Wind down and clean up.

You have no idea how late it's become. Perhaps it's past midnight now. After all the chatter, the cool drinks, and the wild fucking, you don't exactly have a good perspective of time. The three of you make your way back to the bath, and this time, to use it for its actual purpose. Catherine gathers soap and shampoo, and soon you find yourself sitting in a pool that isn't just steamy hot water, but frothing bubbles. It smells clean and pleasant, and bubbles rise up into the air, refracting light from the many magic candles lit throughout the room.

And since all of that, you've removed the ring from your finger, returning the toy to its previous state of a metallic cylinder.

You rub your fingers through the queen's hair as you help clean it thoroughly. "So, I need to ask. Where did you get that naughty toy?"

She chuckles. "I do rule all of Tivera. I can commission any sort of naughty toy I wish. Don't worry. I paid for it myself. Your pleasure was not from the tax payers' money."

"So you did get that just for me."

"Of course I did. Who else would I use it on? Not only would nobody else be able to handle it, but I would only want to use it with you."

Xiaoqing rises from the water with a gasp. She runs her fingers back through her soaking wet hair, and sighs with relief. "I'm so tired after all that."

"Me as well," says Nyllia. "It is rather late."

"But today was worthy of celebration, so I don't mind," says the queen.

"I agree," Xiaoqing responds. "I'd celebrate further, but I don't think my body could handle it."

Nyllia smirks. "Then you must train. Kyle, you can help with that, yes?"

That causes Xiaoqing to turn pink. "H-Hey. I know we just all did it together, but saying something like that is still embarrassing."

"I take it this never happened to you back on Earth?" the queen asks.

"Of course not!"

"It sounds like a dreadfully dull place."

You shrug. "It's not so bad. That being said, this empire you rule is a lot more fun. So good job on that."

"I appreciate your kind words, though Tivera was strong before me. We've had a strong line of rulers for some time now."

"Speaking of which... how is Cat?" you ask.

After the shampoo is washed from her hair, she leans back against the edge of the pool. She's quiet for a moment, squirting conditioner into her palm, and then rubbing it into her scalp, and to the tips of her long, flowing, black hair. "We had a long talk, before I came here. Though I can't ignore all of her previous actions, I'm confident now that she's telling the truth when she says she regrets them. She wishes to atone, though doesn't seek forgiveness. Also... I am her flesh and blood. If there's one thing we have in common, it's our desire to protect this nation."

"What are our plans for tomorrow, Kyle?" asks Nyllia.

Before you can answer, Catherine adds, "Festivities are more or less concluded now. I'll be working hard tomorrow to solidify the candidates for the election. If you'd like, I can keep you posted about how that proceeds."

"That sounds good. I figure we might as well head back home for now," you say. "Give everyone their gifts, talk about what happened, and see what we wanna do next. I shouldn't leave them alone for long. One, because a lot of the people in Castle Phoenix seem to get lonely when I'm out too long, and two, we are dealing with a potential god-killer on the loose."

"Well, you have my support of course," the queen says. "This sounds like a threat to Tivera as well."

Xiaoqing drifts into your arms with half-lidded eyes. She yawns. "For now, we should sleep," she whispers.

You hold her close and smile. "I agree. Let's get some rest."

"Remember to drink some water," Nyllia explains. "All we've had is wine on ice, which is all right, though we certainly also had a... sweaty time."

"Yes. It's important to cool down and hydrate after this much time in the bath regardless," Catherine adds. As she speaks, she wrings out the conditioner from her hair.

Nyllia rises from the water first. She steps back onto the surface, and moves towards the doorway. "Mm. Speaking of gifts, we need to get something for you, Kyle."

You laugh as your eyes follow the movement of her hips as she walks away. "I think I've definitely gotten my gift."

She turns and smirks. "Oh have you now? I see. Well, I should still ponder on this regardless of what you say."

"... Hey, Kyle?" comes the exhausted voice of the girl in your arms. "I think I've decided."

"Hm? On what?" you ask.

"On my identity."

"Oh yeah?"

"When we get back home, I'm going to tell everybody the truth. I don't want to be Xue anymore. These past few days have taught me how much fun it truly is to be myself. I had forgotten after all this time. I want to stand by your side as Xiaoqing. But how do you think the others will react?"

You smile. "Xiaoqing. I intimately know everybody at Castle Phoenix, and I promise you that the reaction will be very positive."

Before I leave, I just need to remember to grab Catherine's number, or so to speak. I might as well distribute these phone-slabs to as many key individuals as I can. It is a funny idea, being able to ring up the queen whenever I want. I have a feeling she'll be very happy to have that. If I run into Rose again, I need to remember to give her one too. William though? Hmm. Maybe not. I'll have to think on that one.