As I returned to my room, I was greeted by an unusual sight.
Helena with two more maids were standing near a large elaborate bronze bathtub. Floating runes danced near a faucet shaped mechanism and was spurting out hot water.
“What is this?” I asked, fearing the answer.
“His Majesty and the royal family will be dining with Sire and the other heroes. We are here to wash and dress you for the occasion my Lord,” stated Helena with a slight bow, the two behind her fluidly mimicked her action.
I stopped breathing. I need all the energy my body could spare to be in my brain to deal with this. As someone with over twenty years of unsuccessful overtures with the opposite sex, I did not have the luxury to waste valuable energy on something as insignificant as oxygen right now.
As I stated before, I can now think and keep track of multiple trains of thought. I've done some experiments last night and came to the conclusion that this was similar to, but not quite, multiple personality disorder. They were all still me, but each had a different response and emotion to the same stimuli while striving to the same end goal as me. This made planning and preparing scenarios, as well thinking from multiple viewpoints, much easier. It was like having several smaller brains helping the main brain and it boosted my thinking speed and ability, so I found it to be greatly beneficial. I can even make more with some effort. I read similar abilities in stories, they usually called it 'parallel processing.'
With all that said, my mind was in pandemonium.
Two of my nodes (I've taken to referring each individual part of my consciousness as a node, after the computer term) have frozen and stopped working. Another coughed blood somehow and vanished into synaptic dust as the stimulus was too much. One node cried out in joy and immediately tried to gain control over my motor functions before being stopped. My lead node, through sheer force of will, rounded up the still functioning nodes together for an emergency council, brainstormed, led a fierce debate, decided on a plan of action, and regained full control of my body. I started breathing again.
All this happened in a span of 1.2 seconds.
“Understood, I'll leave it to you,” I replied in a detached, level manner. The nodes were all celebrating like it was the New Years in a bar.
I'll have to later reexamine my earlier conclusion that this wasn’t multiple personality disorder.
Some might wonder why I didn't insist on a being alone. It's because I’m already aware that this was the culturally accepted norm amongst the high status in this country from my readings. I've seen what constituted as formal wear for the Nobles. While the outer robe was simply just a robe, the clothing underneath was far more complex than the standard suit and tie that I'm used to. I also lacked confidence in my ability to color coordinate. I had legitimate reasons as to why I adhered to their requests. My choice was derived from logic, my desires had nothing to do with it!
Helena and her attendants stood to the side as I undressed and slid into the tub. Most of my consciousness rolled and howled in embarrassment at the scene of me naked and taking a bath in view of three beautiful women, but my face, actions, and breath were all calm and measured. Maybe having multiple personalities wasn’t so bad?
As I entered the tub, a wave of relief and pleasure spread through me. A deep sigh escaped from me. I guess I was more stressed than I thought. My muscles and limbs relaxed from tension that I didn’t even know were there. As I situated myself, Helena and the other maids approached carrying two bottles and a hook like instrument.
“What are those?” I asked staring, mostly at the hook like weapon.
“Noble society use these tools to help clean their bodies. The ash will cling to the dirt on your body, the oil will add fragrance and shines the hair, and this tool is to scrape away the ash,” Helena explained. She likely thought that since my compatriots and I weren't Nobles, we weren't aware of such cleaning methods, so she didn't seem confused by my question.
So, they haven’t developed soaps or shampoos in this world. I heard ash was traditionally used as a cleaning detergent by some of the earliest societies. I also knew that the oil and herbs were used as hair wash in Ancient India. The hook was pretty intimidating though.
Helena stood close to my face as poured a few drops of oil into the tub, a fragrance like lavender slowly rose up from the water. She then got a small pail and started washing my hair with the oil and some water. Maids 2 and 3 drained some water into a separate bucket, mixed the bottle of ash until a paste like compound formed. They then asked for my right arm. Maid 2 gently lathered the paste on to my arm, maid 3 then used the hook to scrape remove most of the paste. Then they removed the rest with a damp soft linen in place of a towel. After they were done, they moved on to my right leg.
This went on for the rest of my limbs as Helena continued washing my hair. Screams and protests erupted from the walls. The words were pretty muffled as the maids worked around me and the due to the distance, but enough words made through to my ears to help me understand the situation.
“Are Maria and Annalise getting a bath as well from their personal butlers? And what about Lucas, is it okay that a girl that young to wash a naked boy like that?” I asked, while looking up at Helena.
“Please keep your eyes closed my Lord. The oil will sting your eyes,” admonished Helena before answering.
“As you say, it is too early for Lord Lucas’s personal maid to start washing him, she is still in training. She was brought largely to put him at ease as a child of a similar age, his bathing is being done by more experienced maids.”
If you truly want to put him at ease, it would be better to find a child with the same gender as well. Putting an adorable young girl in a servile relationship to a boy in the developing stages of puberty is counterproductive, I saw how assertive she was to him back in Henry’s room. The Royal family’s intentions are obvious, and the girl's too young to skillfully hide her true assignment, I bit back my argument.
“Lady Maria and Lady Annalise are being bathed by maids as well. Their personal butlers are in charge of choosing their attire and jewelry. The dressing will also be done by maids as well. A woman must protect her modesty after all.”
“Does a man not need to protect his modesty as well?” I asked playfully, I'm convinced that having multiple personalities was a god send. I would never be able to talk to beautiful woman like this normally, let alone while naked and being washed by one.
“Bathing done by maids is a privilege of the elite. Some of the lesser nobles and less wealthier families may only have a single butler who will do that duty, but it's generally maids who will wash their master’s and mistress’s bodies. Unless Sire finds being washed by men more comfortable, I will then notify a few butlers to accommodate my Lord,” my eyes were still shut so I couldn’t see her expression, but I detected a hint of teasing at her voice.
“Ha, no need. This is more than satisfactory,” I replied, smirking
The bathing continued for about half an hour. After Helena finished washing my hair and my limbs were cleaned. They had me stand from the tub as they put the paste on the rest of my body. Helena drew close to me as she rubbed the paste over my chest, she smelled like the oil, but strangely sweeter. The node from before struck again and laid a devastating toll on my will power before being beaten back from whence it came. Despite my restraint, I could feel a silly smile on my face as I looked down at her. I held out from doing something stupid and rinsed off in the tub.
After being dried off. I was dressed in the clothes Helena picked. It was the correct decision to have them dress me. Two pairs of pants, three undershirts, a strange vest like garment that wouldn't be out of place of a S&M show, and a jacket with straps and buttons meant to attach to all the other pieces of clothing, so the ensemble will always be pulled in a different direction to eliminate wrinkles and slackness in appearance. Surprisingly, it was very comfortable to wear. I always believed that Medieval clothing was unpleasant, itchy work that focused more on frills and more pompous accessories than was reasonable, but the material was easy to move in and breathed marvelously. Likely these were some of the best available on the market since they were provided by the Royal family, but I was still amazed.
Helena then attached a green brooch to my lapel. It was a gem shaped as a perfect circle, but curved lines rose from the bottom edges till halfway in the middle. The lines were curved towards different directions, giving the appearance of a symmetrical tree.
“Is this the symbol of the Temple of Gwenivere?” I asked. The books I read were all texts, no pictures of the gods or their markings.
“I thought it was fitting for the Chosen of the Goddess of Life, forgive me if I acted presumptuously,” Helena bowed her again.
To me, rather than it being a symbol of the Goddess of Life; the black lines gave the green jewel a darker hue than the light green from the orb, more like hazel, like her eyes… It made me happy.
“No, I am pleased with it. Thank you,” I really was, but I can’t bring myself to trust her yet. Until I get this thing tested and investigate the extension of surveillance magic in this world, I have to be guarded against her and any gifts I receive.
I hate that part of myself sometimes.
As I smiled, genuinely for the first time in a long time, Helena blinked and then flashed me that small smile again that I saw this morning.
As the other maids then put the robe on me, I looked at the mirror.
I told Helena earlier that I was partial towards black and other tame colors, that I'm not fond of bright colors. That while I do not mind lighter versions of blue, green, or purple, I would prefer a duller color rather something bright and garish. She made good on my wishes.
Black, with silver lines that look more like gray depending on the light was the general appearance of my attire. Gold trim were on the edges of my outermost shirt and jacket. My polished boots were more akin to what someone would wear to battle, I requested it as much since the Noblemen here seemed to wear something that resembled high heel boots. Rather than that, I wanted something easier to move around in. The brooch that she given me brighten the outfit, but not in a way to contradict the theme.
Overall, I believed I looked good. I admit, I looked like a nerd who spent an exorbitant amount of money on cosplay. I looked a bit like an anime version of the founder of a snake themed dormitory of a certain magical school; but still I felt like I was presentable to the high society.
“The dinner is still not for some time, is there anything you might need, Sire?” Helena asked after I looked satisfied.
“Nothing pressing, but I would appreciate if I could get some more paper and ink wells. Quill pens too of course. Also, some reference books concerning the calendar and the metric system if possible,” I requested.
“At once my Lord,” Helena and the other two maids curtsied. She opened the door to my room and spoke with the nearby guard. Two men entered and seem to have activated some magic as a the two men then picked up the tub and carried it out without any noticeable effort. Strength enhancing likely. She followed them out.
As she closed the door, my mask of calm fell. The events of the bath and dressing replayed across my mind as I felt my face burn red. If I were looking at myself from the mirror, I would be worried that my head might explode in a visceral of blood. I put my face in my hands and pulled my knees up to my chest.
I stayed in a fetal position, shaking on my chair for a very long time.
