Alexei, Flora, and Calibri began to walk back to their dormitories since they lived in the same section.
"Do you think prince Kol will treat us even worse now?" Flora asked.
"Yes." Calibri and Alexei answered.
"Prince Kol doesn't seem like the kind of person who would take being reprimanded very well." Calibri said.
"Especially by individuals that he could barely tolerate in the first place." Alexei said.
Flora sighed, then shook her head as if to banish any thoughts she was having. "There's nothing we can do about then. Let's put it out of our thoughts."
Calibri nodded. "Yes, we do have quite a lot ahead of us. Dwelling won't dissolve the issue."
"Well then, dinner plans. What would you like to eat, your Majesty?"
Calibri who was hopping along on the petals on the ground turned around and began to walk backward in front of Alexei with a bright smile.
"Why don't we eat later, and explore the school tonight? Weren't we given the permission to?" He reasoned. Alexei gave him a look.
"It's cold. You remember what your brothers said. You absolutely cannot fall ill this week."
Calibri waved a hand. "Flora will know what to do."
Flora looked at Calibri with wide eyes. "Your majesty, you overestimate my abilities. Alexei is right. You shouldn't take these risks."
Calibri crossed his arms, "You two worry too much."
"You worry too little!" Alexei and Flora said.
"Two hours. We can go to the healing springs."
"No." Alexei said.
"1.5 hours?"
"No, your majesty."
"One hour? We are going to be isolating ourselves for ever so long." Calibri said.
"And what if prince Kol is still there? I have no doubt that he may try to drown you." Alexei said.
"He does not seem like the type to murder." Calibri said. "He seems misunderstood."
"Exactly what about him is misunderstood?" Alexei asked, reaching forward and moving Calibri, who was still walking backward, to the left so that he didn't trip on the fallen cherry blossom branch on the ground.
"Well, most children who are spoiled and given everything they wanted growing up may feel entitled to respect and preferential treatment by others. His parents most likely indulged his every request, and placed the highest importance on him. It's no wonder he behaves the way he does, he doesn't know how else to behave. I'd imagine he doesn't have siblings he has to divide his parent's attention with, so in that case he'd have all his parent's attention. If he did have siblings and still behaves in such a manner, then he may have plenty others babying him to make up for it. In the case that he did not have parental affection but had plenty of superficial affection in the form of gifts from them, he would also turn out like this."
"But your majesty, do not take offense, but you are babied, and you are given almost everything you want so long as it isn't detrimental to your health, and you aren't like this." Alexei said.
"Yes, but the morals of our sect may be different from his."
"Clearly. The whole ordeal about 'peasants' this evening was uncalled for." Flora said.
"Yes, I agree that it was." Calibri said. "But, back to my request, one hour?"
Alexei sighed. "Your majesty, we've already healed everyone."
"But we need to bathe." Calibri said.
"They have placed bathing contraptions in the dormitories." Flora said.
"But it is not the same." Calibri pouted.
Alexei laughed and looked at Flora. "Look at your prince, he is a baby."
"And he just spoke of Kol being babied." Flora said.
"One hour, only one hour."
"Half an hour." Alexei said.
"Yes! Half an hour! Yes, yes. We enjoy half-hour baths." Calibri said and hurriedly linked his arms with Flora and Alexei with sparkling eyes. The two looked at each other and then at Calibri, rolling their eyes fondly.
"You usually take an hour to two hours to bathe." Alexei said.
"Let's call everyone so that we remember each other during these seven days." Calibri said, ignoring what Alexei said.
"With your photographic memory your majesty, I believe you could remember them perfectly fine without seeing them now."
"And afterwards we can all cook together at my dormitory because I sincerely doubt that Cloud would have an issue with that. Then after replenishing our energy, we sleep." Calibri said, standing still.
He unlinked his arms and closed his left fist, when it opened, a lisianthus flower was in his palm.
"What message are you relaying?" Alexei asked, looking over Calibri's shoulder at the white and purple flower.
"I said to meet us at the healing springs." Calibri said, tossing the wispy gold, white and purple flower into the air, it multiplied into five flowers and flew quickly in different directions to the recipients of the message.
"Calibri, should I make your meals for the week this evening?" Alexei asked.
"I want to attempt cooking. Or I'll fast." Calibri said as they walked along the glowing path.
"Your majesty, are you suicidal?" Flora laughed.
"I am not… I've read a book about Verbatian vegetarian recipes recently." Calibri said, pouting.
"I'm sure those are lovely recipes, your Majesty, but it would be safer to cook with supervision." Alexei said.
"Cloud can supervise. He says he can cook."
"Cloud seems to like you in a way that is not platonic. It is worrying." Alexei said.
"Very, if you can avoid him your majesty, please do. His intentions do not seem pure." Flora said.
Calibri frowned to himself. Sure, Cloud seemed peculiar and Haochen called him a pervert, but he'd never picked up any feelings of ill-intentions from Cloud towards himself.
The three then talked about nonsensical things until they reached the springs. Strangely, the others were already there, smiling as they approached. They stood at what seemed like some sort of entrance. There was a barricade of tall, pine trees, and between the trees were white, opaque swirls preventing anyone from seeing the inside.
"They go all around the spring in a large circle, if you're curious." Rion said.
"It seems that there are two identical springs. This one is for males, and the other one is sanctioned off for females." Kreia said.
"Why is that, your majesty?" Flora asked her. Kreia shrugged delicately. "I do not know. But they do not want males and females bathing together."
"Even if they're from the same sect?" Flora asked.
The others nodded.
Tea started to tie up her long, ankle-length hair and then looked at Calibri with a sigh. "What should we do, your majesty? It is against the rules."
Calibri bit his cheek. "Are those the rules?" He asked, pointing towards a floating placard with turquoise writing.
"Yes, your majesty, come have a look." Korra said.
Calibri walked towards it and quickly scanned it.
"The following rules must be adhered to if you wish to use the healing springs:
1)Use the springs allocated to your gender, these springs are for male use only.
2) Do not bring an individual of the opposite gender to the springs.
3) Do not perform any sexual or immoral acts in the springs.
4) Do not excrete in the springs.
5) Do not eat or drink in the springs.
6) Do not fall asleep in the springs.
7)Do not leave your belongings at/in the springs.
8)When using the towels and gowns provided at the springs, place them in the basket in your bathrooms and leave them outside your dormitory room at the start of each week for collection.
9)Do not fight at the springs.
10) Do not damage the springs.
11) Do not pour any concoctions into the springs.
12) Do not drink the water in the springs, they regulate medicinal substances.
13) Do not tamper with the enchantments on the springs.
14) Do not cast your own enchantments/incantations/jinxes in the springs.
15) The springs may be used for meditation, but should not be used to practice your cultivation.
The list went on and on. Calibri looked at the others. "Why would anyone perform those kinds of acts from rule three in springs? That would contaminate the springs."
Alexei who'd been reading pursed his lips. "So they want females to bathe without males present?"
Korra and Tea nodded. "But that goes against Verbatian morals. Why would they make such a-" Calibri said, then as if he'd been doused with water, his eyes widened. "We've forgotten." Calibri said.
All of them stared at him for a moment and then their eyes widened too, as they let out an involuntary shiver at a story they'd been told during childhood.
"They must be aware that the other sects could potentially have these disgraceful, disgusting intentions." Rion said, closing his eyes as he thought about the story.
It was about something awful that both men and women from another sect had done to a Verbatian woman before their sect made the decision to go into isolation… Other sects did not look at naked individuals in the indifferent, innocent manner that Verbatians did.
Calibri shook his head. "This cannot be done."
"Should we avoid using these springs then, your majesty?" Korra asked.
"We should. It would be unfair if only those of us who are male got to use the springs too. So we should all not use them. Even if you are bathing with only women you can be attacked. It does not help that many people here are not fond of us." Calibri said.
Rion nodded. "This is true. We'd all be safer if we were in groups. While they do not know many spells, judging from their fighting today, there is great power in numbers, and a great number of them despise us already."
Calibri nodded with a sigh. "Yes, let us not risk it." Alexei looked over at him and his saddened expression. He knew Calibri was not one who enjoyed isolation very much. He was a social butterfly and disliked solitude, but he wouldn't risk everyone else's safety for his own happiness.
"Why don't we all pick a dormitory room and bathe there?" He said.
Calibri perked up. "Yes, let's do that!"
Kreia smiled apologetically. "My roommate is very quiet, but I doubt she would be comfortable with everyone coming in."
"We could go to my room. Cloud doesn't seem like he'd be uncomfortable."
"Why would he be? He has the eyes of a pervert." Siegon said.
Calibri frowned. "That is the second time someone has called him a pervert."
"Because, your majesty, he has been looking at you in a strange manner." Korra said.
Calibri sighed, not seeing what they were seeing. "We can bathe in the wash-room, and then change in it too before leaving." He said.
Kreia nodded, "We can do that and-" suddenly, as she spoke, something small, black and shapeless ran up Calibri's body and then disappeared.
The others gasped.