Renamon knelt in the shadowed bedroom, watching Lady Rika sleep. Thankfully, the kitsune only needed to sleep an hour or so herself, leaving her awake to guard her Lady through the night. The young noblewoman seemed to be one thing during the day, so strong, capable and confident, but at night she returned to being the young woman that she really was. "Mph," Rika's hands grabbed at the cloth blanket over her, a frown on her sleeping face. "No," she murmured softly to whatever dream haunted her, "don't leave me alone..." Watching the girl twisting and turning in her sleep, Renamon sat down at the side of the bed, reaching out and gently stroking the side of Rika's face. It seemed to comfort the teen for a moment, but once Renamon removed her hand Rika's sleep became restless once again. 'She needs her sleep,' Renamon looked down at Rika worriedly, 'each day she works herself to exhaustion.' Not letting herself think about what she was about to do, Renamon lay down on top of the covers beside Rika, gently circling her with her arms. Rika curled into Renamon, snuggling closely, and her sleep soon quieted. The girl's breathing became steady once again, and her face relaxed into childlike pleasure as she fell into a deeper sleep. Wide awake Renamon watched her, wondering about this woman who was quickly becoming the focus of her very life. Renamon gazed down at her until the sun began to rise, only slipping free of Rika's grip once the first rays of sunlight began to fill the room. She padded out of the room quietly, softly asking one of the maids to prepare a breakfast for the lady. "Yes, ma'am," the pretty young woman squeaked respectfully. "I have no title," Renamon paused to say to her gently, "I am but a commoner like you." The girl looked up at her wide eyed, "You may have no title, but you are certainly not common!" With that, she was gone. Renamon smiled ruefully, 'I suppose she has a point.' Rika stumbled out of her bedroom only a few moments later, a tuffs of her red hair sticking up messily. "G'd morning," she mumbled softly. She splashed her face with cold water from a basin, gasping softly at the chill. "Good morning," Renamon had to smile. She wondered if anyone else got to see Rika like this, with her guard so clearly down. Rika sat down at her dressing table, brushing the unruly tuffs of hair down, softly cursing when she occasionally hit a snag. "I'm going out into the city today," she said to Renamon, "will that be a problem?" 'And she can swear just like a sailor,' Renamon noted that ability with some amusement. "When you go out would you like me to follow you as I am," Renamon asked her, "or should I try to blend in with the crowd?" Rika looked up at her oddly and asked Renamon, "How does a six foot tall fox-woman blend in with a crowd?" "Very easily," Renamon smiled. She called on her transformation ability, light shimmering around her as she shrank, becoming one of the maids. In a perfect imitation of the serving girl's voice she asked, "How may I serve you?" Rika clapped involuntarily, "Incredible!" There was something slightly off, though, and Rika finally pointed, "What's that?" "My tail," Renamon shrugged, the long, bushy tail swishing against her legs, "it's the only part of me that I can't seem to change." "Hmm," Rika nodded thoughtfully, then she asked Renamon, "Is there a human form that you prefer to take?" "What do you mean?" Renamon blinked, looking confused. "A human form that you consider your own," Rika said, but Renamon still looked at her uncomprehending. "When I close my eyes and hear you speak," Rika said quietly, "I see a tall young woman, with short hair the color of your fur, athletic, and a little smile." Renamon let the maid's form disolve, quickly returning to her kitsune form. "I'll have to think about it," she smiled down at Rika gently. Later that morning they went to hold court, and Rika felt a bit of amusement at the continued nervousness of all the nobles around Renamon. There were only a few petitions, easily handled, and the nobles were careful to be truly respectful in their choice of words. 'They certainly know what will happen to them if they are not,' Rika thought to herself happily. A noble had been quite disrespectful to her a few days ago, and Renamon had moved like a shot. She had picked the man up by the throat, and even though Rika quickly called Renamon off, she felt such a burst of satisfaction from it! 'I don't think I have ever had someone stand up for me that way,' Rika thought as they walked out of the castle. Renamon had become a comforting shadow to her over the weeks since she had arrived, but still remained such a mystery to her. She hadn't even known about Renamon's ability to change her form until today! Rika blushed softly, thinking of what she had said to Renamon, about the way she saw her. 'I can't believe I told her that,' she thought, 'I all but called her handsome.' The streets were crowded as they walked together, Renamon staying close but giving her a bit of room. "I will return," Renamon murmured, and was gone. Rika blinked, looking around wildly. 'Where did she...' she wondered, when a gentle hand rested on her shoulder. The woman was dressed in a simple brown tunic and a long skirt, her orange-gold hair falling just slightly into her eyes. Eyes that were so very familiar to Rika. A little smile quirked her lips as Renamon asked, "How do I look?" "Just... as I had imagined," Rika managed to get out. "Good," and Renamon's smile grew a bit broader. Renamon gestured Rika forward as she murmured softly, "Ladies first." With a little nod Rika said, "Thank you." Outwardly Rika maintained her cool, but inside she felt her heart skip a beat. 'She's better looking than I imagined,' Rika admitted to herself ruefully, 'this may not have been such a good idea.' Despite the different appearance, Renamon still moved like her old self. She guarded Rika, not just with her stance but even with the intensity of her glare. She always stood protectively at Rika's side, and a question began to rise in Rika's mind. 'Is she protecting me as a bodyguard,' Rika wondered, 'or as a friend?' "Have you eaten since breakfast?" Renamon asked softly. Rika turned to answer, expecting to see the fox face and felt mildly shaken by the handsome human form beside her. "No, I haven't," she said quietly. "Then let's get some lunch," Renaom took Rika's elbow and gently guided her over to a noodle stand nearby. She ordered two bowls, pausing a moment to sniff at each bowl and examine the chop sticks. "They're fine," Renamon murmured softly, setting the bowl in front of Rika. 'Checking them for poison,' Rika realized. She settled down in her seat, looked up and nearly laughed aloud. Renamon was slurping her noodles, clearly enjoying the food. She saw the look Rika was giving her and chuckled, "I've seen you eat them the same way, Rika." Rika felt warm, and realized this was the first time that Renamon had called her by her first name...
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