Chapter 20: Vase in the hallway

Noble Heir apparent eventually returned to her feet, not before enjoying the carry for longer than polite. For the moment nothing was said as the two pathed their way down the hall. This was more normal between them; this arguing wasn't something they had done a lot of. Iris thought it might have been because they were finally able to talk on an even field.

This corridor had been something they had walked down a lot. Many passages and transverses. It reminded Iris of one of the first times they fought.

Iris had just completed maid training and Lady Valentine had returned from her probation. The only desire she had was to read outside in the warm sun. Thus, they did, having had several peaceful weeks and time to completely recover, Iris wasn't that keen to sit quietly outside.

"The coffinish ove the annnta guus du…master?" Valentine glared over the book she was reading 'Eves of Elves and Other Stories' a fantasy action story with a hint of romance. Iris had obviously needed more work on her reading and writing, otherwise how could she have so easily butchered 'The Confession of the Antagonistic Duke' title. There were a few other brightly covered books on the table, but Iris could not read fluently yet.

"Shameless is shameless" Iris wondered if there was something wrong with her new employer. So, she squeezed her chest once or twice…or seven times. That was normal for most girls after all, why was the duchess so up in arms about it. If anything, when you have a set of boobs that were as perfect as the heirs, you should be proud to get felt up.

"Still bothered by the other day, I suppose comparing chest with that one maid was too much." She didn't speak much but the nobles' glares told one heck of a story.

"This elder will now make it up to you." Picking up the dark trashy romance novel from the table she held it by the spine.

"As you know I am a heavenly sword saint" Valentine rolled her eyes, this was the third or fourth…twentieth time she had heard her maid go on about how she was some fictious big shot.

"This means I have manifestation ability since I reached the deity realm. Which for me is Domain, solid domain is strange so I don't use it very often, but it also came with a solid manifestation, in this case I can make flames that are solid and won't burn the book in my hand."

That was enough for the noble to set down her book. She didn't see magic tricks or shows often, as it was unnoble to enjoy such low-class trickery from commoners.

"So, for this ill use the daffodil flame, it's a nice yellow so it should pop nice." Looking at the expectant look on Valentine's face was a bit distracting; she was cute when she was excited.

"Ok ready, go!" For a moment there was a bright cheery flame surrounding the book, but no smoke. Valentine was about to applaud when almost on que, the book burned from the bottom up, dissolving completely. For a stunned moment neither Iris, who lost control of her essence flame, or Valentine who hoped this was part of the trick.

"Maybe I should have gone with the marigold…" Nervously scratching the back of her neck, she hoped she wouldn't mind the lose of the book too much. It dawned on the noble that her maid did not mean to do that and after a shocked disbelief, she got mad.

"Despicable." That was all she could manage in her righteous fury before standing. Leaving the books, she stormed off, it didn't take long for Iris to follow her.

"My lady, that was an accident, the flame was too strong for me to control at my cultivation level." Hurrying to catch up as she stomped down the hallway, curls bouncing freely with her harsh steps.

"My Lady!" Crying out the noble did not stop in any way, shape, or form. Iris was in far better shape and quickly closed the distance.

"Wait my lady." She snatched her sleave clasping her wrist and hand.

How dare you grab a noble…If you hold my hand like this it might feel warm…no wait indignant, Lady Valentines thought as the cultivator brought her to a stop.

"You didn't even like that book, you brought it out three times yet not once read it." While it was the wrong thing to say, the noble turned and shook her hand free, she felt so hot. How had the maid, who went on about being the rainbow sage, notice what she liked at all? It was so sweet…But she burned a book, anger Valentine anger!

She slammed and locked her room door. Three weeks of confinement reduced her desire to stay here but there was no helping it. Noble though she was this was the only place she could be alone. Sulking was all she could do so sulk she did, wondering why it bothered her so much that the girl hadn't apologized. Throwing herself on the bed, it also bothered her that she was so mad about a book that she would have burned herself.

"I wonder what this means?" Softly she closed her eyes moments latter she felt something bounce of her mattress. A small, wrapped item had fallen from…Where had it come from the noble wondered. Since she didn't see anything else, she opened it. There was a small card that read simply, 'I'm Sorry, Iris'.

Inside was a deep crimson flame, with light soft pink streaks. It was cool, almost like but not like glass, smaller than the palm of her hand she gazed at in a daze. It was beautiful, a fire frozen in place. Hesitating, she leapt up moving out of her personal room through the sitting room and to the door of the corridor. Looking left and right she saw no one who could have delivered it. Looking down at it again…she smiled, slowly closing the door as she returned to her room.

"I'm glad she likes it." A podium with a vase on it muttered aloud from the corridor. On the other side of it slumped Iris Xin. Using the sanguine flame was simpler, when she manifested her domain, she demanded that it be solid forevermore. It was however completely exhausting so after her quick delivery and desperate escape, she slept peacefully in the hallway knowing that the two of them were all right.

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"I like hearing your voice." It was a sudden statement spoken as a non sequitur. It was expected that Lady Valentine didn't say anything about it. She always let the former maid ramble on or say what she wanted. In this case though after their lovers quarrel in the dining room, the two needed to not generate more rumors.

"I'm glad you speak more now, it always felt like you had a millstone on you that you would drag around." This wasn't a non sequitur but the noble had a hard time responding.

"I couldn't stay quiet forever…there is still a grievous burden." Valentine didn't speak about the damage and heartache her late mother left her, but she wasn't a small noble child caught in how the world felt she should be. Elder of formless peak at less than a hundred, she was her own legend, and when she was ready, she would destroy those things that were holding her back.

If not, how could she ever stay at the side of the rainbow sage?

"We all hold out dark past to ourselves." It was at rare times the marital expert acted like one.

"Perhaps you should have named your special techniques more accurately, and less to what you thought was…cool or hip." There was a stained look on the sage's face. In a rare opportunity Valentine took the initiative to tease the normally unflappable martial master.

"Dark night firefly sparkling storm!" Posing the noble held her pointer and middle fingers to the bridge of her nose, gently obscuring her eye, her other hand out stretch calling the name of one of Iris' techniques. In a rare moment the sage went scarlet.

"At least I named mine, its better than what you called it, fist ranged attack!" Unlike Iris, Valentine had named her techniques based on what they were. She hadn't been able to learn the Shaolin Hundred-Foot Punch or any of the Diamond fist moves, so she improvised her own. While it was plain, it was accurate.

"You would name a kid, Child because that's what it is." Iris bristled back, feeling nettled

"I thought we would name him Long Ti, and her Aroura." It occurred to the noble after the words spilled out that she just named their future children. Iris likewise overheated and they made their way back to her room in silences, faces glowing like beacons in the night.

Opening the door like the gentlewomen she was, Iris gracefully swept the noble inside. Now that they were alone, the quiet was unbearable. Pretending nothing was wrong the noble graceful walked around and sat on their couch facing the garden bay window. Iris vaulted across the room like a ghost landing gracefully on the cushion next to her…martial sister?

"We have time didn't you want to talk?" It took Iris several years to speak, or at lest it felt that way to the noble.

"Yes, I wanted to um…" Clamming up the noble wondered where her courage went. Its true she had been so elated that the girl had lived that she had just pounced on her…twice.

"Its ok you know; we have known each other for years now." Reassuring the girl was a common thing that had become less common. However, it still left her on pins and needles as she was afraid of what the girl might say.

"Are we um, an, well what I mean is…what happened after I returned here?" Way to go duchess to be, can't even ask what the relationship was between the two.

"That…" Iris evaluated the girl for a moment. "The Sky Heaven Sword Saint is dead; Sky Heaven Sword Pavilion, rubble; Heavenly Sword of the Sky sect has been erased from the martial realm."

Valentine didn't respond, it was a thrilling yet terrifying statement. There was no question in her mind what happened after the two had separated. Even if time flowed differently in the martial realm, it hadn't taken that long for the women that she loved…

Why did the noble have to fall for such a dangerous woman? Beneath that pushy teasing exterior was a top ten great martial master. That was the truth, despite the strength she possessed, it was tempered with some kindness and evenness. It was the soft fluffy part that the sage held onto that made her so irresistible. It was the delicateness that she showed the noble who had been just a hard shell, that walked her through her own martial journey, that caused the noble to want to latch on and never let go.

"You didn't want to ask because you knew what would happen. You were in the martial realm long enough to know that sometimes prices must be paid. I won't leave just because you have some awkward things to say, or things you want to do."

"Your kindness is to much sometimes." Murrming back trying to hold back the tide of overwhelming affection for the sage.

"Are we a couple?" Spiting out the words, Valentine didn't know what would happen next.

"That's when people are together and um dating right? Like the step before you become Daoist partners?" Iris gulped, her heart and nerves had skyrocketed. Her glaring lack of romantic experience made her more nervous than she thought she would be.

"If you don't want to I…I think that… maybe…" Unable to search for the words, there was no telling what would happen if Iris wasn't interested in her. Iris was older, and it was a more recent trend for same-sex marriages and partnerships in the martial realm.

"And um your sure you don't want to be just martial sisters, like you want to…hug and kiss…in a romantic way?" Blushing, she had seen when partners had gotten together but figured it couldn't be that bad. Now that it was happening to her, she wondered how either of them had the courage to speak up.

"I…I want to be with you forever." There was rare determination in the nobles' eyes. Her framed curls, her warmth and desire for the women she loved was present and in full bloom.

"You want this granny; I mean I'm old and no one else wanted me like that…" Gently taking the checks of the martial sage, brushing her long dark hair back, the noble gently pressed their lips together.

"Please?" It was a single word, but it was enough to overwhelm the sage. What's the point with living two three hundred years if you can't say what you want?

"Would you please go out with this old sage, Valentine?"

"Of course." Unable to hold back she wrapped her arms around her neck and kissed the sage for all she was worth.