Aromatic Love

Chapter 3 - Burning Envy

"She's sleeping with HIM!?" Etie exclaimed with anger once they had escaped earshot of the army's encampment.

"Yes, Etie, and I for one am quite happy for them. They've loved each other for a long time now, it's about time they admitted that their relationship is more than just princess and retainer," Chloé said with a sigh, placing the Emblem ring on her finger for safekeeping.

"Yeah, well, I liked her too," Etie said with a pout, "He's just lucky he's close enough to her to make his move first."

"I think there's a bit more to it than that..." Chloé said, giving Etie a glance that was a strange mix of disappointment and sympathy.

"Like what? Chemistry? That can't possibly be it," Etie said, angrily pacing in a circle, "Gods, this is gonna bother me all damn night."

Chloé couldn't help but chuckle at how ridiculous Etie sounded right now. She was like a kid whose favorite toy just got taken away with no promise of ever getting it back. Of course, Etie was her friend so she should do something to help her. Especially since this attitude might boil over and cause her to do something reckless and maybe even ruin Céline's special night. Fortunately, Etie was easily distracted.

"It looks to me like you just need to take your mind off of things tonight," Chloé said suggestively, "Why don't you meet me at my tent tonight?"

"What does she even see..." Etie mumbled, "Wait, what did you say?"

"You should spend the night with me tonight," Chloé said with a smile.

"Y-you're not joking, are you?" Etie said, a shade of pink slowly appearing on her face.

"Of course not. I wouldn't do that to such a good friend," Chloé said, "It's a date then?"

"Yeah, I uh- I guess so," Etie said, completely caught off guard.

Chloé smiled one last time and then turned to leave, relieved that things had gone so smoothly. Etie could be a piece of work at times, but she was usually predictable enough to deal with. Chloé admittedly wasn't all too fond of Céline and Louis' little affair, but Etie would've taken things too far had she not intervened. This would be good for both of them. She looked forward to blowing off some steam with Etie, so she didn't have to think about what she was missing out on. In fact, she had an idea that might make things even more exhilarating.

When Chloé arrived back in her tent, she took a seat on the edge of the makeshift cot she was using for a bed and glanced down at the Emblem Ring on her finger. How did this work? Could she just manifest Celica with her thoughts? No, there was an incantation or something that went along with it. Maybe she should've asked Céline about it before she left. It was something like...

"Care for us, Emblem of Echoes!" Chloé suddenly said, the words falling from her mouth naturally.

In a flash, the redheaded princess of Valentia appeared bathed in a crimson glow. Chloé couldn't help but bask in her regal, graceful beauty for a moment. Celica looked around the room before her compassionate eyes came to rest on Chloé.

"I take it Céline is occupied at the moment," Celica said, the absence of her usual wielder not seeming to bother her at all.

"Yes, and she will be for some time," Chloé replied, "Something happened between her and Louis."

"Oh no," Celica looked taken aback, "Did they have an argument?"

"Oh no," Chloé giggled, "Quite the opposite really. They're just hoping for some quality time together."

"I see. So, I've been entrusted to you for the time being then?" Celica asked.

"Indeed, and I was hoping we could... get to know each other a little better," Chloé suggested, her voice deepening to a sultrier tone.

"Oh my, did the princess' affair make you a little jealous?" Celica teased.

Chloé rolled her eyes.

"Not me. But someone is."

"Is it Etie?"

"It's Etie."

The two of them shared a moment of unsurprised silence. Then Chloé sighed and leaned back on her mattress sinking into what little cushion the traveling bed provided for her. She gazed up at the ceiling of her tent with a look of covetous dismay.

"I've invited her here tonight. She's so fixated on her longing for the princess that I'm worried she might do something reckless that'll just ruin things for everyone."

"But there's something more to it, isn't there?" Celica asked, giving Chloé an empathetic gaze that made the blue-haired retainer feel at ease.

"I wish she'd let Louis and Céline be, and not just for tonight. She's been chasing this unrequited love for so long that it's blinded her to any other possibility."

Celica didn't need to hear the rest to understand what was going on. She took a seat at the foot of the bed and gave Chloé a knowing smile. Chloé's heart fluttered a bit. Celica's empathy made her feel so comfortable. So relaxed.

"I know what you mean."
"I don't know if tonight will change anything, but I'm nervous. If you could be there with me... I'd just feel so much better. You don't have to, I don't even know if you swing that way, I've only heard rumors really-"

"It would be my pleasure to help you, Chloé."

Chloé looked at the Valentian princess in shock as her rambling was abruptly cut off. Celica smiled gently again before crawling across the mattress towards where Chloé lay. The retainer felt her blood rushing to her face as Celica's face drew close to hers. Caught off guard, Chloé's breathing grew heavy and she couldn't find any words to say. Then Celica leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Everything is going to be okay."

Chloé's eyes were wide at the sudden move and her heart began pounding in her chest. Celica disappeared after that, returning to the ring in a flash of crimson. Chloé felt her heart rate slow back to normal as Celica's final words echoed in her head. Her anxieties began to dissipate as the resounding phrase soothed her worried state. Thank the gods. Someone would be there for her. She had someone to stand beside her. Someone truly wonderful.