The miserably lost empress was eventually found by a very deeply concerned maid and shuffled back to her bedroom.
"Majesty, I must advise you against such nighttime expeditions." The maid told her. "We know how tired you must be. Tomorrow's events will be tiring on their own, to be certain."
They will be???
"Ah....yes." She responded noncommittally.
The maid shot her a skeptical look. "You know this already, surely. Since you've been working hard all day, you must be very fatigued."
Was...she being scolded...?
"...Sorry...?"
The maid tutted and fussed over her as she peeled her out of her royal gown. She squirmed, unused to having other people dress and undress her like a child. In her last life she'd done all of it on her own.
She'd never even gotten sick or injured enough to need help getting dressed. At least not after childhood, anyway.
After she was changed into a loose silk gown, she was led over to her bed, tucked in, and given a glass of milk with a few herbs she'd never seen before mixed into it.
"This will ensure a deep and relaxing sleep. Please drink it all, Your majesty." The maid urged gently, holding it before her.
She took it, eyed it a little nervously, then brought it to her lips. It smelled....earthy. A little bit like the green tea she sometimes got from the cafeteria in university, to be honest.
Oh well. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. She tipped the cup back and drank.
It was surprisingly sweet and the herbs weren't unpleasant, despite the odor. So she finished the cup.
Hmm...not bad. She mused.
She was instructed to hand the empty cup over. "Goodnight, Your majesty." The maid murmured, shutting the door.
"Ah..g'night...?" She blinked at the door. "You could at least...tell me your name?" She muttered.
But it was too late. The maid was already gone.
With a sigh, she slumped down into her plush bed.
It was...nice, actually. The mattress was so soft. And the sheets were cool and soothing to the touch.
Tomorrow. I'll learn that maid's name then.
She rolled over, burrowed under the blankets and pillows, and yawned widely, feeling more and more sluggish. It felt so nice. Such a fluffy cloud. It almost felt like...
...when she woke up in the morning, she smelled something sweet, not like food but perfume. Warmth and a smooth, silky touch nuzzled up against her like a pleasant heater under her blankets. Her lips curled up happily, dazed, sleepy and comfortable.
She hummed, shifting a bit in bed, unwilling to open her eyes and leave the happy world of dreams just yet.
Soft lips pressed to her pulse point on her neck.
...Wait.
Wait.
What?
"W-Wha!?" She startled awake, felt a masculine arm draped over her waist, and reacted in the only natural way: squawking out a shrill scream and rolling in a mad scramble out of her bed away from the invader.
She snatched up the nearest weapon, a hefty brush on the nightstand, and wielded it, pointing it threateningly at...
...
"Ph-Phoenix?"
Her voice was cracked and groggy with sleep.
He didn't look even slightly tired.
He looked like the Cheshire Cat. If the Cheshire Cat were sexy and not...a...cat....
The man laid casually across her bed, under the blankets, one hand propping up his head. He looked utterly comfortable and unbothered by her frazzled response.
"You have been so cute these past couple of days, dear." He purred out to her.
"W-W...why...are you...in...my. Bed...!?!" She spluttered out.
Phoenix quirked an eyebrow. "Should I be in someone else's?"
...This guy...really...
She made a strangled noise. He really just...
"PHOENIX! Out! Out of my bed! Out out out!" She jousted at him with her brush in her hand.
He wasn't remotely bothered?! He just laughed, as if she weren't wielding a deadly...brush....!
"If you insist..."
When he sat up the blanket slid down his form like it was in cahoots with him, displaying long stretches of wonderfully golden tanned, toned, unclothed-
"-eh-!"
She spun around in alarm as soon as she registered it, blushing furiously.
His rich laughter behind her was actually lovely.
"You're being so odd today, darling!" He rumbled behind her. "But I must admit it's quite endearing. I could get used to it."
"I'm not-" She huffs. "...The weird one is the man who gets in a woman's bed naked."
Yes.
Even if it seemed evident he was probably just being normal between whatever his and Isabelle's relationship was before now.
Even if he couldn't have known he'd scare the living daylights out of her by being present in the morning after she'd gone to bed alone.
She couldn't just admit the truth, after all.
Not even if it would explain her flustered reaction.
"Now now, darling," his voice was much closer to her ear than she'd expected, "there's no need to hide such feelings of desire for me. After all..."
A smooth hand glided up her upper back, along her exposed shoulder blades, causing her to shiver.
It continued upwards until she felt fingers thread through her hair and lightly caress the nape of her neck, sending shivers down her spine.
"I know how you love it when your morning starts with getting absolutely-"
She coughed. Loudly.
"I-I ate too many sweets and now I have a headache."
That didn't make sense. But that wasn't the point.
He was a very hot man but....! Give her....! A week, maybe! At least let her get used to this body before she has sex with it?!
"Is that so...?" The blond man spoke warmly in her ear. She shivered, her heart fluttering nervously at his warm breath. She'd never experienced anything like it in her first life, after all.
"T-Truly." She breathed.
He paused behind her. His hand lifted. She looked up at him, relieved he accepted her lie, even if she did feel a little guilty for it.
"In that case, my dear, I will let you recover your energy fully before I expend it." He smirked.
It looked annoyingly good on him.
Then he winked at her.
"It's my honor to please the new Empress, after all." He added with a smile.
...The little shit was mocking her. Wasn't he.
What is with this man!!
She opened her mouth to respond to him.
Closed it.
He grinned.
"Enjoy your morning, darling."
He retrieved a pair of trousers before leaving the blankets, at least...but she could still see his back fully on display. And the trousers were tightly fit enough she really didn't think they ought to be legal.
Her mouth was dry as he turned to regard her once more, amused and clearly knowing how her eyes were stuck on him, helpless.
She quickly jerked her eyes upward and focused them intently on his face.
...There was something devious in his smile.
I. Didn't. Look.
She did. But it felt good to lie to herself.
He waved a casual farewell at her, as if he wasn't being purposefully provocative, and shut the door to her bedroom quietly behind him.
I will get him for that. So help me. I will get that man.
...Somehow.
She had no idea how. But she was sure it would happen.
She put the brush down.
Well. Might as well start with...with...
She tried to find clothes to wear on her own. But she didn't understand all the strange...knobs...and ties?
When the maid found her she was drowning in a pile of fabrics, barely able to move, looking quite pathetic. One arm, one foot, and part of her face was visible.
She wished the last part wasn't, actually, because it meant she could see the look on the maid's face.
The look that said she was surprised someone as ridiculous as herself could even breathe on her own, let alone survive without a caretaker.
Really...a completely unfair look.
Eventually the poor maid got her sorted out. Dressed and everything.
Then she was presented with coffee. Fresh. Hot. Full of cream and sugar and not even that much coffee.
"Uwaa....! Coffee..."
It was nice. The caffeine helped soothe her nerves and get her head on straight.
So much had happened already and the day hadn't even officially begun!
She wanted to sit down and mull things over and make some plans...
First...
She should learn everyone's names. That would be a good place to start, right?
It should be easy enough, she hoped.
After all, it shouldn't be too hard to pull up people's names.
She squinted at the maid, for starters.
[~~STATS~~
Tieya Vanne - Maid
Class: Servant
Mood: Worried]
Uh....?
Why...why was it so short?
There weren't any 'expand' buttons or...any buttons at all, actually. Why...?
"...Your majesty...are you...well...?" Tieya asked hesitantly.
She blinked and immediately summoned a convincing smile. "Yes...! Yes. I'm fine." She smiled a little brighter and gave her a thumbs up.
...Tieya just frowned at her worriedly, but said nothing further.
So she set the matter aside for now and stood up, stretching and straightening her skirts.
Okay. Go time. Time to learn more things.
She started out the door but was blocked by an army of maids.
"Your majesty mustn't be running about on her own...!" Tieya said urgently, placing a hand on her shoulder and keeping her from departing.
Her face fell into a pout. "But. I'm just...going...to the...banquet hall."
To see what it is!
"I'll escort you there."
Oh no.
The maid tattled about her getting lost yesterday!!
And so, with a very embarrassed and apologetic air about her, the Empress was escorted by several dozen servants to the banquet hall for her morning meal.
And when they got there, they stayed there, too, making themselves scarce but always remaining within eye-line.
It felt very weird. Being stared at the whole time she was eating. At a table longer than the length of a garage.
Alone.
....It was rather depressing, really.