/Sand\ ~S~N~A~K~E~ (heart!!)

[deepwallow]

"Help me with needs like bathing, dressing and eating, and that's basically it. Other than that, it's like a normal servant. To me at least." She says with a shrug as they reach the garden again. The children were still there, but instead of playing tag, they were throwing over ripe fruit at each other and laughing. Meira laughed at the sight pleasantly

[нαℓƒ~мσση]

Fatin frowned, her hazel eyes flicking over to the children. She couldn't understand why noble ladies needed help doing something as simple as dressing. Or bathing. That kind of thing was learned as a child in her village, "Why do ladies need help with such things?"

[deepwallow]

Meira shrugged. "In all honesty, I don't know. And I actually don't exactly need my handmaidens for help. They're just there to live here and earn a living somehow. Most of my maidens are from poorer families, but I give them a lot of freedom." She admitted. Then she suddenly yelled "Duck!" And crouched down as an over ripe fruit nailed Fatin in the chest, bursting on her outfit

[нαℓƒ~мσση]

The girl' eyes widened and she looked down at herself. Her lips immediately morphed into a scowl, "Ayei, great!" She sighed, though she wasn't as angry as she could have been.

[deepwallow]

Meira only laughed as she grinned and them dashed of to join the kids, scooping up a fallen fruit and chucking it at one of the kids, nailing him with a satisfied laugh even as she got hit by another child

[нαℓƒ~мσση]

Being around children was the norm for her, having grown up as the eldest of five. Her lips curled into a slight smile as she grabbed a piece of fruit and joined in on the fun.

[deepwallow]

The children soon included both the woman in their game and t went on for hours until finally, the children's parents, who were Mera's servants, called for them for dinner and bed. The two of them were as messy as could be. Meira was panting but grinning from the fun. "Well, you kept up well." She said admiringly, laughing

[нαℓƒ~мσση]

"I raised my siblings," Fatin told her, wiping some fruit away from her cheek, "And, I have to admit, it was fun."

[deepwallow]

Meira laughed and wiped her face. "Then You'll get used to it here. And we should probably get baths now. Come on." She said before heading off. A servant was nearby, waiting for them with a grin as if used to Meira's messy misadventures and they went off down some stairs to a cavern with a huge steaming hot spring. "Ah! Here we are." Meira said. The 'room' was very warm and comfortable, lit by candles in niches carved into the walls. "We found this place when the palace was built." Meira said with a shrug. "it's great for a bath since the water runs off somewhere and cleans itself." She added as she began to undress

[нαℓƒ~мσση]

Fatin averted her eyes as she, too, began to strip off her soiled clothes, "This is a wonderful bath," she murmured.

[deepwallow]

Meira laughs and goes into the water. "Ooooh~ thats nice.' She says with a sigh. "And thank you." She adds as she sits back, closing her eyes

[нαℓƒ~мσση]

The girl hurried into the water after she'd undressed, shivering happily at the warm water, "You're welcome.."

[deepwallow]

Meira opens one eye to look at her as she enters and her eye widened slightly, an emotion flitting across her face for an instant before she shut her eye again. "So, Fatin, where are you from?"

[нαℓƒ~мσση]

"My village was small- it didn't have a name," Fatin replied, keeping her eyes on the ceiling, "It's somewhere between here and Starfell."

[deepwallow]

"Ah. What was life like there?" She asked, glancing at her. Noticing she wasn't looking, Meira's eyes roved over her bodty appreciatively before she looked up at the ceilling

[нαℓƒ~мσση]

Fatin let her fingers dance over the surface of the bath water, licking her lips, "It was...routinely. For women, life was pretty domestic. Clean the house, cook the food, sew, raise the children." There was a tinge of discontent in her voice, "The only way to escape that kind of life was to become a medicine woman."

[deepwallow]

Meira frowned and looked over at her. "That sounds...... Terribly boring, no offense. If that's the ony way out of that kind of life style, then I feel sorry for the woman in your village." She says with a chuckle

[нαℓƒ~мσση]

Fatin turned her head and her hazel eyes met Meira's gaze, "It is boring. But it was what I was raised on. I can't help but admit feeling a bit of unrest when I think about it. That life doesn't..sit well with me."

[deepwallow]

Meira laughed. "Then stay here! You can move about freely as long as you pull your weight around here." She says with a shrug

[нαℓƒ~мσση]

Fatin looked away, her thick eyelashes fluttering, "Well...why not. It's not like I have much to go back to, now that most of my siblings are old enough to take care of themselves."