Oleania was only covered up to her neck by a blanket, so Embris couldn't see if she was wearing anything while Roesadra was wearing a tunic and leggings, the tunic they typically wore when they were standing in for the Blue Rose nearby with the mask, though she wasn't sure if Amelia had noticed it with how she was already moving towards the pot of water that was boiling over what Embris could only describe as a stone slab to the side of the room that looked as if it had just been installed there recently.
Amelia tossed a couple hisusi mushrooms in the pot of water before turning her attention to Oleania.
Tchisa helped Embris to sit leaning against the wall before taking her leave, closing the door behind her. Amelia didn't seem to notice, but Embris had a feeling she was well aware of what was going on around her.
Embris watched as Amelia set her bag near one of the straw mattresses before she pulled a rag out of her bag, removed the blanket from Oleania's body and dipped the rag in the pot of boling water and started wiping Oleania's body off with it. Embris looked away, not wanting to stare at the naked body of someone she was supposed to be guarding, as even though she was there to keep an eye on Amelia and ensure that she wasn't doing anything improper, she had a feeling Roesadra would watch Amelia like a hawk in this instance.
Besides, she could feel her eyes beginning to feel rather heavy and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't help but feel them close despite her best efforts to keep them open.
Though, even after they were closed, she could still hear Oleania's labored breathing, the occasional sound of Amelia dipping the rag into the pot of water, and Roesadra's quiet murmurings to Oleania that everything would be alright.
Then before she knew it, she was completely asleep, unaware of anything else around her.
_
As Jenn woke up, she could feel Saelea's gaze on her. Not that she was that surprised given how Saelea looked throughout the dream conference. Although, she wished that this wasn't what she had to deal with as she woke up.
"What was that?" Saelea demanded when Jenn glanced at her.
"The dream conference?" Jenn asked, mostly to make sure rather than an actual attempt at playing dumb.
"Yes. What was that? How did you do it?"
Jenn sighed as she sat up on the straw mattress, wincing at the headache she felt from that action, making her wonder if she'd overused her magic to get so many people together for the dream conference. "I used my magic to draw everyone together, though I can't say much more about how I did it. I'm still unsure of most of the specifics involved."
"Well, if that's the case, what's the real reason we're waiting here for a week? You made it sound like we still had more to do with dealing with the duchess, including me giving her names that I'd already given her. So, I want to know why you said we needed to stay here for a week."
Jenn sighed. She hadn't really thought that bit through when she'd said it, but at the same time she felt that it was the best amount of time to gauge how long she'd need to wait for the daggers to be finished. Although, she did at least have a ready excuse waiting to give Saelea. After all, they were set to go sightseeing today and Jenn was confident that Saelea didn't want to miss that.
Not to mention how Jenn was confident that she'd be able to make that take long enough to last for however long she needed to have it take.
"Well, I did agree to let you see the sights while we're here, right?"
Saelea had started to look away from Jenn but then her gaze snapped back to her, making it almost seem like she was trying to make her head pop off or something.
"I thought that wasn't as important as getting that contract from the queen," Saelea replied, her tone making the statement almost sound like an accusation. "Isn't that contract worth skipping some of what we had planned on doing?"
Jenn shook her head gently. "I promised you that you'd be able to look around the city while we were here and while I said a week, we can still head out any time before that. I'll just let them know that we finished earlier than my estimate had indicated. Which I'm sure they'll be fine with and won't question."
Saelea looked at Jenn as if she was being deliberately deceptive, which Jenn supposed she was. Though she was confident that it was for a good cause. Even if Saelea might not agree with how she was going about it. Although, Jenn also had to admit that in order to keep the surprise a surprise, she did have to be a little deceptive, at least, with Saelea.
Although, she couldn't help but wonder if she should give Saelea her dagger before she gave one to Roesadra and Oleania considering how they weren't going to be around them for quite a while. Especially while Jenn knew that Ralph, Amelia, Tim, Wes, and Hannah were there. She didn't want to run the chance that they'd run into each other. Though, she supposed that if they did manage to get the contract from the queen, that she could make some excuse to head down to the settlement after her friends had left and give them the daggers she'd gotten them.
"Are you listening to me?" Saelea snapped, drawing Jenn's attention back to the present.
"Sorry, I was just thinking over a few other things that were mentioned."
"Like the spotted plague hitting after we left?" Saelea asked, her earlier expression of annoyance melting to one of worry and concern.
"Yeah, things like that," Jenn replied, even though she wasn't concerned about that as she knew that Amelia would be able to handle it. Though, she couldn't say for sure about the other aspect, of how people who caught the plague were staying fatigued. She wasn't sure what that was about, but she knew that Amelia would be the best one to figure out how to handle that out of anyone she knew. Besides, she doubted that Amelia would leave it alone until she found a solution to the problem, or a treatment if it was another illness or something.
"Yeah, it makes me wonder if we'll see any of the others again."
Jenn got up to pull Saelea into a gentle embrace, holding the young woman as she trembled in fright. "I assure you, Amelia will handle everything. She knows how to treat the spotted plague and will be the best person to figure out what the lingering fatigue is about. I'm sure that it'll be over before we know it."
Saelea nodded against Jenn, her trembling continuing despite Jenn's reassurance, which Jenn couldn't fault her for, given Jenn knew she probably wouldn't be as easy to reassure as that seeing as how Saelea only had Jenn's word to go on that Amelia would be able to handle the situation. After all, while Saelea trusted Jenn, when it came to those she cared about, the trust she had in Jenn wouldn't translate to others that Jenn trusted whom Saelea didn't know.
"Look, would you like to discuss something else to get your mind off of that?" Jenn suggested, unable to think of anything else.
"Like what? Didn't you discuss everything in that dream conference already?"
Jenn shook her head. She couldn't say that she was surprised that Saelea hadn't thought of it given everything else that they had learned about, as it wasn't like the discussion from the day before about how to discuss the 'accident' without having anyone overhearing what they said.
Though, Jenn would like to get that dealt with before they went down for breakfast. As she certainly didn't want that to come up in other ways that could potentially create more problems for her. Such as to have Saelea decide to discuss it no matter who overheard simply because she kept forgetting about it.
While Jenn knew that that was unlikely to happen, she couldn't help but feel that it was at least a distinct possibility. One that she really didn't want to risk actually happening if she could help it.
"Like what we discussed yesterday using our magic to communicate about the… accident."
Saelea looked like she didn't understand what Jenn was talking about at first as she left Jenn's embrace, but then her eyes widened before her face started to turn red and it was clear that she realized what Jenn had been referring to: the accidental kiss they'd shared the morning before.
–So, would you like to start talking about it?– Jenn asked with her magic, hoping that she wouldn't need to spell out the need to use their magic for this to Saelea again. After all, she couldn't say that there wasn't anyone outside their room who could hear every word that they had been sharing.
–Okay, but what is it that you wanted to talk about it for?– Saelea asked, looking like she wasn't really sure she wanted to talk about it. –I mean, you're not upset with me about it, are you?–
Jenn shook her head, putting a hand on Saelea's shoulder, trying to be as comforting as possible. –No, I'm not upset with you. After all, it wasn't like either of us had planned on that happening, so it really wasn't anyone's fault.–
–Oh, so it's that you finally decided on what my punishment for kissing you should be?–
Jenn sighed. She knew she really should have stayed with what she'd said and let Saelea bring it up, but she'd already essentially brought it up, just in a way that would have brought more attention to it and Jenn since realized that it would be better to get this out of the way rather than waiting for this to get brought up again and likely get the other SIlverthorns with them interested in what they were discussing. If they weren't trying to find out what happened at that very moment.
–Look, what happened is that I pulled you to your feet to get you to wake up and you slipped. You didn't mean to slip and I certainly didn't mean for you to do that either. When you slipped, you crashed into me and that's when our lips met. So, I don't think that it's something that either of us should be punished for.– Jenn explained, not sure if she was actually getting through Saelea's preconceived notions of why she needed to get punished over that.
–But I did something to you that you didn't want. I even touched your… um, you.– Saelea answered, her face starting to redden in embarrassment.
Jenn wasn't sure why Saelea was being so shy, as she had seemed like the most outgoing of her stand-ins. Yet here she was looking as if she was uneasy about discussing this topic. Like she would rather hide before dealing with this very subject.
Not that Jenn herself really wanted to deal with this subject. It was more that she knew that if it wasn't discussed, it would likely only create problems down the road. After all, it was an accident and not something that either of them should have to face any consequences over.
Although, if she mentioned it to Alex later on after she returned to Earth and she wanted to punish Jenn over that happening, then that would be her prerogative, though Jenn was confident that she'd agree that an accident wouldn't have meant anything. As it wasn't like they'd deliberately kissed and could have stopped it if either of them wanted to. Something Jenn hoped to get through to Saelea. Plus, when Saelea landed, her hand just happened to cup Jenn's breast. Not something to overthink and certainly something not to get bent out of shape over.
–Look, you didn't plan on touching me there, nor was it something that you planned on doing at that moment. So, it's not something that needs a punishment. I was careless when I pulled you to your feet and you didn't expect that, so I can't expect you to have been able to catch your balance when you slipped. So, if anyone has to be at fault for that happening, it would be me since I was the one who pulled you to your feet when you weren't ready.–
Saelea's eyes widened in horror, as if Jenn had suggested that she do something that was taboo or something. Jenn wasn't quite sure what the problem was here, but she was confident that she was probably going to feel a headache over it in the end.
–Look, why not tell me what you're thinking and maybe even feeling so I can get it over with rather than wondering what it is that you're not happy with.– Jenn added, wondering if she was opening herself up to a bigger headache than she could feel coming on right then.
Saelea looked like she didn't want to say anything, but Jenn was willing to make it an order, one that she knew Saelea would feel obligated to follow. Even though Jenn would rather the young woman just open up to her as if they were friends rather than boss and subordinate.
"It could never be your fault, my lady," Saelea replied out loud in a whisper.
"If it can't be my fault then how could it be yours?" Jenn replied, hoping that logic would solve this problem, wondering if she was making a mistake with answering out loud rather than with her magic.
"It has to be someone's, right? Which would make it mine," Saelea answered without missing a beat, making Jenn sigh in annoyance.
"If it's your fault, then how would that work? You didn't plan on what I did nor did you plan on what happened afterwards. Making what happened something that neither of us had planned on happening. Now, if it kept happening, then we could start exploring the possibility that one of us is doing it deliberately rather than accidentally, but that's the only time it'd happened, right?"
Saelea nodded slowly, as if she had a feeling she was being trapped somehow.
"Well, then since it only happened that once, then we can let it go and not worry about it further, alright?"
Saelea nodded, though it looked like she was still troubled about it. Or something else that she wasn't talking about. Which made Jenn wonder if she'd merely touched the tip of the iceberg in regards to that subject or if there was something else altogether that discussing that one topic had brought up.
"I- I can't talk about it out loud," Saelea replied, tears coming to her eyes.
Jenn put a hand to her head, hoping that this wasn't going to be another headache and that she wasn't going to regret even talking about this issue. One that she suspected had merely been brought up in the wake of that other issue.
"Then use your magic. That way you won't be saying it out loud for others to hear," Jenn said, doing her best to remain patient.
Saelea nodded, looking unsure about it, almost like she was going to refuse altogether, but then Jenn head her voice in her mind.
–Does it make me a bad person if I liked that kiss? I certainly wouldn't mind if it happened again.–
Jenn wanted to groan in frustration. She had a feeling the fact that Saelea wanted to have a repeat of that kiss was part of why she had wanted to be punished for that accidental kiss, but Jenn knew that she couldn't allow it right then. Even if she wouldn't mind it herself. After all, she felt like it'd been too long since she'd had that kind of contact with anyone and was wondered if maybe she'd even let Alex have her way with her if Alex suddenly appeared before her right then.
–It doesn't make you a bad person.– Jenn assured Saelea. –It just makes you human. Though, I thought you were more into guys than girls.–
Saelea opened her mouth to say something but stopped, looking rather conflicted about something. –I thought I was too but when we kissed, it made me wonder if I might like girls too.–
–Well, if you find anyone you want to marry, then let me know. Even if it's multiple people, I'll support you in whatever choice you make on that front.–
Saelea smiled and her tears started to leak from her eyes. While Jenn didn't mean to make her cry, she supposed that they were tears of happiness, although she at least hoped they were. As she couldn't think of why she'd be shedding tears of any other kind right then.
–Would you let me sleep with you again tonight, then?– Saelea asked, her expression rather bashful.
Jenn sighed. She didn't mind that, but at the same time, she wished that Saelea had asked for something else. Something that wasn't akin to asking for another kiss. Though, at least with this request, Jenn could at least justify it without having to worry about if she'd be cheating on Alex or not.
–Fine, but just like last time, clothing needs to remain on, okay?–
Saelea didn't reply, she just merely nodded happily. Which Jenn could only shake her head about as she sighed. She did want to let Saelea enjoy her trip to this city, but at the same time she worried that she might be allowing Saelea too much leeway in what she could ask for. Especially since she had a sinking feeling that this was only the beginning of what her stand-ins were going to request of her.
Although, she hoped that any future requests weren't so personal as sleeping together was. Yet, she doubted that she'd have the heart to say 'no' to them regardless of what they asked, so long as it didn't cross certain lines. After all, they'd done so much for her by being her stand-ins that she wasn't sure if she'd be able to really thank them like she should otherwise.
After all, they'd taken on the burden of passing judgements among her people over things that Jenn would probably have lost her patience over and ensured that the settlement grew as quickly as possible while making sure that it was also a place where children could just be children without having to worry about enduring bandit attacks or even being made into slaves.
She just hoped that she it wouldn't turn out to be something she regretted agreeing to.