adlantisag | IC CONTACT

Good.

[ She still has business with Masamune, but it doesn't involve Sieglinde.

She does, however, have business with Sieglinde that involves Masamune. ]

I need to speak with you. In person.

Of course. You are always welcome here.

[It's... A bit worrying. But that just makes her reply come quicker. Masamune was out cold thanks to one of her potions (that she slipped into his lunch to keep him from moving and damaging things further before she could finish healing him), so she's not concerned that they'll be disturbed.]

[ She's at Sieglinde's door in an hour, the time it takes to cross town unnoticed--not a simple feat given her status. She'd have sent her cat to pick Sieglinde up, but the girl needs to be at her workshop.

As she slips inside the door and pulls down the hood of her cloak, she takes in the space, how disorganized--moreso than usual--everything looks. Masamune's on the bed, heavily bandaged and sleeping. She can't help her eyes from skimming over his prone form, half-flinty still from their encounter in the woods, but it's hard to muster up real anger when he's in this state. She'll save it for later.

Instead, she turns on Sieglinde, chin up, imperious. ]

Good evening, little one.

[Thanks to Sebastian's arrival the place will soon be spick and span one more, but until then Sieglinde's workshop is ramshackle at best- items moved haphazard out of the way, some smears of blood now dry on the floors, stained bandages and empty vials here and there, a newly acquired heavy book placed reverently on a cushion... And the little witch herself, at Masamune's bedside checking his bandaging while he took a potion induced nap.

A last touch of his hand, comforting in nature despite the fact he was too deep in dreaming to know it, and Sieglinde turned in her chair to greet Kida, her expression relieved to see her- was it evening already?]

Thank you for coming... Did you have any trouble in the streets?

[She hasn't set foot out of her rooms since that night, but she's heard the talk, and the sounds outside her window... None of it good.]

[ She sees the book, but doesn't recognize it's from Gilgamesh aside from noting how flashy it is. ]

Nothing I was unable to avoid.

[ For all her boisterous personality, the truth is Kida is actually a fairly adept scout. Sneaking about isn't such a challenge, even with guards at every turn. Most of the technique involves acting as if you've always belonged, and with her comfort in Chantes' mores only increasing, that's easy to do.

She takes a seat close to Sieglinde and Masamune, watching the pair of them. From this angle, they really do look like brother and sister. Speaking of which... ]

I came here to speak to you about the lie you spun, in the prison.

[ Her eyes slide to Masamune, then back to Sieglinde, one brow arching up. ]

[Sieglinde knew how fast Kida could run- even when she'd been carrying her, she'd been strong and swift... so she did have confidence that at the very least if she was spotted that she'd be able to flee... but it was still good to hear it hadn't come to that.

When Kida's expression changes, Sieglinde at first looks confused, but then it slowly changes to a slightly guilty expression, body language giving her away even further as her tiny heels could be observed awkwardly squirming beneath her skirts.]

I know it is not becoming to lie... but such lies have saved women from the gallows before, no matter the crime...

[Not realizing what else could have been troublesome about what she'd done, Sieglinde simply apologized for lying, her expression akin to having been caught red-handed with stolen sweets.]

[ Kida expels a sigh. ]

Sieglinde, it is not that you lied--I know you wanted to help me. Lies can be effective tools. [ Kida prefers not to lie, but she's been known to do it, if it gets her way. ] It is what you lied about.

[ Her face turns away a bit. With Masamune right there, she can't help a bit of a pink stripe down her nose. What if he wakes and hears? He'd better not be pretending to sleep and eavesdropping...she'd make him regret waking. ]

I had to... [ She makes a vague gesture at the man on the bed. ] Face him, afterwards. And we had to--maintain the illusion! It was embarrassing!

[Wait, it wasn't that she lied?

Sieglinde's brows arched up in turn, quizzical as to what Kida could mean by that... was she feverish, or something, that she suddenly looked a bit red, or was that-

Wait a minute...

She looked between Kida and Masamune, following the woman's vague gesture, back to Kida, then back to Masamune. What was embarrassing about that? It wasn't as if she had said Kida was with child without a man to claim paternity...]

- I did say you were married...

[Pointed out as if that made it better, honestly.]

[ Kida's face contorts into surprise, then disbelief. How can Sieglinde not see it? ]

You said I was pregnant with his child! Masamune and I are not--involved, Sieglinde! It was incredibly inappropriate to assume we would both be comfortable with such a thing!

[ She's more flustered than she'd care to admit. In truth, she does find Masamune quite attractive both in appearance and personality, but Sieglinde doesn't need to know that--and it's beside the point. ]

[Sieglinde shrank back into her seat, still obviously confused as to what exactly was the problem here. Though the situation had been dire she'd still taken care to make sure it was an arrangement with as little shame as possible, and Masamune was a lord, was he not, so it would be a good match-]

But it wasn't true...

[That was what a lie was, so...]

I can explain the situation to anyone who might have misconceptions...

[As someone who... routinely had bouts of fancy... she was having trouble understanding the feeling of... not wanting people to think such things about you.]

It--

[ She almost wants to give up, say 'never mind', and leave. But no, Sieglinde ought to understand, so that she doesn't do this to someone else. ]

Sieglinde. It does not matter that it is not true, or why you did it. I take exception to the fact you did not take my or Masamune's feelings into consideration before you spoke.

[ She's trying to express this in a way an eleven-year-old might understand, but Kida hasn't been eleven, even by Atlantean standards, in several thousand years. She doesn't really remember what it was like. ]

[It was... Admittedly confusing.

Sieglinde lapsed into silence, staring up at Kida with the troubled expression of a child (no matter how she'd deny it) who definitely understood someone was mad at them, that they should feel bad about something... But something they didn't understand- not really.]

I would have discussed it with you beforehand, but...

[You were sort of in prison. She doesn't want to make them feel bad by making a deal of how upset and desperate she'd been to free them, when it was them who had faced the possibility of the gallows, not her, but. She looked between Masamune, in merciful unconsciousness, and back to Kida, frown deepening.]

Should I apologize... ?

[Were you supposed to do that over something like this?]

[ There's a long moment before Kida just deflates a bit, realizing in the same moment that she won't be able to explain this adequately, and that she has no patience to try. ]

It is already forgiven, little one.

[ There's a kind of wry smile on her face before she allows herself to sit, taking a spot by Masamune's bedside. ]

The both of you...

[ At least her exasperation sounds fond. ]

[The visceral relief Sieglinde felt the moment Kida's reaction tempered was difficult to miss, her shoulders instantly dropping back down, the grip she had on her own knees loosening, the furrow between her brow suddenly not so prominent. Of course she didn't want Kida to be upset... But in her own view of the world, she couldn't really feel like what she did was wrong either.

- but it had embarrassed the other woman, so.]

I'm sorry.

[She says it anyway, even if it's more a "I'm sorry you're upset" than a "sorry I did that" sort of apology. But she moves some bandages aside so Kida can sit, reaching over to fuss with the sheets she'd pulled over him, mindful of the arm she'd yet to finish healing, only then turning to look at the other woman again, her eyes still bloodshot from lack of sleep, red from the crying she'd done that morning.

... He gave you a lot of trouble?

[There hasn't been much time to talk when they'd dragged him in last night- another hour even and the poisoning may have been too advanced for her to have done anything. That close...]

[ Kida's gaze shifts to the man on the bed, her eyes travelling the softened planes of his face, his collarbones, the gentle rise and fall of the bedsheets over his chest. He looks vastly more peaceful.

Of course he'd given them trouble. Even half-delirious he was determined to be a pain. ]

We found him in the river, as you know. He was delirious. He attacked us--[ attacked her specifically, but she won't tell Sieglinde that ] --and refused to leave.

[ She sighs, her chin held in the palm of her hand as she contemplates him. Her gaze shifts to Sieglinde. ]

He is inordinately heavy.

Those far gone with fever will instinctively seek out that which may cool them... The river may have given him more time.

[Though it doesn't excuse the shenanigans before or after, really, and her cheeks puff out a bit in frustration that he would be so stubborn that even half dead he could hang on to such notions of defense and the need to lash out. It would have made treating him almost impossible, so really, she'd been glad he was unconscious, but...]

Even just his arm is heavy.

[Supplied helpfully with a frown, poking at his uninjured bicep with a derisive snort. He might not way as much as Wolfram but still.]

- you were strong to get him here. You are alright yourself, though?

[ She waves off Sieglinde's concern. ]

I am fine. [ She remembers distinctly the pain of Masamune's discharge, the throbbing ache of it in her muscles afterwards. But it had gone--and whatever had not passed through her into the ground, her pendant had done the job to heal. ] Muneshige helped me.

[ She half-sighs, turning back to Masamune's prone form. Her brows knit together. ]

May I stay here for a moment, Sieglinde? I need to rest--I will leave if you have incoming patients.

Of course-

[Though she said she was fine, that request made Sieglinde look Kida over again once more- just in case. But perhaps she was just tired, because she couldn't see any wounds or other signs.

Eren had been by hours before to make sure she knew that the guards might be going door to door searching for the fugitives... but if there was one thing Sieglinde wouldn't allow it was people interfering with her patients. While Masamune was in her care he would stay safe... and while Kida was there, that was just another reason.

She wouldn't be able to enforce such a thing with more than words or threats to refuse to treat those injured guards who ended up in front of her, but Sebastian was here now... She hadn't realized the pause between her words was so long, hurrying to complete them, gesturing to the second bed.]

Ah... I mean, you can stay here, yes. As long as you need- my workshop is safe as of yet.

[ She looks at Sieglinde, takes in the sight of her, small and stooped, exhausted. She feels guilty for coming in, suddenly: how much more pressure had she put on Sieglinde with the weight of her anger? It could have waited, surely. But she hadn't been thinking clearly, blinded by her emotions, her desire to see Masamune safe and sound, her desire to see them both.

She scoots her chair over, until they're sitting side-by-side, and lays her cloak over her lap before patting it, and invitation. ]

Then come and lay your head to rest, little one. You have been very brave.

[ She won't stay very long; she's aware as much as Sieglinde is how wanted she is right now, and every moment spent here paints a bigger target on them both. But she can steal a moment longer, can't she? ]

[As tempting as it was to lay her head down on Kida's lap, nuzzle into that cloak, Sieglinde shook her head, stubbornly holding out.]

I'll rest if you do.

[Her second bed was a bit messy, and smaller, (because it was hers, not Masamune's) but- she clambered down from her seat to try and go clear it, struggling to make the short distance that normally wouldn't give her much trouble.

If Kida would just lie down... then she could lie down... and just close her eyes for a little while...]

[ It's a demand that makes Kida smile, and one she can't really deny she needs. She gets up to follow, putting her hands on Sieglinde's shoulders to stop her. ]

Let me.

[ The girl's been on her feet all day, doubtlessly, and while so has Kida, it isn't really comparable. Leaving her cloak draped over the chair, she clears the bed with ease, dropping stacks of books and vials on nearby chairs and tables. Absently, she pokes the hearth fire back to life, but there's enough heat wafting up from the apothecary downstairs to keep the cold away. ]

There--come.

[ She pulls back the covers. Normally they should get in sleeping clothes at the very least, but the pair of them are too exhausted to really bother. Kida slides in, patting the sliver of space next to her. ]

[She wouldn't insist on independence now- it would have been futile anyway against the more quick actions Kida was capable of. She'd been mostly on her knees on the floor, bandages and medicines spread out in a circle around her and having Sebastian assist her with the moving of the patients but... Her legs were cramped nonetheless, her mind groggy from lack of sleep, up hours past when she needed to have rested to make sure she purged the poison from Masamune's blood, saved the motion of his hand...

Sieglinde nodded, clambering up onto the mattress and struggling to pull off her tight heels, at least, the bound feet within throbbing dully with ache that came from having the treatment resumed since Sebastian had arrived after weeks without it.]

Sebastian is out running errands... He can wake us when he returns...

[But she had to stifle a yawn to get that out.]

[ Gently, Kida slides her hands over, works at the fasteners of Sieglinde's shoes. It's the first time she's seeing the bound feet up-close, and they almost make her wince in sympathy. Sieglinde doesn't need any pity, however, so Kida keeps her face neutral as she works. She undoes the girl's hennin, setting the twin cones aside. Freed, her hair falls in dark rivers. She is a very pretty child, Kida thinks, patting her head with genuine fondness. ]

Settle in. I met a Sebastian, I think--a tall man, with dark hair and pale skin?

[ It's asked in the kind of drowsy soft tones that precede sleep, as if the answer is less important than the act of speaking, pushing back the inevitable a moment longer. ]

[It's easy to surrender to Kida's help, not only tired and now having allowed herself to admit it unable to hold it back, but simply because she was used to such things- Wolfram and her handmaidens had always been on hand to do everything for her: her hair, her clothes, her shoes, her meals. Broken and folded in on themselves, bound tightly with fragrant bandages and hidden behind ribboned stockings, her feet fit prettily (grotesquely) into the woman's palm. The feel of hands undoing her now messy hair, the pat on her head...

It was nice. Like how things used to be, before she'd found out the truth.]

Yes... He is a competent butler...

[She burrowed into the covers without needing much encouragement, small enough that making room for Kida wasn't difficult at all.]

He has agreed to assist me... Until his master needs him again.

[ She makes a sleepy sound of assent, accepting the explanation for what it was. She trusts Masamune would not have allowed anyone incompetent or dangerous into the house.

It's quiet. Wind whistles outside. She strokes Sieglinde's hair until the girl falls asleep, noticing how tiny she was, how such a small bed could still hold them both. The girl really does need the kindness of others. ]

Sleep well, little one.

[ It's a moment still before Kida allows herself to sleep, lulled by Masamune's gentle breathing, the wind and Sieglinde's soft heartbeat. ]

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