Mark got up slowly from on top of Aria and sat on the edge of the bed. His breathing was still a little unsteady and his legs trembled slightly, but aside from that he felt surprisingly good.

Too good, in fact.

"Damn..." Mark murmured, running a hand over his face while letting out a laugh. "That healing spell really does work miracles."

Because it wasn’t just that the cold had disappeared.

Now his body also felt light, with an energy he hadn’t had since before the trip.

’Maybe I should get a specialized healer...’ Mark thought, looking at his own hands.

Mark stayed sitting for a moment longer, letting his breathing normalize, and then felt someone lean gently against his back.

The weight was slow and deliberate, first the chest, then the shoulders, and finally a head that rested in the space between his neck and his shoulder.

Mark glanced at the strand of hair falling over his shoulder and saw it was white.

"Ely," Mark said without turning around.

"Mmm," she responded with a lazy sound.

"Still wanting more?"

Ely let out a soft laugh against his shoulder.

"If I’m being honest..." she said in a low, playful tone. "Yes."

Mark shook his head as a smile spread across his face.

"But," Ely continued, settling a little more against him, "I remembered that you wanted to tell us something before... well, before all of this."

Mark went blank for a moment hearing that, because with everything that had happened the news about the inquisitors had completely slipped his mind.

"Right... I wanted to talk to everyone in the throne room about something that happened," Mark said, turning his head slightly toward Ely. "When I went out walking with Rose around the dungeon, we ran into a group of inquisitors."

Ely, who until that moment had been relaxed against his back, tensed slightly.

"Inquisitors? What were those people doing out here?"

"Yes, it turned out they were following us... or well, more accurately they were looking for Alice," Mark said, his head leaning close to Ely’s.

"Looking for Alice?"

"Yes — apparently they detected her magical signature and Rose’s from when the two of them fought in the forest."

"...Master, isn’t that something pretty serious?"

"Hmm, let’s hope that’s not the case."

Hearing him, Ely scrunched up her face in an expression Mark knew well, the same one she made when something didn’t sit right with her and she knew exactly how to express it.

But then Mark felt Ely relax against his back again.

"Are you sure it doesn’t worry you, Master?" Ely asked quietly.

Mark let out a short laugh.

"Honestly, not much," he said. "Rose did a good job tricking them without raising any suspicion, so for now there’s nothing to worry about."

"Hmm..."

"Really, Ely, don’t overthink it."

Hearing that, Ely closed her eyes and leaned her full weight against Mark’s back with a soft smile.

"As you command... Master," she said, wrapping her arms around his torso and hugging him from behind.

Mark sat at the edge of the bed, listening to Ely’s quiet breathing against his ear and feeling her fingers tracing absent-minded lines across his chest.

The feeling was pleasant, and Mark decided he could allow himself one more moment like this before returning to reality.

But then his brain decided to remind him of something important.

’Right... Rose, Alice, and Yuki must be waiting for us in the throne room,’ Mark thought, his eyes snapping open.

How long had it been since then?

Mark had no idea, but probably long enough for the others to already be sitting out there waiting.

’Damn.’

Mark tried to pull free of the embrace, but didn’t get very far, Ely’s hands, which had been tracing innocent lines on his chest, suddenly closed around his torso with a force that was anything but innocent.

"Where are you going, Master?" Ely said in a tone that sounded sweet but came with a grip that didn’t match that sweetness at all.

"Ely... the others are waiting for us for the meeting," Mark said, trying to free himself.

"I’m sure they can wait just a little longer..."

"Ely."

"Just a little."

"Ely, we need to go."

Then Ely’s hands slid slowly across his bare chest, moving down his stomach in a deliberate motion.

"Are you sure we have to go, Master?" Ely whispered against his ear. "Wouldn’t you rather stay here with us and keep having fun?"

Mark swallowed.

Then he took one of Ely’s hands, raised it to his lips, and kissed the back of it softly.

"You know I’d love to, but..." Mark said in a soft but firm tone. "The others are waiting and what we need to discuss is important."

Ely didn’t respond, and Mark kissed her hand once more.

"Please get ready and help Aria do the same," he said, releasing her hand carefully. "I need everyone in the throne room as soon as possible."

Then Ely let out a low grunt.

"...Alright," she said finally, slowly withdrawing her arms from around Mark in a way that made it very clear she was doing so reluctantly. "But for the record, you owe me this, Master."

"Noted."

"And you’re going to pay me back."

"Also noted."

"With interest."

"Ely."

"I’m going, I’m going..."

Ely pulled away from his back and Mark got to his feet immediately, before she could change her mind.

Then Mark began getting dressed as quickly as he could, putting on the clean clothes that were draped over one of the chairs in the bedroom, and when he finished fastening his robe, he glanced briefly toward the bed.

Ely was already sitting up, running her hands through her hair while looking at Aria, who was still face-down in the pillow showing no signs of wanting to move, and then at Cali, who was still unconscious, breathing softly.

When Mark finally finished getting dressed he headed toward the door and put his hand on the doorknob.

’I hope the others haven’t arrived yet...’