The two women moved in silence after leaving Miyanna's room, so as not to wake Kael and Lune up.
Once they arrived below, the crystal clear water awaited them.
From a distance, the water looked quite chilly, but a quick sweep from Celine's hand proved otherwise. The water was beyond perfect. And it looked clean. An odd thing.
Three people washed in it, yet it was just as clean as before.
"Should we, then?" asked Celine to Miyanna, who was with her change of clothes in her hand, not sure what to do with them, or herself.
"I guess?" Miyanna replied, letting them fall to the ground.
With a nod from Celine, who did the same, they began removing their clothes, revealing their fair skin and beautiful features.
As they did, neither of them could help themselves not to steal a glance at the other, perhaps confirming something. However, this could have easily been just another fight between them, just as the one from before.
But this fight came at a draw soon after, as Miyanna began noticing not Celine's features, but her Marks.
Things that were absent from Miyanna's own skin.
"They are beautiful," muttered Miyanna out loud in awe, without realizing it.
Celine giggled, doing a spin, showing them off, "Why, but thank you. Miyanna, some would fit your strong, weirdly well-developed body as well."
"Aren't they a secret? One to never reveal to enemies?" Miyanna asked, staring at Celine, who was dipping her feet in the warm water.
"Are you an enemy, Miyanna?" Celine tilted her head gently.
"No, but in the future, I don't fucking know, maybe?" said Miyanna, shocked by Celine's lack of urgency, "But even if I am not an enemy, isn't this supposed to still be kept a secret?"
"Quite literally, one of the most important secrets a Noble Blood can have," Celine replied, as she entered the pool, which was perfectly shallow, with only the middle of the pool going above her chest.
"Wait, then why are you showing them to me?" Miyanna asked, entering the water as well, moving straight to the middle of it, letting the water cover her chest, only to realize that she was the same height as Celine.
A thing she did not notice before. Since she was considered taller than most women.
But why was she thinking of such a thing during an important conversation?
"Because, even with this knowledge, you would not be able to defeat me. And believe me or not, I trust you. I want to trust you. So, what better way than to show my sincerity by showing you one of my biggest secrets?" Celine explained casually.
"So that's what all this is about? Trust? You want me to trust you, and you to trust me? Why? What's in it for you?" Miyanna asked.
"Nothing. For now," Celine began, "And even if you've seen them, it matters not. You do not know what they mean. Not even Blanc knows fully."
"You two are so odd…" Miyanna muttered in disbelief, giving up for a second time in less than an hour, sitting down on the shallow parts of the pool, opposite Celine.
"Me and who? Blanc? What makes you say that?" Celine asked.
"The way he came out of the bath was…" muttered Miyanna, losing her words as she remembered.
"So you noticed that too, huh?" Celine giggled.
"Noticed? I barely noticed anything else. And do not get me started on how he acts like a prick, and a saviour of mine. When he and you all invaded my cave."
"Your cave?" asked Celine, ignoring the rest of her words, "What made it your cave?"
"I was first into the cave, so it's mine," said Miyanna. A logical argument, in her opinion.
"I know you are not dumb, Miyanna. Stop acting like you are. And stop acting like you do not know who the three above are. Even if you do not know who I am, you must surely know who they are. Either you are a commoner from these parts, or… a commoner, but not from these parts, who just so happens to arrive in these parts not long after a war began in the Domain. You know who this forest belongs to. Which tells me all the things I need to know without you telling me."
"And why are you revealing all these now?" asked Miyanna, getting to her feet.
"Because I want to trust you, and you to trust me. I will not dig deeper into figuring out who you are. I will wait for you to tell me when you are ready," explained Celine, rising to her feet and getting out of the pool.
"Will you tell them as well?" Miyanna asked, her face somewhat pale.
"Who? There is no them you are afraid of. Tell me, who do you fear will find out?" Celine questioned back, looking into Miyanna's bronze eyes.
"Blanc. Do not tell Blanc, please. He will kill me," said Miyanna, obviously panicked.
"Then, Miyanna dear," Celine began, as she put her chemise on, "You will have to trust me."
Miyanna only nodded, still locked into the pool as she stared at Celine walking up the stairs.
She knew. Somehow, she knew… or had found out. But how? My body? Who the fuck is this woman? I fear Blanc's threats, but… I think I should fear her more. Miyanna thought as she sank back into the water, suddenly feeling utterly exhausted, all because of Celine.
Celine returned refreshed to her room with a wide smile on her face.
Perhaps because of her victory over Miyanna, or because of what awaited her in bed.
"I see you kept your promise," Celine said, stopping to look at Blanc, who awaited her under the covers.
"I assumed most of our talking would happen naked, so I took the liberty of removing the clothes I had on," Blanc replied
"With or without clothes, everything was visible either way," sighed Celine, still standing on her feet.
"What do you mean?" Blanc asked, frowning.
"Never mind. But before anything else, let me apologize to you for today," Celine bowed.
"Hey, please don't do that," Blanc muttered, jumping to his knees, only to accidentally pull the covers off himself, revealing not just his naked body but also the new Mark: the outline of a rabbit foot, proudly placed at the base of his 'hidden weapon.'
Seeing it, Celine burst out laughing, unable to maintain the serious mood they had just shared moments before.
Blanc, realizing why she was laughing, let out a resigned sigh before joining in with a chuckle of his own.
"I will accept your apology, my love," Blanc smiled, offering his hand to her. "Now come, it's getting cold, and there is much to discuss."
"Indeed, I have much to say to you," Celine grinned, accepting his hand.
And as they began discussing quite the heavy politics between the sheets, another day came to a close.
The first evening in their new home, and with an unexpected neighbor in tow.
A neighbor who, during the night, found it quite difficult to fall asleep as the constant sounds of politics resounded around her. Not knowing what to do with herself or these new sounds that kept her from sleeping, and made her forget almost all her worries.
Almost.