'll be ready shortly."
Louise smiles slightly, an improvement from how she looked at me a minute ago.
"Take your time. We'll wait for you."
"Thank you, Miss." Siesta sets her letter of employment down on Louise's bed and continues unpacking.
" Louise, mind if I take a bath and we show Osmond Siesta's letter first thing tomorrow?" I ask the pinkette. "I'm feeling a bit grungy after being laid up in bed for so long."
Louise frowns again.
Dammit, the girl switches like night and day sometimes.
"While I have no issue with you taking a bath, Michael, the washroom we normally use near Professor Chevreuse's classroom is reserved exclusively for students," the dainty mage informs me. "Therefore, you'll likely get into trouble if you're seen entering without me."
"Ah. I see," I reply. "This is the first you've mentioned of it."
"Indeed, I should have done so sooner." Louise sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose in resignation before continuing. "Which means we will have to find you an alternative."
" Miss Vallière," Siesta interjects, glancing up from her trunk to give Louise an awkward look, "I... might have a solution to this small issue," the busty girl reveals, nervously brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
"And what would that be?" Louise asks the maid.
"You see, Chef Marteau keeps a large tub behind the kitchens. It was once used for storing potatoes in the winter, but the school has since provided us with a new one," Siesta explains, looking to me. "If you'd like, Michael, you may fill it up and take a bath there."
Louise and I share a look. Mine is one of confusion. Louise's, though? She looks disappointed. Almost as though she's hoping I'll ask her to bathe with me.
"This way, Michael can avoid troubling you whenever he needs a bath," Siesta reasons, her eyes fixed on me.
"Hold up a sec... A tin tub out by the kitchens, when it's this cold?" I blurt out, shivering at the mere thought. "...I mean, I get I'm not in England anymore, but..." I sigh deeply at the notion and fix my gaze on my mistress. "All right, lay it on me, is this another Tristain norm?"
"For the commonfolk, yes," Louise answers without skipping a beat, casting a serious glance at me. "It is not uncommon for them to use a simple tin tub outside in the cold even during the dead of winter, as long as they can heat the water first."
My stomach drops at the realization Louise just heaped on me.
"Meaning these indoor baths we've shared are quite the luxury, right?"
Louise nods. "Indeed, it's only because you're my familiar that you've been allowed to use the Academy's inside washroom," the pinkette explains.
Siesta blinks at me as though my pointing the fact out puzzles her.
"Did I say something strange...?"
"No, no," Louise answers. "Your suggestion was quite reasonable."
"In my world, Siesta, even the poorest of the poor have baths indoors, hot running water, too," I explain to the maid.
Siesta gives me a dubious look at this. "You mean to say that even the poor in your world can enjoy such luxuries?" The girl asks me, seeming astonished.
"Yeah." I nod. "It's totally normal where I come from."
Louise eyes me, hums in understanding, and then looks back to Siesta. "Indeed, Michael's world is ahead of ours in several regards. Or at least, that is the impression I have gained from discussions he and I have shared."
The busty maid seems awestruck by this.
"I see. You never mentioned any of this when talking about your world with me, Michael."
There's a good, solid reason for that.
"Being real with you, it would've been easy for me to explain in a way you'll grasp," I reason, my eyes shifting to the maid and softening somewhat. "Just like how the most normal stuff in this world is completely unheard of back home."
"Like magic, for example," Louise specifies, smiling somewhat smugly as she looks at me. "As utterly foreign as the notion may sound to you and me, Siesta, Michael's world is completely devoid of magic."
"Completely...?" Siesta gasps, her mouth hanging open at this revelation. "How can that be?"
"It just... doesn't exist at all," I reply with a shrug. "It's a fantastical idea that's shared in stories where I'm from. Nothing more and nothing less."
Siesta gazes at me in awe.
"I see... Such a thing is as amazing as it is frightening."
I chuckle at that.
"Now you know how I felt when I first saw folks casting spells and summoning familiars."
Louise looks back over at me.
"Yes. It was quite the shock to you," the pinkette confirms before looking back to the maid. "Anyway, back to the matter at hand. Siesta, are you sure Chef Marteau won't mind Michael using his tub?"
The maid shakes her head at my mistress. "Oh, not at all, Miss Vallière. It has sat there unused for at least seven or eight weeks now. He shouldn't raise any objections."
Louise casts a sidelong glance back at me.
"Well, Michael, what would you prefer to do? Bathe with me when I next wash, or bathe outside, in the cold?"
There was some serious emphasis on the word cold, which I can only assume Louise used to further drive home the fact that it's freezing out.
"I'll even fill it for you when I'm done unpacking if you'd like, Michael," Siesta offers with a gentle smile, bowing her head slightly. "It's the least I can do for raising the idea."
I let out a breath at the situation in front of me. Feels like I'm literally choosing between Louise and Siesta here in some strange, cryptic way.
I think I know which way I'll go here. I'd rather not wait on Louise.
"All right then, I'll take a bath-"
Louise sighs deeply and irritably, cutting me off.
"...On second thoughts, I could entertain a bath this evening," the petite pinkette mumbles.
I raise a brow at that.
"Yeah?"
Louise nods firmly. "Mmm-hmm. What's more, I am willing to make a compromise, being the generous mistress that I am."
Her cheeks reddening deeply, Louise gazes down at her feet for several long moments. Then, nodding, she looks me in the eye again.
"Michael, Siesta, the three of us will share a bath. The washroom tub is large enough, after all."
Siesta blinks at Louise in surprise. "You... You really mean it, Miss Vallière?"
Louise nods. "Indeed. Since I am the one who brought you into my service, it falls your well-being falls to me. In return, however, you are to bestow unquestioning respect upon me from this point onward, understood?"
Siesta beams at Louise's words.
"Of course, Miss Vallière! Thank you so much!"
Louise smiles back at Siesta, a hint of satisfaction in her expression. "Good."
Sharing a bath with Louise AND Siesta...?
D-Dammit. My heart's beating kinda quickly all of a sudden.
"The three of us, Louise? You sure about this?" I ask nervously with a raised brow.
Louise looks over at me, and, seeing the apprehension in my eyes, gives me a thin smile.
"Yes, Michael. I've already made up my mind, and you are my familiar. Therefore, you will do as I ask of you. And right now I am telling you that the three of us will take a bath together."
Yep, that right there was an order. And trying to refuse will only complicate things further.
Fuck it, I've no choice.
I simply nod, holding in the urge to sigh.
"You got it, mistress."
Louise smirks at this and gives me a gentle pat on the head. "Thank you, Michael."
Siesta finishes unpacking her belongings and carefully places them in the chair by my bed. She then gathers her nightgown into her hands and walks over to my side.
"Let's go, Michael. I'll begin fetching water to fill the bath. Once I'm done, would you mind heating it with your magic for me?"
I nod, my heartbeat slowing the smallest bit.
"I'd be happy to. Just lead the way."
I follow behind Siesta and look back over my shoulder at Louise.
"Grab your things, Princess. Mine too, if you don't mind. I'll send Siesta for you when it's ready."
Louise nods at my request, seeming slightly peeved that I'm bossing her around in front of Siesta, and nods kinda stiffly.
Way I see it, my ordering her about is subtle payback for her landing me in this situation.
I exit Louise's chambers and shut the door behind me. And as I do, my heartbeat picks up again.
Seriously, Louise, what's with you here?!
I mean...
Sharing a bath with not one, but two girls is a first for me.
"This way, Michael," Siesta tells me, smiling and leading me down the hall.
I follow the maid in silence, trying to quell the nervousness in my chest.
...
Bath filled with pleasantly hot water, Siesta and I breathe a mutual sigh.
"And, it's ready, I'll go and fetch Miss Louise," the maid announces, standing and dusting off her apron.
"Sounds good, thanks for the help here, Siesta," I reply with a smile, leaning on the metal tub, tired from the effort it took to heat it.
It wasn't as though, despite her offering, I could sit back and let Siesta do all the work on her own. Heck, the girl can't even use magic, being a commoner.
"It was no problem, Michael, I was happy to do it," Siesta assures me, smiling. "Now, I'll be right back."
Then Siesta is off, leaving me with my thoughts and the heat of the bath steaming my skin.
Which is clammy and sweaty from being unwashed for so long.
My heart begins to pick up. again
This situation I'm about to enter into would be seen as overtly sexual back home. In another country, though, particularly one such as this?
I inhale, forcing myself to take deep, steadying breaths.
I-It's fine. I'm fine.
God, this really would've been easier if Louise and I had shared a bath alone.
Then again, would it, given how she and I snuggled in the infirmary earlier...?
"What the hell does this mean, Louise...?"
As I wait, I finally exhale to ease my nerves.
It isn't long before Louise arrives, Siesta in tow.
Louise is carrying both a fresh nightgown and my clothing, which she places on the chair next to Siesta's and then firmly closes the door behind her.
"What's the plan, Louise? Ladies first? Or shall I?" I ask.
Louise rolls her eyes, and as she does, I can't help but notice Siesta glance toward me with flushed cheeks.
"Given the fact we've bathed together previously, what happens next should be obvious, idiot," Louise fires back with an air of challenge. "I'll undress first. Then, you will help me up the steps and into the tub."
"Y-Yes, ma'am," I answer in a low tone, exhaling.
At that, Louise begins by removing her cloak.
Siesta's cheeks grow rosier when Louise begins undoing the buttons of her blouse. She then stares shyly down at the floor.
The pinkette's slender shoulders and back come into view after she pulls her blouse over them. Siesta furtively peeks up at Louise, her breath catching when she spots Louise's narrow, creamy white waist and her delicately curved hips.
Holy shit.
How is this girl looking prettier every time she undresses?
"What's the matter, Michael?" Louise asks me with a smirk.
Almost like she knows she has my attention.
Was this her plan all along...?
Watching my mistress slip out of her black thigh-high stockings and underwear makes my heart pound harder.
"Nothing, we're all good," I answer her with false confidence, swallowing. "You just finish and I'll help you in."
Just being here, with not only Louise but Siesta, feels like peaking at a Pornhub short. And thinking that only drives home how close Louise and I have gotten since I woke up.
Siesta is openly gawking at Louise, her eyes following the folds of white silk trailing down my master's tantalizing legs as the pinkette slides off her panties and kicks them away.
"I'm ready, Michael," the petite girl calls out softly.
Louise motions a hand, inviting me to help her up the steps and into the tub.
"All right, Louise, let's go."
Siesta observes Louise step in with my help and lower into the water. Her eyes gaze at the petite girl's rounded backside, smooth and as delicate as porcelain.
"A-Are you sure it's all right that I am joining you, Miss Vallière?" asks the maid nervously.
"If it were not, I would not have invited you," Louise fires back with a huff.
With that, Siesta and I shift our gazes away from our mistress and onto each other.
The air is thick with tension, so thick in fact that my throat feels tight.
I hate to leave things like this so I eventually force out:
"...You or me next, Siesta?"
"I-I'll go next, Michael," the girl replies, clasping her hands in front of her.
"Sounds good. Want me to turn away for you, or...?"
Her cheeks flaring bright red, Siesta shakes her head resolutely.
"N-No, it's quite all right. I-I don't mind you seeing," the busty girl whispers under her breath while closing her eyes. She clasps her hands in front of her. "Please, don't look away."
Unsure of what else to do, I nod as my mouth goes dry. "You got it."
Re-opening her eyes, Siesta begins by unbuttoning her maid's blouse with trembling fingers.
Blood pumping in my ears, I can only stare like a deer in headlights as she continues underessing. Specifically, her leggings and shoes.
Underneath her clothing, Siesta's figure is curvy, all the way down to her well-rounded birthing hips. The girl's legs are long and slender and as creamy as the rest of her body.
Something coiling uncomfortably in my lower stomach, I gulp.
"Beautiful..." I whisper.
Fuck! That was supposed to stay inside my head.
"D-Did you say something, Micheal?" asks Siesta, thankfully missing the subconcious compliment.
"N-No, Siesta. Don't worry about it."
"Okay then," the girl replies, sounded the faintest bit dejected.
Continuing, the maid slips out of her socks and skirt next.
Now, having stripped off most of her uniform, Siesta stands just ahead of me in a simple pair of cream-coloured panties and a floral bra.
The garments do little to hide her well-endowed physique. They also accentuate Siesta's narrow waist.
The contrast between her pale skin and light-coloured underwear sends my heart racing.
Blood is rising in my nether regions at the sight of Siesta slowly stripping off like this.
I gaze intently as Siesta removes her bra and exposes her ample bosoms.
Her heavy, luscious breasts are just as flawlessly curved as the rest of her, despite their considerable size. Her nipples are large, and round. and a dusty shade of rose.
Each heavyset boob is peaking, stiff, and hard before my eyes.
W-Wow. Siesta, you're fucking smoking.
While obviously bashful, the busty maid blushes but holds her head up high, giving me a generous eyeful of her glorious tits.
Louise clearly sees where Siesta's eyes - and now mine - are locked. On each other. Intensely.
After fidgeting with her slim, silken panties for a time, Siesta closes her eyes and covers her full breasts with her arm, self-consciously sliding the last garment to her feet.
For some reason, my pulse surges as her lacy panties slip over her white knees.
There it is, completely exposed to me: Siesta's thick patch of dark pubic hair and the curves of her delicious-looking lips.
Wetness.
There's wetness in my mouth right now, and I'm unable to swallow.
Siesta takes a deep breath as she stands straight and looks up.
Our eyes lock again.
As they did do, Siesta's blush grows deeper and redder.
"A-Are you all right, Michael?" the maid dares, rubbing her arm as though unsure and feeling shy, even though her rosy nipples stand stiffly upright on her bare breasts.
"Y-Yeah," I reply in a soft tone.
Shuffling toward me, her head still held high, Siesta wordlessly invites me to check her out as she nears the tub's steps.
Which I do, my gaze clinging to her gorgeous form for several seconds too long.
Turning her back to me and her butt in full view, Siesta steps up the steps and eases herself slowly into the steaming hot water of the tub, one foot at a time.
The glistening fullness of the maid's rump sets my heart beating to an all-time new high.
My face is burning hot, my mind swimming in the most exotic places as I imagine what Louise is thinking, sitting opposite Siesta.
Once the girl is settled in the water, I begin undoing my shirt buttons with slightly trembling fingers.
Siesta draws her gaze away from Louise and, red as a summer tomato, locks it onto me instead.
The busty maid observes, her eyes not leaving me for a second as I continue unfastening buttons and open out my shirt. I don't even need to look to feel that Louise is likely staring bloody murder.
And for some reason, that reality - seeing how both girls are so focused on me - emboldens me.
Stripping away my trousers and carefully removing them, I cast them aside. Now, I stand as naked as the girls.
Fuck.
Taking a breath, I run my fingers through my hair and lock my attention on Siesta and Louise. My mistress' red cheeks stand out vibrantly against the pinkness of her loose hair.
"Alrighty, in I get," I tell myself in a whisper.
I gulp and feel my body tingle as I bring my left foot into the bath. When it touches the water, my skin is tickled by its warm embrace. It feels much like when you touch the smooth, curved edge of a just-heating kettle. The hairs on my arms stiffen, all the way up to my neck, as I place my second foot inside the bath.
Louise and Siesta watch, listening to the ripples of my entry against the sides of the tub, as I sink into the luxurious warm liquid.
As I lean back and a wave spreads across the bath, my senses are overwhelmed. My nostrils are filled with the pleasantly scented soaps Louise brought with her and placed on the stand beside the tub.
God, being with both girls here... This would never happen back home.
I spread my arms out to stretch, and a feeling of calm washes over me. As I gaze up at the ceiling, I can still feel two pairs of inquisitive eyes looking right at me.
"Nice and warm," I sigh at last, gazing out into the middle distance. "God, I've needed this..."
"This does feel nice, I have to admit," remarks Siesta across from me, her cheeks tinged pink
Louise is already sponging her back and her lithe, slender arms. The girl wastes no time spreading soap all over her small, but beautifully shaped body. I gulp, once again noticing my aching lower quarters as the steam from the bath's warmth fills my lungs and begins relaxing my mind.
"You girls go ahead and get washed or whatever, I'm just gonna take it easy for a while," I tell my companions before sinking further into the warmth.
Louise glances at me, her lips slightly parted.
"All right, Michael."
With the warm water surrounding me, I bring the back of my head to rest against the metal lip of the tub. I close my eyes and just breathe, releasing a slow, deep sigh that eases some of the tension held in my back and shoulders.
From here, my only sensations are the gentle shifting and swaying of the water around my body. It tickles my chest and belly, and washes across my forearms as my fingers drape off the side. Slowly, I can feel my own heart relax.
Filled with meandering thoughts, I think back my life in England.
To be able to enjoy warm baths and showers every night without it being as big a deal. To being able to crank up the heating on cold nights without having to bundle up under overwhelmingly thick quilts on the evenings: Like I have to here because of Tristain's seriously cold autumn nights.
With Louise. Usually dressed down to my boxers. Whilst holding her warm, dainty body to mine and coaxing her into snuggling up against my chest.
I blink my eyes open, pushing out a small breath at the thought.
There, Louise kneels just in front of me with a bar of soap held out in offering.
"Are you going to wash, or just daydream all day?" Louise asks with a haughty smile.
"Gimme a minute, will you?" I drawl, sighing and stretching my arms up as far as they can go in this position. The backs of my hands brush against my hair. Then I run them down my face before glancing back at her. "Is that more of your fancy scented soap?"
Louise nods, and those pink eyes of hers sparkle gently beneath the room's candlelight.
"It's lavender," the pinkette tells me. "Very gentle on the skin. I promise you'll like it."
Then the girl tilts her head to the side, soapy water falling off the slim shell of one ear and dripping into the suds of the bath.
She smiles beautifully, causing my heart to skip a beat or two.
"That, and I would very much like you to help me wash my back."
I chuckle at the follow-up.
"And there's the crux of it," I fire back at the pinkette. "Hand it here."
After agreeing to the girl's request, I give the bar of soap a testing sniff.
Louise wasn't lying; it doesn't have as overwhelming a smell as the manufactured soap bars of my world. It's refreshing and flowery.
The pinkette chuckles at me and shuffles back on her knees a little.
"Did you expect anything less from me? As my familiar, you're the only one permitted to touch me like this, Michael," Louise decrees sweetly, peering up from under her lashes as I roll the bar of soap between my hands, coating them in a thin layer of froth.
Am I permitted because she wants me to touch her, I can't help but wonder.
"Yeah, that's fair," I instead reply after a time. "Now, you turn around so I can reach your back."
Louise smiles widely, and there's an alluring twinkle in the pinkette's eyes as the girl rises higher from the bathwater.
"Mmm-hmm."
Relaxing in the warm heat of the bath, Louise smiles pleasantly when my hands are placed on her shoulders, the lather of the soap spreading readily onto the pinkette's white skin. A tingling sensation thrums within my stomach, and a slight blush appears on my cheeks, as I begin to run my hands in circles across Louise's narrow, delicate shoulders.
"You're very good at this," Louise muses softly, a small smile lifting the corners of her glossy lips. "It seems I'll have to ask you more often."
"Hey, I do my best," I tell the girl with a chuckle.
Beside the two of us, Siesta hums with a slightly wistful gaze aimed right at Louise and me.
"Would you mind washing my back also, Michael?" the maid asks gently, wearing a soft smile. "Miss Vallière looks so happy and comfortable with you helping her, so..."
Louise aims a sideways glance at the maid, her eyes narrowed the slightest bit: It's almost as if she's warning the far curvier girl to not bring up the fact she's so satisfied by me washing her.
God, my master really is cute.
And this conversation is surreal, being naked together in a hot bath like we three are.
Still, I nod. "Sure thing, Siesta, just give me a sec."
"Thank you, Michael. You are kind," the busty girl praises, her smile full of affection.
For a minute or two, all the three of us do is sit and soak in the tub.
Louise wears a rather expression, and Siesta's cheeks are still a soft pink hue.
Taking the time to reflect again, I decide, yes, this is a nice development... and one I should definitely count myself fortunate for.
Even if it felt seriously awkward when Louise first suggested it.
Siesta's the first to break the silence by clearing her throat.
"Will you wash my back, now, Michael?"
Without pausing even a second to think, the girl scoots forward in the tub, causing her massive tits to bob in the waves of steamy water.
Her luscious breasts are full and dripping wet, the pink puckers of her tight nipples glistening.
All I can do is swallow and try my best to keep things calm.
"S-Sure thing, c'mere," I reply, nodding.
As Siesta moves over toward me, I pull away from Louise slightly and out of the way as Siesta positions herself over me. In doing so, one of her large boobs brushes against my arm, as do the curves of her luscious ass.
Wide-eyed, I stare into the girl's deep blue eyes for a moment before she carefully turns her back to me.
When she does, a small rosette-shaped beauty mark on the side of her breast brushes against my arm. It's cute.
"All right, here I go..."
Beneath the warm water, Siesta is silky smooth against my hand.
Pink sparks illuminate Siesta's face and Louise stares daggers into the water at Siesta's breasts as they float inches from my groin.
Yet, it is my hands against Siesta's nape, my fingers as they travel lightly down along the insides of her soft, slender shoulders, that elicits a soft hum from the girl's throat.
"How is it? Does it tickle?" I dare ask in a quiet voice.
"N-No, Michael. It is... nice," the busty girl confesses with a rather affectionate sigh.
Meanwhile, a familiar warmth stirs within my abdomen at the sensation of having her back against my chest.
Looking down, I spy the side of one of her big, round boobs against my left hand.
Closing her eyes, Siesta smiles bashfully. I notice she's twiddling her thumbs against her palms in an apparent show of what I dare consider playfulness.
At my own pace, I caress the sides of Siesta's neck and shoulders with the frothy bar of lavender soap. Eventually, however, my breath quickens and those two round jugs of hers are once more catching my eye again.
Siesta shifts back against me and I feel my heart leap straight into my throat.
"Michael?" comes the girl's soft voice, her wet, ample rack pressing, incredibly firmly, against my forearm.
"Wh-what's wrong, Siesta?" I question nervously, my tone low.
"I-I think I'm good and clean now," the busty maid claims a shade breathily, only for her body to slide more flushly over mine in the middle of turning about.
"O-Oh, yeah," I answer, flustered.
Siesta gazes up at me through her dark lashes, her heart-shaped lips as moist as ever. Those blue eyes of hers tremble uncertainly.
I freeze right where I am, the dampness on the maid's skin sparkling under the warm glow of candles.
And as I do, Louise clears her throat all too loudly.
The pinkette stands up in the tub, throwing up suds and revealing her bare hips as she moves her hands to hide her all-but-exposed vagina.
For me and Siesta, the sight of Louise like this - so meek, so breathtakingly vulnerable - elicits a deep blush from each of us.
"Hand me my towel," Louise declares, her high-pitched voice almost cracking. "I wish to get out and dry myself. You will help me, Siesta."
"O-Of course, Miss Vallière."
Flashing a relieved smile, Siesta fumbles around the edge of the bath for one of the folded towels on the rack while Louise stands defiantly in the water.
Just being with Louise and Siesta like this is taking my breath away. My pulse races. The heat building on my cheeks is driving me slightly insane.
In no time, Siesta finishes helping Louise out of the bath, pulling and guiding her out into the open. The girl's curvaceous, still-wet, silken skin glistens wonderfully against the room's many lit candles. while she dries Louise.
Streaks of hot water crawl down her back, over her derriere, where droplets follow the fine indent of her hips down to her well-formed, luscious butt.
Arousal pumps through my head, making it spin and throb more and more. Gotta distract myself somehow.
Mentally snapping my fingers, I grab one of Louise's scented soap bars, turn away from the girls, and begin washing myself.
As I do, my eyes linger on my rock-hard member.
Like, shit... I don't it's been this hard before. Ever. Its veins are practically bulging.
Thank God I managed to keep it under the water while Louise and Siesta were in here with me.
Or at least I hope I managed.
I bite down on the inside of my cheek to cool my senses. Hard.
This helps, if only slightly. Which I'll take as a win while washing myself down.
Before long, I've quickly rubbed my body from the front and back, rinsed my hair in the bath, and left it at that. Washing my entire body doesn't take as long as it does back home. Namely, because I don't have the luxury of draining the bath partway, refilling it, and lounging while enjoying my music.
Once all this is done, I rise out of the water and join the girls, both of whom are dried and busy slipping on their nightgowns. Louise's is the usual frilly pink number, while Siesta's is the rather simple green item I saw her unpacking earlier.
With a deep breath and much trepidation, I pat myself with a towel to clear off the beads of hot water clinging to me, moving to get dressed myself, grabbing my sleeveless black vest and jeans.
"Allow me," Siesta insists the second I make a move for my shirt, gingerly taking it out of my hands.
Glancing toward the mirror beside us, I a glance at the maid as she expertly closes and begins sliding the vest over my shoulders.
"I've been meaning to ask, Michael. Those strange trousers, what exactly are they made from?" asks Siesta as she motions toward the garments with her eyes. "It's different from anything made by Tristain's weavery guilds."
"My jeans? The fabric's pretty common back home," I answer, lifting my arms for the girl to slip over.
"Poly-easter," Louise tells the maid, her tongue tying as she speaks the foreign word. "Most of the clothing in Michael's world is made from it, I think."
I smirk at Louise's attempt to pronounce the word. And man, does it take a little effort to not snicker. I do snort a bit, thankfully managing to keep that restrained.
"It's polyester, Louise," I remind the girl, smiling warmly at her reflection in the mirror. "These jeans of mine are some of the most common casual clothing we have in England, actually."
Louise simply huffs at me correcting her and folks her arms, frowning.
"Whatever, idiot: It's your strange Englander accent that makes the words sound funny," the petite girl claims at a near-squeak, pouting and trying to glare daggers at me even as her cheeks pinken ever so slightly.
And God, does my heart beat fiercely for the cute pinkette.
With my vest slipped on snugly by Siesta, I slip on my jeans and fasten the buttons. Bowing her head, the maid steps back the slightest bit and hands me my casual black shoes.
"Thank you, Siesta."
"You're welcome, Michael," the girl quietly replies, her voice barely a whisper as I step into them.
"They appear very fine and durable," remarks the maid, her head bent low as she lingers by my side.
"Yeah, I guess so. I mean, these aren't expensive or anything. Still, I'll bet even cheap clothes from my world go much longer without a whole lot of care."
"That is because everything in your world is so advanced, you can buy higher-quality products even when one is poor," Louise chimes in at my other side.
Not gonna lie, I'm genuinely enjoying the way Louise is trying to make herself sound like an expert on my world based purely on the handful of scattered conversations we've shared. Even if it's slightly ironic how she's giving herself such high credit.
It's actually kind of endearing.
"You can?" Siesta asks Louise, stepping back from me.
The pinkette gives a firm nod.
"Yes, of course. If the poor of Michael's world have such well-made clothing and hot water piped into their homes, then I imagine they must also dine on the finest of foods, and enjoy many other luxuries," Louise presumes with a haughty tone and a slight smirk.
I chuckle lightly, smiling.
"Not really. I mean, to my world's standards I'm an absolute commoner. Well, in a sense. My dad works a good job and I had a great childhood. Since I moved out on my own, though..." I give Siesta an apologetic grimace. "Seriously, my world's not as fancy as Louise makes out."
Siesta only nods to me quietly.
"Anyway, enough of this for now, I wish to return to my room," announces Louise with hands on hips, her tone the slightest bit stern. "Siesta, please put all of our wet clothing away in the satchel I brought. You'll wash those tomorrow at noon after we visit Headmaster Osmond's office."
The young maid gives another bow. "Of course, Miss Vallière, I'll have them clean in no time."
While Siesta goes about her task, Louise holds out a hand for me to take.
"Please walk with me to the room, Michael," Louise softly requests, her eyebrows upturned and expression unbearably endearing.
"Sure thing, Princess, sure thing," I relent, chuckling under my breath.
Louise takes a couple of steps nearer, and I join my hand with hers. Then, once Siesta is done putting the clothes away, the three of us begin on our way toward Louise's room.
The hallway outside the washroom - along with the other hallways and courtyards of the academy - is dim and cozy with candlelight. Candles that magically self-light once the sun goes down, I've noticed over my many weeks here.
A rather chill, calming atmosphere settles over the three of us as we walk.
Literally, too. The Academy gets cold once the sun is down.
I suppress a shiver and, sensing Louise doing the same, bring her to my side and rub her shoulders.
"Are the two of you cold?" comes Siesta as we arrive out front of Louise's room.
"A little bit, yeah," I answer with a nod, smiling thinly.
"In that case, I'll go and fetch us some thicker quilts once I'm finished putting these wet clothes away," she suggests.
Louise seems to light up just a little at Siesta's offer.
"That sounds rather nice, actually," she quietly affirms.
The maid beams softly back at the pinkette and bows her head. Then, she brings open Louise's door and holds it ajar for the two of us. "After you both," she encourages, her head remaining lowered.
Louise snorts again softly, but heads on inside of the room, myself following as she tugs the arm I have looped with hers gently.
Once we're through, Siesta steps inside and closes the door behind us.
After setting our shared laundry bag down by the foot of her bed, the busty maid quickly starts for the exit. "I'll return soon," she promises.
Louise simply nods.
"Very well, Siesta. Do hurry, however."
"Of course, Mistress. Don't go anywhere."
Siesta steps out and shuts the door behind her.
Alone with me now, Louise frees my arm from hers, kicks off her shoes, and strolls across to her bed. There, she falls back against the mattress and holds her body out in the usual starfish pose with a deep sigh.
I smile fondly at the girl, and she blinks up toward me, bright pink hair splayed wildly against her bedding. Her bare, slender toes wriggle about against each other cutely at the foot of the bed.
"Comfy there, Louise?" I ask, smirking.
The girl rolls her eyes, and I laugh.
"Shut up, I am."
"Of course, Louise."
Joining the girl, I fall back into bed beside her, stretching out my arms wide and relishing the silken touch of the mattress and blanket.
Humming contentedly, Louise drapes her arm over my middle and cuddles close to me.
"...I was very lonely while you lay asleep in the infirmary," the petite pinkette murmurs quietly. "Being without you felt so strange; I've grown so used to you being with me, after all."
"Well, you haven't got to worry about me going anywhere now, Princess. I'm back where I belong now, with you," I point out.
I lean in a little nearer to Louise, and her cheeks deepen a shade more. My lips curl and I can't resist the tugging feeling in my heart anymore. My fingers move gently and I run them through Louise's long pink hair.
Her fingers trail just beside mine, against my sides, and as she moves her body atop my chest, her body is a welcoming warmth, something to fight the evening chills seeping in through the cracks of the windowsill.
"Thank you," she mouths, running her fingertips just beneath my eyes where the black rings had once been.
"For what?"
"For fighting so bravely against Fouquet that day, as an upstanding familiar should," the girl expounds, a hint of pride in her voice. "Michael."
I blink wide eyes at the girl, then smirk.
"Why are you thanking me for? I did what any knight should for his lady. An upstanding one, just like you said," I playfully insist, giving Louise a light peck on the forehead.
Louise giggles and kisses me back.
Silence falls between us. I bask in it, several hazy memories concerning the fight against Fouquet and her golem flooding back. It feels like months, even though it's only been a week.
Biting at the bottom of my lip, I gaze toward Louise.
"Being real with you, Louise, that day... I was determined to bring that giant rocky bastard down. Because..." I pause, gazing deeply into my mistress' eyes. "Because I knew if Tabitha, Kirche, and I didn't stop it, and Fouquet managed to beat Colbert, then you would've been defenseless."
Louise stills from her toying, looking at me through her damp bangs and visibly melting at my confession.
"R-Really...? Truly?"
"Yeah, I was dead set on saving you. And everyone else."
The smallest of breaths hitches in Louise's throat. "Why?"
At this, I chuckle.
And yet, deep down, a fierce sense of protectiveness for my Master strikes up within me. It burns like the hottest fire I've ever felt. Hotter even than the insane magic I've conjured since arriving in Tristain.
"Someone wants me to bare my soul, doesn't she?" I pose with a smirk.
Pouting with a cute 'hmph', Louise draws her forearm across my left cheek.
"W-Well, yes, I do..." she declares stubbornly.
"Heh." With a light laugh, I lightly touch Louise's shoulders, tenderly running my hands along her frilly, comfy sleeves as I draw her intoxicatingly close.
"Fine, but only this once, so close your eyes and listen well, sweetheart," I tell her in a hushed, yet slightly assertive tone.
And at this, Louise closes her eyes as asked, and shivers.
With a deep sigh, I give the pinkette a little squeeze of affection before leaning close to her ear so I can whisper: "It's because you mean the world to me, Louise and I'll always, always protect you."
Those bright eyes of hers snap open, blown wide with shock at me being so open, and I find I can only gaze deep into them and revel in the fact that the beautiful expression reflected my way is proof I've hit the mark in terms of telling Louise how I feel.
So, I gather the petite, lovely pinkette close in my arms and cuddle her even tighter, kissing her on the cheek one final time.
"And even though we squabble plenty, and I've only known you these past few weeks, you've left a mark on me in ways I didn't think a girl could. You and Siesta both, if I'm honest," I add in a whisper.
Louise draws back and stares deep into my eyes, still red in the face and clearly searching for any sign of a bluff or bullshit.
"You're being sincere right now, aren't you, Michael?"
There's a quiver in my voice when I give my answer to her, my head a swirl with feelings for the girl lying against my chest.
"Serious as a heart attack, Louise, I promise."
After a minute, the petite pinkette takes a breath, closes her eyes, and leans forward, kissing me softly on the lips. At the warm contact of our lips, my pulse skips several beats in my throat and a surge of heat crashes into me harder and faster than a freight train, prickling up along the underside of my skin, raising hot goosebumps all over me.
"Very well, I believe you," Louise declares, taking hold of both my shoulders and shifting her body flushly atop mine. "All the same, there's something I wish to know... It concerns Siesta."
I gaze back to her as much as the hot tide of blood gushing through my veins allows, and the dizziness whirring about the front of my skull.
"What about her?"
"Earlier, when we bathed together, and she asked you to wash her back," Louise reminds me in a near whisper, her tiny breasts rubbing softly against my chest with every slow rise and fall of her breaths. "Y-You were excited down below, weren't you...?"
"Uh-"
Shit, she saw. Oh God... Shit.
Louise blushes furiously, her cheeks darkening into a full cherry hue, and bites her lip as she runs her fingertips low across my middle.
"A-As your mistress, I demand an honest answer on this matter, Michael," she eventually rasps, her voice tight.
Breathing shakily as my mind struggles to put two-and-two together, Louise's hand stills at my waist, her body atop my stomach, and her lips are against my neck.
"...Fuuuck..." I breathe out unsteadily, gritting my teeth.
With a small tremor of effort, Louise strokes the underside of my left thigh.
"...Yes, I was excited, Louise. Like, you have no idea how I turned on just seeing you and her in that tub made me..." I swallow hard, my stomach churning with nervy butterflies. "I-It wasn't just her I wanted, either, if that's what you're wondering."
Louise freezes rigid at my answer, her hands quickly fleeing back up to my shoulders, and when she slowly lifts her head to stare into my face again, the most unexpected thing occurs.
She doesn't look repulsed.
Instead, Louise shakes her head, her cheeks a beautiful mixture of pink and red, as she straddles my waist properly and rises upright, no longer cuddling me but directly holding her eyes in line with mine as her breathing picks up.
"Y-You're a filthy dog, Michael," she replies, her breath hot on my face and mouth quivering. "That's what quickens your heart, hmm? Fantasizing about women together like that...?"
Here and now, my brain catches up with the secret I just confessed to. A deep innermost kink that I haven't shared with anyone, ever. Not even with Anna during the time she and I were together.
And now, Louise knows.
"L-Louise, listen-I-"
"No, that's fine... I'm just glad you answered me honestly," Louise interjects, suddenly and firmly kissing me fully on the lips.
To my absolute surprise, the petite girl's tongue parts my own and dances deftly around inside of my mouth, swirling beautifully against my own. A tiny hand roves up the bare skin of my arms and towards my shoulders before settling on my vest's neckline.
"You may be a pervert, Michael, but then I suppose we both are," the young girl murmurs, gasping as our lips finally part but joined by a glistening string. "B-Because, in truth, I sometimes harbor such sinful urges toward other girls."
Louise proceeds to kiss me again, this time a good bit more sloppily and slowly. At the same moment, she sits up atop me, her smooth legs straddling my thighs, and her fingers nimbly work their way under my vest and scratch against my stomach.
"Hmmmm...!" I hiss, shuddering pleasantly beneath her and trembling as Louise trails her fingers along my sensitive flesh.
"C'mon now, easy with those nails of yours," I reproach her lightly upon drawing back a touch, feeling a familiar, welcomed warmth swelling beneath my lower half from all this.
Thankfully, Louise gets the hint quickly enough and slides off me onto her side. But before I can do much else, she's cuddled up alongside me, laid over one of my shoulders.
Red-faced and panting, the two of us snuggle and I run my fingers through her hair.
"Other girls, huh?" I muse with a smile, honestly pleased. "I never would've guessed."
Louise, however, tenses a little in my grasp, her blush deepening slightly, and narrows her eyes into mine. "...Y-You're not to repeat what I just shared with you to another living soul, are we clear, idiot..?"
I scoff quietly at the adorably stupid insult, then pull Louise to my chest and snuggle her back.
"Guessing it's a taboo in Tristain, huh?" I make an educated guess.
"While many in Tristain express such feelings privately, perhaps among trusted friends or devoted servants," Louise starts to explain, "declaring such desires openly is usually met with disgust, especially among those of noble birth."
"Figured it'd fall somewhere along those lines," I comment nonchalantly.
Louise blinks at me as if my relaxed nature with learning this new titbit amazes her.
"...Is it not an issue in your England, Michael?"
"Maybe twenty or thirty years ago," I answer after a short pause, giving a light shrug. "These days? People can date other people, or marry whoever they want."
My explaining as much leaves Louise looking genuinely stunned.
"O-Oh, can they now?"
"Mhmm. Girls can love girls and guys can love guys. It's not a problem."
She shifts, her tiny frame lying nestled against me tightly. "Amazing..."
I chuckle at that.
"Trust me, Princess, as great as all the things we've talked about seem to you, my world has some serious drawbacks in plenty of other ways," I assure her with a wry grin.
The small, petite girl's eyebrows sink further.
"Drawbacks...? In what sense?" she asks, her expression a picture of confusion.
"Honestly, far too many to even count. And plenty more that'd muddle the heck out of you, given something as simple as denim jeans surprised you and Siesta," I declare, causing the pinkette to perk up in surprise.
"Try me, Michael. I'd like to know more," insists the girl in the pale silk nightgown. "Your England is a truly interesting place, from what little you've shared with me."
"Looking to give Siesta another improvised lesson, hmm?" I tease, and Louise wrinkles her nose at me. "Don't think I forgot about poly-easter earlier."
"O-Oh, good Goddess, Michael, don't pick on me..!" snaps the pinkette, my teasing finally getting to her at last, but the corners of her mouth tick up, betraying her.
With a few laughs and the smallest of snorts from her, I kiss her neck and run a warm hand along her side. Louise pouts cutely, her cheeks a burning crimson.
"All right, fine, one last bit of trivia for the evening then," I relent with a soft laugh, Louise cooing gently as I do, and brushing her a couple of times over her temples with my thumbs. "For interest's sake, Louise, how large a country is Tristain? Any idea how many people live here?"
"...Two million, according to a book I read once, give or take. Why?"
That sounds close to what England was several hundred years back, I vaguely realize. As if predicting my response, though, I sense Louise's brow furrow inquisitively against mine. "Michael?"
"Two million is small compared to where I'm from, Louise," I casually inform her, recalling a population estimate from a textbook I read for History class, once upon a time. "Heck, my home county of Kent has almost as many people living there as Tristain."
"You're serious…?" Louise muses, evidently not quite believing what I've just said.
"Deadly serious. And those people are just a small part of my world."
My master's eyes widen like dinner plates and her face turns an even brighter red than it already is.
"Your world must be-"
"Miss Vallière, Michael...? I have the quilts here," calls Siesta from beyond the door. "Could one of you kindly help me inside? My hands are full."
Louise springs to her feet in an instant and runs to the door, her posture stiff and her movements oddly sluggish.
I couldn't possibly have said anything that odd to cause this extreme reaction, so I chalk up Louise's strange demeanor to our recent cuddling session.
Nodding at this, I glance toward the doorway and hop up from the bed, ready to help Siesta with whatever she needs to carry in here.
Louise opens the door for the maid and Siesta steps into the room with a bunch of rolled-up quilts balanced in her arms.
"My thanks, Miss Vallière," Siesta says warmly in Louise's direction. The pinkette nods quickly, closing the door once Siesta is through.
I lift several of the quilts out of Siesta's arms in one hasty motion.
"Thanks for getting these for us, Siesta, they look real cozy. Want me to help make the beds, or can you manage just fine?"
Siesta's smile grows as she glances between me and the pile of bedding bundled up against my chest.
"Please, make yourself comfortable and don't worry about such things, Michael. I'll have the beds ready in no time at all," the maid assures me with a gentle smile.
Siesta takes particular care to ease the layers down underneath each corner of the mattress and finishes mine and Louise's larger bed pretty quickly. Afterward, she gets to work on the bed that was mine until just today.
Louise, meanwhile, continues staring me down all through it, her eyes curiously narrowed.
I look back and force an amiable smile.
What have I done now?
Oh, whatever.
I get comfy in the chair beside Siesta's bed while she finishes her self-imposed chore.
"All done!" the maid chirps, all too happy to show me her work.
"Looking great. And it looks real cozy and warm," I praise Siesta.
"And not a moment too soon, either," Louise adds with a small yawn while raising a hand to her mouth. "Let us settle into bed and get plenty of rest. We have an early start tomorrow morning, remember?"
"Yes, of course, Miss Vallière," Siesta agrees, nodding.
"Fine by me," I answer with a shrug. "Still kinda wiped out, now I think about it."
I mean, I dunno how, considering I've been out for nearly a week, but I just know sleep wouldn't go a miss.
With that in mind, I kick off my shoes and take off my shirt. Then I crawl into Louise's bed.
Probably best I keep on my jeans since I don't have any underwear on.
"Shall I put out the candles, Miss Vallière?" Siesta queries Louise.
The pinkette doesn't answer her question immediately; she busies herself with unfastening her top two nightdress buttons first. Once done, she crawls up into bed and joins me under the quilts.
"Please do. Thank you for all you've done today, Siesta," she says.
Smiling, Siesta gives her new mistress a short curtsy. "It's no trouble at all, Miss."
And with that, she strides over to the candle branches sticking up out of the stands next to us. Casting a gaze my way, she curtsies, before smiling at me a wide, heart-melting smile.
"And goodnight, Michael."
With a small flick and twist of her delicate, pale fingers, Siesta extinguishes the candles and immerses us in total, velvet darkness.
"Uh-huh. G'night to you, too, Siesta."
A warm glow swells up inside of my chest.
Something about this new arrangement between Louise, Siesta, and I feels comforting all of a sudden. Even if our shared bath earlier had a few... tense moments.
Eyes fixed on the ceiling, I focus on the sound of Siesta snuggling into the mattress bed on the floor beside myself and Louise. Knowing she's nearby is comforting.
And, with a smile, I close my eyes and drift.
I've had more than enough excitement for today.
To be continued...
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