Story Hub: [link]
\\~~~\\ 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. To be personal servants for the eternal royal family that ruled this ethereal kingdom. Among those best and brightest exists 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 to 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.
As Serena continued her training, she was joined by her cousin Orion, who would soon be attending the first princess. The two bonded during their brutal training regimen under the captain of the guard, Lady Ze and Lady Aphros. However, just as they began to show progress (and burnout), they were suddenly informed they’d start their jobs immediately. Thus, they were uniformed and brought into the palace to meet their princesses. Alas, Serena’s new charge, Irene, has already proved to be a handful…
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I //~~~//
Ennéaber 23rd 757
After Serena and Lady Ze chased princess Irene long into the night, the former thought that’d be the worst of it. The new maid chalked it up to a rambunctious child excited to meet her new playmate. After helping put the princess to bed, Serena went to sleep early, with the instruction to wake her new charge at 7:00 am sharp.
At 6:30 am the next day, Serena awoke with a pit in her stomach. Her usual inexplicable wave of anxiety was in overdrive, to the point the teen could barely focus on her morning routine. ‘I guess it’s going to be one of those days,’ Serena sighed as she made her way to the princess’s room.
While the servant’s quarters were on the palace’s ground floor, Irene’s room was on the third. Thankfully, Serena didn’t have to march all the way up there. As with any good palace, the building was full of secret passages for its servants to move about unseen. One just happened to be across the hall from Serena’s new room. With the flick of a hidden switch, the wall opened, and the maid slipped inside. The inside was like a labyrinth of stairs and doors. While intimidated, Serena had her own way through.
“Let’s see,” she pulled out a scrap of paper from her pocket. Written on it were instructions on how to easily get from her room to the princess’s. “Just press the buttons?” The teen looked at the wall, and sure enough, a smattering of elevator-like buttons covered the immediate wall. A few clicks later, Serena found herself deposited in the hall just outside Irene’s room. “What just happened?”
The new maid shook her head and tried not to think about it too hard. It was 7:00, and she needed to wake up the princess. Serena pushed open the door and entered the room. The initial entry was more of a common area, with several large tables, grand windows, massive couches, and three televisions, all luxury, of course. It looked more like a high-end studio apartment than an individual room. Complete with its own kitchen, refrigerator, and full bathroom.
Serena moved into the back of the room, which opened up to Irene’s private wing of the room. This was much more like a little girl’s bedroom. It was pink, fluffy, and filled with toys, stuffed animals, and candy wrappers. The teen made a mental note to clean the room up later. Still, it would be a massive undertaking, as even this portion was larger than Serena’s own room back home. Finally, the maid knocked on the door to the actual bedroom but received no reply.
“Princess Irene, it’s time to wake up,” Serena gently opened the door. Irene’s sleeping quarters were obviously large and regal. The bed was bigger than a small hovercraft and was surrounded by curtains. At the same time, dressers were practically towers and covered in stuffed animals. The walk-in closet was big enough to be a room in and of itself and was filled with dresses. Very wrinkled dresses.
“Princess,” Serena opened the curtain around the bed, only to find it empty. The covers were haphazardly thrown off, and its occupant long gone. ‘Oh, Lord, heaven’s no,’ Serena began to panic. ‘I didn’t even make it to the starting line, and I’ve already lost the princess. I’m so dead, they’ll be hanging me from the rafters before-’
“Serena,” Lady Ze suddenly entered the room. With Princess Irene held up in her hand. “I realized too late that Lady Aphros probably didn’t warn you about Irene’s odd waking habits. She’s been running around the palace for the past hour or so.”
“Oh, thank you, Lady Ze,” Serena bowed down very low.
“It’s nothing,” Ze shook her head. “The same thing happened to Caenia.”
‘Caenia,’ Serena noted, ‘Irene mentioned her name yesterday, didn’t she? So that was my predecessor. The one who quit.’ The teen let that realization rest in her mind for a moment before discarding it. As much as she’d love to blame Caenia for all her problems, she had a sense she was about to sympathize with her very soon.
“Put me down, put me down,” Irene wiggled Ze’s grasp.
“Promise not to run off this time?” Ze asked.
“Okay,” Irene replied.
“Promise?” Ze repeated.
“I promise,” Irene huffed as she was set down.
“Good luck, Serena,” Ze nodded.
‘You’re going to need it,’ Serena finished the sentence in her head.
“I must return to my duties. Hopefully, you won’t need my help again,” Ze walked away, “but don’t hesitate to call me.”
“This is going to be a whole thing,” Serena looked at her new charge, who already bouncing on her feet. “First off, we need to get you dressed,” the maid noted as Irene was still in her pajamas.
\\~~~\\
//~~~//
Orion arrived at Princess Atlanta’s room at 7:00 am sharp. He passed through her common room, which was a mirror of Irene’s, without issue. The princess’s private space was far less cluttered than Irene’s and filled with regal paintings, bookshelves of literary classics and academic encyclopedias, and a gem-encrusted chess set. The shelves and chess set were covered in a thin layer of dust, something Orion made a mental note to clean later.
Finally, the butler reached Atlanta’s private space and announced his presence with a light knock on the princess’s door. There was no immediate response.
“Princess, it is morning. Time to wake up,” Orion stated. “Would you like your morning tea, coffee, or-?”
“Grrrh, go away,” the girl replied, “and I hate tea and coffee!”
“Princess, as your attendant, I’m exercising my privilege to enter your room,” the teen opened the door. The luxurious bedroom was similar to Irene’s, just with 50% fewer stuffed animals and far less pink. Atlanta favored whites and gold instead. The princess was holed up in her bed, wrapped in the covers. Her long hair had knotted itself into a tangled mess while she slept.
“Let me sleep,” she mumbled.
“Princess, Lady Aphros informed me you have an etiquette lesson at 9:00,” Orion explained. “If you want enough time to get dressed and eat breakfast, you’ll have to awaken now.”
“Fine,” Atlanta rolled out of bed. As she stood up, her poor posture and bedhead made her look more like a sleep-deprived college student than a high-class princess. Her expression was scrunched up in frustration while her eyes squinted with disdain at sunlight sneaking through her curtains.
“Shall I call the lady’s maids to get you dressed?” Orion asked.
“No, they should have come on their own. I bet they’re playing hooky again,” Atlanta fumed.
“Again?” Orion commented.
“I bet they’re still offended over me yelling at them,” the princess huffed. “It’s not my fault they can’t do my hair right.”
“Princess, as your attendant, it falls to me to style your hair then,” Orion suggested.
“Fine,” the princess waltzed over to her vanity, “just make sure to do it right, or I’ll send you packing like the last three idiots.”
\\~~~\\
//~~~//
Serena had hoped that the princess’s first little escapade would be the last of the day. Alas, she had no such luck. Thankfully, the princess didn’t fight her getting dressed and ready for the day. But the trouble started on their first steps into the hallway. Serena led the princess out into the hall and turned to shut and lock the door behind them. She let go of the princess’s hand for a second, but once she turned around, the princess was already ten meters down the hall.
“Princess,” Serena exclaimed as they zoomed past a pair of confused guards turning the corner. According to Aphros’s instruction, Serena was supposed to hand off the safety of the room to the guards while they went about the princess’s day. Yet, something told Serena they wouldn’t get the chance to.
“Wee!” Irene practically skipped down the hall, somehow not tripping over her long flowing dress.
“Oh no, you don’t,” Serena reached for the long flowing fabric, but it slipped through her fingers. As though she was grabbing at air. The maid did a face-plant while Irene continued to race off into the distance. “This is going to be a long day,” Serena moaned.
\\~~~\\
//~~~//
“Hmm, I underestimated you,” Atlanta was pleased with Orion’s work. In a relatively short time, the young man had turned her messy bedhead into something more than presentable. She especially liked the horizontal French braid along the back of her head. Her silvery lilac hair still fell down to her waist, but the pink tips were now groomed and aligned rather than scattered.
“I have been trained extensively by Lady Aphros,” Orion bowed.
“Well, looks like she can do something right after all,” Atlanta smiled at her reflection. The princess stood up and adjusted her posture. With that, the transformation was complete, and she appeared like a proper princess. “As it should be,” the girl smiled. “Orion, I am quite famished. See me to breakfast, if you please?”
“As you wish, princess,” Orion nodded. He decided not to comment on her sudden change in dialect and tone.
\\~~~\\
II //~~~//
Ennéaber 30th 757
Serena’s first week in the palace went about as well as expected. Not for struggles as a maid, the young girl managed to move with the dignity and grace expected of her position. It also helped she rarely interacted with any nobles outside of Lady Aphros, Ze, and the princess. Honestly, the palace was so massive that she could go hours without seeing so much as a guard or another servant. Alas, her real problem was still the youngest princess.
Irene had no patience for anything, perhaps expected of a small child, but not for a princess. The youngest princess was nothing short of chaotic, sometimes waking at 6:00 am sharp to run around the palace in pajamas. Other times she’d sleep until 2:00 in the afternoon…just to run around the palace in her pajamas. Worse yet, such examples were only the start of the princess’s day.
Serena struggled to keep up with the ball of energy, both figuratively and literally. The young woman didn’t know how Irene managed to sprint at speeds that’d make world-class track runners blush. Especially since she almost exclusively wore those impractically long dresses that the royal family favored for some reason. Despite having only inhabited the palace for a week, their hourly chases had almost become routine.
On one such chase, Serena followed the youngest princess into the palace garden. They were supposed to be at an etiquette lesson…two hours ago. The same lesson Serena had tried to guide the princess on her first day. Which they had not once managed to arrive to, let alone make it on time, in the past week.
As for the gardens themselves, in line with the rest of the palace, they were tremendous, as though they were cultivated by literal giants. Several of the plants towered over the young maid while the trees dwarfed some buildings. However, the most impressive was a single massive tree at the center of the garden. Perched atop one of its thousands of branches was Princess Irene. This wouldn’t be too concerning if it weren’t for the fact that said branch, despite being among the lower ones, was three stories high.
“Princess, you get down from there this instant!” Serena yelled, dropping any pretenses of formality and the supposedly large social divide between them.
“Don’t wanna,” the princess shouted back.
“Don’t make me call Lady Ze again!” Serena threatened. It was a hollow threat, as Ze had left the city yesterday on urgent business and wouldn’t return until tomorrow.
“Look how high I can go!” Irene began climbing higher up the tree.
“Princess, no,” Serena scrambled after. However, she stopped immediately as she realized the distance between her and Irene was three stories of sheer wood with no handholds. “How’d she even get up there? Is she half spider? Can she fly?” That wasn’t the issue, though. The real one was how she would stop the princess from hurting herself. Serena didn’t feel like having her head on the chopping block only a week into her employment because the princess got hurt; or, heaven forbid, died under her watch.
“Cool, there are birds up here,” Irene’s voice began more distant.
“Dammit,” Serena kicked reason to the curb and decided to scale the tree anyway. Thankfully, the past months of painful training paid some dividends. Even in her maid outfit, Serena managed to scramble up the tree in record time. The adrenaline certainly helped. Alas, the princess had a three-story head start, and only Serena’s longer limbs could hope to close the distance.
“Wee!” Irene played among the branches like a monkey. By some miracle, her long dress hadn’t managed to catch itself on one of the branches. Instead, it seemed to glide around them.
“For heaven’s sake, princess, stop that before you hurt yourself!” Serena closed the distance between the two with a frenzied climb.
“You sound just like Caenia. She never climbed up the tree, though,” Irene commented as she hung from one of the branches like a baboon.
“Princess!” Serena scrambled across the tree branches with a level of agility she didn’t know she had. If she had paused to think about what she was doing, she likely would have fallen flat on her face.
“Yay, Caenia never played with me like this,” Irene monkeyed across the tree and tapped Serena’s shoulder. “Tag, you’re it!”
“Princess, this is no time for games,” Serena grabbed for Irene’s ankle.
“No tag backs,” the princess spun atop her branch like a world-class gymnast, effortlessly dodging Serena’s grab. Then she continued to scale the tree like a gibbon on a sugar rush.
‘Dear lord. I hope Orion’s having a better time,’ Serena mused as she renewed the chase.
\\~~~\\
//~~~//
“Achoo,” Orion sneezed. He stood alongside Princess Atlanta in a large grassy field at the opposite end of the palace. Several targets were set up across the area, and each one was placed at various distances away. The blonde-haired young man had an eclectic set of ranged weaponry shoved into a bag slung over his shoulder.
“Coming down with something?” Princess Atlanta inquired.
“No, princess. Just a tickle in my nose,” Orion assured. “Now, would you prefer the bow and arrow or the throwing knife?”
“The 12-gauge, Orion,” Atlanta ordered with her back turned.
“Wouldn’t you prefer a more elegant weapon?” Orion proposed.
“The 12-gauge, Orion,” the princess didn’t even bother to look at him.
“As you wish,” the blonde loaded the shotgun.
\\~~~\\
//~~~//
“Got you, princess,” Serena exclaimed as she finally captured Irene.
“Aw, you caught me…My turn to be it!” Irene never missed a beat.
“Princess, perhaps we should continue this game on solid ground,” Serena proposed as she gestured to their position. The two were tangled in a mass of branches. Serena dangled upside down by her legs while holding the princess in her arms.
“Okay,” the princess reluctantly agreed as she realized being trapped in the branches made it hard to play.
\\~~~\\
//~~~//
After, by some miracle, Serena managed to get herself and the princess down from the tree without hurting themselves. The maid led the princess back inside the palace to get them both cleaned up. Serena didn’t know what her and the princess’s dresses were made of, but whatever it was, it was tear and dirt-resistant. Irene’s dress was completely unblemished, aside from a few more wrinkles. At the same time, Serena’s uniform only had the most minor bits of dirt and scratches.
Running the princess through a quick bath and the like was surprisingly painless. It helped that Irene actually held still while getting clean. Of course, the second they finished the bath, the princess tried to run off naked. Serena only managed to catch her by pure luck.
The two exited the bath, freshly cleaned and redressed. The etiquette lesson was a lost cause (in more ways than one), and Serena decided to cut her losses and guide the princess to the next part of the schedule. Thus, she made her way to a small lecture room on the second floor for a math lesson. The maid had no idea how in heaven’s name she’d get the princess to stay put for the duration of the lesson, but at this point, she was ready to glue the girl’s feet to the floor if she had to.
“Only a few minutes late, for once,” Serena muttered as she opened the door and led the princess inside by hand. “My apologies for our lateness. The princess was…charting her own course today.”
“Oh, it’s fine, I understand,” a familiar voice replied.
“Lady Aphros?” Serena was taken aback. Sure enough, the blonde noble was the one awaiting them. Standing behind an enormous mahogany desk at the far end of the small lecture hall. It was identical to the one she had back at the fort, as in exactly the same, right down to the suspicious scratches on the front right leg. But she wouldn’t carry a whole desk around everywhere, would she?
“The one and only,” Aphros beamed. “How goes your day, princess, Serena?” Irene made no effort to answer the noble, so she turned to the maid instead.
“Exhausting, I only just now managed to keep her at my side,” Serena admitted. She could feel Irene trying to discretely squirm out of her grip, but the teen tightened her grasp in response.
“Better than your cousin, at least,” Lady Aphros patted Serena’s shoulder. “She spent most of her days here chasing Irene from dawn till dusk.”
“If I may be so bold as to ask, how long did my cousin work here?” Serena addressed the obvious question.
“Well, that’s a complicated question,” Aphros admitted. “Technically, she worked in service to the palace for several years – more if you counted her training – but as Irene’s personal attendant, she lasted about three…” The noblewoman trailed off.
“Three years? That’s impressive,” Serena replied.
“I’m sorry I didn’t finish,” Lady Aphros’s discomfort was evident. “I meant three days.”
“Oh,” Serena looked down at the princess, who was clearly tuned out of their conversation.
“I guess, after ten years of her life went into training for this, she couldn’t…” Aphros began. “You know what, I shouldn’t speak of that. Let’s move on to the lesson instead.”
“You’re the math teacher?” Serena asked.
“Nope, I gave him the day off,” Aphros explained. “I have something much more fun planned,” the statement actually provoked Irene’s interest, “magic.”
\\~~~\\
//~~~//
On the other side of the palace, Orion guided Princess Atlanta through its many courtyards before reaching an open space. The area felt familiar to Orion as it mirrored the location where he and Serena spent many long weeks training with Lady Ze. On that note, Lady Ze stepped into the courtyard from a nearby armory. The captain of the guard was still dressed in her full body armor. Orion began to wonder if he’d ever see her outside of it.
“Punctual as always, princess,” Ze greeted the royal. “I’m glad to see you’re taking your training seriously.”
“I come merely out of obligation,” Atlanta huffed. “I am more than capable without such needless classes. Alas, mother would assault my ears with a chorus of disappointment if I were absent.”
“That you think that is proof positive you’re still in need of training,” Ze declared. “Today, we are reviewing self-defense and how to act in a crisis situation,” the captain of the guard explained. “Now get changed into workout gear, both of you. Princess, you require discipline, and Orion, I need you as a test du…ahem, assistant.” Atlanta rolled her eyes. Orion felt a pang of concern.
\\~~~\\ III //~~~//
Upon hearing the word magic, Irene’s eyes lit up, and the young princess bounded across the room to take a seat at the long plastic desk in front of Aphros. The little girl sat politely but eagerly, barely containing her excitement. Serena sighed at the sight, wishing the princess could be so willing in any other matter. The maid took her place by the door and prepared to await the class’s conclusion.
“What are you doing, Serena?” Aphros asked.
“Standing at attention until the princess is in need of my service again,” Serena recited a blurb of instruction from memory. The teen wondered why she was being questioned. Aphros was the one who taught her the etiquette of workers.
“Well, the princess needs you over here. You’re joining the class, silly,” Aphros replied.
“Huh? Me?” Serena looked around to make sure there wasn’t another Serena standing behind her.
“Yes, you. Come over here,” Aphros urged. “It’d do you good to learn some magic too.”
“Very well, Lady Aphros,” Serena gave a mild bow and walked over to join the two. ‘She’s already taught me a dozen of these magic tricks. Why do I need to know more?’
“Let me begin by dispelling that ridiculous notion that this will only be more parlor tricks and sleight of hand. I already taught you all of that,” Aphros’s tone shifted. “This will be very real and require delicate handling for both your and the princess’s safety.”
‘Did she just-?’ Serena felt violated that her thoughts were pulled out into the open.
“Read your mind? No,” the blonde shook her head. “You’re just easy to read,” Aphros giggled.
‘Great,’ Serena didn’t bother to hide her displeasure at this reveal. What was the point if Aphros saw through her anyway?
“You’re a smart girl, Serena,” Aphros continued. “Haven’t you noticed the change in atmosphere in and around the palace? Or the princess’s feats of speed and agility? Or how about the fact you can’t grab her dress?”
“Well,” Serena paused. She had noticed, but she didn’t want to admit to it. Admitting it would mean she accepted the insanity that had followed her since the day Aphros informed her of her heritage as reality. Serena wanted to believe there was a logical explanation for all of this. Cybernetics for Ze’s super strength, tricks of the mind for the princess’s dress, but as for the rest…
Could she really blame the palace’s atmosphere as a product of her imagination? Could she really explain the princess’s speed and agility? If she accepted the idea of magic, suddenly, a lot of things started to make sense. However, if she did accept it, then she passes off every odd occurrence as “magic.” It would be too easy to explain it all away like that. There must have been a deeper truth…right?
“I’ll take your expression as a yes,” Aphros nodded. “Let’s begin for real then,” the noble held up her index finger, the tip of which began to glow with a brilliant golden light.
\\~~~\\
//~~~//
After refitting themselves in proper workout attire, Orion in his training uniform and Atlanta in a tracksuit, the two stood before Lady Ze. The captain of the guard observed them both for a moment before beckoning Orion forward.
“Alright, princess,” Ze turned to Atlanta, “let’s begin with some basic self-defense drills on being attacked from the front.”
“Have we not done this before a dozen times?” The princess groaned. “I say to you again, you waste my time with meaningless repetition.”
“Repetition and practice are key in honing a skill, princess,” Ze declared. “Something you would know if we had done this a dozen times.”
Atlanta replied with a huff and turned away.
“Princess,” Ze shook her head. “Orion, let’s begin. Come at me from the front. Give me your best right hook.”
“Um,” Orion trembled.
“Don’t worry, you won’t have a chance to make contact,” Ze assured, but it didn’t make the butler feel any better.
“Okay,” Orion took a fighting stance and swung his fist. Half a second later, he was planted firmly on his back, unsure of what had just transpired. The blonde remembered being airborne for an instant, so Ze must have judo thrown him over her shoulder.
“Did you see that, princess? Now we’ll go slower so we can…Princess!” Ze yelled. Atlanta had pulled out her phone and distracted herself with the device.
“No, you two may continue your quarrel,” Atlanta waved them off.
“This is for your protection, princess,” Ze stomped over to the younger girl. “Just because you have guards doesn’t mean you can neglect basic self-defense. What would you do if some madman tried to rush you at a public event and Orion or I weren’t able to intercept?”
“I am more than capable of ensuring my own safety,” Atlanta replied, her face still glued to the phone.
“Let us see then,” Ze snatched the phone. “You’ll get this back once you have demonstrated defenses from eight directions to my satisfaction. Understand?”
“Crystal clear,” Atlanta’s grumbled as her persona slipped.
\\~~~\\
//~~~//
Serena watched the display with a mixture of wonder and shock as Aphros’s finger glowed with a warm and inviting light. While the teen could think of numerous potential scientific or mundane explanations, something deep inside her soul told her that wasn’t the case. Serena assumed if she did question the display, Aphros would have an even grander one to shut her up with.
“A simple light-producing spell,” Aphros explained. “Great for reading in the dark or navigating at night.” The noble looked at Serena and Irene, “now, you two try.”
“How?” Serena was completely lost.
“You know that feeling in the air?” Aphros gestured, “gather it up around your finger and will it to glow.”
“Okay?” Serena held up her index finger. She tried to follow Aphros’s vague instructions, but no matter how hard she focused, her finger did not magically (no pun intended) alight itself. The maid strained and screamed inside her head, but the trick would not be replicated. “I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. I know you’re more than capable,” Aphros countered. “Look,” she gestured to Irene.
“I’m doing it,” Irene produced a brilliant pink light in the palm of her hand. “I can make it dance!” She began to bat the pure orb of magic around like a rubber ball. It spun and twirled through the air like an unusually energetic firefly.
‘Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,’ Serena felt a wave of shame slam her in the face. It was bad enough that she made herself look like a fool trying to make her finger glow, but now Irene does it without a passing thought.
“Don’t you fret,” Aphros assured. “Irene is…different than most people. Everyone in the royal family is.” The noble turned towards the large holo-board on the wall and began to trace her finger upon it. Words and images appeared on the screen as though she were drawing it with her finger. “Now then,” the noble gestured to the screen, “magic is all around us. It is a rich resource called ‘mana’ or ‘ether’ or whatever you prefer.” Textbook-like illustrations and descriptions filled the holo-board, following along with Aphros’s lesson.
“Those capable of using magic naturally draw this resource into their body, converting it into usable energy,” Aphros continued.
“Like a plant with sunlight?” Serena said aloud.
“Exactly,” Aphros jumped in glee, “or like turning sugar into energy. You build up magic in your body and expend it by casting spells. Simple, no?”
“I guess?” Serena shrugged.
“Haven’t you ever played a video game? It’s just like that,” Aphros stated.
‘Yeah, but in a video game you just need to click a few buttons,’ Serena thought, ‘not bend reality around your finger.’
“I know you must think this is all very complicated,” Aphros sighed, “but there are no magic words, sigils, wands, components, or rituals – that comes later – for now, you just need to make something glow.”
“Is that really it?” Serena looked over at Irene, who now had three lights dancing around the room. It was a little distracting.
“Well, there’s also the emotion aspect,” Aphros pinched her lips. “Most magic users find an emotion or feeling to help them channel their spells.”
“Oh, then what is yours, Lady Aphros?” Serena raised an eyebrow.
“Love,” Aphros clasped her hand together while her eyes sparkled like she was in a cheesy romance comic.
‘I’m sorry I asked,’ Serena tried not to gag. She returned her attention to Irene and wondered what feeling the princess was channeling. Being mischievous? Giving her a headache?
“Serena, as a Diane, you are likely already predisposed to performing magic,” Aphros assured. “You simply have to find your way. There’s no need to be concerned.”
“Right,” Serena grumbled. ‘I’m more concerned that you feel I need to know this.’ The maid looked at her finger, something told her Aphros would not let them go until she successfully performed some magic. Frustration bubbled inside Serena as she could not make the impossible happen.
\\~~~\\
//~~~//
Ze’s self-defense lesson proceeded a little more smoothly once Atlanta was strong-armed into participating. Orion found himself knocked on his behind several more times, but the princess was not safe from Ze’s wrath either. A couple hours in, Ze postured proudly at the progress of her two (badly battered) students.
“See, princess? Does it not feel good to shake the rust off your skills?” Ze asked.
“It’s wonderful,” Atlanta lied as she nursed a slight bruise on her elbow. “Mother will kill me for having exposed injuries.”
“She would not be so cruel. Besides, that’s what the Panacea is for,” Ze assured. “But, before that. Since you’ve proven that you understand the basics of self-defense, we’ll move on to more advanced techniques.”
“Finally,” Atlanta muttered under her breath. She looked over to Orion, who was lying on the ground in a daze. “Orion, stand tall.”
“Yes, princess,” Orion jumped to his feet, although he was still unsteady.
“Calm yourself, young man,” Ze patted his shoulder. “Take a moment to gather yourself as I prepare for the next lesson.” Ze turned away and left the two to their own devices for a moment.
“The nerve of her, treating me like a child,” Atlanta hissed.
“Princess?” Orion was taken aback by his charge’s words.
“Did I…?” Atlanta paled. “It’s nothing,” she shook her head.
“Princess, if something is bothering you,” Orion began, “it is my duty to hear you out.”
“It’s no one’s business but my own,” Atlanta turned away. “Just…just drop it.”
“As you wish,” Orion relented.
“Now then, you two,” Lady Ze returned, carrying a massive chunk of rock over each shoulder, “let us dabble in the art of pure power.” The captain of the guard dropped the pair of small boulders on the ground in front of her students.
“You expect us to smash these rocks with our bare hands?” Atlanta asked, already aware she wouldn’t like the answer.
“Yes,” Ze replied.
“What would that teach us?” The princess exclaimed.
“Today, we have busied ourselves with self-defense techniques,” Ze explained. “Those are meant to aid in your escape. Break a chokehold and then run, for instance.” She patted the rock. “However, if you are cornered and cannot run, you must be prepared to strike back.”
“And the rocks?” Atlanta inquired.
“Oh, I am of the belief that controlling your strength and technique are the most important factors in combat,” Ze proclaimed. “However, I find that in teaching, it is best to begin with raw strength and then refine it.” Then Ze wound up a punch and smashed a boulder to dust. “Now, Orion, do the same, and the princess will follow your example.”
“Lady Ze, I do not believe I’m capable of such a feat,” Orion held up his hands.
“Nonsense,” Ze laughed. “Just draw from your inner strength, and you’ll do it easily.”
“Um,” Orion looked around, but Atlanta just rolled her eyes. At the same time, Ze looked (assumedly, he couldn’t tell through her helmet) at him expectedly. “Very well.” The butler stepped forward and tried to punch the remaining rock. Alas, he only managed to hurt his hand.
“No, not like that, Orion,” Ze shook her head. “Don’t just punch it. Draw from your inner strength, your spirit, and your very life, then punch it.”
“My inner strength? Like…magic?” Orion asked.
“No, that is external strength,” Ze corrected him. “Internal energy, it is often called ki, chi, or life force. By harnessing it, you may perform incredible feats of strength and agility.”
“Alright,” Orion took a deep breath. He called upon all his inner strength and slammed his fist into the rock. He was met with a cracking sound, but not from the rock. “Aaaaah!”
“This might take a while,” Ze sighed as she reached for the first aid kit.
\\~~~\\ IV //~~~//
Aphros’s magic lesson puttered on, and Irene’s skills flourished until she grew bored of the dancing lights and fell asleep in her chair. Serena, meanwhile, failed to so much as produce a single speck of light. Aphros maintained a patient visage throughout the experience, but Serena was positively fuming.
“I told you I can’t do this. You’re wasting your time,” Serena growled. “Besides, Princess Irene has another lesson,” Serena checked the clock on the wall, “an hour ago.”
“Don’t concern yourself with that,” Aphros assured. “I gave all of Irene’s teachers the day off.”
‘How is that different from usual? It’s not like they actually get a chance to teach her,’ Serena mused. “Well, I’m sorry, but I can’t do it. I guess that’s why she’s the princess and I’m the maid.”
“That is quitter talk,” Aphros huffed. “Orion can do it, and so could Caenia, your mother, and several other members of your family.”
“My…mother?” Serena was taken aback. “She could do magic.”
“Well, I assume Romeda’s a bit out of practice these days,” the noble admitted, “but I’m sure she’s still more than capable.”
“Oh,” Serena slumped back into her chair. There was no practical reason she couldn’t do it. Lady Aphros was implying it wasn’t a matter of birth or talent, so why couldn’t she do it? Was it all in her head? Aphros did say emotion was a key part of it. Did she need to channel some feelings? ‘Or maybe I am just a screwup. Haven’t exactly been an all-star since I got here.’ The maid lamented.
“Try again, Serena, at least one more time,” Aphros urged.
“Fine,” Serena relented if only to get the noble off her back. She tried gathering that feeling, that energy Aphros talked about. With some focus, Serena could sense that sensation in the air that “mana” Aphros spoke about. However, drawing it in and using it was another story. Still, the teen tried. She tried and tried focusing with all her might until she gave herself a headache. For a moment, she felt like she finally had it, that the magic would finally come forth…and nothing happened.
“Are you-?” Aphros began to ask in concern.
“For the love of-!” Serena slammed her fist on the desk, denting it like it was struck with a hammer. “Oh, Lord, I’m sorry,” the maid held her hand over her mouth in horror. She looked to the side, but somehow Irene had slept through that.
“Maybe we have been going too long,” Aphros admitted. “Perhaps you should bring Irene back to her bedroom and take a short rest yourself.”
“Yeah…I mean, Yes, Lady Aphros,” Serena nodded and carefully picked up the princess before quickly leaving the room in embarrassment.
“I didn’t realize she had such a temper; we’ll have to work on that,” Aphros sighed as she observed the damage to the desk. She touched her finger to the dent before quickly recoiling. “Ow, that’s hot.”
\\~~~\\
//~~~//
Ze’s training resulted mostly in Orion’s embarrassment and Atlanta’s continued boredom. Despite the butler’s best efforts, he could not smash a boulder with his bare fist. Atlanta continued to not even try, mostly poorly feigning attempts at punching the rock until Ze grew frustrated enough to send her away. The spectacle had gone on long enough that they had started to gather onlookers, mostly bored guards, and servants. Ze and Orion were too focused on the training to care, but Atlanta could see the hushed conversations of their audience.
“Alright, Orion, we’ll try this again,” Ze sighed. “Do not simply punch as hard as you can. Pull from that well of strength deep inside. My training should have prepared you for this.”
“I’ll try,” the teen held back tears as he nursed his bruised hand. He took another deep breath and tried to gather power.
‘What a waste of time,’ Atlanta grumbled as she side-eyed the onlookers. ‘Made only worse by our embarrassment being made public.’ The princess watched as the guards shook their heads and moved on while the handful of servants continued to gossip. Atlanta had a good idea of what they were talking about, and it made her blood boil. This is why she didn’t want anything to do with Ze’s training, but her mother insisted.
“One more time, Orion, I know you have it in you,” Ze assured the young man.
“I can do this,” he repeated to himself. Orion gathered every scrap of force he could muster and wound up the strongest punch of his life. His fist practically shook with the strength he put behind it. With a final breath, the butler swung his fist right at the rock…but he never made contact.
“Not like that,” Ze grabbed Orion’s arm mid-swing. The teen felt like his arm was in a vice grip as he struggled against the captain of the guard’s grasp. “That was magic you channeled into your fist, Orion. I told you before what you’re looking for is internal power, not external.”
“Oh,” Orion stared at the ground sheepishly.
“Regardless, I think your hand has suffered enough,” Ze stated. “And I’ve suffered enough of your attitude, young lady,” she turned to Atlanta. The helmet may have obscured Ze’s face, but Atlanta could sense the woman’s glare.
“Whatever,” Atlanta huffed before switching back to her formal persona. “Orion, we shall seek you some Panacea, then you’ll see me to my room. I have little appetite today.”
“Yes, princess,” Orion bowed. He began to walk to the princess, but Ze strode past him.
“Princess,” Lady Ze began, “I understand you’ve been having difficulties recently for several good reasons. But that is no excuse to neglect your training or present yourself with such a foul attitude.”
“You waste your breath, Lady Ze,” Atlanta scoffed. “Why don’t you return to your duties instead of busying yourself with my problems? You should consider your standing in comparison to mine before you stride in upon your high horse.”
“I’m telling your mother,” Ze warned, “and I’m certain she’ll-.”
“No, no, no need for that,” Atlanta broke character. “You don’t have to get mom…ahem, there is no reason to involve mother. Let us part on amicable terms,” the princess course corrected. However, her voice was still shaky.
“Perhaps, but I’m still telling her,” Ze declared before marching away.
“This is gonna suck,” Atlanta muttered.
“Princess, are you okay?” Orion moved to her side.
“I’m fine, Orion,” she didn’t even bother to put up her persona. “Just find some Panacea, and we’ll be on our way.”
“At once, princess,” Orion nodded.
\\~~~\\ V //~~~//
After a relatively short evening, ensuring Princess Irene was fed and put to bed safely, Serena trudged back to her room. Thanks to the secret passage, the trip was no more than a few minutes, yet it felt like an eternity, with the weight of failure dragging the teen down. The whole magic lesson was an exercise in frustration for Serena, and while she just wanted to dismiss it and move on, she couldn’t bring herself to.
‘I made an absolute fool of myself in front of Aphros,’ Serena thought, ‘and that was before I blew my lid. I don’t know why she bothered to give me such special treatment, but I bet she’s thinking twice now.’ Serena dragged her feet towards her bedroom door, only to find Orion waiting in front of his own adjacent door. The blonde also seemed down while he nursed his hand.
“Rough day?” Serena asked as she walked up to him.
“Nothing of the sort,” Orion assured, “Princess Atlanta had a bit of a spat with Lady Ze during a self-defense class, but it was nothing really.”
‘I guess I’m not the only one with a troublesome princess,’ Serena chuckled. “Must be better than my day. I made a spectacle of myself,” the raven-haired girl sighed, “in front of Aphros, no less.”
“Lady Aphros is a very understanding person,” Orion replied, “I’m sure she won’t hold it against you…whatever you did.”
“I can only hope,” Serena pushed open the door to her room. “Is your hand okay? How’d you hurt it?”
“I already took some Panacea. It’ll be fine,” Orion assured. “As for how, it’s a little embarrassing. Lady Ze’s lessons are quite physically tasking.”
“Yeah, I should have figured after you mentioned her name,” Serena realized. ‘Lord, did Lady Ze make him punch rocks all day? I thought he’d gotten pretty sturdy from all the torture she put us through, but I guess Ze took that as a challenge.’
“You turning in for the night?” Orion inquired with a yawn.
“Yeah, I’m more mentally than physically exhausted,” Serena returned his yawn, “but exhausted nonetheless. Goodnight.” She disappeared into her room.
“Goodnight, Serena,” Orion replied before walking into his room.
‘Glad your day went better than mine,’ they both thought, ‘you didn’t fail all day like I did.’
To Be Continued…
>>>~~~~<<<
New responsibilities always come with their share of growing pains, especially when they're inherited from someone else. Proper training and documentation can mitigate this, but sometimes you must dive into the deep end and work it out for yourself.
Author's Note: Another chapter that exploded in size, and thus more points of divergence from the original. Here I decided to establish the basic fantasy systems that this setting will be based upon (magic vs inner strength). More importantly, I've set a precedent for how Serena and Orion will interact with their respective princesses, a baseline to build scenes and stories for the both of them.
I don't have much else to say, later chapters will not be as long as the last two and we're also fast approaching my favorite part of this story.
Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy.
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