It did not take long for Théadan to shower and return to the hallway with a new clean robe in place and the mud absent from his body. Baiza had taken the time to instruct a couple attendants to clean up the mudroom and to peek in on Osa to make sure she and Jouri were enjoying their massages. It was important to keep the spa running in top shape and that their patrons were well-tended; Ghatni was known across the country for it. That included ensuring the Mes’Mo’Tania prince who had captured the heart of the Khluri duchess was also tended. She returned the smile Théadan had on his face, then followed his gaze to look down at the healed shoulder he showed her. Nodding her approval, Baiza chuckled that he had been skeptical the mud would work. “I’m sure that was part of her reason for suggesting it,” she commented before gesturing for him to begin down the hall toward the stairs that would take him up to his room.<br/><br/>“You are welcome,” Baiza answered graciously, impressed Théadan thanked her in Khluri while they walked down the hall together, “Our springs have minerals that replenish our skin, so it’s beneficial for minor burns like yours and to help with aging. We are lucky to have it.” Once they reached the stairway that would lead up to the room she had gifted Théadan and the<i>Sitvati </i>for their stay, Baiza came to a stop and smiled up at Théadan. “I shall leave you to go find the<i>Sitvati</i>. If you would like, I can send a meal to your room for you both. I will be dining with Osa tonight, but I would like to invite you and the<i>Sitvati</i>to have dinner with me tomorrow night, if you plan on staying then as well.”<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>It had been luck and vague memories that had Navia finding the kitchens. Once there, she’d asked what meals were being prepared, then if she could bring the food up to the room she and Théadan had been given. The kitchen was busy, people bustling over fires and cutting fruits and vegetables, but they were friendly and quick to assist her. While they had taken the time to gather up a meal for her and Théadan, Navia had wandered the prep tables, sneaking a couple pieces of fruit before asking for a bowl. They’d given her two with lids and she’d smiled to herself while taking her pick of what she wanted. Once she was satisfied, one of the young cooks had offered to help her bring the meal up to her room, so they’d set off together. She’d tried to make conversation with the woman who must have been around her age, but it was clear to Navia the woman knew who she was and was intimidated.<br/><br/>Nevertheless, she was grateful for the assistance and the fact the woman had thought to bring a key to all the rooms with her. “To bring our patrons their meals,” she had explained quietly, then helped Navia place the plates with baskets over them to hold in the heat and keep the insects away on the table out on the balcony. They had agreed to eat out there, after all. After insisting on paying the woman for helping her and thanking her before she left, Navia had set about preparing for the rest of the evening. Their bags had been brought up from the stables and set in the chairs in the sitting area, so Navia had gone to them first. She’d dug around in one of her bags until she found the burlap package she’d been carrying in it since they left Terlingua.<br/><br/>Satin and exquisite, lacing up the front, it had small ruffles that lined both and top the bottom, giving it a delicate feminine feature without being ostentatious. The black was stark against her tawny flesh and Navia took the time to admire the way it looked while she pulled the corset on. She had bought it before she’d come to terms with what her body had been trying to tell her for over a month though, and she still wanted to wear it for Théadan, so she took care to only loosely pull the lacing together around her hips and waist. She knew it was not how the garment enhanced her narrow waist that caught Théadan’s eye, after all. She made sure it hugged her breasts correctly, though it did not take much cinching with how her breasts had grown in the last month. Satisfied it was tied well to enhance her form in all the right places, Navia pulled on the black tiny excuse for underwear, then added her robe on top of the outfit. After a quick glance in the bathroom mirror to make sure the corset was hidden and he would not know she wore it, Navia returned to the balcony.<br/><br/>Evening was upon the jungle, the sounds shifting and the sky darkening. Two large torches framed the doorway, so Navia used the striker hanging from one to light them and tied the gauzy curtains back to keep them from blowing into the firelight. The comfy white chaise that would be large enough to sit them both side by side called to her then, and Navia stretched out on it with a satisfied sigh, content to wait on her lover to return while she lounged. She kept one of the two fruit bowls covered up, but took the other to rest in her lap and munch on the grapes she’d put in it. Knee raised up and bare, the robe pooling atop her other leg and hips but still hiding away what she wore beneath, Navia gazed out at the treetops laid out before her, blissfully content with the secluded balcony and the peace it gave her while she thought of all she had planned for their evening.