The automatons and her brother Denton had already left half an hour ago with the Silver King to take care of their new living situation. Due to the current situation in Nemthi, his shininess proposed, that they would live until further notice in the unused manor of his predecessor on the silver throne, and the siblings loved that idea. 

I would have loved to be now with you, brother, visiting our new life at your side, taking these important steps together. But I fully overstrained my magic abilities today. I will catch up with you in the evening and heal the prideful burns and blisters on your alabaster scales like I do every day. One constant that will never change, one constant I am happy to keep. This all is scary, too scary. I prepared myself for our big day and voided my expectations to a degree, where even rejection wouldn’t hurt anymore. And I couldn’t be happier now.

Her shininess insisted on taking her to the bronze wing and assisting her in regaining power and relaxation. A pleasure she was not used to, especially not by how professional the butlers did. The two kobold butlers led her to an angled velvet-padded table in a small room of the bronze wing, a design she was unfamiliar with. There appeared to be a padded hole in the table the kobolds asked her to lay her head into after asking her to strip down and relax. She did so as asked, not really feeling powerful enough to show her curiosity about that strange table and looked through the hole at the Bronze Queen, who was smiling back at her, her emerald-padded paws resting graciously in her lap.

“You did so much today, my brave little kobold, that I would like to give you something back. If you are ok with this, that is. The table, my most trusted have guided you onto is called a massage table. My sweet Rustfeet has developed for such an instance a very pleasant way to utilize her magic. Let her and Miriko aid you in regaining your lost strength, Miss Bianca.“

Bianca wasn’t in her position able to see the other kobolds, who were currently waiting behind her for her ok to the treatment proposal, but she knew, that they were eager to serve. These eyes of theirs showed her just how well her shininess treated her subordinates. Glowing with joy and compassion, focused but not forced; these were prime examples of the elusive kobold butler family ‚Schetl‘, she heard so many stories about. She purred softly and smiled back at the queen, trying not to get lost in the gentleness of her purple eyes.

“I would love that. Tell me what to do, and I will follow your lead, my Queen.“

“Oh, silly. You will do nothing.“ The queen chuckled. "Just relax and enjoy. That is an order.~“

Bianca was about to ask what exactly this meant, but as it was spoken as an order, did she comply. Moments later appeared the friendly teenage face from the younger butler in her field of view. She smiled and showed her her rust-red paws, muring softly.

“I should explain to you what will happen to you in a few moments. Considering your ignorance about the meaning of a massage is this mandatory to properly enjoy it.“ The young kobold‘s blue sclerae blinked like water encapsulating precious rubies. Her reserved language, a trademark of a Schetl butler: "I will now perform for you the following skill of mine. These vibration pellets will then get temporarily implanted in your body. Pay close attention.“

Evamal's friendly eyes glowed in a shimmer of blue and yellow bolts, causing her eyes to shift slightly into a yellowish tint. She was using already advanced magic Bianca realized, by the look of it a combination of the Veil of Autumn and Winter; Wind and water. And these fully azure sclerae! She was an ascended mage, the strongest kind of symbiosis around! She felt Galen growing curious in the back of her mind, watching what was happening right in front of their eyes.

<So young and so strong! I expect nothing less from a member of the Schetl clan. Her … they merged with her soul perfectly. This Evamal is half arcane, half-mortal. I like her.>

<She is part of the Kobold elite. Of course, would she be strong. But now stay calm, she will be performing her powers. I wanna see what moisture can do in the paws of a master of its craft.>

Evamal smiled, noticing just how amazed the laying kobold looked at her, and basked briefly in the attention. Then a small bow of the butler-suit-wearing girl and droplets started to appear on her fingertips, getting wrung out of her very own body. Showing these moisture balls, she leant forth and gently exhaled over them, filling the immediate air around the droplets with veil-infused breath. The kobold then carefully flexed her fingers, letting the droplets jump up on her paws, getting in full contact with the Veil air. A thin layer of it formed around the small pellets granting them the name-giving form. She then grinned and closed her hand, reabsorbing the pellets. To finish her performance the young kobold laid both paws on her cheeks, causing her eyes to go wide. Her soft paws were vibrating now, sending gentle tremors down her face.

“Please explain, Lady Schetl! That is a wonderful ability! Like how my bro used the Veil of Winter to create water capsules you d-"

A vibrating finger was placed firmly and was now shushing her maw. The playful, yet fully reserved, grin from Evamal got a tiny bit wider.

“Too many questions will only stress you, Lady Peritl. And please, I am a mere servant of the queen. Call me Evamal.“ She giggled. „But to sate at least a tiny fraction of your curiosity. Moisture encapsulated in a wind prison. The air causes the moisture to ripple and reverb in the enclosed space. The intensity slowly rises until the pellet’s water starts vibrating. That's the whole technique. Now, please. Relax, M‘lady.“

Bianca finally did what was asked of her and attempted to relax, which turned out to be more difficult than anticipated. Having lived until now as a secret cleric in the slums taught her to never truly relax. Keep at all costs at least one eye and ear-horn open for eventually approaching thieves, burglars or kidnappers. She was always attentive to not keep her brother‘s worries about her safety low. Urging her to relax in the presence of authority gave her enough sense of safety to follow the butler‘s bidding. The kobold exhaled and deflated, sinking into the soft and snuggly massage table, closing her eyes, and lowering all defences. Feeling the soft paw pads of Evamal gently touching the back of her head, letting one of these vibration pellets sink under her feathery scales, resting now under her skin. The soft massage was directed to loosen up her stiff neck, kneading a neck that was always in use to keep as much of the scenery in her sight, to prevent bad people from approaching. Evamal then wandered down her back, letting further massage droplets sink in cramped areas of hers. Her shoulders, joints, paw pads, lower back and even her cheeks all had their very own vibration centre. Then she finally arrived at her feet and littered the sensitive area with droplets causing her whole body to vibrate gently, Bianca felt the pleasure of a massage that was not caused by her personal magic. Galen might give her body every morning healing pulses to work at its best capabilities, but she exerted that way a different source of power in her. But like that? Gosh, felt that good! 

<I am honestly a tiny bit hurt about your thoughts, Bianca. Comparing my care to this kobold's care for you? Please. I am a part of you, I keep us both afloat that way. My healing care is not meant for pleasure and relaxation. Please, partner, enjoy this for what it is. A genuine massage set up to bring us relaxation. Evamal is giving you what I wish for you since we merged. Unconditional attention without causing a bunch of follow-up problems.>

Galen was right. This situation was different. She earned this through her research. Smiling softly, Bianca let now body and mind relax in harmony and closed her eyes, sighing deeply, feeling how her tense muscles finally experienced the definition of slacking off. She allowed herself to lower all her guards and let the young kobold butler work her feathery back. Feeling Evamal‘s paws kneading her shoulders, lower back, and legs, Bianca felt valued and taken care of.

A few minutes passed until she heard a sound in front of her. Opening her eyes, she witnessed how the other ocean-blue kobold butler, Miriko was his name, softly caressed his queen‘s shoulder, idling next to her in a manner, unlike a butler-master relationship. Shyly observing who they were looking at, she was surprised to see them both focusing on Evamal, both having a certain glint reflecting in their irises. Love. She understood why the kobold would express such emotion. Miriko was, after all, the massaging Kobold‘s father, but the bronze queen? Did she view her servants in such an intimate matter? Further thoughts got, however, deviated by the observed kobold‘s doing as she was now finishing up Bianca‘s massage, magically enhancing the vibrations over her whole body. Massaging now from her toe tips up her body, she slowly reabsorbs the planted moisture pellets leaving behind a deeply relaxed olive and orange puddle of joy, huffing in completed glee. A grin from her queen.

“Looks like you enjoyed my sweetheart‘s professional care. Rustfeet is training hard to become the best butler a queen could have ever wished for." She leaned forth, her grin softening up. "Feeling better now, Miss Bianca?“ 

Bianca observed the gracile movements of her Queen, and felt protected and cared for. She nodded slightly, as much as the hole in the massaging table allowed her. Letting out a deep purr, she slowly began standing up again, taking her time answering Lady Bisfourth, first desiring to thank the young masseuse butler behind her. She looked down at the tiny olive kobold and patted her cute head with her orange palms.

"Thank you so much for that, Evamal. You are a gifted sweetheart." Her attention shifted to her queen. "I feel ... rejuvenated. What was spent prior has now returned. I think ... I could perform now one more healing attempt before having to rest."

"Feel free to request a massage from my sweet Rustfeet whenever you will visit the palace or my manor, miss Peritl. As I dare to assume that we will see each other more frequently from now on. You two are after all worthy of protection and a tiny bit of pampering here and there.~"

These sweet talking words of the queen, having found more than just an interest in the siblings, caused Bianca to remember a certain phrase used by the Ivory Jack: 'Kobold lover'. She chuckles on the inside, invisible to the other lizards around and bows her head slightly while fiddling with her plain loincloth, reattaching it around her waist.

"Many thanks for that lovely gesture." She brushed her cloth smooth and smiled up at her queen. "I would be ready now to join up with my brother and the Spearheads in our temporary home. Uhm ... is everything alright, my queen?"

While she worded out her expression of gratitude, fell the queen in a brief state of distress which however quickly passed. As Bianca asked the Bronze Queen, she looked down with a shifted softness in her purple eyes, her frills vibrating softly.

"No need to worry, my dear guest. Rustfeet?"

"Yes, my queen?" The young kobold excitedly shifted her tail around, listening attentively.

"May you please take Miss Peritl to the bronze gateway? I will follow you shortly." The queen turned to the older butler. "Miriko? Just a word with you!"

The ocean-blue kobold tilted his head and nodded respectfully, placing his paw on his chest.

"As you wish, your shininess." He glances over to Evamal and smiles softly, patting his daughter's head: "You got this, sweety. Wait for us in the company of the Rubica, will you? I would prefer if we leave the palace as a group."

The voice of the head of the Schetl family was barely noticeably concerned, seemingly aware of just what his queen desires to discuss with him. But Bianca had no time to ask further questions, feeling the soft rust-coloured paw of Evamal grabbing her orange, pulling her softly but firmly with her. She chuckles silently to Bianca.

"The grown-ups need to discuss important matters. Please follow me, Lady Peritl. We will take the longer route. There is something I would like to show you."

Bianca nodded to the two lizards, willingly getting pulled away by the eager butler, watching in concern as the queen's expression again shifted to a distressed state. But the small kobold pulled her energetically away, only letting go after they were finally out of range. She sighed and looked up to the older kobold, letting her shoulders hang down.

"Please don't take this personally, Lady Peritl. Our shininess dictates only space to talk with Dad, her advisor if she receives information via the third way. She desires to keep them shielded from unauthorized ears because they are not confirmed."

Bianca raised a brow at that and looked down to her kin, her paw brushing softly along the fully-clothed kobold's shoulder.

"...Third way? Can you tell me a bit about that? Is it her Omnilingualism ability you mentioned back at the gate?"

Evamal nodded at that and gently outstretched an arm, showing her the path they would take next.

"Indeed. But please, follow me, La-"

"Bianca is enough, Evamal. If I am allowed to, you should be as well."

"With glee, Bianca" The green kobold smiled happily. "Let us first walk towards the gate. Dad will get disappointed when he finds us here all chattery, having ignored his orders. And you will get to meet a lovely friend of mine, Rubico. She is awesome, I tell you!"