Kaida Endo: "You two are determined to never let me get a bath in without your help again. I am perfectly capable of bathing myself without assistance. I am forty years old you know; to Botan I may still be like a kid, but that damn stone makes me feel old."
Botan Date: "I am aware of the aging effect on you. Since the day you touched that stone, your eyes have the look of someone who has been around for thousands of years. There is nothing you can do about that side effect. No one has ever been able to stop that particular issue with the stone in all the years I have been alive."
Tsubasa Endo: "Does it always have that effect on us, or is it just the royal bloodline?"
Botan Date: "Well it never affected me in such a way, so it may just be because you are the royal bloodline. Just look at how much knowledge was poured into your sister over the years."
Kaida Endo: "That is so true. But I still want my damn privacy. Damn."
Kaida's right eye seemed to twitch uncontrollably as she stared at them both. Her arms folded across her chest, she sighed heavily as the look of frustration clearly showed itself on her face. Turning to them, she clearly stated a simple phrase to them.
Kaida Endo: "I am more than aware that both of you are going to sneak into my room at some point in the night. I at least want bath time to myself, is that too much to ask?"
With this realization, Tsubasa and Botan sighed heavily conceding her point. Unlocking the door, they headed out back toward the main hall table and talked while she bathed. It was after all, a point well made. It had started to become Botan's habit to enter her bedroom at some point in the night as well. They might as well give her that little concession. Kaida enjoyed her long soak, free from the two that had their secret competition going on that tried to vie for her attention.
In the bathing room, Kaida sighed with relief. It looks like her words finally got through to them. She locked the door and began to disrobe. Skillfully placing her clothes in the dirty hamper, she grabbed one of the smaller bath bombs and walked over to the tub and tossed it in. She watched as the lathering effect made the bubbles and soap rise. Nodding in satisfaction, she sat on the side on a stool as she scooped up a couple of buckets of water out lightly pouring it over herself. Filling the bucket once again, she grabbed up her rag and began to wash herself down. Once she was quite clean, she poured the remainder of the water over herself as a light rinse and got into the tub. Sitting in the nice hot water, she let out a relieved sigh and leaned against the wall of the tub. After a few minutes, she dunked herself under the water completely. Taking her hands, she worked her hair free of the braid she had.
Sitting up out of the water, she grabbed up her comb and her bag of herbal mix for her hair. Taking some of the herbal mix out, she vigorously rubbed it into her hair and then used the comb to comb it through even more. After a few minutes, she dunked her head back under water as she took the comb to her hair to remove most of the leaves under water from her hair. Once her hair was nice and rinsed, she wrung her hair with her hands and lightly wrapped it in a partial bun with a hairpin. Grabbing up her towel, she began to dry herself off, unlocking the door, she opened it enough to holler for a maid to come in, once the maid entered, she shut and locked the door again. Asking the maid to help her with her kimono and hair. Placing each piece of the kimono on, the maid helped keep her outfit straight as she finished up by making sure the belly wrap was in place properly. She then sat on the bench as the maid helped to fix her hair. Satisfied that Kaida looked proper, she smiled and bowed lightly to her before leaving out of the bath area.
Kaida then headed out to the dining area where everyone was sitting. Taking her place, she picked up her glass and slowly drank off of it. Not long after Kaida arrived at the table, the other lords, as well as Aya and Bai showed up at the table and took their places. Aya and Bai both had started sitting next to the ones who changed them. It was almost a compulsory thing to them at this point. They may be from the bloodline, but their powers are nowhere near the level of Kaida or Tsubasa. With this feeling in place, Kaida then decided to speak up concerning this matter. Before heading into town, they were going to head to the stone room to see if it boost them any.
Kaida Endo: "I have decided, before we head into town to get the items discussed upon yesterday, I would like Aya and Bai to touch the stone so we can judge what their attributes will be. I, of course, will make a record of it."
Botan Date: "That is an exceptionally good idea. It may help boost their power some. Shall we head to the stone room then?"
Getting up from their seats, all eight of them headed through the library to the stone room. It was a room that Aya and Bai had not been allowed in till now. As they entered the room, their eyes grew wide as what laid before them was an intricately carved stone holder. They marveled over the many women that had been carved out with their designs in dresses as well as the color of a stone they had never seen before in anything. As the look of amazement captured their attention, Kaida walked between the two of them, placing a hand each on their shoulders to get their attention.
Kaida Endo: "This is what is called the Queen's Stone. It holds all the knowledge of the past queens as well as awakening your inborn abilities. You each will walk up and touch the stone. I will then write down the color and ability that you possess for our records."
Dai walked over to the stone as he stood to its side. He pointed to Aya and gestured for her to come over.
Dai Haku: "Aya, please come over here and place your hand upon the stone. Imagine filling it with power. It will then light up as you do. We shall see what power sleeps within you."
Walking over to the stone, Aya hesitantly placed her hand upon the stone, she imagined filling it with all her power. As she stood there with her right hand placed upon the stone, the smoked color began to change. A new color emerged from the stone that not even Botan recognized. A brilliant shade of sky blue emitted from the stone. The next thing that Aya knew, her left hand was covered in ice. She looked at it funny for a moment as Dai stood there shocked, it has been so long since anyone had had the ability to solely manipulate just one element. She would be mastering Cryokinesis. The sole ability to manipulate and create ice out of nothing. Kaida sat with parchment and quill in hand making note of this new color and ability. Aya backed away from the stone, an astonished look upon her face. Both left the stone and walked back toward the door area. Coming forward, Kano then walked over to the stone, beckoning Bai to come over next.
Kano Nishio: "It is now your turn Bai. Please place your hand upon the Queen's Stone and imagine filling it with power. We shall see what your inborn ability will be. I am now very curious after seeing Aya's."
With a large inhale in and out, Bai approached the stone and placed her right hand upon it. Closing her eyes, she imagined filling it with all her power. The stone then changed from the smoked color and yet another new color that no one was familiar with emerged from the stone. The oddest bluish white emitted from the stone as sparks began to leap from her left hand. She opened her eyes and looked down upon her hand, her surprised look almost made her jump till she realized that they did not burn her. She waved her hand back and forth slightly as she watched the sparks dance across her fingers. Electro kinesis is rare among vampires, the shocked look upon Dai's face was apparent. Taking her right hand off the stone, she backed away with Kano and went back over toward where Aya and Dai were now standing. Making note of her new color, Kaida wrote it down on the parchment that contained all the other colors already. The surprised look upon Kano's face was apparent as well, yet another single element wielder. Who would have thought that a single was possible?
With a satisfied look upon her face, Kaida stood in front of them as Tsubasa and Botan stood on either side. She proceeded to ask them how they felt after touching the stone, she was curious to know their answer.
Kaida Endo: "All right, now that you have done the stone test and had your powers awakened, how do you both feel now?"
Aya Endo: "I am not sure what to think. I feel a new surge of power within me. I am still very much in awe at what my left hand did."
Bai Endo: "Same here, I never would have thought I could manipulate just lightening. It almost freaked me out some till I realized it was not hurting me."
Kaida Endo: "Well Tsubasa is the only male to ever cast off two colors. His were red and a purplish color. Mine just cycled through all the colors before it stopped on a crimson blood red color. Would you two care to see it?"
Aya Endo: "Two colors and multiple colors? Is that normal or is that just something the most powerful in the family can do?"
Bai Endo: "That is amazing. More than one color? We were never told it was possible."
Tsubasa Endo: "I was the first one that the four lords had ever seen it happen to. As for Kaida, being queen, it did all sorts of weird stuff on the color front. But I must say, it was the most beautiful sight any of them had ever seen."
Aya Endo: "Oh wow, now we will definitely have to see what your two's colors were."
Getting evil grins upon their faces, all six of them just looked at Aya and Bai with a look of, "well you asked for it", and they headed toward the stone. They each took a turn, Tsubasa went first. Placing his hand upon the stone, the girls watched in awe as the red cycled first and then the purplish color showed through. Stepping back, they waited momentarily to make sure his colors dissipated as Kaida walked back up to the stone once again. Once they were sure the color was back to the smoked black, Kaida placed her hand upon it. Once again, the cycling of colors was brilliant as they all went through, once again almost unsure most were changing. Then the crimson, blood red glow showed brilliantly once again. Once again, the look of shock upon their faces was apparent as Aya and Bai were at a complete loss on words. The power being emitted by Kaida was almost overwhelming to them. Taking her hand away, Kaida walked back to the bench her parchments were sitting upon. The girls unconsciously trembled along with the other lords as the instinct of fear for the most powerful being set in briefly.
It was so overwhelming to them; they did not know where to look. Aya and Bai just kept their gaze to the ground. It was almost as if instinct told them that is where they were to look. They only had one inborn ability even with the stone to boost their power, they now knew, by instinct alone, that they would never be able to hold a candle to Kaida's power. After picking up her papers, Kaida walked over to everyone with a smile upon her face as she began to speak.
Kaida Endo: (Smiling brightly as she jumbled the belongings in her arms…) "Well now, with this out of the way, let us head into town now to get them some more appropriate clothes for their new status."
Aya and Bai: (Smiling brightly, they tried to stop trembling as they answered…) "Yes, that would be wonderful."
Everyone then followed behind Kaida, Botan, and Tsubasa as they headed through the library to the main hall, and finally out the front doors. Hollering to one of his guards, Botan ordered that the large carriage be prepared quickly. Several underlings ran to the stables and quickly prepared the horses and hitched them up to the carriage requested. Trying to be quick and thorough about it, they managed to get the last of the ten horses hooked up. The large carriage needed that many to pull it with so much weight. Climbing up on the seat, the guard and one other sat upon the driver's seat. They eight of them walked down to the bottom of the stairs as they waited for the carriage to be pulled up. Botan then hollered at another set of troops nearby to mobilize as they were going to escort them to the city. Coming to a stop in front of them, Botan and Tsubasa opened the side doors and helped the girls inside. The five lords then piled in after them.
The larger carriage they had made up had a seat system that looped around the inside in a giant horseshoe shape. Two small tables whose bases were inset into the floor of the carriage. It was almost to luxurious to be considered a carriage. With everyone sitting in place, Botan hollered to the driver that they were ready to head into town. His small garrison had already managed to get their horses and were riding alongside the carriage. And so, their day long run to Oshwa was now underway. With a crack of the whip, the train of horses began moving slowly forward.