As if coming out of a trance she answers, “Yes… That would be for the best I think. Shall we return to my home?”
It’s actually a good twenty more minutes before Hope and Emerald manage to get away. As the pair walks towards the door Hope is accosted by many people wanting to give their goodbyes or otherwise run some business by her. Emerald admits that she does an expert job at extricating herself from the people without seeming rude. She is clearly quite used to this. Even the guards give her a small bow and wish her a good night.
It isn’t until they get a few blocks away that Emerald remembers he left that kitchen knife behind, but it doesn’t matter really. He’s with Hope, and that’s all he’s worrying about for now. He leans into her a little, and Hope giggles.
They arrive at the Hope’s place and after slipping a key into the lock they enter. The place is actually much more modest than what Emerald was expecting. The living area contains only a desk with a burnt down candle. The desk is also topped and surrounded by stacks of paper. The kitchen is fully stocked though.
“My goodness, you look like you’ve been rolling around on the ground… Let’s get you into the bath. It’ll help get that makeup off too!” Hope says, smiling.
Even her bathroom is rather sparsely furnished, with little more than the absolute minimum of a tub, a toilet, and a sink. She screws the faucet on the tub open and reaches behind the tub. She produces a pink box and pours it in, causing the tub to bubble. She then helps Emerald out of his dress.
Emerald happily enters the tub. It’s been quite a while since he’s had a proper bath, and the warm water feels nice after being in the cold night air. Much to his surprise, Hope strips as well and climbs in behind him.
She embraces the colt and says, “It really is good to see you again…