Chapter 18

Bath time? In this place? That seems like a dream come true, to be honest. I would never have thought, in my wildest dreams, that I'd ever be soaking in a tub like this. Not that I could've conjured up a picture of one like it in my imagination. I'd love to jump in and rinse the day away, just wash away all my cares with whatever is in those pretty bottles... But is it really okay for me to bathe here? I'm used to the streams during the spring and summer. In the colder months, we used a metal tub and heated water by the fire. I don't feel right using this room. I look at Elise, and she raises her eyebrows and thumbs in approval.

"A bath sounds wonderful right now.", I concede.

I'm tired of fighting. I'm filled to the brim with conflicting emotions, frustration, and exhaustion. Frankly, I'm also so ashamed of myself that I didn't hate the sinful rendezvous that just transpired between my master and I, quite as much as I know that I should have. I feel so wrong, so dirty! All I want to do is wash the impurity off my skin, and sleep until I forget it ever happened. As I start to hug myself, the only remaining woman in a blue dress, who still remains a stranger to me, comes to my side and looks at me with bright green eyes.

"Its been a long day, eh?", she asks, flashing a sympathetic smile.

I nod in agreement, looking down at the floor. She puts a finger under my chin, pushing gently to lift my head up, until we are face to face. She's only about an inch taller than I am, so I automatically feel at ease with her. Plus, something about her face is just friendly. Something tells me that she's someone I can be open with, someone I can lean on, just like Akida. If there's one thing I'm grateful for, it's that whatever hardships I must endure here, there are at least a few people who wish the best for me.

"I'm Marie. Let's be good friends, okay?"

"Okay.", I agree, a tear beginning to blur my vision.

"To the tub we go, new friend. Onward, march!"

With a cheerful little giggle, Marie links arms with me, and we walk, side by side, to the steps of the massive tub. It's even bigger up close. I inhale and blink the tear away, as she takes the robe from my shoulders. I remove my panties and walk up the steps, climb down the steps on the other side, into the tub, and let my body melt into the warm water around me. Forget about everything that's happened today. It's time to clean away this filthy feeling my master has left me with. Let's scrub away the emptiness, rinse off the guilt, and flush all the bitterness down the drain now.

"Purple rain!", shouts Elise, laughing cheerfully.

She tosses the contents of the basket of lavender flowers up over her head, and into the tub. They shower my head, before hitting the water with a twinkle, making delightful little sprinkling sounds all around me. I can't help but smile. I used to love the sound of the fish playing in the pond, and a sense of nostalgia comes over me, as I'm reminded of summer evenings under the willow tree. As soon as the petals hit the water, a pleasant, relaxing aroma fills my senses.

"Perfect!", Elise says, placing her elbows on the edge of the tub, and resting her chin in the palms of her hands. "Doesn't that feel better already?"

"I know I certainly feel better. Today was a doozy! Come here, Euroah. I'll wash your hair.", Marie says, picking up a bottle, and wiggling it enticingly at me.

"Ready or not, here I come!", I tease her with a little splash.

While they wash my hair and scrub my body, I clean my face with one of the pretty soaps, and let go of all my built up tension. All the strange emotions I felt while my master was causing me all that pleasure, all the anger I felt toward myself for being pleased by it, the empty feeling I felt after he left me without even glancing in my direction, all of it fizzles away with the tiny bubbles. Finally, I'm able to set my worries aside and feel at ease for the moment.

"Lavender is great for soothing the nerves, isn't it?", yawns Marie. "I don't know about you, but I'm getting sleepy."

"I'll go turn down the bed.", Anna states, leaving the room.

"Are you ready?", Marie asks me.

"I feel like I could sleep for a hundred years.", I exaggerate.

"Come on then, let's dry you off."

I get out of the tub, and she wraps a fresh, plush robe around me. Feeling warm and cozy inside and out, I slide my arms through the holes, and tie the belt around my waist. Elise uses a towel to dry my legs while Marie dries my hair, and then I slide into a pair of fluffy white slippers with silly rabbit ears on them. Cute as they may be, the comfort they provide for my aching feet is far more pleasant to me than their visual appeal. My days of fleeing surely have taken their toll on me. My poor feet seem to have taken a brunt of the damage, and are covered in sore, healing, cuts, scrapes, and bruises.

I sit on a stool, while a loud machine on the wall sucks all the water out of my hair, and then Elise rubs some scented oils over my arms and legs. Marie pats something called a sleeping mask onto my face, and after I finish brushing my teeth with this incredible buzzing toothbrush, Anna pops back in, and heads through the arch. The ladies motion for me to proceed, so I get up and follow her to the room beyond the arch, and once I cross the threshold, I'm instantly mesmerized by what awaits me there. There are so many different clothes and shoes!

Seas of white dresses line one wall, and shelves of various white shoes stand between some of the racks. Another shelf holds hats, while there are rows of bags on another. Columns of clear, glass drawers are filled with white bras in various styles and fabrics, white panties of the same sort, in another, shirts, slips, stockings, socks, in others. More clothing than I feel I could even wear in a year is hung, stacked, and piled all around me. Where did all of this come from? How did it all get here so quickly?

The whole room is filled with clothes and accessories, but every last bit of it is white! What in the celestial heavens is the deal with the lack of color in my quarters? It lacks none of the opulence or luxury that the rest of the manor has, but the absence of color almost makes it seem like another place altogether. I walk to the center of the room and sit on a stool, staring at myself in the mirror on the wall that stretches all the way from the floor to the ceiling. Why does nothing have color? If it weren't so regal looking, it would kind of be depressing.

"Will this do for tonight?", Anna asks me, holding up a silk nightgown with a matching robe.

"I'm so tired I could sleep in anything.", I respond.

"Okay then, let's get you dressed so we can all go to bed. I'm sure we're all pretty tired. We've had a lot of extra tasks today.", she says, never looking at me directly.

Standing up, I take the panties from her and put them on. Marie and Elise busy themselves with tidying up, as I slip off the robe and pull the nightgown over my head, putting the silk robe on over it. I don't know why, but Anna doesn't seem to give off the same friendly feeling as the other ladies. I can't really think of a reason, but I get the feeling that she isn't too happy with my sudden arrival here. Maybe I can ask Elise or Marie about methods to gain her favor later. Never mind, for now. I'll try to brush it off, and see if she warms up to me with time.

"Thank you, Anna."

She bows her head slightly, and moves on to doing other things. I walk back through the dressing room's arch, and into the bathroom to see the ladies finishing up the tasks they were working on. Elise heads to the door that leads back to the bedroom, and opens it, gesturing for me to follow her. Entering the room once again, I instantly see the bed with all the covers now pulled down, and most of the pillows removed. Before I lie down, though, I want to investigate the room with the sofa.

Turning left, I head through the grand arch and soak in the view. Floor to ceiling windows line the wall, creating the illusion of the room being open to the courtyard below. The sofa is only a centerpiece to the room. In front of it sits a coffee table, on top of yet another white fur rug. Against the left wall is a big television, just like the one in my master's quarters. A small, golden chandelier hangs from the ceiling, and there are a few decorative shelves on the wall, holding decorative things, like vases, trinkets, and figurines.

On the right side of the alcove, there's a little round table, with two comfy chairs, sitting in front of the window. Tucked into the corner of the room is a tea service table, and to the right of that, a painting easel, and another door. As much as I'd like to explore the rest of the room, I need to rest, so I make up my mind that it can wait for another day. That's enough investigating for tonight. The scent of lavender grows more intoxicating by the minute, and I feel as though I'll fall asleep on my feet if I don't get to bed straight away.

I make my way over to the bed and sit down on the edge of it, when my three companions come together at the bedside, Anna holding a basket. I can clearly see on their faces now that the three of them are exhausted as well, and feel bad for keeping them for so long. They should all go to bed soon, too. While I would rather not be alone, I settle my heart, and climb up into the bed, resting my head on the pillow. I'm going to be alright. It's not like I'll even be awake long enough to be bothered by loneliness.

"Get some sleep, okay? We'll see you tomorrow.", Marie says, in a soft tone.

"If you need the toilet, it's in the bathroom, through the door, on the left. There are buttons, like the one on your nightstand, placed all around the room. Press one of them, and someone will come to assist you. Sweet dreams, Euroah.", says Elise, as she follows the other ladies out, their pretty blue dress hems swaying behind them.

"I'll be off in a few minutes, but someone will be here to take my place. A guard will be out here at all times. Rest well.", Benny says, as he leans in to pull the door closed.

As the door clicks shut, I pull the covers up to my chin, and before I even have time to begin another inner dialogue, sleep overcomes me. I drift off into the land of dreams, for the night, knowing I'm safe and sound, at least for tonight.