After three days of travel our caravan made a stop in the walled town of Rofeir. Acc to Edna the town was a key trading hub for the Teveisa noble family. They were friends of Edna’s and since we were passing through anyway, she wao pay them a visit. To keep things simple, Ed alone, leaving the rest of us to recuperate in town.

  The trip was already making my butt sore. Carriage rides were apparently hard enough for humans, and they didn't have tails. Being forced to keep mine curled in my p was making it all sorts of achey.

  I was happy, once we disembarked to see Azmoria finally walking on her own two feet. She was still a bit shaky, even after supplemental healing from Bir. I felt awful that I'd been incapable of healing her fully before her injuries set, but Bir said it wouldn't have ged anything. Everyone's body had a limit to the amount of healing magic they could take. Giveent of Azmoria's injuries, no healer could've fully restored her.

  Azmoria would have to rely on natural healing to resolve the lingering effects of her injuries. Despite everything Azmoria seemed unbothered. Whether she truly was, or was good at hiding her real emotions i couldn't tell. Reika oher hand, seemed to wear her emotions on her sleeve.

  How Reika had bee viander of a bunch of prim and proper knights was hard to imagine. She had an almost childish aura that didn't make much seo me, giverue age. Perhaps Reika's mental anguish was making her more childish. Having Azmoria quickly accept her apology helped Reika's mental wellbeing a lot, but she still cried in her sleep.

  Likely because of the guilt she felt, Reika spent her days glued to Azmoria's side. If the redheaded knight wanted anything, Reika would be the first to grab it. She even attempted to feed Azmoria, to the other knight's embarrassment. I still didn't know much about their retionship prior to Reika's demonization, but whatever it had been, they were adorable together now.

  Watg the two of them, I couldn't help but smile. We'd gotten lucky. The stohat Reika was forced to swallow likely caused her demonization. By ce, when Rochelle stabbed Reika iomach, she likely destroyed the stone. I hoped that if we fought future demons like her, saving them would be just as easy.

  "This is certainly a side of the Viander I haven't seen," Bir noted, her gaze following Reika and Azmoria. As the two of them walked ahead of us, Reika took every opportunity to point out the various street vendors.

  ?She’s kind of cute.? I quietly giggled as I watched Reika hold out a skewered sausage for Azmoira to eat. To anyone who didn’t know them, they looked like close friends who’d been together for years. Or, maybe even lovers on a date. No one would ever believe only three days ago one had nearly killed the other.

  “How about we start enjoying ourselves too, ne?” Lydia asked, pointing toward a small shop. From the smells wafting out of it, it seemed to be a bakery of some kind.

  ?You’re hungry?? I asked. I didn’t mind if Lydia was, but we’d ate lunot long before arriving in Rofeir.

  “Not really,” Lydia smiled. “I just want to enjoy some time with you. e o me treat you.”

  “Would you like me to stay behind?” Bir asked as Lydia took me by the hand. Since Lydia knew sign nguage, Bir likely felt as if there was no obligation for her to follow me. Still, the loneliness in her voice made my heart ache for her. Thankfully, Lydia was quick to hold out her free hand.

  “Of course not! You’re with us Bir. Just don’t ask to sit beside hat’s my spot.”

  Bir pyfully pouted at Lydia’s remark before taking her hand. The two of them seemed to have grown even closer over the st couple of days.

  The bakery was a sensory overload. The air was filled with the most amazing smells—spices, pastries, freshly baked breads, and all sorts of delicious teas and coffees. I had to swallow repeatedly to prevent myself from drooling all over the floor.

  “From just how expressive your tails are, I guess you both smell something you like.” Bir giggled with a silly grin on her face.

  “I’m just enjoying seeing ne so happy,” Lydia retorted, a light blush on her cheeks.

  “Of course,” Bir’s grin widened.

  Timidly I approached the ter where everything was dispyed. It all looked delicious, but I doubted I could eat more than a few. Seleg a few of the pastries, I pointed my choices out to Lydia a her pce our order.

  “I ’t believe her of you got any chocote,” Bir ented as the three of us looked for a table. We found one just outside the bakery, in the shade of a faded red awning. It was the perfect pce to sit and enjoy the midday warmth and the unfamiliar sounds of a new pce.

  ?It makes my stomach hurt.? I winced. Elise had once made a big fuss about how it was sdalous that I’d never had hot chocote. She insisted on making it for me. Halfway through my mug, my stomach twisted. I was left bedridden for a day.

  “Same,” Lydia’s expression made it clear she’d endured a simir horror. “I’m sure a few of us eat the stuff, but most beastkiolerant to chocote.”

  “That’s a real shame,” Bir replied. “But I’m gd to have said something. I would’ve felt terrible if I fed Lady ne something that made her sick.”

  ?I don’t think anyone is paying attention to us. You drop the dy stuff.? I sigo the people of Rofeir we were no different than any other travelers. Nobody seemed ied in us. Especially now that Edna had cleared many of the spies from her staff.

  “You never know who’s listening. We don’t want to undermine your cim to nobility.”

  ?Just for today, please?? As I signed I pushed out my lower lip in a pout. I really didn’t want to feel ao be prim and proper, today. We’d been gifted a day of rest. I didn’t want to waste it carrying on the princess act.

  “That’s F-Fine,” Bir answered, her face turning a light shade of pink. “I-It’s fine. I’ll do that.”

  “Careful, ne,” Lydia ughed. “That pouty expression of yours could melt even the heart of a tyrant.”

  ?If only.?

  The three of us tio chat idly as we enjoyed our drinks and pastries. It felt good to talk about nothing sequential. We all had things we o do, but none of us could do them here. It was as if stopping in Rofeir was Edna’s way of sneakily f us all to take a day off. I could only hope she was getting some needed downtime as well.

  “Oh,” Bir’s eyes widened as if she’d just remembered something critically important. “The night Reika attacked the manor, I heard a voice.”

  “A voice?” Lydia raised a brow.

  “Yes, when ne was fighting Reika there was a moment I feared she would be defeated. When I begged her to flee to the cathedral, a voice called out. It was a woman’s voice, and she promised she wouldn’t let ne die. At first I thought I was halluating things from fear, but, do you know anything about this, ne? Did you hear the same voice I heard?”

  ?It was Rochelle.?

  “Rochelle… As in, Saint Rochelle?”

  I nodded. ?Her phantom lives within my sword. She eveo me telepathically. I’m just as surprised as you are that she exteelepathic speech outside of my head.?

  “That’s incredible,” Bir fell silent for a moment before tinuing. “Is it okay for you to tell me this?”

  ?She said I tell arust, as long as it doesn’t get back to the church. She doesn’t want them to get the wrong idea.?

  ”My lips are sealed. That said... I wonder if there is a way for you to use magic to speak just like her? Not that I want you to stop needing me."

  ?I've wohe same, I'll ask her.?

  "Yes, and no," Rochelle chuckled in my head. "Yes, you could use a telepathic wave spell to speak psychically outside your body as I did. But it wouldn't be very useful to you. You'd have to e ichor every time you wao respond to someone. A single versation would require at least a half dozen vials. It's just not viable. Maybe iure you could use it to issue ands otlefield, but I'd tio use sign nguage to speak casually like this."

  “Not to cut your versation short,” Lydia cut in, pointing to the pastry I was holding. “Might I try a bite of that ne?”

  ?Sure.? I held out my pastry for Lydia to take. Smiling devilishly she leaned forward and took a bite from the pastry while it was still in my hands. I was shocked. With a triumphant smile Lydia wi Bir, before looking back at me.

  “Delicious. I should’ve got one of those.”

  “Really? I’d like to try it.” Leaning forward, Bir opened her mouth. As if she wanted me to feed her.

  Unsure what to do I held out the pastry for Bir. The ers of her eyes creased in joy as she closed the distance, sinkieeth into the same pce Lydia had taken a bite from.

  Suddenly, I realized what was going on. Lydia and Bir were totally hitting it off! All of the little looks they shared with one another. Not to mention Lydia‘s wink, and Bir making sure to take a bite from the same spot Lydia bit from. It was obvious they were lusting after each other. The only problem was, they were both responsible for looking after me.

  Bir was my transtor and maid. Lydia was my big sister and guardian. They couldn’t run off together like Azmoria and Reika, so they were finding other means of sharing their love. Even Lydia’s questions about Bir’s romantiterests made more se first I’d wondered why she was asking such things, despite knowing my heart would always be with Elise. Now I realized, she was dropping hints for Bir!

  ?I don’t mind spending the evening at an inn,? I signed, not wanting to get in the way of their blossomiionship. ?I’m sure I’ll be safe there if the two of you want to explore the town together.?

  “I wouldn't want to explore the town without you, ne.” Lydia replied. Bir nodded her head in agreement.

  ?Okay.? The two of them were too dedicated for their own good. If they wouldn’t spend time aloogether, I’d just have to find ways to let them express their love while carrying out their duties to me. Even if it would be awkward, I quietly tasked myself with giving Lydia and Bir the best date possible.

  After we finished our food, I began to stroll slowly down Rofeir’s market street. It was a lively pce, with tons of merts hawking their wares. Si robably too early for Lydia and Bir to be purchasing each other expensive gifts, I didn’t pay the merts much attention. Instead I was looking for activities they could do together.

  In Duwas of might and talent were all the rage. I didn’t know if Rofeir’s market had simir games, but I was hopeful I could find at least ohankfully it didn’t take long before I spotted a booth with a couple of targets made out of hay aher.

  ?Look an archery game!? I signed, pointing to the game. ?Do the two of you want to py??

  “Sure. Just a moment I’ll ask the proprietor for three bows,” Bir replied.

  ?I was really hoping to watch the two of you,? I signed, pg myself in Bir’s way. ?I like watg.?

  “What ne really means, is she’s scared she’s going to lose. Holy, you should bow out too, Bir. I’ll have the grand prize in my hands before you even finish nog an arrow.”

  "Do you really believe you a knight at an archery game?"

  "Of course. And for you, a knight-healer, it wouldn't even be close." Lydia grinned.

  "Valuable as healing may be, we are not exempt from the order's training. You'll be surprised just how skilled I am with a bow."

  "Let's see it. First oo win the prize gets to cuddle onight."

  I looked from Lydia to Bir in fusion. The two of them had a predatlint in their eyes as they went to acquire their bows. Notg their arrows, they waited for the game master ring the starting bell. The moment he did, both of their arrows struck the ter of their targets. In hardly a breath's time, the game was over.

  The prize for their victories were little plush dragons, one green and one blue.

  "Here, ne," Bir handed her dragon out for me to take. "I'd like you to have this."

  "I wanted you to have mioo," Lydia added, handing her dragon out for me as well.

  ?Thank you.? Holy I kind of expected them to give each other their prizes. Maybe they were just too shy for that though. At least they seemed to have fun, even if the game was over in an instant. Still, I wondered what they were going to do about their wager. Not that it mattered. Lydia was basically family, so her cuddling me wasn't that awkward. Bir would likely forfeit her ce.

  Or, was this their goal all along? Were they both too embarrassed to share a bed and so they used this game as an excuse to share one? If that was the case I wish they wouldn't drag me into it. Being forced to sleep between two love birds didn't sound very enjoyable at all.

  "Is there a game you'd be willing to py, ne?" Bir asked as we tinued our stroll through the market.

  ?I've never been very good at tests of skill.?

  "e on, what about that one over there." Bir poioward a game where a ball ced under a small bowl. The bowl and two others identical to it were then shuffled up. The person pying then had to pick which bowl had the ball u.

  ?I could try.?

  Approag the game master I k down in front of the little bowls. They were identical, or at least I couldn't identify any differences.

  "Ied in a game, miss?" The game master, an older catkin man, asked. His smile was a bit twisted, it reminded me of how Lydia would smile when she'd pyed a prank on me. Was he cheating somehow? Not that it mattered, I wasn't pying the game to win. Bir seemed to feel bad that only she and Lydia had gotten to py something. So hopefully win or lose, this would make her feel better.

  "She's ied," Bir noted. "My friend here is mute, so I'll act as her sign nguage transtor."

  "Uood. Well then, it's two copper s fame."

  Bir paid the game master and he immediately got to work shuffling the bowls in front of me. As he did I noticed that despite the grating sound of the bowl oable, I could hear the ball striking the inside of the bowl. It was faint, but unmistakable. Just before the game master stopped shuffling the bowls, the sound of the ball vanished. He'd likely pocketed it somehow, leaving all three bowls empty.

  "Take your pick," The game master grinned, waving his hand over the bowls.

  Part of me wao tell Bir about his deception. But, the man wasn't charging much to py his game. Maybe he even he . Ultimately, it wasn't any of my business whether he cheated people or not. After faking a bit of deliberation, I picked one of the bowls.

  "Sorry," The game master lifted the bowl. "Better luext time."

  Frowning Bir looked at me, "It's alright, ne. Would you like—"

  "Fug cheat," Lydia charged frabbing the game master by his colr. Reag into his pocket, Lydia pulled out the ball that was supposed to be uhe bowls.

  "It's a spare!" The game master's voice broke. He was terrified.

  "Yeah? ne, pick up all the bowls. Let's see if this is just a spare."

  ?I think we should trust him.? I signed. As Lydia met my gaze I winked hoping she'd uand that I too kneere being cheated. It just wasn't worth beating up a man when he'd hardly won enough to buy bread off of us.

  "You're lucky we're the ones who caught you," Lydia hissed under her breath, releasing the game master. "e on, Bir. ne isn't pying this one again."

  "What was that about?" Bir asked as we walked away.

  "He cheated. Slipped the ball into his pocket a all three bowls empty."

  "Is that really worth attag him for?"

  "Not usually," Lydia sighed. "I may have overreacted a bit."

  The three of us tio wahe market until the sun began to set. With the sky turning red we returo our inn, ate dinner, and theired to our rooms. Or, I retired to my room. Both Lydia and Bir joined me.

  "ne, I've readied your pajamas, may I start undressing you now?" Bir asked. Having her ge my clothes was being a natural part of my day, aoday it felt a little different. Bir was looking at me a little different than she normally would. I couldn't help but blush under her gaze.

  "You fet that I'm supposed to be one of her maids too," Lydia remarked, pg her hand on my shoulder. "I'll take care of ging onight. You rest easy in your own room for the rest of the night."

  Eh? I quickly looked from Lydia, standing beside me, to Bir, standing beside my bed with a nightgown in her hands. Why were they peting over something as mundane as ging my clothes? Were they both still salty to have tied the archery game?

  "My arrow struck first," Bir noted, swiftly grabbing me by the arm and pullio her. In my fusion I could hardly muster a resistance. Instead I simply let myself tumble face first into her chest.

  "Your meager human senses must be dulled, it was my arrow that struck first. My ears would never mistake the sound." Lydia retaliated, pulli of Bir's arms and into hers.

  "ne, please tell Lydia whose arrow struck first."

  Was I really being asked to settle a lovers quarrel between Lydia and Bir? Elise had once mentiohat gettiween fighting lovers was a good way to find yourself at the bottom of a well. I really didn't waher of them to hate me. But, I also didn't want to be used as a proxy in their weird test.

  Why does Bir even care? Is she worried about making a good impression? She's already an amazing healer and I know Lydia really appreciates her.

  "N to read your thoughts, but I believe you may be misuanding the situation," Rochelle mirthfully answered my spiraling thoughts.

  "How?"

  "If you don't notice it yet, then there is nothing I say. Though I'm sure it'll break Bir's heart if you take Lydia's side."

  "But the reward is just cuddling with me. Why 't Bir just invite Lydia to her room? I don't mind sleeping alone."

  "My precious daughter."

  More fused than ever, I decided to stick with the truth. ?Your arrows struck at the same time.?

  Both Lydia and Bir stared at me with their mouths agape. Sileretched between us until Lydia finally sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "Alright, I'll strip her, you dress her, deal?"

  "Deal."

  eri