Story Hub: [link]
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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 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…
However, today is not another day of petty politics, poorly hidden schemes, and nutjobs with super strength. Today, the people of New Celene celebrate one of their most beloved holidays. The spirits and specters of the past come out to play and join in the festivities for the Maid in Fantasy: (Extra Spooky) Luna’s Eve Special!
\\~~~\\ I //~~~//
Fall had come again to the kingdom of New Celene, and with it came the time of spooks and specters. At the midpoint between fall and winter, at the end of the month of Október, the kingdom celebrated the holiday of Luna’s Eve. It is a day of remembrance of both the good times and the bad. Evil spirits are scared away by elaborate masks and costumes. At the same time, the souls of deceased family members are welcomed back into the world of the living with gifts.
However, it was once a time of rituals and darkness, which would last until midnight, when it turned into a day of holiness. That part had long since been phased out. The focus had been shifted onto remembrance and letting go of the ills of your past...and the collection of candy through the time-honored tradition of treat-or-tricking. Of course, such a wonderful time can only mean one thing: Serena will have another headache of a day…
\\~~~\\ II //~~~//
“…And that concludes my presentation on my proposed update to Luna’s Eve,” Lady Aré stated. The noble brushed her dark red hair as she stared down her audience in the modestly sized auditorium. “Any questions?”
“Yes,” Serena raised her hand. The raven-haired maid didn’t mind drawing attention to herself because despite the fact there were at least 30 seats in the room, she was the only other person there. “Why are you asking me?”
“Because, maid,” Aré glared, “you’re in my target audience.”
“Okay,” Serena took a deep breath. “Now, I’m not one to complain about the over-commercialization of Luna’s Eve, but why did you mostly focus on candy and costume sales metrics? And why did you shamelessly plug your (13th) debut single?”
“I didn’t ask for your opinion, maid,” Aré steamed, literally. The air around her body began to distort from a magical heat. “I asked if you had any questions.”
‘Those were questions,’ Serena rolled her eyes. “My apologies, Lady Aré. Let me rephrase. Why the focus on the commercial aspects of the holiday?”
“Because you young people seem to think Luna’s Eve is beneath you and… what’s the word? Lame?” Aré muttered. “In any case, Luna’s Eve related sales have suffered in recent years in the younger demographics. Thus, I was tasked with revitalizing them by making a ‘hip and new’ spin on the holiday.”
“Wouldn’t it be wiser to focus on the spirit of the holiday rather than chasing fleeting demographics?” Serena inquired. ‘Oh, glorious Miss Head of Faith?’ She added mentally.
“Oh, you think you can do my job, huh?” Aré growled.
“I would never propose such a thing, Lady Aré,” Serena apologized in a monotone.
“Lord, you’re almost as bad as the others,” the noble grunted. “I guess I’ll have to try that Medy girl next.”
‘Dear Lord, how many of the servants has she subjected this to?’ Serena wondered.
“Whatever just get out of here and go do your job,” Aré shooed Serena away.
“As you wish,” Serena bowed and left. ‘Thank the Lord.’
\\~~~\\ III //~~~//
Serena briskly walked through the halls, happy to be finally free of Aré’s presentation. She could tell the noble was very invested in the whole thing, perhaps a little too much, but the teen couldn’t find the will to care. Besides, she had to pick up Irene from a mathematics lesson in twenty minutes. Despite her frequent complaints about her job, Serena preferred the company of the wild princess to the short-tempered noble.
As she continued through the palace, Serena could feel the air of festivity sweeping through the building. Luna’s Eve was a fairly popular holiday back in her former home in the suburbs, but like always, the palace was in a different world. The raven-haired girl couldn’t spot a single surface, table, or doorway that wasn’t decorated or in the process of decoration. Banners depicting gibbous moons, dogs, pumpkins, and turnips were draped across the walls for what seemed like miles. Pumpkin and turnip-shaped lanterns occupied every table, alongside an equal number of dog figurines, while moon-shaped bobbles were hung from each light fixture.
That was only the start of the decoration, Serena realized, as servants were bringing in more by the crate load as she walked by. The maid observed the sight and shrugged, assuming the Queen was just a massive fan of the holiday. She now had about fifteen minutes to reach Irene before the math lesson was over and the princess would feel justified in running off in whatever random direction caught her fancy that moment. Luckily, the maid was only five minutes from the room and would make it with time to spare.
“Hi, Serena,” Lady Aphros burst out from a nearby room.
‘Dammit,’ Serena cursed her luck. “Good afternoon, Lady Aphros. Why do you grace me with your presence now?” The teen said with all the warmth and sincerity of a dying trout.
“Just checking in on the royal family’s most favorite time of year,” Aphros beamed. She was garbed in a loose-fitting white dress, which was more akin to a large bed sheet than clothing, while her hair had grown out and flowed free. The ensemble was accessorized with seashells in the noble’s hair and clipped at key points in the garment to make it a little more manageable. For some reason, Serena had the disturbing impression that Aphros was not wearing any underwear.
“Uh, Lady Aphros, is that appropriate attire for going around the palace?” The maid inquired.
“Oh, this is just my costume, silly,” Aphros giggled. “It’s a time of celebration. We’re allowed to play fast and loose with the boundaries of acceptable attire.” The noble did a twirl, and the way the dress bent around the older woman only strengthened Serena’s belief that the blonde was going commando.
“Dare I ask?” Serena gulped.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Aphros spread out her arms, allowing the dress to slide dangerously far down her shoulder. “I’m going as the Birth of Venus (edited for modesty).”
Serena tried not to vocalize her horror at being proven right.
“It was going to be more accurate, but everyone started giving me these nasty looks,” Aphros recounted. “Also, something about public indecency, so I had to,” the noble sighed and made air quotes, “tone it down.”
‘I do not have time for this,’ Serena thought as she checked her watch and realized she had about two minutes to pick up Irene before all hell broke loose.
“But forget all that. I wanted to know what your costume was going to be,” Aphros stared at the maid with stars in her eyes.
“Well, I haven’t dressed up for Luna’s Eve in years,” Serena admitted. “I felt like I outgrew it, you know?”
“No, no, no,” Aphros looked at the younger woman like she had kicked a baby seal. “You’re never too old to dress up for Luna’s Eve. It’s a time to be unburdened by the past. Besides,” the noble pulled out a sizeable legal document from seemingly nowhere, “you’re contractually obligated, under the Queen, to dress up for every Luna’s Eve.”
‘You just carry that with you?’ Serena wanted to exclaim. “Why didn’t this come up last year?” The maid pointed out.
“You were still training this time last year. Besides, we were all a little distracted,” Aphros explained.
“Fine, I’ll come up with something by…” Serena realized it was the 29th. Luna’s Eve was less than 24 hours away. “I’ll figure something out,” the teen sighed. “Wait,” she realized, “that document doesn’t look familiar. When did I sign a contract?” She pointed to her own handwriting on the document.
“Uh, that’s not important,” Aphros hid the document. “Just find a costume, any costume. It could even be a bedsheet ghost.” Serena chose not to comment on the irony of that sentence. “Just get a costume before tomorrow night, or else you’ll end up like the guy last year who was on royal dog doody duty for a whole year.”
“Why did you say duty twice?” Serena questioned.
“I didn’t,” Aphros corrected before dramatically turning away.
‘Oh,’ it hit Serena like…well, you know. ‘Oh Crap,’ that, it hit her like that, ‘Irene’s class was let out three minutes ago!’ Serena could already hear the screams of “princess no!” from far down the hall. The maid sped off. Hopefully, she’d reach her charge before they reached trouble.
\\~~~\\ IV //~~~//
As Serena dutifully guided Princess Irene through the palace halls with a firm grip on the child’s hand, she thought about the costume situation. ‘I’m drawing a blank on what to wear tomorrow,’ the teen admitted to herself. ‘I could just half-ass it, but Aphros and even Aré would probably get on my case.’ The raven-haired girl sighed as she pulled Irene along.
“Hmm, Hmm, Hmm,” the princess hummed a vaguely familiar song. Her long blonde hair had been tied into two braids, and the lilac tips bounced on her shoulders. It clashed with her regal dress, but Serena doubted the princess noticed or cared.
‘At least she’s in the spirit of the holiday,’ the maid noticed. ‘Now, how can I tap into that?’
“Serena!” A digitized voice bellowed from behind, nearly causing the teen to jump out of her skin. Behind the two stood a wall of metal and muscle. Someone had garbed themselves in something that looked like power armor, straight out of every sci-fi ever. Serena thought the vertical head plume was a little gaudy, but overall the suit looked like a space-aged update of ancient Greek armor.
‘Great, what now?’ Serena instinctively pulled the princess behind her, earning the armored warrior a laugh.
“Calm yourself, child,” the individual flipped open their visor, revealing the head maid, Penth. “A little jumpy, aren’t you?”
“Can never be too careful,” Serena replied. “Very…um, bold choice in costume.”
“You like it?” Penth presented herself, showing off all the details of the suit. “It’s a custom order from General Chrona, but it’s not just a costume.”
‘Oh Lord,’ Serena flinched at hearing the general’s name. “Sounds incredible.”
“It is,” the head maid puffed out her chest. “Sorry, I can’t stop and chat for long. I need to show off to the Regas family. I think they could use a little good-natured scare.”
‘I wouldn’t call a mild heart attack good-natured,’ Serena thought, ‘but it’s better than the near brawls they were getting into earlier in the year.’ Penth flipped down her helmet and jetted out of the hall with rocket boots.
“Flying looks fun. Can I have one?” Irene asked.
“Heavens, no,” Serena shook her head.
\\~~~\\ V //~~~//
“Orpheo, a very…um…spectacular choice in costume,” Serena muttered. She and Irene stumbled across the royal valet by chance. Apparently, he had been given the day off and decided to use the time to “get into character.”
“Thank you,” the man said, “Thank you very much.” He whipped a come through his pompadour. At the very least, Serena liked his sunglasses, although she wondered why he suddenly had such audacious sideburns. That and the glitzy white v-neck, topped with a red cape, made Penth’s helmet plume look positively pedestrian by comparison.
“So, you play guitar?” Serena looked at the bright red instrument in the valet’s arms.
“I play it all,” Orpheo said with a drawl.
“Right, and who are you going as exactly?” Serena inquired.
“Not sure,” Orpheo shrugged. “I always saw pictures and videos of him in the Queen’s private music library. So, I got inspired.”
“Okay,” Serena exited the conversation.
\\~~~\\ VI //~~~//
After Irene insisted they sit through a few of Orpheo’s guitar songs (which, admittedly, he was very good at playing), the princess demanded to see her eldest sister. Not for any specific reason. Irene just wanted to see her. Regardless, the maid headed the little girl’s wish and took them straight to Princess Atlanta’s room.
“I feel silly,” they could hear Orion’s voice inside the room. Serena became instantly intrigued by the idea of seeing the butler in a rare moment of embarrassment.
“So, you’re not going to wear the costume Aphros so painstakingly picked out for you?” Atlanta’s voice was heard next. Who was also in a rare moment of playfulness.
“It’s not that, princess,” Orion replied. “Besides, is that outfit truly…ahem…appropriate for you.”
“It’s a holiday, Orion. I’ll wear whatever I please,” the princess replied.
‘I’ve got to see this,’ Serena and Irene thought in unison. The maid pushed open the door revealing a butler and princess in a most peculiar pair of outfits. Orion was garbed in an animal skin pelt, with a club in one hand and a bow slung over his shoulder. He looked a lot like a caveman, or more likely, his namesake. Atlanta was dressed in a black and red coat, white pants, black boots, and a tricorn hat, making a fairly convincing pop-culture pirate. However, Orion’s issue with the outfit was also evident. The princess’s only chest covering was basically a white tube top, and her coat had only a couple buttons fastened.
“Well, well,” Serena stepped into the room.
“Aah, Irene, Serena. Don’t barge in so suddenly like that,” Atlanta was taken aback and a little red in the face. “It is quite rude, you know?”
“Apologies, Princess,” Serena curtsied, “but your sister insisted on seeing you immediately.”
“Bis sister’s costume is silly,” Irene giggled and ran up to Atlanta. “Silly, silly, silly,” she pocked and jabbed at her sibling’s legs.
“Knock it off,” Atlanta muttered quietly, her composure broken. Yet, she still placed her hand on the child’s head affectionately.
“I must agree with Orion, Princess Atlanta,” Serena commented. “Your outfit may be a little too risqué.” Serena gave the costume another once over and confirmed for herself that, yes, it was a little too much. She could only imagine the scandal if someone caught the princess wearing that.
“Please,” Atlanta shook her head. “If Aphros can go around practically naked, I can wear something like this.”
‘Well, she’s got me there,’ Serena silently admitted. ‘All the scandalous attention will probably be centered on Aphros, but I still shouldn’t openly agree.’
“If that is what you will, princess, I will acquiesce,” Orion sighed. Serena also gave his costume another once over and noted it seemed a little big for him. The butler was constantly gripping at the material, trying to keep it on straight.
“Another gift from our fair Lady Aphros?” Serena asked.
“Yes, she presented it to me last week,” Orion explained. “She said she had prepared it years ago and was waiting for the right day to give it to me.”
‘I guess she assumed he’d bulk up a little more,’ Serena hypothesized.
“What about you, Serena?” Orion changed that subject. “What’s your costume?”
“I’m…” Serena paused. “… I’m working on it.”
\\~~~\\ VII //~~~//
‘I was hoping for some inspiration to strike,’ Serena grumbled as she guided Irene towards the dining hall, ‘but everyone’s costume is so personally tailored or weird. I can’t gleam any good ideas that’d work for me.’ The maid still hoped someone had a more typical costume she could copy ideas from, but at this rate, half-assing it seemed so much more appealing.
“Then I’ll huff and puff and blow your house down,” a familiar voice giggled around the corner.
‘Oh great, it’s Medy,’ Serena rolled her eyes. ‘I’m just going to take the long way around and…’
“Little pig, little pig, let me…oh, hey Serena,” Medy bounced around the corner, a basket in her hands. However, the basket is not what Serena noticed first. Instead, it was Medy’s wild costume. The brunette appeared to have a wolf pelt worn over her head. It was like she took the top half of a wolf, complete with the nose and roof of the mouth and (hopefully) fake teeth, and wore it like a hat. The pelt ran down her back, the tail resting at her waist, and the legs tied around her chest and hips. She also wore fake paws on her hands and feet, making Serena wonder how the other maid managed to hold onto the basket.
“I see someone is in the spirit of the season,” Serena commented.
“I thought it was appropriate,” Medy gestured to herself, “I’m on kitchen duty. We’re having ham.”
‘Note to self, watch for wolf hairs in Irene’s food,’ Serena noted.
“Bweeh, bweeh,” the basket squealed. It was covered in a layer of straw and sticks, while the basket itself was colored to look like bricks.
“Hush you,” Medy shook the basket.
“Bweeh!” A little yellow piglet popped up from underneath the straw. He was dressed in a ratty pair of piglet-sized overalls.
“Aren’t there supposed to be three little pigs?” Serena pointed out.
“Well, we had to make due,” Medy glared. “I only have one bad little piggy. Isn’t that right, Jace?” The piglet shook his head before squealing some more. Medy jostled the basket again before carrying on her way.
‘I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I feel sorry for Jace,’ Serena realized. ‘He really doesn’t deserve this – okay, he kind of does – but, ever since the Queen cursed him, I’ve started to think Medy was the real problem.’ The maid watched as Medy tormented her polymorphed cousin all the way to the kitchen.
“Well, that was a thing. Please don’t try to imitate…” Serena looked down at Irene, only to see the princess was no longer there. “Darn it!” The maid exclaimed as she looked around for her charge.
“Huff and puff, huff and puff!” Irene shouted from nearby. Serena looked up to see the princess running along the ceiling, upside down, in defiance of gravity, physics, and many other sciences.
“How?” Serena ran after her.
\\~~~\\ VIII //~~~//
After an eventful chase and a thankfully uneventful dinner, Serena carried the princess in her arms. She intended to return to Irene’s room and put the child down for an early bedtime. Alas, her plans were foiled when she received an urgent call from the Queen through her communicator, demanding her presence in one of the royal meeting rooms.
‘A call from the Queen is never a good sign,’ Serena lamented as she pushed through the room’s double doors. ‘What could it possibly beeee!’ The maid was startled by a fully armored and very angry-looking masked samurai in red standing guard.
“Maid!” The samurai exclaimed in equal shock. “What are you doing here?”
“Lady Aré?” Serena recognized the noble’s tone through the mask. That and only Aré called her maid.
“The Queen called me here,” Serena admitted.
“Lovely, what does our highness have planned now?” Aré made her displeasure very apparent. The question was answered as a green gas cloud exploded on the other end of the room, backed by a witch’s cackle. Both Serena and Aré jumped to attention, expecting something crazy. A silhouette appeared in the cloud, tall and dark, with a pointed hat. The two tensed as the figure walked towards them before the cloud parted in two.
“Got you,” Queen Celene appeared with a laugh, dressed like a cliché witch.
“My Queen,” Aré sighed in relief and annoyance at the same time. “Must you do this every year?”
“My intentions are pure. It is only a jest,” Celene brushed her off, “is this not a time of peace and rest?”
‘Oh Lord, not this kind of bit,’ Serena and Aré rolled their eyes in unison. ‘Again,’ Aré added internally.
“Hi, momma,” Irene bounced out of Serena’s arms and ran to hug the Queen.
“My Queen,” Aré swallowed her annoyance, “why did you call us here?”
“Have I not explained?” Celene said as she picked up Irene, “a simple scare is why here you were ordained.”
‘So, it was just a prank?’ Serena groaned.
“That it was, my dear,” the Queen replied to words that were not said. “But that is not the only reason I called you here.” Aré looked at Serena quizzically, trying to determine what the maid just thought to illicit the Queen’s reaction.
“I have a feeling,” Serena muttered.
“From Aphros, I heard, a costume you don’t possess,” Celene revealed, “perhaps Aré or I, an idea upon you we can impress.”
“My Queen, if she hasn’t found a costume by now,” Aré began, “it’s doubtful she’ll come up with anything in time.”
“Oh ye of little faith,” the Queen shook her head, a gesture which Irene imitated. “This is but a simple task, and it need not haunt her like a wraith.”
‘Maybe if you stopped speaking in rhymes, I’d understand what you’d have to say faster,’ Serena thought before she remembered the Queen’s mind reading. ‘Shit.’
“You need not concern yourself with idle reactions,” the Queen giggled before gesturing to Aré, “instead focus on her garb, and let that inform your actions.”
‘So, she’s dressed like a samurai, what of it?’ Serena continued thinking.
“Yes, she is dressed so,” Celene smiled, “but why is that the way she chose to go?”
“Well,” Serena said aloud as she paused to consider the Queen’s words. As the monarch’s advice rattled through her brain, images of all the other costumes she saw today passed through her mind’s eye. Throughout the day, they seemed random and ridiculous, but then the maid recalled a thought she had earlier. ‘… everyone’s costume is so personally tailored…’
“Maid, what’s going through your mind?” Aré finally spoke up.
“Lady Aré, if you don’t mind me asking, why did you choose that costume?” Serena inquired.
“Because it is appropriate because it is fitting,” Aré answered, “because it is to my taste.” Serena absorbed this information, compared it to what she knew about the noble, and accepted it.
‘A little bit of them and a little bit of what’s suitable,’ Serena considered. ‘I think I’m starting to get it.’ The maid recalled something she liked, which Aré had mentioned was also the Queen’s preference. ‘Yeah, something like that might work, but I’ll tweak it a little.’ The Queen didn’t reply to her thoughts this time. She just smiled and nodded.
‘I’m starting to feel left out of this conversation,’ Aré silently fumed.
\\~~~\\ IX //~~~//
“Treat-or-tricking, treat-or-tricking!” Irene skipped down the halls. It was the following evening, and Luna’s Eve was in full swing. Irene was dressed in a little red hood, a country girl’s dress, and carried a basket in her arms. “Over the river and through the woods, to candy, candy, and more candy.”
“Slow down, princess. The candy will wait for you,” Serena followed behind. She had spent all of the last night putting her costume together, but thankfully, she had all the parts she needed nearby. With helpful advice from the other maids, she modified a butler’s uniform to fit her perfectly and topped it off with a domino mask and cape. She looked like a classic gentleman thief; all she was missing was a top hat.
The sharply dressed maid took the princess’s hand, and the two walked down the hall to enjoy their holiday. After making a mental note to avoid Medy for obvious reasons, Serena guided her charge to their destination. ‘I’m glad I remembered I had this lying around,’ the maid thought, ‘haven’t worn this since the mess between Orion and the Regas.’
They turned a corner and joined several others in costume. It appeared all the servants and nobles had come out to celebrate, bringing their children along for a wonderful time. Serena wondered where they’d be getting the candy from and assumed they’d be knocking on doors throughout the palace to emulate the usual experience.
‘Maybe Penth was right. It might be fun to give Jace a little scare,’ Serena recalled the last time she confronted the butler while dressed like this. ‘On second thought, Medy probably torments him enough.’ Finally, a massive party came into view. Ahead of the crowd pouring into the grand hall stood Orion, Atlanta, Aphros, and Aré. Upon recognizing Serena, they waved her over. ‘You know, maybe it is worth getting into the spirit of the holiday,’ Serena smiled as she led Irene forward.
May This Fantasy Continue A Little Longer…
Okay so this isn't the first rewrite chapter, but Halloween was coming up and I wanted to do a Halloween special kind of thing. Thus, I do what every fantasy writer does and create an in-universe equivalent holiday.
This was mostly done for fun, but I almost slipped in a huge plot point near the end. However, I decided that it didn't belong in a semi-canon side story.
As for this and the summer special, like I just said they're going into the "semi-canon" category. Not fully part of the story, but not fully contradicted either. That's the idea now at least, but that can always change in the future.
As for the rewrite of chapter 1, that's still coming (something I've said what, three times now?) but probably not this month. I have something else related to the series coming out at the end of the month, but that's more of a personal thing. So at this point, the first chapter rewrite will come out on October 25th at the earliest and early November at the latest.
Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy.
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