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Doug took a deep breath and walked into the former Wind Dragon’s chamber. The only person inside was Vishnal, watering the flowers along the wall.
“Hello, Doug! What brings you here today?” The butler looked up from his task, at tentative as ever.
“Hey. I wanted to see Frey.”
“She’s out with Clorica. You can enter her room, if you’d like.”
Doug leaned in to eye the princess’ chambers. “Is there really no door?”
Vishnal’s smiled tightened. “Ah ha… no, there isn’t. Security was never an issue with Lady Ventuswill, and we haven’t gotten around to renovating.”
That must suck. Doug waved his hand as he entered the room. “I’ll just wait in here, I guess.”
The room itself was large enough, with an additional two archways leading to more rooms and a set of stairs leading to a basement. He eyed the decor with mild wonder.
Frey decorated her house with an abundance of cuteness. In one corner of the room she kept a large pile of monster plushies, and adorning her merchant stall were a set of seasonal plants with ribbons tied around the pots.
He squatted down next to a particularly adorable duck. “Hey, little guy. Where’s your owner, huh?” He brushed back a tuft of yellow fluff from its black bead eyes. “We have a lot to talk about.”
Said owner crashed through her front door, followed by clattering and shouting across the caste halls.
Frey stumbled into her room on wobbling legs. Her dress was singed and in tatters; deep red burns were splattered across her arms and legs. Doug watched in wide-eyed horror as she began to fall forward, quickly coming to her side and slinging her arm over his shoulder.
“Frey!! Are you okay?!”
She groaned and clenched her fist at her side. After a deep inhale, she spoke. “I’m so close.”
“You look awful. Get some rest.”
“I have to… get through… Rune Prana.” She looked up at him with watery eyes. “I’m so close.”
He felt his face flush from the proximity. “Okay, but lay down right now.” They walked to the bed and she growled as he eased her down. “Are you okay?”
“I can’t lay down.” She weakly gestured to her back; Doug’s eyes found a deep slash running diagonal from her shoulder blade to her hip. “Can you help me to the bath?”
“R-right, yeah. Where is it?”
She leaned on him again and gestured to the north hallway. They gobbled through a mismatched scene of weapon racks and chemistry sets until they arrived at an elegant powder room.
He glanced to the frail princess propped against his side and the high walls of the tub. She isn’t even strong enough to stand. Is she able to undress? Not that I’m thinking about undressing her.
“Do you want me to get Clorica?”
“No.” She attempted to adjust herself, grabbing at his shoulder and pulling herself somewhat upright. “The commotion when I came in… Clorica is doing barely better than I am.” Her arm strength quickly failed, and Doug helped lower her to the floor, sitting beside her. “Vishnal is taking care of her, if she’s in no state to help anyone else.”
Then who will take care of you? Volkanon’s face flashed through Doug’s mind. It better not be that guy.
“What can I do?”
She tugged weakly at her hair ties, great tresses of green hair falling loose. “Right now I need to deal with these injuries.”
“Of course.”
Frey, brazen as ever, started undoing her leather brassiere. “What are you—!” He raised his hand to block his eyes from the scandalous sight of… more armor.
“What,” she said coyly, “are you going to help me or not? You saw my injuries.”
He nodded slowly and inched closer; with guidance, he managed to unclasp her tattered scaled vest and the rest of her many layers of defense.
Pieces of burnt leather and blackened metal fell to the floor until Frey was in a thin white dress, her jewelry undone and her eyes looking a smidge less exhausted.
“Can you run the water?”
“I- yeah.” Doug stood and turned the faucets. As the water poured into the bath, he kept his eyes firmly on the floor tiling, the plants lining the room, the quality sink, on everything but the essentially bare princess before him. “So, uh,” the blush crept back to his cheeks, “how do you want to do this?”
She giggled weakly, a real smile passing over her face. “It’s okay. Help me in.”
Too flustered to respond, he stood awkwardly staring until finally stooping and lifting her bridal style, with careful hands avoiding the gash on her back. He set her gently in the water and blinked. The absurdity and embarrassment of the situation was returning.
“Turn your back.”
“Okay.” Why didn’t you get one of the girls to help you? Doug shifted on his feet as he waited. This entire town loves you. He heard the rustling of clothing and bit his lip. They would have been here in seconds. It’s not like you had to choose me to… to bathe… you… “AAAHH.”
“Doug? Are you okay? You can look.” He turned back with his hands hiding his beet red face. “Um. The sponge is here,” he felt a soft material pressed against his arm, “so if you would help me clean my, you know, potentially toxic wound from a dragon’s claw, that would be awesome.”
His fingers drifted downward. Frey had a curious smile, one arm outstretched with a sponge. Most of her body was submerged in the bath water, already murky from the surface layer of dirt on her skin.
“Okay. Okay!” He pumped his fist. “I can do this?” With a gallant smile he took the sponge and lathered it with a fancy looking soap.
She laughed as he strode behind her. Gently, he brushed against her back; she hissed as the soap entered her wound. “Thank you, by the way.”
“Of course.” He stared firmly at the head of green hair in front of him. “Friends help friends.”
“Oh,” she tilted her head up to meet his eyes, “I didn’t know friends bathed each other.”
“You asked—!”
“Hehe. Teasing.” She shifted forward so more of her back and the cut were exposed. “Maybe I’ve been around Leon too much.”
“Maybe,” Doug grumbled in return as he cupped water over her back, “but you’ve got nothing on Kiel. Hangs around Leon like a puppy.”
“I know, it’s a wonder Forte hasn’t tried to kill Leon, heh.”
“Yeah. Hey, Frey.”
“Hm?”
“I know some really basic healing magic, if you wanted me to try…?”
“Oh,” she tapped the water, “that would be great. I’m too exhausted to use my magic.”
The last time I used healing magic was when I cut myself chopping carrots. I wonder if I’ve still go it.
He held his hands over Frey’s back, palms spread. Energy flowed from his body to her back, and the edges of skin ebbed together.
She sighed in relief. “Thank you. That helps more than you know.” She dunked her head under the water and rose up. “Ah. I feel so refreshed now.”
“Even though you just got a faceful of dirty water?”
“Yes. My brush is in the drawer under the sink.”
“Understood, madame.” He fetched the brush and returned. Small clumps of dirt and leaves came away from her hair. Did she climb a tree before going dungeoning?
“Doug.” He stiffened mid-brush. “You can keep brushing. Why were you in my room?”
He quickly continued to brush her tangles out. “I heard you found a way to get Venti back.”
Frey went rigid; she turned around, one arm blocking her chest, and smiled. “I did.” Her eyes seemed to bore holes into him. “If I can pass through Rune Prana, I know I can save her.”
“I want to help.” He finally broke the staring contest. “I owe that much to this town.”
“I can’t do that.” Reaching up with her free hand, she tilted his face towards hers. “I saw today that the monsters in Rune Prana are on another level. It isn’t safe to bring ordinary townsfolk with me. Clorica doesn’t deserve that, you don’t deserve that.”
“Hey,” he eased her hand down, “I’m not an ordinary citizen. I was a spy, you know, I can fend for myself better than most people.”
“I know, but I’m an Earthmate.”
“And I’m a dwarf.”
She scowled. “You’ve got nothing on a farmer. I could take you any day.”
“Nope. You’ve utterly failed to convince me. Now I want to come with and compete with you.”
Frey groaned until her breath ran out. “I mean it, Doug.”
“I mean it, too! Let me help you. I need to apologize to Venti somehow.”
She turned again, leaving her back to Doug. “Okay. But you better have my back on the field as well as in the tub.”
“Um, sure.”
He went back to brushing her hair. She hummed quietly as he did so, tapping her fingers to some vaguely familiar tune as the knots came away.
“Thank you, by the way.”
Her humming stopped. “You don’t need to thank me. If anything, I should be thanking you for helping me wash up.”
“Yeah, jeez, this is more thankless than the general store.”
“Hey!” She turned her head and splashed him in the face. “You didn’t need to help me.”
And say no to a half-dead princess? “Gahh, that was mean. I’m leaving for that!” He stood dramatically, brushing off his pants. “Goodbye.”
“Good,” she humphed, “I was about to ask you to leave anyway.”
“Wait, really? You still seem exhausted.”
Her face flushed. “Um, I’m going to get out of the bath.”
Frey getting out of the bath. Frey getting out of the bath, Frey not wearing anything, well she isn’t wearing anything right now either but—
“O-oh, okay!!” He dropped the brush in shock. “Leaving, then!” It clattered to the floor, and he darted out of the room.
Frey giggled as she stepped out, wringing her hair in the tub. “I wonder,” she mumbled aloud, “if she would approve of Doug.”