After Serci gave her insight into the situation, the Queen gave a decree. "One year, we will be on the defensive for one year to gather strength before moving to subjugate those disasters from our land. In that time, General Harbek, I want you to train your Knights more rigorously for the attack, paying extra care in teaching your men to limit blood loss! If there is a wound, we don't want the enemy to use it. Not the slightest scratch as it can mean death when faced with that weapon."
The Knight commander, Harbek puts a fist to his chest and bows to the Queen before heading out. She then looks to her Advisor. "Galmon, I want you to send a request for aid from the nearing Nobles and enlist adventurers from neighboring villages to increase our forces for when the time comes that the Monsters attack. I doubt something with that much intelligence will willingly remain in the forest forever."
"Right Away!" With a bow, both men were now gone, leaving Me, Serci, and the Royal Guards that protect the Queen.
"Serci, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like you to lead Ms. Deidura to a guest chamber. She has done a great deal in helping you return and I would like to start by allowing her a room for as long as she desires."
Serci smiles before putting a fist to her chest. "Yes, Your Majesty!"
I give one last bow. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty."
The Queen gave me a smile of her own. "No, the pleasure was mine."
Standing, we left the audience chamber with Serci leading me to a separate wing of the castle, up some stairs to the second floor where we enter a room 10 times more spacious than that storage room I once called mine.
'This could be as big as the entire shack itself, not counting the 5 other rooms that appear to be just like this one all in the same hallway.'
But what intimidated me the most was the bed that could fit double of myselves with space to spare. "T-This is a guest room?"
Serci giggled at my reaction. "Well, I say guest room but this is more of a VIP guest room I've chosen to help accommodate you for your claustrophobia! All the other ones would be much smaller, about half this size."
My eye twitched as I compared the size of this room with the size of my previous room. That's when I ask Serci. "Serci, what does claustrophobia mean?"
She was confused by the question. "That you have a fear of tight spaces, be it a room or between a large crowd of people."
'T-there's the misunderstanding!'
"Serci, do you remember the shack I lived in with my brother and grandfather before?"
She stared at me for a second before everything seemed to click. "Wait but..."
"We had so little room in that shack that my brother and I shared a bed. But that was never a problem for us. What was the problem was the ever-increasing number of people who surrounded us that made my stomach twist."
Serci was steadily dyed in red from misunderstanding the answer that stared her in the face. But I don't blame her. The first time we ever met was a rather heated moment I'd love to forget about myself.
When Serci finally recovers, she takes a deep breath before continuing. "W-well, I am sure you're hungry, but you should probably have a bath first since it's been a few days of nonstop travel."
I take a second look at the clothes that have been with me since the beginning, covered in dirt from more than just the journey. 'This was clean enough for an audience with the Queen but less so for the dinner table?'
"Sure... I should take one. And a change of clothes would be nice too but could we get them washed and returned? I have a... deep attachment to them."
Serci nods before grabbing a bell on the bedside table to ring. After a minute, a maid walks in. My surprise that she even heard the bell was written on my face but Serci was focusing on giving instructions.
"Ms. Deidura is in need of a bath before dinner. Do make sure to clean her clothes properly as she only has one."
The moment the maid heard my last name, she stiffened up to put forth her best effort into being a royal family's maid. "Of course! P-please follow me, Miss Deidura."
Some of her nervousness slipped through but I don't pay it any mind. After setting down the Counter Blade next to the bed and leaving the book with a strap on the table, I ask Serci.
"Are you not taking one too?"
She seemed to give a nervous laugh before turning away. "Unfortunately, I need to return to my duties immediately."
I was puzzled by her reaction but shrugged before answering, "Fine then, guess I'll enjoy the water by myself."
Leaving Serci behind to follow the maid, I proceed to leave behind the only person I know here to take my first bath since the disaster.
A nice three-minute walk to finally arrive at the closest bathing room, but besides the absurd distance to reach it, what's more absurd is the size itself.
If this is a bath, then I'm a frog with a pond all to myself.
I was so ready to hop into and enjoy my first hot bath but before I could strip down to hop in, the maid that led me there, plus two others, got between me and the water.
"Apologies Miss Deidura, but important guests are to be washed thoroughly before entering the waters. This place is a VIP hot spring made for all those of a high position and we wouldn't want to contaminate the waters. But don't worry, we will ensure you're clean enough for the water ourselves."
I have a bad feeling, "Umm... I don't need help?"
The maids all seem to give me the same smile, "Oh we can't allow that, in Siltria it is common practice for helpers to clean their masters and guests as thoroughly as all other forms of housework." That's when Serci's nervousness came to mind as I realized she must've known this was going to happen and bailed.
Before I could continue arguing, the three surround me and proceed to take off my clothes, tossing them into the basket nearby as they complement the body and hair they're lathering in soap and shampoo. I was rather embarrassed by their words as it was the first time anyone other than myself had seen this body of mine, even less so touched it. But because Veda wasn't physically strong and using magic was going overboard, I could only accept my fate.
After they finished with that, they proceeded to throw around questions about myself and my family life. "Well, my brother is a great fighter, able to use almost any weapon..."
The moment they heard about my br(other), they couldn't help but gossip about how good-looking my counterpart must be, the two biggest misconceptions they had being that he would be as tall as Veda if not taller with hair just as dark, making him out to be a mysterious prince instead of the short yet muscular blonde he is.
Regardless, the compliments I'm getting of my two forms made me mixed between bashful and embarrassed till I couldn't take it anymore. "C-could you please let me enjoy a bath instead of spending another ten cycles on my hair?!"
It was only after I said something they gave me breathing room, bowing their heads in apology as they proceed to wash off the remaining soap. Now that that was over with, I get to walk into the hot water before stretching my body out as I enjoyed the large space of water.
It felt like pure ecstasy getting to wash myself in hot water again... 'I mean, first time since I can remember. The only thing I could do to wash myself before was to clean both bodies by the riverside. Its water was so cold, but I could at least get clean using the bar of soap. And the privacy wasn't terrible either as I spent time relaxing with me and myself.'
Thinking about it, despite being exposed in front of my other, it only ever felt like I was looking into a mirror. 'Is it because I recognize the other as myself or did the two never have any attraction to one another, like actual siblings?' I can only ponder on what relationship these two bodies had before till I hear the door open.
I was relaxing, when I heard them walk in. When I turned to see who entered, I saw a familiar face, but couldn't quite place where I saw it. Then she noticed me too and recognized me first.
"Oh, that's right! You're one of Uldrei's grandchildren!"
When I heard her voice, the memories flooded in from before our home was destroyed as I finally recognized her. I jump to my feet, the water splashing about. "You're the Keeper in Green!"
One of the maids' eyes sparkled before asking the Keeper of short blonde hair. "Madam Emeri, you met Ms. Deidura before?!"
The Keeper, Emeri, looks to the maid, still a little perplexed by my appearance here. "Yes, it was during the most recent mission. The other Keepers and I found her home in Varen Valley." But she was too bewildered to continue explaining as she turns back to me, "What are you doing here in the capital?"
Before I could answer, one of the other maids happily gossiped about the current state of affairs. "Miss Deidura is currently a guest by order of her Majesty due to her effort of being back Madam Serci. She's relaxing before she proceeds to have supper in the dining hall."
Emeri sighed in relief at the news of Serci's safe return before Looking back to me and bowing her head. "I'm Emeri Nutren, the Keeper of the Hunt. And I thank you so much for bringing Serci back alive. I was worried ever since we were forced to leave her behind."
I'm a bit overwhelmed as I nervously sink back into the water. "I didn't really do much. Serci had a shield that took the lethal blow from the artifact, so she wasn't as injured as she could have been. If anything I only gave her a weapon for her to escort me here."
She smiles at what she might've considered to be me being modest. "And I would love to hear more if you don't mind company."
My mind goes blank for a second as I realize what she implied, the maids already helping her undress. "I-I am not really sure! This is the first time I have been in a bath with anyone other than my...!"
The moment she was completely exposed I squeaked, unable to look away from the glossy skin that looked soft as a cloud. It was just then I felt a sensation run down my nose.
--------
"C-crap!" I move to cover Verei's bleeding nose but the moment Sapheir saw it, he raised his voice in alarm. "A-are you alright?!"
I wave my hands about rapidly while trying to stop the bleeding.
"D-don't worry about it! It happens every once and a while without warning! It should be fine after a minute!"
--------
I managed to get my male counterpart some napkins to cover the nosebleed while back in the capital, Emeri had her skin scrubbed and dowsed before coming to sit with me in the hot water. "Then I guess I'm the first to bathe with Deidura's granddaughter. Speaking of, is your brother in the capital too?"
I avoid looking directly at her with the threat of overstimulation against the one she's asking about.
I can only try to keep my mind off the body of the person next to me as I try to explain. "W-well it is a bit of a long story but..."
--------
Back in Farnom, I cleaned up the bloody nose from the very, very sudden incident.
Sudden still, someone sitting two tables away decided to head over to me. This man was burly with a wide grin as he proceeded to spout out the words in his head, "So, you're the grandson of the Uldrei Deidura? You don't look like much from down there."
With the bleeding under control, I chose to get up to meet the man who very obviously was looking to test me. "I may be short a foot but height doesn't mean I can't kill what's bigger than me. Any adventurer would know."
The people in the area gave a short laugh at the true statement. Orcs are an average of 7 feet tall, and they aren't even the average height of most creatures higher-ranked adventurers are meant to face.
The guy too chuckled before continuing to egg me on. "You got me there! But when it comes to adventuring, actions speak louder than words. And we want to know how well someone related to a legend can do in a fight, but unlike the other morons, I got the balls to challenge you! What do you say?"
I smirk when he gets straight to the point. I could feel that this body wanted to take the challenge, but just as I was about to accept, another nosebleed came out as I grabbed for a few more napkins, catching everyone dumbfounded.
---------
Back to Veda, I had just finished my story I've spoken a few times already. I wasn't prepared for the Keeper Emeri to start hugging me close, tears gushing out of her eyes full of sympathy.
"Oh, you poor thing! I am so sorry that we were a bunch of screw-ups! Had we done our jobs right, you wouldn't have ended up with such an experience! If you need anything, feel free to call on me! I will do anything within my power to make your life in the capital better!"
The feeling of this woman's skin was soft for someone who uses a bow. But like most bowmen, her strength was the real deal. It was practically impossible for Veda to break out of this bear hug despite being at least a foot taller than her. "A-alright! I will do so, Emeri!"
She instantly corrects me as the hug gets tighter. "Call me Big Sis!"
While there is irony in this girl shorter than me telling me to call her 'big sister', the immediate issue is the blood loss from my other's nostrils from this feeling of A+ bare skin being pressed against my face.
My only way out was to fake an issue to get out of the real one! "B-big sis... I can't breathe!"
She heard what I said and quickly let go before apologizing profusely as I took deep breaths to sell it. This allows my other's blood to stop drizzling into a hand towel by that 10 out of 10 inhumanly squishy skin.
--------
With the danger at an end, I just want to wrap up this conversation with the Adventurer quickly. "I'm fine, I'm fine. I'll accept the challenge but give me some time. How about we start about an hour from now before the sun sets."
That should give me time to get Veda out of the bath. And possibly make it to my guest room, if Dinner doesn't take too long. I'll be able to fight in peak condition if Veda is isolated from distractions.
The challenger laughs hysterically after the initial shock passed. "Alright, but you better not die of blood loss before then!"
The nearby tables laugh with him as he heads out the front door with what seems to be his party, one of them making an excuse.
After they left, Floris turns to me with a worried look. "You sure you're going to be alright?"
I collapse in my chair, breathing a deep sigh from the scene that played out before my other's eyes. "Yeah, it should stop happening within the next thirty minutes at most but at least I get a good workout after a meal."
Jikani shakes her head, correcting why Floris is worried. "I think it's less about your nosebleed and more that the guy who challenged you was the leading heavy of a B-rank adventuring party, Gradon the steel boned of the Griffon's Folly. He's known for being able to take hits from even trolls that would knock similarly ranked adventurers off their feet from a single swipe."
I shrug it off. "Doesn't really matter. He challenged me to a duel and nothing more than that."
'Win or lose, I can learn something from my first fight against an active human warrior.'