Michael decides to check on Tabitha while Louise and Siesta journey to Lenore for some shopping.
Later that day, Louise and Michael prepare for a visit to Tristania's royal palace.
Invitation
"There, all done," says Siesta with her usual caring smile, eying the measuring tape while stepping back from me.
I nod and lower my arms to their sides.
"Got everything you need now, Siesta?" I ask the maid.
"I have, yes," she answers with a short bow of the head. She then turns back to Louise, who is busy jotting down a small list of items on a piece of parchment paper at her writing desk. "I am ready to leave as soon as you are, Miss Louise."
Louise keeps writing without sparing us so much as a glance.
"Good. You run along and wait for me by the gates, Siesta. I'll be along shortly," instructs Louise, taking care not to rip the sheet when she pulls it from her desk and hands it to her servant. The maid looks at the text critically, reads what it says, and nods.
"Understood, Miss," replies Siesta. Her warm hand touches my arm as it makes its way along the soft cloth of the black cloak. "Will you be joining us, Michael?"
I meet her sparkling eyes and shake my head.
"Nope. I'll be checking in on Tabitha while you ladies do you your shopping," I answer.
Siesta furrows her brow for a moment. Then her eyebrows rise and she gazes back at Louise for a moment—a hint of quieted fear glints in her eyes.
"Does this mean I'll be carrying everything for you, Miss Louise...?" she asks, her voice desperately hoping the other girl will reply in the negative. The look Siesta gives Louise is almost puppy-like, even.
"Yes, you will," Louise confirms nonchalantly while getting up from her writing desk. Throwing on her cloak, she fastens the circular bronze clasp at the front. "Don't go thinking that just because the three of us enjoyed ourselves together the other evening I will let you off lightly on your duties."
Siesta's cheeks turn red with embarrassment at the mere mention of "that night." One more hesitant look. Then the timid maid nods and opens the door for Louise.
"As you wish, Miss Louise."
Smiling gently for the maid, Louise pauses in the doorway.
"Good. And remember, it's 'Miss Vallière.' when you address me outside of my room," the pinkette reminds her newly-appointed servant with a slightly lofty tone.
"Yes, sorry. I haven't forgotten, Miss Vallière," says Siesta submissively, and she clasps her hand over her beating heart. "I'll be mindful to do so in the future."
"Of course," Louise winks with a knowing chuckle. She then glances my way and leans in with an expectant look about her.
When I do nothing, my mistress pouts impatiently at me.
"Well, idiot...?" she presses, urging.
"Hmm, what's up?" I ask with a raised brow.
Louise huffs loudly, sounding very much like her usual noble self, and turns up her dainty nose with impatience. The way she looks, it's seriously cute.
"...A proper goodbye, you fool! Unless Wednesday evening's events changed nothing between the three of us?" Louise adds with an almost snooty huff, closes her eyes, and leans in with pursed lips.
"Oh, right, my bad," I shrug with an apologetic smile and step forward.
I lean in nearer and rest my hands upon Louise's small shoulders. Then our lips meet. The softness, the tingling pressure, is nice. So much so that only a gentle moan of satisfaction from Louise snaps me back to reality. The mood lingers for a few moments before I pull away from the kiss.
Cheeks bright pink and looking somewhat satisfied, Louise runs her tongue over her lips for a quick second and eases back from me. Then she rests her hands on her hips and raises her chin proudly.
"That's better," Louise humphs, stepping through the door.
Siesta remains loyally by the door, watching from the corner of her eye. Her cheeks are dusted pink and her expression spells longing for the same treatment.
Chuckling at how cute she's being, I close our gap and take ahold of her waist.
Locking eyes with me, the maid lets out a precious little noise of surprise.
Siesta's light blue eyes quiver with excitement. Slowly yet surely, a smile grows on her pink lips.
"You won't leave me out, will you?" the maid whispers, giggling demurely under her breath.
"As if I would," I answer with a wide grin.
Leaning against the door to take its weight, I pull Siesta to my chest and press my lips to hers. Her soft, tender warmth spreads to me like a gentle fire, a comfort that sets my heart aflutter.
Pulling back with a smack of our lips a second later, I meet Siesta's desireful gaze and grin at her. Her small breasts press with excited hardness against my chest, pleading with me to keep going.
"You have places to be, Miss," I remind the cherry-red girl, taking a small step away from her.
Siesta's soft laugh tickles my chest a bit.
As if reminding her, Louise clears her throat loudly.
"Don't dawdle, Siesta. I wish to be in town in time for lunch," orders my mistress.
Bowing her head dutifully, Siesta backs away and draws level with Louise.
"As you wish, Miss Valiére," she smiles at me with a genuine, radiant smile and bows her head. Louise simply holds up her chin haughtily, spins on her heel, and marches down the empty hallway.
I step out into the hall and shut Louise's bedroom door while Siesta follows diligently along.
Leaning up against the door, I fold my arms and watch the two girls until they begin down the staircase at the end of the hall and leave my sight.
"Safe travels, girls," I hum happily.
Lowering my arms to the sides, I begin down the hall myself.
Just as I'm about to pass Montmorency's door, it creaks open and the blonde-haired beauty peeks out from inside her room. Her shimmering blue eyes meet mine and a lovely smile draws across her curvy pink lips.
"Ah, Michael, you are on your feet again. Wonderful!" she declares, shutting the door behind her.
Adjusting her cloak's clasp, Montmorency hurries on over to join me.
"I'm up and about again, yep," I answer with a short nod.
She wraps her delicate fingers around my arm without warning. Her breasts press to my arm and the movement makes me notice the sweet scent of her shampoo.
"So where are you off to this fine morning?" Montmorency chimes curiously.
"The infirmary, to visit Tabitha," I answer as her perfume enters my nose. Montmorency's clear blue eyes tremble. Her pink lips wobble as though she wishes to say something and feels obligated not to.
"Everything alright with you? You're looking a little on the nervous side," I ask while looking sidelong at the young noblewoman.
Montmorency tugs at one of her golden ringlets and looks down at her expensive shoes.
"Um... It concerns Guiche..." Montmorency squirms a bit, feeling embarrassed.
Just the guy's name makes me groan.
"He's here again, isn't he?" I ask with a displeased frown.
At Montmorency mentioning as much, Guiche yelps and tumbles out from his place of hiding at the top of the stairs.
"M-Must you continue tormenting me so with your lack of affection, Montmorency?" the blonde guy mules almost poetically while attempting to brush down his fancy cloak
Montmorency flashes her ex a deathly glare.
"Torment you? Goodness, what must I have done in a past life to endure such misery as your persistence, Guiche?" she snipes at him, drawing closer to me. "It is frankly astounding to me how you will not let up despite me telling you rather clearly several times that you and I are finished."
A bright pink color spreads across Guiche's face. Guy seriously doesn't know when to quit. Even I'm starting to feel sorry for him.
Toward him, I motion towards the staircase with my free hand.
"Can't you just leave the girl be...? How many times does Montmorency here have to tell you she's finished before you'll get the message?" I ask incredulously.
At my intervention, Guiche stands up straight and meets my eyes hatefully.
"You've certainly no room to talk, peasant! Do you not think I've seen the way you carry yourself with regards to Louise and that grubby little maid?" Guiche fires back with an irritable flick of his blonde bang and folds his arms in contempt. "Shameful. Positively shameful the lot of you."
An angry ember sparks to life in the pit of my stomach.
"So, let me get this right: You took to stalking me as well before Fouquet's golem knocked me on my ass, hmm?" I inquire wryly.
Guiche raises his chin, his blue eyes bright with agitation, while Montmorency pouts and blushes beside me.
"And so what if I did...?" he snaps. "Your disgraceful behavior is only vindicated further by your boorish conduct. By ensnaring the hearts of Louise and Siesta into your fiendish game you've made a mockery of courtship's artful pursuits."
My anger deepens and I tighten my stare.
"...Not my finest moment, I know, but I had to get my shit together. A lot happened to me before I came here; I lot that I had to figure out," I counter in earnest, if for no reason than to put his annoyingness to rest once and for all.
Shaking his head at me with disappointment, the nobleman spins on his heel and turns his face to look at the far wall.
"Hmph, so you say..." he starts to say under his breath.
I let out a low, furious snarl.
Montmorency grips my arm as if to stop me from doing anything stupid.
"Yeah, in some ways I didn't paint myself with glory. But I'll tell you something now, Guiche. However I feel about girls at this academy - now or in the future - I'll talk it through with them like an adult. No more getting stuck in my feelings or being indecisive."
Guiche swings back, locking eyes with me and laughing scornfully.
"You ought to refrain from saying such pointless things in an attempt to disguise your arrogance!" he spits angrily, making a wide, sweeping gesture as though some kind of king. "Now, unhand my Montmorency and tarnish her no longer with your foul deceptions!"
Montmorency looks away with a quiet scoff.
"Michael, let us leave this silly boy to his solitude."
Guiche's face twists a most violent pink hue.
"I-I was not finished talking to you yet!" Guiche practically screams, his voice cracking as his whole body shakes with frustration.
I shut one eye, and breathe a sigh of exhaustion.
"Look, when are you gonna get it through your skull, Guiche? The lady's done," I say while looking to Montmorency, who nods at me in confirmation.
Guiche squints his eyes at her.
"I-I simply won't accept this," the playboy stammers.
I let go of Montmorency's hand and shoot Guiche a loaded glare.
Before I can say anything else, Montmorency steps between the two of us.
"What is there left to accept, Guiche? I'm sorry, but being away from you has left me at peace, and at long last I see just how immature you are with the chickens home to roost," the noblewoman says with a stern, resolved look as she meets her ex's eyes.
Face going visibly pale, Guiche hangs his head and takes a single backward step.
"Is that how you truly feel about me, my darling Montmorency?" the nobleman whines.
"Definitely," Montmorency huffs with an insistent nod.
Guiche sighs and shakes his head forlornly.
"Just what devilry has Louise's familiar used to persuade you of this?" the blonde mutters under his breath.
Sighing, I comb back my disheveled, shaggy hair.
"Nothing, Guiche," Montmorency tells him with a troubled frown. "Michael, despite his confessed shortcomings, supported me when I needed a friend. And that friendship..."
The noblewoman's cheeks redden as she pauses.
"...That friendship made me... it made me realize that my love for you was wasted."
Hearing this, Guiche shrinks back with a mixture of rage and disbelief etched on his handsome face.
My heart swells with a mix of guilty pride at the blonde girl's confession.
Montmorency smiles tenderly back at me. My heart skips as she does.
Guiche shakes his fists and closes his teeth with an audible grind.
"Mark my words, Michael DeSilva, and you mark them well: I will make you rue the day you were summoned here. On my honor as a noble, I do so solemnly swear it. One day you will face retribution at my hand for upsetting our social order as you so have." the arrogant noble declares.
He turns away in a huff and runs off down the nearest corridor, probably headed for his room.
"Good riddance, Guiche," I sigh exhaustedly, shaking my head.
Montmorency clicks her tongue contemptuously in the direction her ex takes off in and folds her arms with a huff of her own.
"How nasty, the nerve," she murmurs while playing with her flawless blonde hair.
Yeah, well, the little shit's gone now. Minus the cringey video game-esque monologue at the end.
"You're a very patient girl, Montmorency," I chuckle lightly. I then meet her deep blue eyes.
Montmorency chuckles at that and bows her head demurely.
"Far too patient at times, it seems," Montmorency adds after a moment. She turns up and locks her shining blue eyes with mine. "Now then, how are you feeling?"
I lower my eyes to the plush red carpet of the hallway's flooring and turn inward a second to note my bubbling frustration.
"Day's kinda ruined now, being honest," I admit sourly.
The noblewoman frowns at my admission.
Then, forcing a thin smile, she extends her outstretched hand to me.
"Well, when you're done visiting Tabitha, why not come up and keep me company, hmm? I'd be happy to put the day back together," Montmorency adds and tilts her head slightly, sending her long blonde hair curling up under her chin.
The blue-eyed girl's offer cools my burning mood the slightest bit.
"I might take you up on that. Just what do you have in mind?" I ask her, brushing a strand of messy hair from my eye.
Montmorency chimes with an approving chuckle. She leans a little closer with a longing glance and sets her warm breath on my skin.
"It depends on the hours you have free," Montmorency shrugs slightly as a sweet smile graces her soft pink lips. "And just how close you and my dear Louise have gotten as of late..."
Her sultry undertone isn't lost on me.
Surprised, my eyes flutter open and shut. My cheeks begin to redden at the implication.
"Far too close to accept another invitation into your room, that's for sure," I assure her.
Montmorency scoffs a little petulantly and turns up her pretty nose at that.
"How disappointing," she hums, her lush lips forming into a pout.
I flash her an apologetic nod and a wry grin.
"Yeah, sorry," I offer up with a gentle chuckle. "Promised Louise I'd be on best behavior."
Smiling faintly at my explanation, Montmorency nods and folds her arms behind your back.
"That is fine." The ringlet-haired blonde extends her arm in presentation a second time. "Though if I may be so bold, would a small kiss of my hand as thanks for your enduring support be too large an offer?"
Smirking, I take Montmorency's fingers in my palm and lean a bit forward as I look deeply into her glossy, expectant blue eyes.
"Of course not," I answer gently while running my thumb over the girl's soft fingers. They're petite and delicate; beautiful just like she is.
Montmorency makes a giggly little hum that tickles my nose and raises the back of her palm.
I plant my lips on her flushed skin and take a soft breath.
"When I pass by your room later, maybe I'll knock."
Then, closing her eyes and stepping back, the lovely noblewoman smiles demurely.
Bowing my head for her Tristain-style, I swing around and make my way for the stairs.
"I'd better get going now. You have a good rest of your day, Montmorency," I tell her while reaching for the wooden railing and stopping there momentarily.
"...Before you go, Michael," the blonde sounds up nervously.
I turn about and raise my brow as the fair-haired girl toys with a strand of her white-gold hair for a second. Then, clapping a flat hand to her chest, Montmorency lowers her glittering stare to her shoes.
"Hmm? What's up?"
A scarlet color begins to set into the aristocrat's cheeks.
"...You may call me Monti when the two of us are alone if it so pleases you," the student offers shyly.
Chuckling, I run my free hand back over my neck.
"Ahh, Monti, yeah? Alright then, Monti it is." I smile and give a carefree shrug. "It's actually kind of cute."
"It is a nickname: One that my most beloved nursemaid bestowed upon me when I was but a wee girl," the pink-cheeked noblewoman reveals with a fragile half-smile. "Nobody has called me by it in a very long time, however. Should you like to, though, then I would not mind."
I tilt my chin, nodding in agreement.
"Yeah, that's fine by me. Sure thing," I answer her with a kind grin.
Montmorency appears happily surprised. She folds her arms behind herself and curtseys.
"That makes me very happy, thank you, Michael," the girl exclaims while a delightful pink blush expands across her features. "And... before you leave to see Miss Tabitha, there is one final thing I would say."
I step out onto the wooden stairs and lock eyes with the blonde.
"Yeah, Monti?" I say and watch the girl visibly shiver with joy.
Lifting her chin with a happy smile, the noble clutches a hand to her chest and bows deeply.
"Should fortune's tides ever turn on you whilst residing in this world, then I will offer you a soft place to land. And, provided you remain respectful, my love. Whatever you desire, you need but only ask."
Stunned, I can't help but blink at Monti's heartfelt pledge.
"...Hey, you sure? I mean, I'm grateful and all, but that's a lot you're offering up..." I think aloud.
Montmorency appears so determined when she says this: as though it's the first thing she's ever been so firmly sure about.
"I am well aware, and what I said is how I feel. No matter what the future has in store, nor what lies ahead of us, that much is the truth," the blonde hums matter-of-factly while turning up her pretty nose in my direction. "I recognize full well my words, and should you wish to lean on me for support, then I will gladly provide a shoulder."
I bow the Tristain way, on hand and knee to show added thanks.
"Most appreciated. Seriously, I mean it. "
Satisfied, the noble lifts her shoulders delightedly.
"The pleasure is mine. I'll let you go and visit Tabitha. Do give her my regards if she is awake, hmm?"
Standing again and heading over to the top of the staircase, I cast one final grin her way and salute with the fingers of my right hand.
"Will do, " I answer the smiling aristocrat, who then returns inside her room and shuts the door.
"Thanks, Monti, seriously," I utter with a soft exhale. "You are something else."
...
I step into the infirmary and walk past the rows of beds, headed for the one further in at the back.
I move at a slow pace. Hoping that the bespectacled blue-haired girl is finally awake, my heartbeat raises anxiously.
Eventually, I reach the chair positioned adjacent to Tabitha's bed, and step up to her side.
Curled up beneath the crisp white sheets, Tabitha breathes peacefully. Her chest rises and falls at a steady rate, and for a split second, I recall diving in and saving her from the golem's mammoth fist.
Shaking my head and the unpleasant memory away, I lower myself onto the uncomfortable wooden chair and stare down at the petite girl, while running a hand over my chin.
"It's gotta be ten days now, Blue. You're worrying me here..." I breathe with an anxious flutter of my chest.
Tabitha rests serenely, lost somewhere in deep, unending slumber.
Scooting back, I lean into my chair, fold one leg over the other, and breathe a deep sigh.
Nothing I do or say changes her situation. The girl isn't budging a fucking inch, and I feel powerless.
So dreadfully powerless.
Shutting my eyes and then releasing a pent-up sigh, I turn my face away from the sleeping bluenette and sulk despite my resolve to remain optimistic.
"Hrrgh..." Tabitha finally mumbles under her breath.
This catches my undivided attention. My heart races, and I rise from my seat and lean over the soft-faced girl while leaning on my hands.
"T-Tabitha? Can you hear me?" I ask breathlessly, lowering a hand and giving the petite girl's forearm a gentle pat
Tabitha's fingers shift and writhe under the fine cotton sheets. The blue-haired student turns her head about minutely and releases an angsty, groggy mumble.
And as she does, I feel her heartbeat and mine pounding in tandem. A sign of our accidental bond.
Tabitha's violet eyes flutter open. A short, breathy gasp leaves the girl's puffy pink lips.
"M-Mother..." the girl mumbles drunkenly.
Taking a soft breath, Tabitha blinks repeatedly and wets her lips by drawing her tongue. Then, with another agonized groan, she rolls onto her side and peeks up at me through blurry, unfocused eyes.
I pick up the girl's glasses from the bedside table and slip them onto the bridge of her nose for her.
"There you go, Blue," I murmur with a small smile.
"M-Michael..." the dazed girl mutters, grasping weakly at the front of my cloak.
"Yeah, not quite your Mum, but hey, hope I'll do for now," I say, keeping my voice calm so as not to unsettle the girl.
Bleary-eyed and barely conscious, the delicate girl trembles as she tries to sit upright.
"Hey, easy there, Tabitha. You've been out cold for over a week," I tell her with a gentle hand on the bespectacled girl's shoulder.
Groaning, Tabitha starts to blink. Her glistening eyes widen slightly as she takes in her surroundings.
"The... academy infirmary..." she croaks softly, to which I nod and hum a short affirmative.
Tabitha shifts herself on the bed again, then releases another begrudging groan.
"W-Why are you here, Michael...?" the dainty girl asks, almost as if my being here is a shock.
I smooth my disheveled, long blonde hair back and sigh with a faint, amused chuckle.
"Because I promised you wouldn't be alone anymore, remember?" I say the blunt, raw truth to the girl I've grown closer to through our shared visions.
Tabitha's mouth twitches into a tiny smile at my words.
"So you did," she rasps tiredly while her trembling fingers slowly curl up with mine in a tiny, comforting clasp.
With a soft squeeze of the blue-haired mage's fingers, I smile.
"Is my sticking to that a problem?" I ask with a gentle chuckle.
"It isn't, no..." the soft-spoken girl answers with a glassy stare. Then her eyes take me by surprise as they glisten and moisten up with feeling. With gratitude. With honest-to-goodness appreciation.
Feeling her heartbeat racing through me, I brush away the fine strands of oceanic blue fringe covering Tabitha's forehead and send them back over the crown of her head.
Tabitha hums contentedly and wriggles her legs under the sheets, getting herself comfy.
"You meant it, didn't you?" The bluenette questions earnestly.
Pausing and reflecting on the answer to give her, I allow my gaze to fall while dwelling on the immense loneliness pushed through me by my and Tabitha's shared bond. Her isolation.
Raising my head once more, I rub my thumb over the back of Tabitha's fingers and tighten my hand around hers a bit.
"I really did, yeah," I answer with a resolute nod. "You're stuck with me."
The fair-haired girl smiles and inclines her dainty head a smidgeon. Then, with her pupils beginning to refocus, a thin film of tears leaks from Tabitha's large eyes and trickles down her face.
Smiling warmly, I hold the girl to my chest and keep her safe.
"Hey, you okay there, Blue? Do I need to get the doctor?" I whisper worryingly and rub the girl's slender back between her shoulder blades.
Head buried to my chest, Tabitha offers up a single shake of her head.
"No... no doctor. I'm... fine," the girl answers throatily, her voice muffled against my clothes.
Tabitha squeezes her grip around my waist firmly; as though, if she lets go, she may lose me forever.
"Honestly, Tabitha, I'm really glad you're okay," I murmur while cuddling the trembling the slightest bit tighter. "So don't feel afraid to ask if you need a hand while getting back on your feet, alright?"
Nodding faintly while against my waist, the trembling girl's small body curls up closer to me.
"Okay, Michael..." Tabitha murmurs tenderly.
I set the petite mage back onto her pillows after we part from our hug.
After eying me a few moments more, Tabitha inhales deeply and, with my aid, carefully and slowly slumps back until she is resting safely on the pillow.
Then, with a drawn-out moan of her own, the crystal-eyed bluenette gazes up at me wearing an entirely soft and devoted smile.
Blushing at the delicate girl's caring expression, I let out a stifled laugh and tilt my chin down as though to hide from her.
I feel the girl's heartbeat pounding with my own.
"Seriously, Blue, we need to sever this bond of ours," I scoff with a grin.
Cheeks pinkening, the girl holds her hand to her chest and nods.
"I'll find a way. As soon as I feel better, I promise," the noble girl assures me.
I lift my gaze to the ceiling of the spacious infirmary.
"Good. Don't think I quite fancy another shared heart episode," I reply with a grim chuckle, pressing a palm to the core of my chest.
To my slight shock, a mild dizziness passes over my head for a moment.
"Wow, is that coming from you, Blue...?" I ask in a low voice, sitting back down in the bedside chair.
Nodding meekly, Tabitha pulls her sheets and gives a gentle sigh.
"It is, yes," she answers with a soft, hollow cough.
I cock my brow curiously.
"Huh. Damn. Guess I'd better take it steady until you're rested up too, hmm?" I tease lightly.
Tabitha rolls her eyes. She then pulls the thick white sheet back down her midriff and shifts under the covers in a restless effort to get comfy again.
"I advise you do, yes," she whispers, cheeks shining pink and dimpling the smallest bit.
"Gotcha. No scrapping with golems for a few days," I joke, grinning wryly.
Recalling Fouquet's giant rocky bastard, a dull ache lingers in my chest for a second.
Tabitha blinks twice at my claim. She opens her small lips to speak, then pauses and frowns.
Seeing my joke miss the mark, I hold up my hands defensively and smile.
"Just playing around, don't panic."
The small mage lets out an airy laugh, followed by another labored breath.
"A poor one," Tabitha then follows pleasantly while suppressing an amused smirk.
"Got you smiling, though, that's what matters most," I fire back with a little laugh, folding one leg over the other in my chair. "You know, you should smile more, Tabitha. Suits you."
At this, the girl's sapphire eyes take on a curious shimmer, as if debating my advice.
Then she answers with a quick nod.
"...I might. For you."
Tabitha's smooth voice trails off into a yawn, and she shuts her eyes, exhaling gently.
"Still tired?" I ask the small bluenette.
Tabitha nods and clamps a hand to her mouth to stifle another yawn.
Eager to let the girl rest, I get up from my seat and stretch.
"Alright, fair enough. What's important is that you're up again," I say, turning to leave the infirmary. "If there's anything you need later, just have one of the healers pass along a message. Provided Louise's in a good mood and all, I should be able to swing by."
"Okay, I will," Tabitha agrees.
Placing my hands in my pockets, I take a few short steps away from my friend's bedside.
"...Michael...?" The quiet girl queries softly.
"Hmm?" I flick my eyes to Tabitha as I stop and turn back. "What's up?"
Fidgeting under the covers, the petite mage frowns minutely.
"I'll miss you."
These words weigh heavier on my heart than any ever have in my twenty-five years.
Because they come from Tabitha: The girl renowned across Tristain Academy for being stoic.
For hiding her true feelings.
Caught up in the gravity of the blue-haired mage's words, I just let them hang in the air between us, unanswered.
Feeling her soft, fragile heart pumping thunderously within me, I press my palm to the core of my chest.
"...Hey, the feeling's mutual," I finally answer the petite, shy student.
And in response, her crystal eyes twinkle.
"I-I'm glad..." Tabitha replies with a tiny smile. She parts the tips of her teeth and emits a faint, peaceful hum. "Thank you, Michael. Take care."
Smirking, I make it to the doorway of the infirmary, then turn my head back to Tabitha.
"You too, Blue," I tell her warmly. "Get some shuteye, okay?"
Turning to the doorway as I say this, I step into the hall without looking back.
"...I'm glad you're okay, Tabitha."
Louise strolls through Tristain Academy's large frontmost gates with a bag-laden Siesta by her side.
A pleasant orange glow fills the hazy, dusky evening sky.
The maid, carrying a large, handled burlap bag in each hand, tries her best to keep up.
"Do kindly slow down, mistress. These bags are quite heavy..." the servant complains with an endearing, somewhat fussy tone.
"Acknowledge my struggle, will you?" she then implores in a whisper.
Louise releases an audible huff, blushes the slightest bit, then halts in her tracks.
"As you wish, Siesta. You do have quite the load there, I suppose," the fair-haired Valliere says, eying the dark-haired maid's heavy sacks. "Had I the time I would have purchased more, in truth."
Siesta moans at the mere thought of her mistress doing as much.
"But that darned fool at the Weaver's Guild... How could he be so foolish as to make a mistake with Michael's measurements? Tch. What nonsense..." Louise sighs crossly, her pink eyes gleaming with frustration. They then brighten when fixing upon Siesta.
"Fine. Put those down for a moment and catch your breath," Louise next urges with a wag of her finger, to which Siesta, wheezing, does not hesitate to drop the huge bags.
"Thank you, Mistress." The maid murmurs in gratefulness, catching her breath. She clutches at her chest, doubtless waiting for the tightness in her throat from such a long walk to subside.
"Hmm. Yes, it's quite alright, Siesta," the girl answers with a carefree shrug. She then props herself against a regal tree on the academy grounds. Her pink locks, held in a lengthy pink ponytail, sway elegantly as she does.
Gulping down quick breaths, Siesta finally catches her breath. With a cute, timid swallow, she turns a hopeful gaze back in Louise's direction, blushing slightly.
"Perhaps next time you might be generous and hire a carriage for the return trip, Mistress...?" The maid suggests with a nervous smile.
Louise clicks her tongue and considers the request, then after a moment she finally nods.
"If Michael isn't with us the next time, then yes," she allows graciously.
The noble, still angered by the delays caused to her shopping, lowers her hands to her hips
"And rest assured, that despicable fool I encountered at the Weaver's guild shall be struck from the roster come my next letter home to Father," she snorts indignantly. Then, her eyes widen with recollection. "And speaking of which... I must check and speak with the postmaster later."
"To see if you have mail from home?" Siesta perks up.
"Yes," Louise answers, brushing her ponytail over the back of her shoulder. "We will do that once the shopping is safely put away in my room, I think."
Ruffling her cloak, the small noble gestures for her servant to pick up the bags again.
"But enough of such talk for now, Siesta," Louise declares and starts in the direction of her quarters once more. "Let us be going. I want all of my errands finished before supper."
"Of course. Right behind you, Miss Vallière." Siesta exhales a somewhat tired sigh and continues walking after her mistress, keeping up the best she can with a large bag in each hand.
"Good," Louise approves, eager to get home and set about putting away all her new purchases.
I pause halfway from the school's infirmary and reach into my pocket.
A little music will do me right on the walk back, I think.
This place is awfully quiet when the students are busy with-
"Well hello there, my darling Michael," Kirche interrupts my thoughts by greeting me in a sweet singsong tone, causing a slight warmth to swell in my chest at the sound of her surprisingly alluring Garmanian accent. "How lovely it is to see you up and about again."
Talk about a surprise. I must've been so lost in my thoughts that I didn't hear her.
She appears to me from the left and puckers her rose-colored lips together in a seductive, thin line.
With a delicate curtsy and a twinkle in her eyes, she grasps both of my hands into hers.
"Where are you headed, hmm?"
Looking at the buxom redhead, I gulp anxiously.
"I could ask you the same question, Kirche," I reply, pulling a hand free to adjust my cape.
"You could, yes. But I'm asking you, dear," the redhead hums.
"I'm just heading from seeing Tabitha. She's finally awake," I answer while carrying on down the hall.
The curvaceous girl just smiles and stays in step with me. She hums an understanding 'mhm'.
"I may go and check in on our dearest Tabitha if that is the case," the flame-user says, bringing out a pair of small letters from the inside pocket of her cloak and flashing them before my eyes. "After all, she and I have received a summons to the royal palace from Princess Henrietta."
"Oh yeah? What for?" I question, fixing my long blonde hair away from my face.
"Dinner. A celebration banquet, even," Kirche clarifies. Chuckles, she returns the notices to her pocket. "As thanks for the part she and I played in stopping Fouquet."
"Is that right?" I ask with a hint of surprise.
With an adorable bounce of her rounded chest, Kirche nods her head energetically. "It is, yes."
"You enjoy yourself then, I guess," I say with a small smile, rounding the corner with Kirche hot on my heels. I take back my hand from hers and then fold both behind my back.
Nuzzling her full breasts against my arm, the sultry beauty throws me a longing look.
"Enjoy myself? You'll be coming too, I imagine," the Germanian girl remarks, placing a finger to her lips while swaying her curvy hips subtly at my side. "The postmaster informed me that another such invite waits at the office for Louise."
"First I've heard of it," I answer flatly while shooting her a sideways glance.
"Well, I assure you, Michael, it most certainly is. It is a shame really," the redhead whispers in a velvet tone, drawing dangerously close to my ear to do so. She smells like flowers. "Provided you are allowed to accompany Louise, I doubt you'll be granted free reign of the palace, given you are a commoner."
Reaching the end of the corridor, Kirche and I begin up the staircase leading to the second-year dormitories.
"You say it as though I should be shocked," I reply dryly, shrugging. "I'm fast getting used to Halkeginia's quirks. Can't say I expected any different."
Reaching the second-floor landing with me, Kirche stops mid-step, appearing unsure how to interpret my words.
"...So you don't mind, Michael? Are you truly content with being a mere commoner?" she presses with what appears genuine curiosity, peering into my eyes. "Or do you plan on pursuing change?"
"What you're really asking is: Should I strive for more, given I'm a commoner with magic, right?"
The buxom and heavily-curved redhead crosses her arms and nods.
"Darling, had this been Germania and not Tristain, I would have written to the royal court and petitioned a knighthood for you," she assures me with a sensual grin, inching nearer. "And persuaded my father to throw his weight behind the proposal."
With a hand on my waist, the voluptuous flame mage curves her rosy lips into a thoughtful pout. "Which he likely would have agreed to... provided that you become comrade-in-arms to our house, naturally."
Best I bring Kirche down from her little daydream. And quickly.
"But we aren't in Germania, and Louise is my mistress," I remind her, folding my arms. "Plus, I'm not convinced that this little offer of yours would be entirely selfless."
Sparing my long legs one last glance, the fiery student flicks her eyes up in a not-so-subtle gesture and then scoffs, her eyes glinting heatedly.
"Who's to say?" she all but purrs in reply, tugging me into a quick hug and holding me close for all of a second before letting go. "We'll never know, now will we...?"
I shake my head and begin down the hall toward Louise's room. I pause halfway and glance back at Kirche, who still perches by the landing with a lustful expression.
"Nope, and I'm totally fine with that," I resolve with a chuckle, swinging around and continuing on my way. "Later, Kirche. You have a good one."
The curvy hums disappointedly. "Farewell then, my darling Michael. Do take care."
"You too, Miss von Zerbst, you too," I reply.
Arriving at Louise's door, I turn the handle, swing the door open, and step inside.
...
My eyes widen.
Louise's bed is covered by several new-looking uniforms and pairs of shoes. One of the bunch looks as though it's for me, even, being an exact double to the one I was given on my first night here.
What's more, half a dozen glass bottles filled with glowing liquids of different colours fill the left side nightstand by the queen-sized bed, too. Two glow a gentle pink, two are red, the fifth is green, and the liquid inside the sixth is syrupy clear.
Kneeled in front of the bed, Siesta pauses from organizing clothes and flashes me a small smile. Louise, who sits in the chair beside the maid's mattress bed, does the same.
"Louise...? What's this?" I inquire, glancing over the selection of clothes and bottles on display.
"Clothes," the petite mage answers simply, pointing to the left of the bed.
"Yeah, I gathered that," I answer with a smile, closing the door behind me.
I approach my mistress, then ease myself down and sit beside her. She smiles at me again while holding an identical envelope to the one Kirche had between her dainty fingers.
"Shopping went well, I'm guessing?" I ask the pinkette with a gentle touch of her shoulder.
"Mostly, despite an idiot from the Weaver's Guild misnoting your measurements," Louise replies disdainfully while turning over the envelope and breaking the seal on its back.
"You did place a large rush order on them, Miss Louise," Siesta reminds gently, placing a folded blouse in her lap before folding another.
"Maybe, but doesn't make them exempt from offering a professional service to a nobleman's daughter," the highborn girl remarks with an angry sigh.
I can't help but chuckle, which earns me a small frown from Louise.
"I'll have none of your smugness either, Michael, or you'll get no goodnight kiss later," Louise threatens with pinkened cheeks.
As tempted as I am to press this little tease, I simply nod and lean in to peck Louise's cheek.
"Fair's fair, though you're depriving yourself more than me there," I laugh to her while lowering my hand to the mattress. "'Specially since you usually ask me before Siesta blows out the candles."
"D-don't say it like that!" Louise protests with a squeal, batting at my shoulder and shooting me an increasingly pinkened glare. "You should be grateful for your mistress' affections, you idiot."
"And I am, don't you worry," I answer back calmly, lowering my eyes to the letter between Louise's fingers. "Let me take a wild guess: You're invited to the royal palace, am I right?"
Blinking at me a few times, Louise takes the letter out of its envelope. She then gives it a quick skim, gasps, and looks at me again, clearly surprised.
"How did you know?" the noble inquires curiously, fanning her cheeks to cool them.
"I bumped into Kirche on the way up. She received a summons as well," I answer while tapping my temple. Tabitha has too- Oh, yeah, Tabitha's awake now, by the way."
Smiling, Louise reaches up and squeezes my arm.
"Good! Thank goodness." Her expression quickly sours, though. "...It's just a shame von Zerbst is coming, too. I could do without her smug comments, and her teasing."
"I get it. Still, you can't reward one without the others, I guess," I chuckle warmly and rise from my seat.
Louise sighs.
"Yes, you're right," she admits, standing up as well.
"What does it say, anyway? Specifically, I mean?" I question my master.
Coming to stand before me, Louise hands me the sheet of parchment. A glance reveals a finely embossed silver seal in the letter's upper left-hand corner.
It goes on about rewarding heroism, honor, and a deed done for the sake of the country. Plus, it says I'm allowed and even encouraged to come along, despite my being a commoner!
I can't help but smile. Henrietta seems a kind enough girl, especially for a princess. I read out the first few lines aloud for Louise, then finish with a satisfied 'hmm' and hand the letter back.
"They'll be reading to receive us the day after tomorrow, huh?" I ask as Louise returns to my side. She folds the summons neatly, then lays the paper on her nightstand beside the two pink-coloured bottles.
"Indeed. Which means you and I will set off for Tristania from Lenore by coach tomorrow morning, and we will stay at a suitable coachman's inn for traveling nobles overnight," my mistress informs with a satisfied nod.
"Will you have need of me also, Miss Louise?" Siesta inquires, perking up from organizing the newest wave of clothes. She wears an eager smile while awaiting an answer.
Answering Siesta, the pink-haired girl shakes her head.
"You may take a few days' leave if you like, Siesta," the noble permits with a short wave of her hand. "I do not wish to burden Her Highness' already ample generosity by bringing both my servant and my familiar to the royal palace."
Nodding happily, the maid resumes her work. "As you wish, Mistress. Then might I take my leave in nearby Lenore? My Uncle and cousin run an inn there, you see. Staying with them would be far easier than taking the longer journey to my home village of Tarbes."
"Certainly," Louise allows with a nod, folding her arms. "Just be sure you return here after no more than five days. I want you rested and prepared to run any errands I might have as soon as Michael and I return."
Smiling warmly, Siesta gives the pinkette a grateful bow.
"Very well then, Miss. I'll join you on and Michael on the walk to Lenore tomorrow morning, to see you both off safely. Until then, is there anything you'd like me to pack for your onward journey?"
Louise tilts her head and ponders. Her eyes linger on the glass bottles full of magical salve.
"Yes, have these put away please, Siesta," Louise declares, moving over and placing her palm on the clear bottle and a red one. "All of the bottles, in fact, aside from those two. Pack my formal and most decorative dress and of course, be sure to pack Michael's fresh uniform."
"Of course, Mistress."
An excited flutter runs through my chest.
This'll be my first time going beyond Lenore.
"Holiday it is," I decide aloud. "This ought to be interesting."
My mistress smiles while Siesta places a pair of folded black socks on the bed with the other clothing.
"Do be on your best behavior once we arrive in Tristania, Michael," the duke's daughter instructs in a faintly stern voice. "I'd prefer you continue making a good impression on Princess Henrietta when we next see her."
Knowing well what Louise is getting at, I give her a smirk.
"Gotcha, no theatrics and nothing over the top," I assure, sliding my hands into my pockets.
The young noble taps the sole of her black shoe against the stone floor in a show of mild annoyance.
"And absolutely nothing that will reflect badly on me, either. Are we clear?"
"Crystal, Princess," I assure with a short bow.
This earns me a grateful smile from Louise, followed by a quick hug around the waist. She surprises me with a brief peck on the lips, too.
"Good. In that case, I am sure you and I will have a lovely time together."
With a little shrug, I stroll over to my side of Louise's bed and give Toby, who lays on the bedside table beside an unlit candle, a little tap on the cover.
"You heard all that, right?" I ask.
The spellbook hums quietly in reply.
"I did indeed, young sir," the spellbook replies with a click of his front latch. "And I presume you are taking me along on the journey, also?"
"Damn right, buddy."
Lifting the magically bound tome's cover and opening the spellbook toward its front, I motion to a couple of passages relating to manipulating the energy inside one's body.
"Figure I'll get a little practice in while we're on the road, avoid a repeat of the last time," I explain.
Toby's interior pages begin glowing orange.
"A wise choice, young man. At last, you are listening..."
...
The sun's down, Siesta has already gone to sleep, and Louise reads a second letter from home.
Meanwhile, the Coordinator Glove slipped on my right hand, I sit in the chair beside Siesta's mattress bed with Toby open at one of his frontmost pages. A page detailing the specifics of conjuration.
Gotta concentrate. I need to forget Louise and Siesta are here.
"That is the way, young Michael," Toby advises in a low voice, mindful of the sleeping maid to our left. "Focus entirely on the sensation swelling at your core. Channel it through the glove, and fight the urge to use your body as the catalyst."
With my eyes closed tight, I set my index and thumb together, and then snap.
With a quiet exhale, I open my eyes.
Heat swells in my chest, travels down my arm, and then collects in my gloved fingers. Upon release, a bright orange flame crackles to life in my palm, throwing soft light across the room.
"Good, that is correct. Now, tell me, does it hurt?" Toby asks with a sagely undertone.
Crushing the flame with a hiss, I shake my head and sigh.
"Not at all," I reply, running my free hand through my long blonde hair. "Should we try expanding it up my arm a little?"
"We shall. Carefully, though. As you learned when fighting Fouquet, just because you can conjure these flames, it does not mean that your body is yet attuned to the stress they cause," Toby reminds me. "Now, expand the flame with careful consideration toward the power invested."
With a brief nod, I draw a steadying breath and focus on the warmth sweeping along my right arm.
A small twinge grips my chest, and so I lessen the intensity of the fire just enough for the pain to subside. Satisfied, I watch the fire swell to cover my arm from fingertip to elbow.
"Excellent work," Toby remarks, glowing ever so gently. "You and I will carry on using this method in the coming days. We will stop once you are confident in expanding your flame without discomfort."
The heat intensifies quickly. Lacking much willpower, I unravel the spell, forcing the flame's embers to fizzle out.
As soon as the fire is extinguished, my stomach twists uncomfortably, then settles.
"Gotcha. We done for tonight, then?" I ask the book.
"We are," Toby confirms. "Return me to the nightstand, and get some rest."
"Cool."
Rising from the seat, I round the foot of Louise's bed and place Toby back on the nightstand. I then slip off my socks and trousers and climb onto the bed to sit beside Louise.
A deep frown on her lips, the pink nightgown-clad noble's eyes are fixated on the letter she clutches between her fingers.
Concerned, I reach out with my left hand and touch my fingertips to her shoulder.
"Everything okay?" I ask my mistress, "You look worried."
Flinching, the pinkette hurriedly holds the letter and places it down on her nightstand.
"Wh-what? N-nothing, I'm fine," Louise protests unconvincingly.
I offer the nervous girl a nudge in the side, earning a quick yelp of surprise.
"Hey, tell me. What's up? Don't keep it to yourself," I encourage with a gentle pat on her shoulder and a deepening frown.
Louise looks aside uncomfortably.
"...Perhaps later. For now, though, a kiss would make your mistress very happy," the shy girl offers, shuffling nearer and touching her forehead to mine.
Biting her lip, the nervous girl giggles while easing nearer, and cuddles close.
"Want me to blow out the candles first, Louise?" I ask.
Taking a deep breath, the mage slips her arms around my side and holds her hands over the small of my back. Louise tugs me tightly, her breath heating my neck in a series of rapid huffs.
"N-No, I don't care about the candles. I'd rather have you with me, near me," she whispers, her voice trembling with feeling.
My concern heightens. She must be really wound up over that letter.
"The letter you picked up alongside Henrietta's, came from home, right?"
With a nod, the petite woman replies, "Yes, it came from our home. From my mother," she whispers unsteadily, her voice growing small as though she's scared.
Something about Louise's anxiety and the way she clings to me instantly sets me on edge.
"And was it something bad?" I ask her, furrowing my brows.
"It's-"
The pinkette pauses to sigh uneasily.
"I'd prefer we leave this matter alone for now," Louise whispers, her voice becoming shakier.
Tightening the grasp of my left arm around my mistress' back, I bring my right hand up and cup my mistress' rosy cheek. Her eyes tremble, full to the brim with both longing and sadness.
"...This the kinda thing a bedtime kiss or two might fix?" I wonder with a playful smile.
Unable to hold back her smile, the gentle girl leans forward and purses her lips. I follow suit and bring my face to hers.
For a moment, the world around us is silent as Louise and I hold our mouths pressed together. Slowly, the girl brings up her arms and slips them behind my head, bringing our chests together and nuzzling my nose affectionately.
After we break our kiss, the pink-haired girl leaves her forehead pressing against mine. We simply stay like this for a few moments, allowing her eyes to flutter shut.
"That help at all, sweetheart?" I question warmly.
Louise simply gives a nervous smile.
"It's better."
"'Better' is good," I chuckle while stroking the back of my slender mistress' shoulder.
Louise holds her head tilted close, and simply savors our closeness and the warmth of my breath, her eyes fluttering shut in satisfaction.
"So, if you don't mind me asking, why's this letter from your mum got you so upset?" I question the pinkette gently while brushing back the stray hairs from her sweet face. "It usually takes a lot more to upset you like this."
Blushing furiously, Louise hesitantly answers, "Well, um..."
My mistress soon goes silent, though, and I shake my head.
"I won't tell a soul, promise," I vow while locking my gaze on Louise's pink orbs. "It's not like I've got anyone to tell, either," I reassure my anxious girl.
Relaxing a little, Louise brings up her pinkish eyes to meet my green ones. She smiles once more and returns her forehead to mine.
"You really are a kind familiar, Michael," she mumbles, gripping my hand and entwining her fingers with mine. "The companion I always yearned for, deep down."
To calm her after bringing up a potentially tender topic, I bring my hands in and slip them behind her back. I touch my fingertips just above the rim of her flared rear, holding her against me and cuddling the pinkette lovingly.
Smiling happily, the young highborn swallows at my touch.
"The one I can talk to, and have someone who holds me and doesn't hurt my pride," Louise confides in a whisper, making my heart stutter.
"Hey, you nobles are a pretty proud bunch, Louise," I breathe heavily, stroking the small of her back. "And, all my usual jokes aside, I know you hated folks picking on you because of your magic."
Running her warm hands up the musculature of my back, Louise releases a small hum.
"Yes, and therein lies my problem, Michael," the pinkette mumbles into my shirt while gazing up through her lashes. "I wrote to mother telling her about fouquet's attack, and how I now know that I am void mage..."
Louise trails off weakly, then bites her lip.
"And what did she say, hmm?"
Stilling her head against my chest, Louise shuts her eyes with a dejected sigh.
"Mother expressed doubt over what I told her, and," my master mumbles with a downtrodden expression, "in no uncertain terms, believes my part in stopping Fouquet is an exaggeration."
Shaking my head and hugging the troubled girl tightly, I take to stroking her back.
"That's a load of crap, Louise," I remark with a pained smile. "If anything, it sounds like your last-minute spell saved all of us from that pain in the arse of a golem."
Returning my cuddle, my mistress nods gently.
"That's just it, though," the pinkette murmurs wearily against the cloth of my shirt. "She thinks I'm lying and that bothers me. You: My familiar... You believe me, and you weren't even conscious."
With a sigh, I place a kiss on her forehead while cupping her slender cheek.
"Of course I believe you, Louise," I reply assuredly, trying to make the noble girl feel better. "And even if I didn't, I've watched you try over and over to cast spells since I got here, only to have them blow up in your face. Why, when you finally manage to pull it off, would you make it up?"
With a nervous shrug, the pink-haired girl sighs.
"Of course, I wouldn't... I just..."
"You wanted some recognition, right? From your parents?" I offer with a weak smile.
For a few seconds, the girl says nothing. Slowly, she tucks her chin deeper against the front of my shirt.
"And from my sisters," Louise agrees softly.
Tightening my hold around Louise protectively, I try my best to let the girl know she's cared for and appreciated. "Well, even if your mother isn't in your corner, Louise, I am."
I press a firm kiss to my master's head, which brightens the pinkette's cheeks.
"And I appreciate you, too," I whisper earnestly, making Louise sniff back a happy chuckle.
"You had better, Michael, especially after the privileges I've bestowed upon you in these recent days," she teases, snuggling my chest.
Lifting her head and easing up, Louise smiles and cups my chin in her right hand, and gazes longingly.
"And, supposing I yearned for one final kiss before getting under the covers, would you bestow it upon me like a doting familiar should?" my mistress inquires coyly, fluttering her pretty eyelashes.
I can't help but chuckle and raise a brow, and then fall backward onto my side of the bed and pull Louise down with me. We cross our legs and look upon the others' faces from where we lay, and lean in. Gently, I kiss my mistress as she asked.
Closing her eyes, the pinkette curls her arms around the back of my neck and grips me tightly. I sigh and allow our lips to press together in a heartfelt embrace, sharing my warmth and affection.
Moaning softly into me, Louise tilts her head aside and, without warning, slips her tongue into my mouth.
As my master's excitement runs hotter and hotter, our kiss grows more passionate and my resolve dissolves.
A deep inhale escapes the young girl and she releases a beautiful moan while clutching my throat, and locks her slender legs around mine.
Tucked against my chest, Louise suddenly yanks herself away from our kiss.
Panting heavily, her eyes glitter with adoration.
"Goddess, that was lovely," she praises breathlessly while clinging to my shirt with a blush.
"Heck yeah," I agree with a chuckle.
A deep joy radiates through me from what we've just shared.
Tucking her forehead to mine once more, Louise is quick to peck my mouth tenderly and exhales contentedly.
For a time we simply bask in each other's company.
That is until Louise clears her throat gently.
"And how was your day today, my precious idiot?" the aristocrat questions affectionately, while stroking along my torso. "Did you do anything besides visiting Tabitha?"
I return a humored snort, though refrain from moving beneath Louise's doting touch.
"Kind of. I bumped into Montmorency out in the hall just after you and Siesta left. Guiche is still bothering the poor girl by the looks of it," I explain while shaking my head.
The pinkette continues caressing my right bicep sweetly, drawing the tiniest of whimpers from me in the process.
"Of course he is," Louise sighs deeply.
"Tell me," she continues quietly, running her fingers through my hair and touching my temples, "did you go to her aid as you did the last time?"
This makes me freeze up, and Louise picks up on my reaction.
The noblewoman then brushes back a strand of my long hair and smiles knowingly, her eyes glinting with emotion.
"You've got me figured out, huh?"
For a few moments, she studies me with the smallest of smirks and blushes.
"I certainly do, yes," Louise nods eventually, tightening her hand over mine.
At her admission, I smile gently.
"Don't worry, only kissed her on the hand this time, her way of thanking me for backing her up," I reveal with a chuckle. "Don't want you jealous now."
My noble mistress cracks a mock frown and huffs at my little tease.
"I couldn't possibly get jealous over you, not with the way you keep your hair, Michael," the pinkette scoffs with playful disapproval while lifting her little nose.
"Ouch, My Lady, I'm hurt," I purr.
Amused, Louise's lips quiver with barely contained laughter, "Oh stop it, you fool."
We break out into a soft, shared chuckle and exchange a couple more pecks to the lips.
"Gets funny, though, the whole 'Montmorency' thing. Guiche got so annoyed that he started rambling on about claiming his revenge," I mention after a while, smiling a bit.
I watch Louise shake her head, her hair settling around her shoulders.
"Such a tirade sounds fitting, although, I imagine Guiche is far too enamored by his reputation to act," the mage replies. "Especially since you bested him so soundly before."
I nod a little bit.
"Mmm-hmm, I'm not taking him seriously, don't worry."
Again, Louise smiles and draws her hand along my collar. "Good."
"Now then," my mistress continues quietly, while her fingers entangle themselves within my hair as she yawns, "I would like to rest, I think. Be a good familiar and blow out the candle, would you?"
Chuckling, I follow her suggestion and sit up to snuff the candle flame between my finger and thumb. As I do, Louise climbs under the covers and snuggles up to my side when I join her under the covers.
Smiling contentedly, my noble mistress presses her head to my chest, using it as a pillow.
Lifting her hand to her mouth, Louise chuckles.
"Sweet dreams, Michael."
"Same to you, Princess."
Louise hums warmly and closes her eyes. Snuggling up against me for warmth, she then takes one of my hands in both of her own.
As Louise rests, I bring my eyelids closed.
A decent enough end to a decent enough day, I think.
And Tabitha being awake again is good, too.
Satisfied, I let my senses drift and my body become heavy.
Switch off, Mikey. Nothing beats a good night's sleep.
To be continued...
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