\\~~~\\ 0 //~~~//
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. 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 and among those existed one family, the Diane. For generations, the Diane 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 but then quit unexpectedly. Serena was the only member of the family of age who could take on the important role. Given no choice in the matter, Serena’s life as a low noble was dropped completely so she could begin her training as a maid. The teen’s life imploded all around her as she was pulled out of school and had her information updated to reflect her new lower status. After packing her bags and bidding farewell to her few acquaintances and mother, Serena was carted off by Aphros to a fort just outside the royal palace. There she would begin training as the royal family’s newest maid, but not the kind she expected…
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I //~~~//
Eptáber 21st 757
Serena spent her first night in the fort as a bundle of very uncomfortable nerves. Despite attempting to go to bed around 9:00, the teen got no more than four hours of sleep that night. Not helped by the fact she was woken up at the crack of dawn and dragged across the fort to be put through a physical. After a lengthy examination that Serena barely remembered in her sleep-deprived haze, the teen was delivered the result she feared.
“Physically, you’re fine, average as can be,” the doctor told her. “You have a healthy weight for your age, even without being in the best physical shape. You’re more than able to begin training.” A small part of Serena hoped that, by some miracle, a little wrinkle in her examination would disqualify her from the job. Alas, her diet paid off. Now, if only she could figure out what training they were talking about because the teen strongly suspected it wasn’t the kind she was expecting.
Next thing Serena knew, she was shepherded into a crude barber shop. The room was filthy, with piles of hair swept into the corners and muddy bootprints on every tile. It clearly was not used or cleaned often. However, Serena’s mind was elsewhere. The teen immediately sensed what was coming next and was not ready.
The doctor sat the girl down in a chair, wrapped her in an apron, and pulled out a pair of scissors and a razor. Serena cringed as the implements were set upon her precious hair. Minutes later, a pile of raven hair lined the floor, and the teen was left with a style about one step above a buzz cut.
It hurt. It hurt her so much more than signing her life away but came just short of saying goodbye to her mom. This absolute wrongness penetrated the teen as she observed her new reflection in the mirror. Serena wasn’t about to cry, but she did feel awful. Alas, she’d have little time to dwell on the emotion. Besides, it’d only be the second most painful thing she would do that day.
Immediately after that, Serena was directed down the hall to a room filled with uniforms, soldier gear, armor, and lots of water bottles. The bored man in the room looked her up and down and tossed her a duffle bag of clothes.
“Changing rooms over there, make sure it fits,” he said. Serena headed the man’s words and quickly found they did not fit.
“You wouldn’t happen to have this in a size or two smaller, would you?” The teen asked sheepishly, practically swimming in her new workout uniform. The shirt was nearly a dress on her, while the pants dragged on the ground.
“That’s as small as they come,” the man replied. “Just roll it up for now, then take some scissors to it later. Now get going. You’re already late for formation.”
“For what now?” Serena was taken aback. After adjusting her uniform to the best of her ability, the raven-haired girl jogged down the hall and out into the courtyard. Outside, the sergeant from the previous night was directing some recruits before he spotted the teen.
“Oh, there you are,” Sarge commented. “I was afraid I had forgotten to tell you.”
‘You did forget,’ Serena held her tongue. ‘Why can no one be bothered to tell me anything?’
“Alright, maggots, this here is Serena Diane,” Sarge introduced her to his troops. Serena shuddered at hearing her “real” last name. “She’ll be training with us for the time being. And before you ask, yes, it is something Lady Aphros related.”
‘She certainly has a reputation around here, huh?’ Serena noted before realizing just how many eyes were upon her all of a sudden. The stares of the recruits felt different from what Serena was used to. It felt like they were sizing her up, maybe? That didn’t make any sense to the teen. Was it because of her name, her stated connection to Aphros, or her currently ridiculous appearance?
Serena gulped as she was led into formation with the pack of new guards. They couldn’t have been much older than Serena. Maybe twenty-two at the most, heck some of them seemed only a year or two older than the teen. However, the raven-haired girl felt a world of difference between her and them. Their bodies were toned and muscled, and they looked to be in the best shape of their lives. Even the shortest woman among them was almost a head taller than little old Serena. She had never felt so small in her life.
At this point, Serena had no idea what to expect. What followed was perhaps the single most humiliating day of the teen’s young life. The training the palace’s guards undergo was obviously designed to put them into combat-ready shape. The recruits already present were used to the intensity of the several-kilometer-long jogs, the endless pushups, sit-ups, and squats, but Serena was not.
To say the teen lagged behind the pack would be like saying a hurricane was the wrong time to go swimming. It was a true statement, but it didn’t quite capture the full weight of reality. Serena didn’t simply struggle to keep up. That implied she had a chance in the first place. The young woman failed to finish any of the day’s activities and was left a sore, exhausted mess by the end of it. So much so that she couldn’t even drag herself to the mess hall at lunchtime. Serena didn’t make it to dinner. Suffice to say, she spent the end of the first day in the infirmary.
Thankfully, the miraculous medicine of her era promised Serena a speedy recovery. Certainly, she’d suffer now, but by the end of the night, the teen would be back in proper form. Until then, though, she was bedridden. In between fading in and out of reality in her stupor, Serena overheard Sarge and the doctor talking about her, likely unaware she could hear them.
“I thought you said she was fine?” Sarge asked.
“She is, but I didn’t say she was ready to be thrown into the thick of it,” the doctor clarified.
“But isn’t she a Diane? This stuff should be a cakewalk to her,” Sarge insisted.
“Maybe so, but I’m fairly certain this girl hasn’t done anything half as physically intense as what you put her through today,” the doctor replied. “For her well-being, reign it in.”
“I can’t, Lady Aphros called again. She wants her in top shape within a month’s time,” Sarge explained. “And at this rate, we’re not going to make it. Where the hell did Aphros find her?”
“I don’t know, but Seargent, regardless of her lineage,” the doctor continued, “she is still just an untrained child. Keep that in mind.”
“Whatever you say, doc,” Sarge sighed.
‘Great, just great,’ Serena closed her eyes and tried in vain to sleep.
\\~~~\\
II //~~~//
Eptáber 24th 757
After a few more days of excruciating exercise, Serena was finally offered a small break. She was given a morning to rest before switching off to different training. However, through this short span of time, it had only become clearer that Sarge didn’t know what to do with her. There was no plan or curriculum, just a vague idea to teach Serena a little bit of everything. It was most evident by the fact this change in her schedule was only revealed to her at the morning formation and that Sarge had clearly decided it no more than an hour prior.
That afternoon, Serena, in her sloppily hemmed workout uniform, found herself waiting at the fort’s armory. The teen’s discomfort over the whole situation had grown exponentially since the first day. It wasn’t helped by the fact the stares of her new “peers” had changed drastically. They had turned cold, almost pitying. It made Serena feel more and more like an outcast like she didn’t belong.
‘Now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve learned a single person’s name since I got here,’ Serena thought. ‘Not even the sergeant.’ This realization washed over the teen like a cold shower, allowing some very bitter feelings to nest within her heart.
“There you are, kid,” Sarge appeared. “Come on,” he dragged her to the nearby shooting range. The sergeant tossed her a pair of earplugs and pushed her into a line of other recruits. “Listen up, maggots, it’s time for your first taste of weapon training.”
‘Great, more ways to make a fool of myself,’ Serena groaned.
“Now, I’m sure you’re all familiar with old-type firearms,” Sarge began. “Some may say bullets are falling out of style, but we don’t skimp on the basics.” What followed was a surprisingly brief lesson on gun operation and safety. When it came time to actually practice, naturally, Serena found difficulties. The teen struggled to shoot straight or without nearly dislocating her shoulder. Thankfully, she wasn’t the only one completely new to such weaponry in the group, so she didn’t stand out, at least.
“Did you get all that? Good, most of you will probably never have to touch a gun again,” Sarge declared.
‘What?’ Serena was confused. ‘What do they expect them to defend the palace with then, rocks?’
“I know what you maggots are thinking,” Sarge continued. “Oh, he’s going to teach us how to use laser weapons, then? Not likely, that shit is damn near illegal for a good reason, and it’s way above your pay-grade maggots. Come back when you get a few promotions.” The sergeant then ordered all present to follow him to the next part of the shooting range. The new section was an open area filled with large wood and straw dummies.
‘Now what?’ Serena glanced around. This was not the kind of area you practiced with weaponry, not unless you were going into melee, but that would be ridiculous.
“Now then, maggots,” Sarge slammed a wooden barrel on the ground. It was full of short swords. “These here are training blades. They’re made of metal but not sharp enough to leave serious wounds. Just don’t be swinging at each other. That comes later.”
Before long, Serena and the rest of the recruits were armed with their own blades. Serena continued to feel awkward and out of place. Even the smallest sword felt wrong in her hands, as the weapon was obviously designed for someone with a very different build than a small teenage girl.
“Alright, maggots, let’s get to swinging,” Sarge ordered. He gave the whole group a crash course on all forms of melee weaponry. And again, Serena struggled to not make a fool of herself. Her sword swing was terrible; her axe flew out of her hand and nearly planted itself in another recruit, and the less said about her stint with a flail, the better. The spear was a little better, but something about the weapon didn’t gel with the teen.
Serena had hoped she’d finally caught a break when they brought out the bows and arrows. She was on her school’s archery team for a while and had once considered working towards doing it professionally. Alas, the more sports-oriented bows she used in school, and the military-grade bows they used here were vastly different. Serena could barely pull back the drawstring, let alone fire an accurate shot.
The day’s only highlight was when the teen got her hands on one of the halberds. Serena didn’t know why, but she had fun despite the fact she could barely lift the thing. Something about spinning around like a top and swinging the heavy thing around tripped the happiness center in her brain. Even if she did get scolded by Sarge for her haphazard use of the weapon.
After a long day, Serena dragged herself back to her room, rather than the infirmary, for once. Despite her less-than-stellar performance, the teen felt better about this day than any previous. For once, she wasn’t the only one struggling in the group and even managed a spot of fun near the end. The raven-haired girl closed her eyes to rest willingly for the first time in over 100 hours. She didn’t know why Sarge insisted on training with melee weapons over all else, but she was too tired to care.
\\~~~\\
III //~~~//
Október 7th 757
Serena collapsed into her new bed after another long day of training. A dull ache wracked her body, drowning out the brief runner’s high she had felt earlier. The teen was nothing short of miserable, and her poor excuse for a bedroom did little to comfort her. A message from Lady Aphros had assured that she would find the young girl better living arrangements soon, but that was almost two weeks ago. Two long, grueling weeks ago.
The grand question of why Serena was here still hung over her. What exactly did the royal family expect of their maids? When she first got the news, Serena assumed the maid training would involve etiquette, housekeeping, and an outline of her duties. Nothing particularly exciting to the young woman, but things she firmly believed herself capable of learning. So, Serena wondered, why in Lord’s name was she being put through a military boot camp? From dusk till dawn every day, she’s done nothing but train, train, train.
Unfortunately, Serena hadn’t gotten a single moment of Aphros’s time since they parted ways the first day. Thus, she hadn’t a single chance to get a real answer as to why she’s been subjected to such training. Being the one regular person amid the fort’s recruits did little to strengthen Serena’s confidence.
At least the weapon training had been going better. Serena’s handle on the firearms and melee weapons progressed adequately for someone of her skill level. Which is to say, she hadn’t managed to humiliate herself again. As for the question as to why her kingdom was still so obsessed with swords, spears, and shields, Serena couldn’t say. Firearms had existed for centuries, and the full answer was something Serena didn’t pay enough attention to in history class to know.
‘For whatever it’s worth, swinging around that halberd was fun,’ Serena admitted while dozing. Alas, her body was so sore and ached so badly that she couldn’t manage to relax. The uncomfortable cot did her no favors either. It also didn’t help all these odd sensations that wracked her body. These indescribable agitations were felt just below the soreness, and they made Serena dizzy if she dared to think about them.
Her only solace was that today she was finally granted an afternoon off, her first break since the morning before weapon training. The moment of peace granted Serena time to think about where it all went wrong. After quickly discarding that train of thought, the teen tried to look at the positives. She’d be in the best shape of her life after this, and...that was it. Maybe those “perks” Aphros mentioned would come to fruition. But Serena assumed those would end up being legal exemptions that would facilitate her job. You’re not supposed to fly your hovercraft at twice the speed limit, but how else will she get the princess to the ball on time?
Serena rolled over in her cot as her arms throbbed again. Just thinking about the word “princess” made her feel weird. She didn’t even really know what the youngest princess was like not her personality or even her appearance. The teen knew the basics, there were three princesses, and the eldest was about her age. She vaguely recalled seeing the first princess on TV a few times, but no specifics. And now she was supposed to serve an even younger girl as a faithful maid? For how long? A year, ten years, forever? She assumed it was going to be a long time. Aphros did say it could be a long time before she saw her mother again.
“Mom…” Serena muttered. Thinking about her mother, that forlorn look on her mom’s face the day she left tore the teen up inside. She fought back a wave of sadness before it caused her to burst into tears. Serena didn’t need that kind of emotional breakdown right now. Maybe later, she’ll save a good cry for the right time. Besides, she had other things bothering her.
“There it is again,” the raven-haired girl felt “that” sensation again. It reminded her of those waves of anxiety she and her mother would feel occasionally, but this was a little different. In general, Serena had felt a change in her perceptions, as though she had been coasting along her entire life in a daze. However, since she got to the palace’s exterior, a fog she never knew existed had begun to part in her mind. In the brief moments she wasn’t completely exhausted, Serena had never felt so keen before. Perhaps exercise was good for the brain after all.
But then, there were these moments when the fog parted completely. The world felt different, sharper, and clearer, like switching from a low-definition picture to a higher one. It was almost like a shot of adrenaline, but not quite. Serena didn’t feel like she was in danger, but that something was…Amiss? Happening? About to happen? It was hard to say. Yet, there was this very tiny part of her that accepted it and assured: “this makes sense.” Serena tried her best to ignore this voice because “no, it doesn’t.”
“Is this the-” A young man barged into the small room, snapping Serena out of her deep thoughts. The other teen’s eyes were a pale blue, and his hair an equally pale blonde. He took one look at Serena, and his face shifted. The expression said it all, but he felt the need to say it anyway. “Sorry, wrong room!” He shut the door hurriedly.
“Who was that idiot?” Serena wondered before rolling over and going to sleep.
\\~~~\\
IV //~~~//
Október 17th 757
Another painful week and a half of basic training passed, and Serena began to wonder if she was being left out in the lurch. She frequently spied the “idiot,” as she decided to call him, out of the corner of her eye. He was young, probably not even a year older than her, so he was likely also at the fort for training. Not that Serena ever saw him training, but he looked exhausted all the time, so he must have been doing something.
Serena noted the other teen always seemed to be in a rush. She never saw him standing still once, except a few times when she spotted him eating in the mess hall. Even then, he ate quickly, cleaned his tray, and zipped off. The young man seemed polite and friendly enough from a distance, but Serena didn’t know what to make of him. Occasionally, the idiot would notice her too, but he’d immediately look away, seemingly in embarrassment.
Thankfully, at the end of the week and a half, by some miracle, Lady Aphros had returned. Serena saw her talking in the courtyard with the idiot after training one day. The blonde woman looked less than amused, and Serena finally understood why the idiot was always rushing around. Then Aphros saw Serena and called her over.
“Her?” The idiot pointed at Serena.
“Yes, her,” Lady Aphros snapped. “Serena, how has training been going?” Her tone became chipper.
‘Well, I’m sore all over and have managed to humiliate myself at least once a day, but other than that, it’s fine,’ Serena thought. “It’s been going great, Lady Aphros.”
“There’s no need to grin and bear it. I know it’s hard on you,” Aphros put her hand on the younger girl’s shoulder. “Honestly, I just had you here to build a foundation and get you in a little better shape before the real training starts.”
‘Oh lord,’ Serena nearly blurted out. “Ahem, I mean wonderful,” she put on a solid front. As it turned out, a military base was a great place to learn how to hold one’s tongue.
“Of course, you would’ve known that sooner if someone had listened to me,” Aphros tapped her foot impatiently while looking at the young man.
“My apologies, Lady Aphros, but I-” He defended himself.
“Orion, I told you what she looked like and where she was. How did you not find her?” Aphros continued.
“Well, I mean, I did find her room, but I thought I was in the wrong place,” Orion explained.
“And why’s that?” Aphros inquired.
“Well, I was expecting…” He looked back at Serena, “Someone different?”
“Different, how?” The noble cocked her head at him.
“Well, you said she was a Diane. So, I was expecting someone like Caenia or Penth, but…um,” Orion looked back at Serena and bit his tongue.
“But what?” Aphros loomed over him.
“Well, she didn’t…she wasn’t…uh…” Orion desperately searched for a word he just couldn’t find. Serena assumed he was trying his damndest not to be rude. Unfortunately…
“Orion, 100 laps around the fort, now,” Lady Aphros ordered.
“Lady Aphros-” the blonde teen tried to plead his case.
“You heard me, soldier!”
“Yes, ma’am,” Orion saluted and ran off.
“Um,” Serena muttered uncomfortably.
“Oh, sorry you had to see that, Serena. Orion can be a bit of an airhead sometimes,” Lady Aphros explained.
“I see, so what exactly does he do?” Serena asked.
“Well, technically, he works for me right now, but he’ll be personally attending the eldest princess one day soon,” Aphros revealed.
“So, does that mean-?” Serena stuttered.
“Why yes, he is a distant cousin of yours…sort of, it’s complicated,” Lady Aphros shrugged. “You’ll be training alongside him soon.”
“Okay, um, if you don’t mind me asking?” Serena changed the subject.
“Shoot,” Lady Aphros smiled.
“If I’m going to be a maid, what’s with all the combat training?” Serena asked.
“Hmm, why wouldn’t you…? Oh, right, you only know maids through books and TV,” Aphros laughed. “To be a servant of the royal family, you must be strong and dignified. You must be ready to defend the princess with your life, slay her assassins, keep up with her, and so on.”
‘Keep up with her?’ Serena’s mind was caught on the last point. The first two points weren’t exactly minor, but the fact they were mentioned in the same breath as the third gave the young woman pause.
“Keep up the good work, Serena,” Lady Aphros complimented. “I’ll return at next week’s end to begin your formal training.”
‘Finally,’ Serena breathed a sigh of relief.
“And even better than that,” Lady Aphros beamed, “I called up Lady Ze, and she agreed to assist in your physical training. I heard you liked halberds. That’s her specialty too.”
‘Lady Ze? Isn’t she the captain of the royal guard? Training me? Why me?’ Serena tried her best to hide her horror and failed.
“I know. I’m excited for you too,” Lady Aphros beamed again.
>>>~~~~<<<
Adjusting to a new job can be difficult, especially if there's a lot of training.
Author's Note: Um, I normally have a lot to say about the creation of the chapter but, I wrote this a little too far back to remember what I was thinking exactly.
This used to be the second half of the old chapter 2, expanded out into it's own thing. Really, it's just to establish Serena's initial training and her state of mind. Also to introduce Orion, who will become important very soon.
Most of the stuff I added was to establish the fantasy elements of this science fantasy. While the world outside the palace may be a future utopia, inside you're sent back to a fantasy world with knights and nobles and princesses.
That's really all I got. I was just editing chapter 6 which is all I got on the brain right now. So look forward to that. And chapter 4 should come out soon as well.
Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy.
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