For a few moments, Fanilly's mouth quietly opened and closed and she remained in embarrassed silence. Of course, it was hardly her business what her knights did in private(provided they didn't do anything criminal at least), but to hear such things... She managed only a little bit of mumbling before falling silent, cheeks burning with her embarrassment as she slowly directed her eyes to the floor.

"... G-goodbye, Sir Gillian, and... and..." she hesitated again. Just what was Nero's title now...? She settled on the one that, to her, at least made the most sense. "D-Dame Nero..."

She snapped herself out of it after both knights... well, one was currently a maid, had left. So... embarrassing... But now there was another matter in Fanilly's mind. There was time before breakfast for something she certainly did not want to neglect.

The Knight-Captain of the Iron Roses proceeded downstairs, further. The destination she had in mind was on the ground floor... it was a cool, gentle place. A place of peace.

Her embarrassment faded, and her nerves soothed. The Shrine of Mayon, and its neighboring Shrine of Reon, were an important part of Candaeln. After all, the Iron Rose Knights had once been a holy order, and that blood still flowed in their veins. As she strode into the room, the familiar sight of the flowing water around beds of roses, the windows letting in the morning light(or nighttime moonlight, depending on when one visited the Shrine)... it was a peaceful place.

Of course, this time, she was not alone here.

"Ah, Sir Tyaethe," she said, pausing for a moment. Tyaethe, after all, seemed to dislike being referred to with the newer 'Dame', in spite of being female. "Please excuse me."

Taking a deep breath, Fanilly picked one of the roses. From childhood, the blonde girl had been raised to pray at least once a day, to either goddess, and so, gently placing the rose between her palms and clasping her hands together as she knelt before the central pool of water, shutting her eyes. Above it was a small statue of Mayon herself, clad in flowing robes, arms spread wide and a smile on her face.

"Oh Mayon, Lady of the Moon," she began, "Please, continue to lend us your hand. Your generosity has guided us, allowed us to protect those in need. Your kindness has saved us, kept us from death. Your gentle, cool hand has brought us victory, and protected my knights from suffering. Please continue to lend us your guidance."

It was a basic prayer, asking for continued assistance. But this was because there were some words Fanilly was hesitant to speak aloud. Fanilly's doubts preyed upon her mind. And so, she asked for the kindness of Mayon to sooth them. She would likely visit Reon's Shrine, later, in order to ask for guidance in leading and battle... Fanilly could not help it. She feared the words of others were true, that she was not fit to lead... but she had to try. She had to try and prove herself. And so she asked the Goddesses for guidance, an unspoken prayer each day she visited the Shrine.

Fanilly opened her eyes, and rose to her feet, and gently cast the rose into the cool water. It was a sacrifice to Mayon, an offering to the moon goddess, of her favorite flower. A lily would later be burned, when Fanilly prayed to Reon.

[hr]

Nero's entry into the kitchen would be greeted with, well... the kitchen staff was busy with preparation of breakfast. There was bacon, sizzling on a skillet to bring it to perfect crispy-chewiness, eggs being poached, and various foods being prepared. Indeed, it seemed that there was a lovely Eggs Chauntressy in the works. A delicious breakfast meal(suitable for brunch as well), Eggs Chauntressy was a dish of a poached egg resting on a Velt Muffin, with a coat of hollandaise sauce, and bacon. Some versions even featured smoked salmon...

Indeed, Candaeln's kitchen was rumored to be second only to the royal kitchen itself in the deliciousness of its dishes. The Kitchen staff was largely too busy to pay much attention to Nero right now, though they did allow her room to make her own dish.

However, the was someone not intended to be there...

Aralee placed her hands on her hips, beaming at the temporary maid. The pigtailed maid practically bounced as she approached her.

"Fufufu~ Now [i]I'm[/i] not the most junior maid!" she declared triumphantly, pointing at Nero. "Which means it's time for 'Aralee Claervand's Hands-On Measurement Technique'! I have to see if that outfit [i]really[/i] fits you properly, after all!"