The sound of the door shook him from his dreams, and into the sight of Mericlou, who stood at the washroom's entrance. She glanced to the right and left, her slightly unsure expression turning satisfied as she rounded the bathing pool and descended the staircase into the water. The rose petals that clung to her magnificent body floated away upon the water like miniature toy boats, thickening the lavender-colored blanket.
"I'm surprised that you're awake so early," he said, watching as his wife laid herself fully into the water and rose back upright. Her green ringlets were now limp strands that clung wetly to her neck and shoulders. "I thought you slept late on days when you didn't have to work?"
"I was cold," she said, making face that was both sweet and pathetic. "Why did you leave me, love?"
"I'm sorry." Aldrec pushed away from the side of the tub and took her by the hands to help her into the tub, where they shared a kiss. "I just didn't want to disturb you. But I'm glad to see that the disk and sequencer I left for you both worked well."
"I'd been wondering how the runes of this house worked," Mericlou said. "And I'm glad that you threw in a map."
"It's our house now, Tulyr," Aldrec reminded her, gently touching her fingertips with his. "I just hope I didn't miss anything." He guided her towards him once again and kissed her twice as deeply as before. Mericlou returned as much as he gave.
"About last night," he said afterwards. "I must admit that I thought that you'd be too nervous …"
"I was, a little," Mericlou admitted in turn, briefly turning her blushing face away, "but I wanted it. I wanted to be with you, and … to be one with you."
"I'm glad," Aldrec said, and then led her to the edge of the pool. He took a bottle of bathing soap from its alcove and poured some of its fragrant contents into a wet hand towel that had been sitting half in, half out of the water. He then proceeded to rub it onto Mericlou's back, moving in slow, languorous circular motions.
"I noticed something strange when I woke up, though," she said.
"If it's about your sequencer, I know it's not yours," Aldrec said. "I bought that one in Nibra a month ago. I'd been meaning to give it to you, but I kept forgetting-"