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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, a servant, or a
laborer in this kingdom was seen as a mark of honor. 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 being noble
meant being part of a family lineage, a worker was a sort of birthright in this
kingdom. 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 the best exists one family,
the Diane. 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 a certain young woman who knew
naught of what her family history truly meant.
Previously on Maid in Fantasy:
Serena Moffat, or rather, Serena Diane, was informed by the High Noble Lady
Aphros that she was a member of the Diane worker family. Her cousin was meant
to attend the Queen’s youngest daughter as a maid. However, complications
arose, and she left the royal family’s service. Serena was left as the only
member of the family of age who could take on the vital role. With no choice in
the matter, Serena’s life as a low noble was to be completely dropped so she
could begin training as a maid. With only a week to get her affairs in order,
Serena finds herself at a crossroads, with only one real path available to her…
\\~~~\\
I //~~~//
Eptáber 14th-19th 757
Serena spent the first day after
receiving the news in shock, barely leaving her room and autopiloting through
the day’s meals and a shower. She didn’t even speak to her mother, not for lack
of trying on the latter’s part, but the teen just didn’t have more than two
words to say at a time. As a result, an eerie quiet hung over the home. Neither
could bare to look the other in the eye.
As the weekend passed, Serena woke
up the following day to the realization that there was no point in her going to
school. This revelation made getting out of bed that much harder, but the
raven-haired girl had grown sick of her room during the previous day and forced
herself out. As she came down the stairs, she heard her mother talking on the
phone. It was a conversation the teen knew was inevitable but didn’t want to
think about.
“…and that’s the end of it. Thank
you for your understanding, principal,” Romeda stated. “No, no, there’s no
chance she’ll be coming back, but thank you for your concern…It’s no problem,
thank you…Goodbye.” Serena’s mother put down the phone with a heavy sigh.
“That’s the end of it?” Serena
entered the room.
“Good morning, Serena,” her mother
didn’t dare to look back at her child. “I’ve canceled your tuition. We’ll
receive full reimbursement in a few days. It’s not that much in the grand
scheme of things, but workers are in need of money more than anyone else.”
“Mom, I…do we really…aghhh,” Serena
threw her head into her hands. “This is a bitter pill to swallow. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize, Serena, this isn’t
your fault,” Romeda shook her head. “But that wasn’t the hard part for today.
There are other things we need to get out of the way today.”
“Like what?” Serena looked at her
mother quizzically. “What could be so hard?”
The following hours were some of the
most miserable and boring of Serena’s life. The teen had never expected to sign
that many forms in her lifetime, let alone in a single day. All the paperwork
they worked through made the girl feel like she was signing away her entire
life, which wasn’t too far from the truth.
When they first got to city hall,
the staff was cordial enough. However, the atmosphere changed as Serena’s
mother made some requests and handed over some official-looking documents.
Suddenly, the neutral gazes of the workers and management were filled with a
mixture of very evident and extreme opinions. Pitying and confused looks toward
Serena were contrasted by harsh glares directed at Romeda. However, as form after
form flew across the desk before them and Romeda’s expression grew increasingly
forlorn, the glares softened.
Every possible condolence found its
way out of the mouth of every other person in the building once the staff
realized Serena was being forced into a worker’s life. However, the other half
had less pity to give. Instead, delivering sentiments like, “it’s only natural”
and “it’ll be good for you.” The endless bureaucracy was mind-numbing, but the
mixed messages made Serena sick to her stomach.
By the end of the day, the teen left
the town hall without most of her old IDs, certificates, and official
documents. In their place, she was gifted a whole new set. An ID that loudly
declared her worker status, a stack of papers stating her new rights and
responsibilities, and even a new birth certificate. Yet, the biggest change of
all was her name. For all intents and purposes, the citizen known as Serena
Moffat no longer existed. Replaced with worker Serena Diane, reporting for
duty.
Back at home, Serena stared at the
new card with a cocktail of unpleasant emotions stewing inside her. The piece
of plastic served only to remind her of what a garbage day this had been and
how much she was about to throw away. It would be one thing if she chose this
life for herself. A job like this could have been rewarding and swelled her
pride for her kingdom. But, being forced to because of who her mother was and
the actions of some family member she had never met awakened a hideous feeling
deep inside the young woman.
The following days just raised the
bitterness further. At one point, the sight of her college letters sent Serena
into a fury. So, she locked them in a box and chucked them deep into her
closet, unable to bear looking at them. After that, came a couple days of
determining what constituted the “essentials” she was supposed to bring.
It started simply with Serena
packing a couple suitcases of what she usually brought on vacation. Lots of
clothes, toiletries, hair care products, a couple of books and games, and so
on. The teen found herself determining if she could feasibly fit a computer in
a suitcase when her mom came by to check on her. Romeda almost had a fit when
she saw her child’s definition of “bare essentials” and sat her down for a
serious discussion.
“Serena,” her mother started, “this
is not the bare essentials.” The older woman gestured at the teen’s mess.
“I was basing it off what we take on
vacation,” Serena shrugged. “It’s not like I’m taking my whole room.”
“Serena,” Romeda sighed. “As a worker,
you’ll be expected to live simply and plainly. And as a Diane, you’ll be
expected to dedicate your entire being to the royal family.”
“Which means?” Serena paled.
“Especially early on, you won’t have
time for anything but work, sleeping, and eating,” her mother explained.
“Besides, you likely won’t have room for half of this.” Romeda sifted through the pieces of entertainment
Serena packed. “Being a Diane maid is beyond a full-time job. Even in your off
hours, you won’t have the energy to so much as read a book. At least, not for a
while.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,”
Serena nearly smashed her head into the ground. “They don’t even read? How do
they stay sane?”
“I wonder that, too,” Romeda
muttered. “In any case, you also won’t need this many clothes. You’ll only need
two changes, three tops. Something you could comfortably sleep and rest in and
something you can wear casually outside of work during your rare days off.”
‘Dear Lord,’ the teen pressed her
head into her hands.
“And Serena,” her mom picked up the
hair products, “a hairbrush is fine, but you will not need all this. You’ll
spend more time doing the princess’s hair than your own.”
‘What next?’ The conversation began
to crush Serena under the weight of reality.
“And another thing…” Romeda
continued.
“Enough,” Serena yelled as she threw
her hands in the air, startling her mother. “I mean, I need some air.” The teen
got up and raced out of her room.
\\~~~\\
//~~~//
“Screw this whole thing,” Serena
dragged herself through the neighborhood. ‘I could just run, but I wouldn’t
know where I’d go or how long I could last on my own.’ The raven-haired girl
slumped against a light post. It was the middle of a weekday, so the community
was dead quiet. ‘I wonder if I could get out of this…without maiming
myself…Even if I did that, I’m sure the high nobles are wealthy enough to fix
anything wrong with me short of death… I’m sure as hell not faking my death…’
The teen silently lamented her situation. Perhaps if she stood there long
enough, some answer to her quandary would come. Alas…
“Serena, I challenge you!” The
silver-haired girl burst onto the scene.
“Oh no, not now,” Serena groaned.
“You may have gotten the better of
me last time but today-!” The spirited girl began her usual spiel.
“Sorry, I don’t have the energy to
deal with you today,” Serena turned away.
“W-what?” The silver-haired girl was
taken aback. “Coward! Face me like a man.”
‘I definitely don’t have the energy
to unpack that,’ the teen rolled her eyes. “Listen, I’m not going to be around
here much longer, so you’ll need to find someone else to play with. Sorry,”
Serena replied sourly.
“That’s stupid. You can’t run away
yet. I haven’t beaten you!” The silver-haired girl blustered. “Stop lying and
accept my challenge.”
‘I really don’t have time for this,’
Serena groaned and slumped against the light post.
“Hey, don’t you look away from-” The
crazy girl grabbed Serena’s shoulder and forced the other teen to look her in
the eye. “Oh,” the silver-haired girl stopped as soon as she saw Serena’s
expression. “You’re not lying?”
“Of course not,” Serena forced the
other girl off her. “It’s been fun…I guess...now go away. I need to be alone
for a while.” The raven-haired girl began to walk away.
“No!” The silver-haired girl
shouted. “This isn’t how the story is supposed to end. You can’t go until I
beat you,” she stamped her feet.
‘Oh Lord, she’s such a…child,’
Serena realized. ‘Children, huh?’ The teen glanced over at the currently empty
yard where the neighborhood’s children often played. ‘Is this what I have to
look forward to? Dealing with a spoiled child all the time?’
“I won’t let you leave, Serena,” the
spirited girl pointed at her. “I challenge you to a race around the world!”
‘Now that I think about it…’ Serena
considered. “Alright, let’s start on three.”
“Oh no, I’m not falling for that
again,” the silver-haired girl shook her head.
‘Yeah, that would have been too
easy,’ Serena chuckled. “You’re right. You’re too smart for that,” the teen
lied. “Like I said, I have to leave soon, but I might be back one day. Wait for
me, and then we can race around the world. How about that?”
“Hmm,” the silver-haired girl pursed
her lips. “I don’t know.”
“Alright, have it your way,” Serena
flipped around, “goodbye forever.”
“Wait, don’t go,” the other girl
pleaded. “I’ll wait, but you better come back, you hear me!” The silver-haired
girl pumped her fist.
“Of course, it’s a promise,” Serena
shrugged and walked away. ‘Well, I can handle that part of the job at least. I
still don’t like this, but I’ve got a good head on my shoulders. I can handle
it.’ The raven-haired girl resolved. ‘And then, one day, maybe I’ll barter my
way into coming home. I made a promise, after all.’ The teen continued her walk
through the neighborhood.
‘If this be my destiny, I don’t have
to like it,’ Serena decided, ‘but I’ll face it without complaint, at least.’
\\~~~\\
II //~~~//
Eptáber 20th 757
The rest of the week passed by far
too quickly, and before Serena knew it, Lady Aphros had returned. With her new
resolution and advice from her mother, the teen managed to slim down her
luggage to the bare essentials. A few changes of clothes, standard toiletries,
her wallet, and her phone.
“So, this is really it?” Serena
asked her mother the morning of her departure.
“That is it,” Romeda confirmed.
“Now, you’re more than prepared.” It was a strange statement to Serena as,
despite her mother’s affirmations, she had never felt so ill-prepared in her
life. Especially as Aphros landed in front of her house with a noble’s
hovercraft.
“Ready to go?” Aphros popped out of
the vessel. “I hope you’ve said your goodbyes. It could be quite some time
before you see each other again.”
Serena turned to her mother as the
older woman still clutched her left arm in unease. The two shared a knowing
glance before hugging. “See you later,” Serena said, “I promise I’ll keep in
touch.” Her mother said nothing and only nodded. Her strained features betrayed
the presence of the flood of tears she held back.
“I want to thank you again for your
family’s service,” Aphros approached Romeda and held out a hand. “I promise to
watch over your daughter.”
“Thank you,” Serena’s mother accepted
the handshake as she put on a brave face.
Aphros led Serena to the hovercraft;
the vessel superficially resembled an early 21st-century car. It had four
doors, the driver sat up front, it possessed a radio, air conditioner, cupholders
and shared the same vague shape. Beyond that, the two vehicles couldn’t be any
more different.
As Serena was welcomed into the
passenger seat, she noted the vehicle’s distinct difference from any she had
sat in before. It wasn’t that it was luxurious. The concept had lost all
meaning in her society; what was once considered luxury had become the
universal standard. Regality, on the other hand, had remained much more
special. The royal seal, a yellow waxing gibbous moon backed by a crossed sword
and staff, was emblazoned on each surface. Every panel, button, and knob seemed
custom-crafted. It not only felt decadent, but it also felt sturdy, as though
it could tank a direct hit from a missile or bomb.
Naturally, the sensation of taking
her first step into an entirely different world sent Serena’s head for a loop.
It didn’t even feel right for her to sit in the vehicle, yet it still lifted
off with her in tow. The young woman took one last look out the window at her
mother and home. The structure may have been modest by her society’s absurd
standards, but it was still home to Serena. Alas, even a building of that size
seemed relatively small all of a sudden as Serena watched it and her mother
disappear into the distance as they flew away.
Lady Aphros flew the craft high into
the sky, granting Serena a perfect view of their lovely city of New Celene. It
was sometimes easy to forget they lived in a kingdom crafted from gemstones,
but the bird’s eye view quickly reminded Serena of that fact. The many
structures that dotted the skyline shone with a rainbow-like hue. Buildings of
ruby, sapphire, emerald, and crystal shined from one end of the horizon to the
other. At the back, towering above all the others, was the royal palace, where
the Queen and her family lived and ruled, where Serena would soon spend the
rest of her life.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Lady Aphros
asked. “Not many have a permit to fly this high, but working with the royal
family comes with its privileges. Even though you’ll just be a maid, you’ll get
a share of them too.”
“Y-yeah,” Serena nodded, remembering
what she was here for. Her gaze drifted back to the palace. The memory of the
dream from the other night surfaced at the back of her mind.
“I get it. It’s a lot to take in,”
Aphros comforted the younger woman. “Don’t worry, we’re not flying straight to
the palace. Your training will be in that fort next to it,” Aphros gestured
towards a building next to the palace. The structure was easily missed amid the
palace’s eternal majesty, but it was there if you looked. It was a
sturdy-looking building, and Serena could barely make out the sight of dozens
of figures running about its courtyard.
“But wait, isn’t that a military
base or something?” Serena inquired. “For training soldiers?”
“Yes,” Aphros confirmed. “It’s where
they train the palace guards and some elite soldiers. They’re mostly workers
too.”
“I thought you said I was training
to be a maid?” Serena pointed out.
“You are,” the blonde affirmed.
“Then why the military base?” Serena
exclaimed.
“You’ll see,” Aphros assured. The
noblewoman pulled the hovercraft down and brought it to a landing in the middle
of the fort’s courtyard. Technically, the fort could be seen as a mere
extension of the palace, as it sat right in the larger structure’s outer
perimeter. It certainly felt as much to Serena as she stepped out of the
hovercraft and saw the palace up close for the first time. The
building’s monolithic size made Serena dizzy just trying to comprehend it. “We
can gawk later. There’s something we got to do first,” Aphros urged the teen
onward.
The noble guided Serena through the
fort, passed the training soldiers and guards and entered the main building.
Within, the two weaved through the orderly mass of men and women in uniform
before arriving at a large office in the back. Aphros popped open the door and
beckoned Serena to follow her inside.
“Drill Sergeant, here’s the girl I
was talking about,” Aphros chirped as she entered the room.
“Hello?” Serena said meekly behind
her. The drill sergeant, who, despite the title, was actually a fully armored
knight, looked down at Serena through his helmet.
“This girl?” He gestured. “Are you
sure she’s-?”
“Positive,” Aphros assured, “she
just needs some real training to kick her into shape.”
‘What?’ Serena thought.
“Well, what did her physical say?”
The sergeant asked. “I want to know what I’m working with.”
‘Physical?’ Serena grew more
confused.
“Oh, well, that’s why she’s here.
You guys can handle that, right?” Aphros fluttered her eyelashes.
“Lady Aphros,” the sergeant sighed.
“Alright, it’s not too much trouble, at least.”
“Thanks, Sarge. I’ll leave her in
your care then,” Aphros beamed before disappearing out the door. Much to Serena
and the sergeant’s shock.
“Lady Aphros, we haven’t…Lord,” the
sergeant sighed before looking at Serena. “Give me a second,” he sat at his
desk and pulled out a phone built into his computer. “Greg, do we have any
spare bunks in the women’s barracks? Alright, do we have any spare rooms? What
do you mean technically? Whatever just get it set up…Yes, it’s Lady Aphros
related…Thanks.”
‘I don’t like where this is going,’
Serena silently admitted.
“We need to have you undergo a
physical before we begin the training, liability reasons,” Sarge explained.
“But our doctors are busy today, so we’ll deal with that tomorrow. Until then,
I was going to put you in one of our barracks, but we’re full. So, we’ll need
to put you into a smaller spare room for the time being.”
‘I’m not going to enjoy this, am I?’
Serena realized, and she was correct. Sarge directed her to the other end of the
base, far away from the other living quarters, to a small, secluded room.
As Serena laid eyes on her new,
temporary home, her heart sank right into the floor. Her new bed, if it could
even be called that, was more of a cot shoved in the corner of a hastily
cobbled-together structure that could be charitably described as a bedroom. It
was obviously an unused supply closet in its past life as it carried a scent of
dust and cleaning solution.
The teen had expected to downsize,
likely sharing a room a third of the size of her old one with someone else.
Yet, this wasn’t even a tenth the size of her old bedroom. It was barely the
size of a modest bathroom. Plus, it was not exactly built to house a person
long-term. Heck, it was not built to accommodate a person at all, yet here she
was.
‘Oh Lord, what have I gotten myself
into?’ Serena groaned.
To Be Continued…
>>>~~~~<<<
The start of a new job can be a harrowing time. Especially if you have to move and downsize from your current accommodations.
Author Notes: It lives! So yeah, the last chapter was released in November, whoops. Okay, I'm done goofing around, I'm sitting on way too much content out of anxiety over its quality, so I'm just going to start pushing out what I do have over the next few weeks. I got two more shorts ready to go, and at least two more chapters. This chapter was honestly done in its current form in December (and so was three), but again I was anxious (but not so much anymore).
As for the chapter itself, I basically split off the opening paragraphs of the original chapter 2 and expanded it into its own section. We had Serena's life before the news, now it's time for her to say goodbye to her old life one bit at a time. I also wanted to establish a reason as to why she goes through these early sections without complaint.
I didn't want to linger on her "normal life" too long though, because that's not what this story is about. So, this chapter is also one of transition. She moves from her home to the fort, which in the story is serving as a holding area, a sort of step between her new and old life. You got to ease into this sort of thing as we'll see in the following chapters as this reality outside slowly gives way to the insanity inside the palace (but let's not get ahead of ourselves).
Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy.
