Jaevis, butler of the Verith family for thirty years, has escorted many knights through the castle in his time. Some get lost, some get where they’re not supposed to be, and some get kicked out.

Never has he had to try to escort a knight who seems to have decided to become a knight escort himself.

Where his peers eagerly go into the baths, Sir Jacryn just leans against the wall separating the men’s and women’s baths. “I will stay here for the moment.”

Sir Gurstel calls back, “Ooh, are you afraid they won’t have your hair potions?”

“From my experience, you should worry they don’t have your mustache oil,” Sir Jacryn snipes back. Their conversations sound like friendly banter, but are said in tones that imply they are enemies. Worrying, if only for the quality of the Casmenoc army’s cohesion.

Jaevis spots Cennac coming down the hall in servant’s guise. Excellent. “Bilston, please show the Casmenoc knights around the baths.”

“Yes, sir!” Cennac follows them in and starts showing them around.

Jaevis turns back to Sir Jacryn. “May I ask why you are staying out here?”

Sir Jacryn hesitates, looking at his feet. Clearly choosing his words carefully. “I… I didn’t know that Lady Irenis was being sent to die. I assumed that we were protecting her. I wish to continue doing so until… it becomes impossible. Especially as, even for loved children, new places are hard to deal with without their parents.”

“I see.” That’s very sweet. The truth of the sentiment will remain to be seen. “Would you feel better if a servant who can be trusted around children—” meaning any of them, Jaevis takes great pride in his hiring practices. “—were to stand guard outside the baths while you took yours?”

Sir Jacryn slumps. “That would be a great relief to me. Yes, please do so, and I will go take my bath.”

Cennac comes out of the baths again. Jaevis nods to him. “Were you busy?”

“No, sir.”

“Then would it trouble you to stand outside the baths and make sure no one bothers the lady Irenis?”

“And the dame knights,” Sir Jacryn interjects. “Especially Meitha. People tend to think that just because she takes great pains to look feminine, she’s weak and-or wants sex all the time.”

Very interesting. Many men don’t bother to notice the problems of the women around them, especially the more feminine ones. Sir Jacryn goes up a tick in Jaevis’s estimation.

The knight leaves to go take his bath and Cennac leans against the wall. “Why did he want to stay here?”

“He seems to have assigned himself to Lady Irenis as her escort knight.”

“I see.” Cennac idly pulls out a pocketwatch. “Milord asked me to keep an eye on him. His peers don’t seem to like him, and he’s attached himself to a vulnerable child. Nothing inherently wrong with that, but…”

“We do need to keep watch for red flags.” Jaevis will keep that in mind.

“It does speak well of him that he didn’t attempt to stay here once an alternative was presented. That speaks of honesty.”

There’s a squeal from the women’s baths.

—

Back at the Casmenoc mansion, baths were monthly affairs for noblewomen because of the difficulty of washing properly long hair and the fact that if hair is slightly dirty, it holds elaborate hairstyles better. Only the guards and knights, who got sweaty and dirty every day, bathed daily, and they got cold water tubs. Irenis, as no better than a servant, also got cold water tubs.

Here, the very air is warm and wet. Irenis looks around as they enter the baths. It’s a tall, airy room with several large pools set into the floor. The walls are white stone, except for where the window used to be; that’s filled in with a mural. Irenis peers at it, but can’t understand what it’s depicting.

“That’s an art style from his lordship’s homeland.” The head maid comes up beside Irenis. “They do abstract representations rather than perfectly realistic.”

“Neat.”

“The changing rooms are this way.”

Irenis leaves her dress hanging up and her shift in the appropriate basket (which is also labeled for corsets, but Irenis doesn’t have one of those). There’s a small garment hanging on the wall for her, like a swimming costume that only covers the trunk of her body. Irenis dithers while she undoes her hair, considering whether she should wear it or go naked into the bath. She eventually decides to wear it. It’ll disguise some of her muscle, so at least the other knights won’t make fun of her. And maids don’t usually tattle, so the head maid probably won’t tell the Veriths of her weakness.

Thus armored, she ventures out. The other knights are already in the pools, which are slightly cloudy even if they aren’t steaming. Irenis dips a toe into one of the non-steaming ones and finds it slightly cooler than room temperature. She slides in, expecting to need to swim. But her feet hit a ledge under the water. Irenis blinks at it, then slowly sits down. Her head remains above water even when she’s fully seated on the ledge. Phew. She scoots around the ledge, which oddly enough feels like kitchen floor tiles, to reach a carven wood shelf with lots of glass bottles and soaps on it. “Um, head maid?”

The head maid comes bustling over. “Yes, my dear?”

“Uh, first, what’s your name? I don’t think I ever caught it.”

The head maid sits down next to the pool. “I am Briensyn, and I’ve been serving this household for… oh, forty years now.”

Irenis nods. “And which of these soaps am I allowed to use?”

“All of them.”

Irenis blinks at her. “Won’t the noblewomen be angry if I use their scents?”

A commotion starts up amongst the knights. Irenis listens long enough to determine that it’s not violence and then tunes it out.

“No, none of the ladies here will mind. They have other things to worry about.”

Irenis doesn’t believe her. Perfume is so important to noblewomen that they use it to signify political alliance. The Casmenocs would be furious if Irenis used their scents. “Okay. Which is your favorite?”

“This one.” Briensyn hands her a yellow bottle. Irenis sniffs it and sneezes. It’s quite strong.

The commotion has not abated by the time Irenis has washed her hair. She smells like mothballs now, but she’s hopefully made an ally by preferring the same scent. She finishes rinsing out the last of the soap and looks over to see what’s going on.

Of course, it’s Asnathe. She stands in the middle of the smallest pool, steam wafting around her, and crowing about how she is strong and the best. The other knights are sniping back at her from their pool.

Irenis, having an attack of bad decision making, climbs out of her pool and goes to swim in Asnathe’s. She climbs in and doesn’t let herself hesitate or hiss at the heat.

And promptly slips underwater because she missed the ledge. OW hot water in eyes minerals in eyes water in mouth—she surfaces with a splash and leans on the edge of the pool to cough.

Briensyn and one of the other knights rush over to make sure she’s not drowning. Asnathe sniffs. “What do you think you’re proving? I already did it.”

Irenis paddles around the hot pool. “I can stay in longer.” Look, Briensyn, I’m strong! Please tell the Veriths that.

She feels rather boiled when she gets out to dry off, but it’s worth it.

—

Supper is a chaotic affair, loud and indecorous, but at least she gets to sit next to Sir Jacryn. And the food is scrumptious, and she gets to eat as much as she wants! Roast pheasant, and mashed potatoes with lots of gravy, and pure clear water, and a soft white slice of what Sir Jacryn calls cheesecake and polishes off quite a lot of. It’s sweet and good.

After supper, the knights get together to drink. Irenis, whose sole sip of beer when she was little did not endear it to her, retires for the night. Margrave Verith returns Irenis’s curtsey with a deep bow. Irenis chews on that until she gets back to her room, at which point the tiredness hits her all at once. She falls asleep on the cozy bed without even changing into nightclothes.

In the middle of the night, she jerks awake and almost falls off the bed. Once she’s rescued herself, she lies panting up at the ceiling. I must have had a nightmare. Good thing I can’t remember it.

The position of the moon says it’s around three in the morning, but she can still hear boisterous laughter from the courtyard when she opens the windowpane. Irenis closes it firmly and observes the bed.

There is one behavior that Irenis has never dared to commit, but always desperately wanted to try. She climbs onto the bed, stands up, and bounces on it.

Oh, this is fun! Irenis giggles to herself and bounces more.

—

Standing guard outside the suite, Jacryn faintly hears her soft giggles and smiles tiredly up at the ceiling.