Chapter I|II|III|IV|V|VI|VII|VIII|IX|X|XI|XII|XIII|XIV|XV|Setting
Shorts: I|II|III
In a possible future, in a world not unlike our own, one single kingdom rose as the dominant and only power. It was an ethereal realm with castles made of gemstone and technology so great it was indiscernible from magic. A land where humanity had advanced so far that to live in comfort and excess was the standard, and a life of hard labor and servitude was a rarity. It was known as the kingdom of Celene.
To be a worker or servant in this kingdom was a special privilege. They were the 1% who slaved their lives away so others may prosper. Alas, to be a worker was not a simple choice but a burden granted at birth. As in our time, where to be noble meant to be part of a family lineage, in this kingdom, a worker was a sort of birthright. Grand worker families spread their branches across the domain. To be born in one meant a life of hard work and labor, no matter your personal opinion.
However, their best and brightest were chosen for the highest of honors. To be personal servants for the eternal royal family that ruled this ethereal kingdom. Among those best and brightest exists one family. For generations, that family has held the grandest honor of being the only ones allowed to attend the Queen and her daughters. However, such an exclusive honor can create odd results in exceptional circumstances. Such abnormal results greatly influenced the life of the young woman Serena Diane. Suddenly thrust from her life as an average girl into one as the personal maid to the kingdom’s youngest princess. Such a life should be one of poise, elegance, and formality. Alas, Serena is not so lucky, as the Queen, princesses, and high nobles are anything but…
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Tickled (Pink)
Orion strained to keep a straight face, he was attending Princess Atlanta, and it was his duty to remain professional. However, he never before had such an urge to burst out laughing. But no matter what, he couldn’t, the princess was in the middle of explaining something very serious, and it’d cost him more than his job if he were to lose it.
“…And I wish they’d take me more seriously already. I’m not a child anymore,” Atlanta continued. Honestly, Orion had missed about half the conversation, focusing all his efforts on suppressing his own laughter. “Yet, they insist on treating me the same as Irene. I’m nothing like the little brat. She’s the child, and I’m the lady on the verge of adulthood…”
“Mhmm,” Orion tried to make a vague sound of agreement, but it was drowned under his struggle to keep professional.
“…I mean seriously. It’s all those nasty rumors, isn’t it? The ones Adonis spread,” the princess remained ignorant of Orion’s struggle. “I bet they’re starting to believe them now, or at least they think everyone else believes them and feel like they have to pretend to.”
“Urm,” the butler bit his tongue. He could feel a laugh bubbling up inside him.
“… I’m way more observant than they give me credit for. So what, my tongue slips into casual dialogue all the time? They haven’t tried to be formal in years,” Atlanta fumed, not even looking in Orion’s direction, until… “What do you think?”
“Mmmm,” Orion paled. The princess’s eyes were right on him now, and she expected him to reply honestly. It would take every ounce of his self-control to pull this off. “Bwahahahahaha!” Alas, even that was not enough.
“What’s so funny?” Atlanta growled at the worker, who had fallen to the floor in his laughter.
“I can’t…I can’t…” Orion said breathlessly.
“You think this is funny?” The princess yelled at him. “How dare you laugh; I’m trying to be genuine here, and you-”
“I…I… can’t…” Orion began to run out of air from laughing so hard.
“You…Are you okay?” Atlanta noted Orion’s panicked expression did not match his actions. Then she spotted a bulge in his uniform, a moving bulge that zipped up and down and all around. “Please, don’t be gross,” Atlanta bent down and ripped open Orion’s shirt. Inside was Orion’s chest, and a tiny mouse holding a feather sat upon it.
“Squeak,” the mouse exclaimed while blowing its tongue at Atlanta before darting away and out the door.
“You little,” Atlanta reached for the creature but only managed to trip over Orion and land atop the poor young man. “This is embarrassing,” the princess muttered as she tried to push herself up by her arms.
“Princess, I heard yelling. Are you-?” Aphros opened the door to the room and immediately locked eyes with Atlanta. Who was in a compromising position, to say the least. What with her on the floor, looming over a flustered Orion, with his shirt torn open. “I’ll leave you two alone,” the noble croaked as she shut the door.
“Orion,” Atlanta looked down at her butler, who looked even more flustered than before. “If you say one word about this to anyone, I’ll never speak to you again.”
“Yes, princess,” Orion squeaked. The rest of the day was thankfully much less eventful, aside from Aphros’s constant knowing glances towards both youths. Atlanta never did figure out where that mouse came from, but she had her suspicions.
<<<~--~>>>
A Shock of Inspiration
Aré stared at the blank canvas, paintbrush in hand, waiting for art to happen. Her masterpiece was already there on the canvas, and all she had to do was paint it. It would be easy, no, effortless for a woman like her.
“Any second now,” the noble said to herself. Yet, no artwork spontaneously formed. The blank space stared back at the redhead and taunted her with its incompleteness.
“I just need some inspiration, that’s all,” Aré assured herself and walked towards the nearest window. Beyond it laid a glorious view of the city of New Celene. The city of crystal shined like the jewel it was. The air filled with hovercrafts and other flying vehicles in a vast network of traffic that made sense to someone. “No, this isn’t it,” Aré shook her head and went to a window on the opposite end of the room.
The noblewoman looked at a different view, one of the palace’s interior courtyard. If she bent her head to the right, Aré might have been able to see the gardens. Alas, even the meticulously crafted walkways of greenery and stone pathways did nothing to arouse Aré’s creativity.
“Perhaps, today is not the day,” the redhead sighed and slumped upon the windowsill. “Maybe I should just…” Aré spotted something in the distance. It was a rare sight as the Queen herself strolled through palace grounds out in the open, with seemingly no escort. The sun shined and lit the monarch’s way, literally. While a group of birds sang, an eloquent chorus heralding her approach. Aré briefly wondered where the small blackbird at the front got a conductor’s baton, but she decided not to question it. Strange things often happened around the Queen, and it was best not to think about it too hard, less you get pulled into the madness.
“Perhaps, today is the day,” Aré quickly retrieved her canvas and painted the odd sight. The noble took great pains to recreate every detail of the Queen, from her glistening hair to her fair features. ‘…And those ruby red eyes, and her majestic walk and her dainty frame and…’ Aré became a little lost in thought.
“Oh my, how flattering,” the Queen appeared beside Aré.
“Gah!” The noble jumped.
“No, please, go on,” Celene smiled. The Queen’s eyes were closed, yet Aré could still feel them bore into her.
“When did you? How did you…?” Aré scrambled.
“You know me, I’m just so nosy,” the Queen giggled before prancing out of sight.
“Your majesty, I-!” Aré turned, but Celene was gone, vanished without a trace. “…I hate it when you do that,” the noble sighed. She played with the brush in her hand for a moment before resuming her painting. Afterward, the finished work was hung in Aré’s private collection and viewed only by herself…and the Queen who regularly snuck inside.
<<<~--~>>>
Simply Grateful
Orion and Serena were sprawled out in the former’s room. Orion had crashed on his bed while Serena slumped on his chair. It had been a long day of training under Lady Ze, longer than usual, and the two were long beyond their limit. However, despite their exhaustion, neither worker could slip into sleep.
“Orion, my everything aches. How about you?” Serena moaned.
“Same,” the blonde mustered up a reply.
“I want to go to sleep, but I don’t think I have the energy to stand up. Let alone walk to my room,” the raven-haired girl admitted.
“I’ve got a spare futon mat under the bed,” Orion replied. “It’s not much, but it’s better than the chair.”
“Thank you,” Serena gratefully accepted. The thankfulness in her voice was sadly drowned out under her fatigue, but it was still there. The maid forced herself to her feet, reached her hand under the bed, grabbed the mat, and pulled it out. Serena didn’t quite remember the whole process, just that the futon felt like velvet compared to her previous arrangement.
“So, it’s good?” Orion asked. His eyes were not even open anymore.
“It’s the best. You’re a lifesaver,” Serena smiled. As their short conversation ended, a soft silence enveloped the room, and the two finally fell asleep.
May This
Fantasy Continue A Little Longer…
Tickled (Pink) was my favorite to write of this batch, even if it was a bit cliché. This has been a fun little experiment, and I've gotten to play around with the characters more so I feel comfortable moving forward with the story. Next time we'll (hopefully) be onto the next main chapter.
Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy.
