Lanthra smiled at the words she knew to be shallow courtesy. Forced distance that was needed between a queen and her subject in an open space with subjects looking upon them both. When Kali rose, she could feel her stomach churn at the sight of her battered skin and maimed ear, a sight that made her more than just qeeusy. Questions arose within her, one more tumultuous than the other, but she knew her friend to be a weary traveller and she had just the thing to ease the mocha skinned beauties body and soul.<br/><br/>With a graceful smile she lifted up her hands and ever so gently stroked the sides of Kali's face before answering her questions.<br/><br/><span style="color: DarkOrange"><b>''Kali, Lady Kalinia... I will let my servants take very good care of you, they will bathe and clothe you in the finest silks my castle harbours before you can join me for supper in my chambers. I'm sorry I cannot be with you right at this moment, as my duties will call for my attention elsewhere. Though I can assure that you will have my undivided attention tonight by nightfall. I cannot wait to hear all about your travels, and the loss of your ear..''</b></span><br/><br/>One of her hands gently moved over towards her ear to stroke a strand of her roughly cut hair behind it, exposing the raw battered flesh even more.<br/><span style="color: DarkOrange"><b><br/>
''.. would seem to be the most interesting of all I think.''</b></span><br/><br/>Lanthra stepped back to let one of her servants go before her and guide Kali out of the room. The last thing the dark-skinned woman could see was a whole regime of serving staff coming from a hallway to the right that quickly put on some white with golden threaded sleeves upon her hands and switched her crown for a much heavier and grander one than before. Her fighting clothes were quickly to be adorned with some more formal  wrappings, and finally the queen would walk herself out of the other end of the room. Though the golden-haired woman could not help but cast a look behind her to see her friend leave for the bathing halls, a look that was filled with worry and deep affection.<br/><br/>In the meanwhile a rather plump and friendly-faced young woman was chatting away to the elf besides her. It would almost feel like an eternity to Kali when they would finally  reach the bathing area. Once there Kali would see a dozen girls, elven and human alike, in jewelled thread-clothes that hardly covered anything of their skin standing around enormous basins filled with perfumed waters that had rose-petals floating upon the surface. The women were obviously specially appointed to wash any or all of the visitors of the queen (and the Queen herself) when they were lucky enough to have the rights to be here. Immediately the ladies would bow before Kali and start undressing her from her tattered robes and casting them aside in a heap on the floor. As they guided the woman into the pleasing warm waters, they would scrub and oil her skin until it finally shone its former beauty once more.<br/><br/>When Kali would be sufficiently clean, they would offer her any other services if needed, or would leave her to herself to wash and peddle away in the luxurious waters of the bathhouse. When time would come for her to be dressed, the young plump human that brought her there would return once more, carrying a bundle of expensive looking silk in her arms.<br/><br/>It was a Beautifully made<a class="externalLink" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x1VVbnDP0Rs/TluLfHRvDHI/AAAAAAAABRo/Fraq4UsWxPI/s1600/marchesa_evening_kaftans.jpg" target="_blank"> Kaftan</a>silk dress that bordered on being see-through. Kali had the choice between a light-blue and a rosey pink one, adorned with golden thread or silver. The woman carrying it just kindly smiled and said;<br/><span style="color: DarkSlateGray"><br/>
''Her Majesty requested you to wear any of these garments during dinner, in the meantime she had ordered her tailor to remake your original clothes. She told me to assure you they will be ready once you desire to depart the city again. I hope these will be of comfort for tonight, my lady.''</span><br/><br/>When Kali would leave the baths, she would if she did not stop them, be dried off by the young women with the fluffiest towels one could ever imagine being touched with. The dress she would choose would be wrapped around her body according to the fashion in the city, and she would be perfumed and buttered all over her skin with the scent she would pick from the chests offered to her. Once completely refreshed and finished, the plump human would once more lead Kali through the castle, only to leave her alone in front of an enormous white oaken door.<br/><span style="color: DarkSlateGray"><br/>
''These are the Queen's quarters, she requested your audience alone, as you asked for.''</span><br/><br/>The woman bowed and suddenly scurried away, leaving Kali alone for the first time since she had since Lanthra again.<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>