Elin listened to Michelle relate how she'd arrived with awe. She had no idea what Michelle really meant by an obstacle course, but the icy water sounded horrible! Then to have to move along the side of a cliff with that water running down it was more than she'd have ever imagined. What was more is that in her world people actually did that voluntarily and not as a form of punishment or torture!
"How often did you do that obstacle course?" Elin asked.
"How often?" Michelle asked, sounding confused. "I thought I said that was my first time doing that obstacle course. The others aren't near as difficult, but they're still challenging. The biggest part is getting through in under a certain amount of time. Maybe I could have figured out which tunnel to take if I had time, but in combat, you rarely get the luxury of being able to think about what action to take next."
Elin sighed. "I've never actually been in real combat," she said.
"What are you talking about?" Elmo asked. "Last night when we fought the skeletons was combat."
"Really?" Elin asked, surprised.
"From what you guys said about it, yeah, that would be combat. Although, not as heavy of combat as what Michelle was training for," Patricia remarked.
"Why don't you go next?" Michelle suggested. "Maybe we can see why you're so sheltered and naïve."
"Okay," Elin replied cheerfully. "Though, there's not so much to tell, really."
+++
"Miss Davies, you really should take things more easy, you know?" her personal maid, Cynthia, told her as she rubbed her arms with the cloth during her bath, occasionally dipping the cloth in the water Elin was sitting in. "If you insist on doing so much work, you might start developing muscle and then who would want to marry you? Maybe a commoner, but not anyone from the nobility."
"I'm sorry, Cynth," Elin murmured. "It was just that the wagon needed to be unloaded and the servants who were supposed to be doing that were instead bickering over where to put the boxes and I knew where they needed to go."
"If that's the case, then in the future you should just get their superior. That'll sort the whole mess out right away," Cynthia replied, moving on to the next arm. "You're your father's daughter, so if you request them to come to you they will, so long as you don't call for them repeatedly when it's not necessary."
"Father tells me not to bother them at all," Elin complained. "That they're too busy to play around with me."
"Most parents think that way of their children," Cynthia assured Elin as she moved on to Elin's back. "What you need to do is to show him that you can be reliable in your own way and that you recognize what's important and what can wait. Remember, you'll be in charge of this one day and even if you get a husband who will take your father's title, you'll need to help him step into all of this or everything could fall into ruin."
Elin sighed. What Cynthia said made sense, but she still felt it was unfair that so much was expected of her and she was allowed to do so little. "But what can I do when no one will let me do anything?" Elin asked, leaning back in the tub as Cynthia began to wash her front.
"That's something you'll have to figure out on your own, miss," Cynthia replied. "I'm merely a maid and not one of your station."
Elin chuckled. "That may be true, but who else can I trust completely, Cynth?" Elin asked, smiling at her maid.
"Your father for one," Cynthia replied right away.
"Yeah, my father," Elin said bitterly. "I know he loves me and wants the best for me, but sometimes I think he doesn't see me for what I can do."
"Most parents are often that way with their children," Cynthia reiterated. "You just have to be patient. Eventually there will be something that you will be able to do that will make your father see you as more than a little girl."
"Would be nice for that to happen," Elin muttered.
Then as Cynthia began reaching down into the tub to keep washing her mistress, Elin noticed how her uniform was getting wet from the water.
"Cynth, why don't you remove your uniform while bathing me?" she asked, wondering if she found something that no one had thought of before.
"I'm sorry miss, but I can't be naked around you," Cynthia replied, looking like she was conflicted from being horrified and mortified at the thought. "If someone sees, what will they say?"
"I don't care what they say," Elin replied. She really didn't.
"It doesn't matter if you care or not," Cynthia explained gently. "Once the rumors start going around, I'd likely get sent on my way."
Elin sat up in the tub, her eyes flashing her anger at the thought. "I would never let you be sent on your way because of something I personally asked you to do or told you to do," Elin assured Cynthia.
Cynthia merely sighed. "That would only add fuel to the rumors. Once the rumors start to spread, then others would look at you as less desirable as a marriage candidate. Even commoners might not be interested then," Cynthia replied gently.
"But your uniform is getting wet," Elin replied. "I heard the head maid scolding you for just that happening yesterday."
"She understands this is part of the job. Getting my uniform wet and dirty as a result from this is to be expected," Cynthia replied.
"Maybe, but it shouldn't be if you get in trouble for it," Elin stated, as she put on her 'firm' face.
"My lady, what else can I do but accept it?" Cynthia asked. "My options here are to get scolded when they find my uniform dirty in any way or to risk your reputation for someone as common as me."
Elin took her hand in hers. "I don't care so much about my reputation if it has to be built on the pain of others like you," Elin told her, a small smile playing at her lips. "Besides, Cynth, if someone sees, wouldn't a good question to ask be why were they looking in here in the first place?"
Cynthia stared at Elin for a minute before returning her smile. "Alright, but only because you insisted so much," Cynthia replied, moving away from the tub as she dried her arms.
A moment later and she was removing her dress, revealing her young body to Elin, before hanging her uniform up so it wouldn't get wrinkled.
"Alright now, miss, is that satisfactory to you?" Cynthia asked as she returned to the tub and continued washing Elin.
"It's satisfactory to me as long as your uniform doesn't get wet and get you into trouble," Elin replied.
"Well, it's not like it's that big of a deal," Cynthia remarked. "I'm almost done washing you anyway."
As Cynthia started on Elin's hips and legs, a thought came to her mind. "After you're done washing me, why not let me wash you?" Elin asked. "After all, it's the least I could do for someone who's been with me for so long and that I know I can trust my most intimate secrets with."
"that may be, miss," Cynthia replied conversationally, "but at the same time, that would still be very improper. Even if no one saw you washing me, they would still notice it if I don't wash myself with all the other servants."
"Ugh," Elin complained. "Why do there need to be so many rules? I mean, you're my personal maid. Why can't I show some appreciation every once and a while?"
"You can," Cynthia replied. "You just have to be concerned about what's proper to do. I can't accept just anything you offer. That would be-"
"-improper," Elin said with Cynthia as Cynthia finished bathing Elin. "Yeah, I get it."
"Now, miss, would you stand up?" Cynthia asked, as she stood up, holding up a towel.
Elin stood and welcomed Cynthia wrapping the towel around her as she dried her body for her.
Once that was done, Cynthia began to dress Elin in her nightclothes. "You've gotten so good at this," Elin praised as a sudden thought occurred to her. "I think I might have an idea of what I can do for you."
"What is it, my lady?" Cynthia asked as she carefully put her uniform back on before following Elin into her room.
"This," Elin replied as she walked over to her vanity and picked up a small mythril hair pin shaped like a dragonfly, encrusted with flawless rubies and sapphires.
Cynthia was shocked. "I could never accept that, miss," she said. "That's too big of a gift for one such as I."
Elin chuckled. "Too big? Nonsense. It's barely big enough for it to touch my entire hand when I close my hand over it," Elin retorted.
"My lady, that's not what I-" Cynthia protested.
"Look, it's mine to do with what I wish, right?" Elin asked.
"Well, yes, but-" Cynthia started to say.
"Then what I wish is for you to have it," Elin continued as if she didn't notice Cynthia starting to say anything.
"But my lady, it was a gift to you," Cynthia said as she didn't move as Elin place the hair pin in her hands.
"From someone who has never seen me and I have never seen them," Elin retorted. "If they ask, I just have to say that I must have lost it in all of my jewelry. I mean, it's hard enough to keep track of the pieces I like."
"Are you sure?" Cynthia asked, her eyes betraying her desire for the hairpin.
"Yes I am," Elin replied. "If you don't like it, you can sell it. I'm sure your family could use the money."
Cynthia smiled as she closed her hands around the hairpin. "Thank you my lady. I'll treasure it always."
Elin smiled as she got in her bed and let Cynthia tuck her in, like she did every night. "Sweet dreams, my lady," Cynthia said before she left Elin's room to take care of herself before she went to bed.
+++
"So, did you like what you saw when she bathed you after her uniform was off?" Kim asked Elin.
"Wh-what!? O-of course I didn't!" Elin protested, her face heating up. "Yours is the only one I like."
Kim merely chuckled. "Hey, there's no shame in admiring another woman's body. As long as you leave it at that," Kim remarked.
"Fine, I did," Elin admitted.
"Is there another room nearby for those two to occupy for the time being?" Elwin asked, causing everyone else to laugh.
"How about I just go next, okay?" Owen suggested. "You guys can go after, alright?"
"Why do we have to go after you?" Leon asked.
"Because Elwin volunteered you guys with his comment," Owen replied cheerfully.
"No I didn't," Elwin protested.
"Well that's what it sounded like to me, so you guys are next," Owen assured them.