\\~~~\\ 0 //~~~//
Previously on Maid in Fantasy: The Regas servant family concocted a plan to humiliate their eternal rivals, the Diane, at the fast-approaching Fire Moon Festival. The Diane quickly became aware of this and schemed to hit the other family right back. However, they admitted they would offer no protection to Orion, whom the Regas intended to be the fall guy for the whole ordeal. Likely because he is the only servant who is a member of both families by birth. This enraged Serena, who refused to let her friend take the fall for an incident that was not his fault. However, her attempts to undermine both families by disabling (read: assaulting) key members proved disastrous. This led to her and Orion being cornered in a warehouse by a mob of Regas servants, only to be saved by Serena’s once enemy, Lady Aré.
\\~~~\\
I //~~~//
“Well, why don’t you two explain yourselves?” Lady Aré asked again, her dark red hair draped gently on her shoulder, but her green eyes burned something fierce. Even in the cold, dark warehouse beneath the palace, Serena and Orion could feel the heat radiating off the noblewoman. Her black, military-esque noble uniform must have been sweltering under such conditions. Yet, Aré did not so much as flinch.
“If you don’t mind me asking, Lady Aré, how do you-?” Serena began to say.
“It’s my business to know everything surrounding my…ahem, such a sacred event as the Fire Moon Festival. I know dealing with Aphros regularly must rot your brains, but surely you haven’t forgotten that the Regas’s job is to serve the higher nobles. Henceforth, a great number of them work for me directly.”
“So, they ratted out their family?” Serena commented.
“While under duress, but yes,” Aré answered.
‘Not touching that statement with a 12-foot pole,’ the raven-haired girl thought.
“It’s not just them,” Aré continued, “the Diane’s first duty is to the Queen. However, that does not mean I don’t have my own connections to them. Besides,” the noble retrieved something from her pocket, “even if I didn’t, I have other ways of learning.” Upon the redhead’s finger sat a tiny white mouse, one who gave Orion a brief moment of pause.
“Um, the mouse, it uh,” the butler mumbled, recognizing the creature. [1]
“This is Squeak. Think of her as a little spy,” Aré explained. “Technically, she works for the Queen, but I’m borrowing her.”
“Is that how you knew where we were?” Serena asked.
“No, I knew where you were because you’ve been making a complete ass of yourself,” Aré jabbed her finger at the maid. “Don’t think I didn’t see your little stunt in the side garden or your foolish attack on Penth.”
“You…you saw that?”[2] Serena gaped.
“Yes, and while I find your choice in aesthetics pleasing. You failed to bring the outfit together,” Aré shook her head. “But enough about your crimes against fashion. Normally, I’d give you hell for assaulting other servants. However, considering it was in service of protecting my festival, I can overlook it.”
‘Technically, it was in service to Orion, but I’m glad I’m off the hook,’ Serena breathed a sigh of relief.
“I know you to believe me some unreasonable nag who derives pleasure from shouting at people,” Aré stated, “but I assure you that’s not the case. Rather than you two flailing about accomplishing nothing, I’m here to offer my aid and focus your efforts. We shall put an end to this madness before it starts.”
“So, you’ll call off the event until we can figure this out, or at least get Lady Aphros back?” Serena asked a spark of hope in her eyes.
“No, and no,” the noblewoman shook her head, much to Serena’s disappointment. “I’m not calling it off. I’ve sunk way too much money and effort into the festival to let a family squabble that has nothing to do with me ruin it,” Aré crossed her arms, “and there’s no way in hell I’m asking Aphros for help. But I can help you prevent the worst.”
‘So much for being reasonable,’ Serena rolled her eyes. “So, what will we do then?”
“It’s simple,” Aré posed proudly as Squeak raced up her body and perched on her shoulder, “I have a plan.”
\\~~~\\
II //~~~//
The night of the Fire Moon Festival had arrived. Serena and Orion had laid low the previous night under Lady Aré’s orders. Now, the day had come, and their counter-counter operation would be put in motion. Serena stood outside the palace’s grand hall, which had again been refitted for the event. The maid mused at how often she seemed to find herself in this grand hall during hair-raising situations.
‘Focus, stick to the plan,’ Serena resolved as she entered the crowded hall. The raven-haired girl recalled the prior night as she went over the plan one last time in her head.
\\~~~\\
//~~~//
Back during the night that Lady Aré had saved the two servants, the noble took the opportunity to relocate to her private quarters to go over her plan with a guarantee of privacy. The redhead’s room was extremely militaristic, to say the least. Crossbows, guns, swords, and shields hung along every free wall. A massive coat of arms banner was hung over her bed, while the dressers and cabinets were decorated with medals and award cases. It was all topped off with a massive world map, apparently from some time ago, depicting the battle lines of a large-scale conflict. And in the corner sat a small, generic-looking shrine covered in a thin layer of dust.
‘Paints a fascinating image of our head of faith,’ Serena thought. Orion seemed mildly concerned about the room but kept any opinions to himself.
“So, let’s iron out the basics,” Aré gestured to a long oak table on which she rolled out a detailed map of the palace’s grand hall. “The grand hall will be altered to fit the needs of the festival. I’ll be on this raised stage dominating the eastern side (that’s the long end). The rest of the hall will be centered around a large statue of my likeness (don’t let anything happen to it), with tables for food and displays fanning out from it.”
“So, no matter where we look, you’re the center of attention?” Serena commented.
“Yes,” Aré confirmed. “Now quit it with the snark.” She glared.
“Lips sealed,” Serena shut up.
“Now, the festival’s main event is my (12th) debut single,” Aré explained. “The Diane are supposed to act as my stage crew to ensure the whole thing goes off without a hitch. The Regas were tasked with being the waitstaff and caterers for the event.”
“Then we’ll be surrounded,” Orion realized. “Every single non-noble at the event will likely be part of either family’s plan. Are there really no other worker families working the event?”
“Not a one,” the noble shook her head. “Those two families are supposed to be the best, and I kept them separated to prevent their usual squabbles. But all for not,” Aré sighed. “Regardless, Squeak has reported to me all the details of both family’s schemes…”
\\~~~\\
//~~~//
‘…The first stage of the Regas’s plan is to sabotage the music and leave the blame for it at the feet of the Diane members running the backstage,’ Serena recalled Aré’s words. The maid gazed across the grand hall, filled to the brim with noise, nobles, and servants. She warily eyed each member of the waitstaff, and they returned her suspicion in kind. ‘No sudden moves. We’re in the calm before the storm. Each side is waiting for the other to make the first attack.’
Serena quickly met up with Orion in front of the statue. The duo watched each other’s backs as they observed the grand hall around them. The statue of Aré made for a massive centerpiece. It depicted her as a knight in full armor, complete with a sword, shield, and a billowing cape. The marble stonework must have been over 20 meters tall. Serena could have made at least a dozen witty comments about it, but she held her tongue.
The two looked to the stage on the eastern side of the hall. The platform was only raised to about Orion’s neck height. It was a bit of a jump but would be nothing for any competent servant. A thick red curtain covered the stage, obscuring all but its edges from view.
“Come on, let’s make our way over,” Orion tugged at Serena’s sleeve. The maid nodded, and the two carefully ventured toward the stage.
\\~~~\\
//~~~//
“As for the Diane,” Aré traced her finger along the map, “they intend to catch and expose the Regas in the act of sabotage while simultaneously sabotaging the Regas’s role as waitstaff.”
“How do they intend to do that?” Serena raised an eyebrow.
“For the former, they’ve probably planned an elaborate scheme to catch out some key member of the Regas,” Aré theorized. “Someone stupid and full of themselves who wouldn’t think of the consequences of their actions.”
‘Oh my, who could that be?’ Serena joked to herself.
“As for the latter, that’s going to be a little simpler,” Aré continued. “They’ll rely on passive-aggressive tactics that can be brushed off as simple accidents, like tripping or shoving. Likely when a Regas just so happens to be carrying a full tray of wine near an important noble…”
\\~~~\\
//~~~//
‘…in response, you’ll have to make those little accidents into near-accidents,’ Aré’s explanation rang through Serena’s mind. The maid looked to the side and noticed a Regas butler holding a full tray of wine glasses. To the side was an out-of-place Diane maid, seemingly answering a nearby noble’s question.
“Orion, I’ll handle the catch. You do the landing,” Serena stated. Orion nodded, and the two altered their course, ready for the shoe to drop.
Suddenly, the other Diane maid turned around, her foot stealthily outstretched as the Regas butler passed over. In a split second, he would trip and spill all his carried wine on a nearby group of nobles dressed in white. However…
“Whoops,” Serena passed in front of the incident and caught the wine tray before it could go flying. Meanwhile, Orion put out his arm to prevent the other butler from falling. “Oh, that would have been dreadful,” Serena played up her faux ignorance, “do be more careful next time.” The maid handed the tray off to a very confused and a little angry Regas butler, who swiftly left the area. The other Diane maid shot Serena a suspicious look but shrugged and moved on. The gathered nobles remained entirely oblivious to the event.
“Let’s keep moving,” Orion urged, and the duo continued on their path to the stage.
\\~~~\\
//~~~//
“So that’s the extent of their plans, tripping each other, ruining your performance, and pointing fingers?” Serena had asked the prior night.
“Well, obviously, that’s not the entire plan,” Aré coughed. “They’re each probably hiding some grand finale close to their chest. Something they can really ruin the other’s reputation with.”
“Any ideas?” Serena pressed.
“None,” Aré admitted sheepishly. “The problem is that Penth knows about Squeak, so she buttoned her lip as soon as she noticed the rodent,” the noble glanced at the tiny white mouse perched on her shoulder. In response, Squeak stuck her tongue out and blew a raspberry. “As for the Regas, their head can’t shut up to save her life. So, I know exactly what they’re up to…”
\\~~~\\
//~~~//
‘…sabotage the stage lights, trigger a small fire, and somehow blame it on Orion. I’m sure you can guess who’s in charge of that operation,’ the noble’s words remained at the front of Serena’s mind as she opened the door to the backstage. A massive group of Diane servants worked to prepare for Aré’s (12th) debut single. Serena looked up to see an enormous network of stage lights held up by steel rigging. The maid scanned the area for a certain blonde doofus, but thankfully, Jace was apparently nowhere to be found.
“Alright, now to…” Serena began to say.
“Hey, don’t think I don’t see you two coming in late,” a haughty voice snapped. It belonged to Lady Aré, who fumed with an anger only a primadonna possessed.
‘Laying it on a little think, don’t you think?’ Serena glanced aside.
\\~~~\\
//~~~//
“And while we’re running around keeping all your staff from sabotaging each other, what will you be doing?” Serena inquired.
“I’ll be going about my business as usual. I have a show to run,” Aré huffed.
“How could I forget?” Serena rolled her eyes.
“Watch that smart mouth,” Aré snapped. “Didn’t your mother ever teach you manners?”
“She tried her best before I was practically kidnapped to be on the palace’s staff,” Serena retorted.
“You take that up with Aphros, not me,” the redhead countered. “Besides, if I were to act at all suspicious or unusual, the two families might shift their plans. It is best they think I’m oblivious.”
‘So, you’re acting like the Diane and refusing to be proactive?’ Serena thought but wisely didn’t share.
\\~~~\\
//~~~//
“You two, up here, now!” Aré ordered. Serena and Orion, the former reluctantly, obliged and stood at attention before the noble. Serena looked the redhead up and down, noting her extreme change in dress.
Aré’s military-styled uniform had been replaced by the gaudiest red, gold, and white dress Serena had ever seen. It vaguely resembled a 19th-century officer’s coat on top, complete with an epaulet[3] on each shoulder. The rest was a flashy, shiny dress that came up to just past Aré’s knees. It was completed with tall white, heeled boots and a puffy red and gold version of a modern officer’s hat. The ensemble would have made the woman look more like an idol than a high-ranking noble if not for the fact that she was obviously too old to dress like this. Not that Serena knew how old Aré was, nor was she willing to open that can of worms.
“Took you long enough,” Aré huffed. “You boy,” Aré pointed at Orion, “I want you back on the floor.”
“What? But, I-” Orion was surprised by her order.
“Did I say you could talk back?” Aré interrupted, “I don’t care what you think you’re supposed to do. I want you back on the floor with the waitstaff. Do you hear me?”
“Yes, Lady Aré,” Orion bowed and hastily left the area.
‘Honestly, that’s kind of a clever way to give him an excuse to be out of the backstage,’ Serena silently admitted.
“And you girl,” Aré glared at Serena. “I want you checking every square inch of the rigging. I better not see you stop until you know it’s perfect, understand?”
‘I bet she still doesn’t actually know my name,’ Serena theorized. “Yes, Lady Aré,” she curtsied while biting her lip. The noble and the maid shared a knowing glance before they broke off for their assigned tasks. ‘Now, let’s get down to business. Hopefully, our acting has paid off.’
\\~~~\\ //~~~//
“What’s he doing out here?” Medy whispered to Alcim. The two maids watched with confusion and panic as Orion returned to the grand hall’s floor.
“I have no idea. There’s no reason for him to be out here,” Alcim fumed before she turned to her wrist. What at first appeared to be a watch was actually a wrist-mounted communicator, which the Regas head flipped open and spoke into. “Jace, what’s going on backstage?”
“Uh, Lady Aré just yelled at Orion and his girly friend,” Jace replied through the device. “She ordered him back out onto the floor.”
“You got to be kidding me,” Alcim groaned. “No, we can still make this work. Just keep doing what you’re doing, Jacey. I’ll take care of the bastard.” Alcim moved to shut her communicator.
“Mom, what did I say about-?” Jace was cut off.
“Alright, Medy, time to do what you do best,” Alcim declared.
“Hmm?” Medy looked at her relative quizzically.
“Antagonize him,” the Regas head gestured wildly. “Get him to retreat backstage.”
“Oh, I can do that,” Medy grinned maliciously.
\\~~~\\ //~~~//
“Poor Serena,” Penth shook her head. “I hope Lady Aré doesn’t keep singling her out like this.” The head maid and Orpheo watched the young girl from afar as she inspected all the light rigging backstage.
“I’ll go help her,” Orpheo volunteered.
“Oh no, music-man,” Penth refused. “Lady Aré is counting on your talents to carry her show through. You keep tweaking the sound equipment and preparing your instruments. I’ll go help Serena.”
“O…okay,” Orpheo sighed and moved toward Lady Aré with trepidation.
“What can you do?” Penth shrugged. “Serena, wait up, young lady,” The head maid rushed after the other girl.
\\~~~\\ //~~~//
‘This will be harder than I thought,’ Orion gulped as he bounced from place to place in the grand hall. It seemed like every minute, another Diane servant had snuck out onto the floor to harass the Regas. The butler had stopped five trips and four “accidental” shoves, each of which would have resulted in at least one unhappy noble.
Both the Diane and the Regas were swiftly growing suspicious of the happenings. The former started giving him intense glares, while the latter became confused and annoyed. After a certain point, Orion stopped in front of Aré’s statue, a touch exhausted from being so on edge for several minutes.
“Well, well, well,” Medy emerged from the crowd. “Out of breath already? What’s your game, Orion?”
“No game, I’m just trying to prevent an incident,” Orion explained.
“Too late for that,” Medy puffed out her chest. “Jace is already in position. Soon, all the Diane will look like incompetent fools, especially you.”
“Medy, you realize I’ve been helping your family for the past several minutes, right?” The butler pointed out.
“No, you haven’t. Obviously, you’ve been plotting some elaborate scheme with the Diane to let our guard down so you can…something,” Medy fished for excuses.
“Medy, seriously,” Orion pleaded.
“Don’t act all innocent,” Medy snapped. “Now beat it to the backstage with the rest of your idiot family, or would you rather stay out here and deal with me?”
‘Neither is an appealing choice right now,’ Orion figured out her scheme quickly. Medy, while cleverer than Jace by a long shot, was still quite full of herself and unaware of her flaws. She did her best work from the shadows behind a pawn like Jace. Once she confronted someone directly, she had the same problem as Alcim. She could not hide her intentions, but in her case, she at least tried to deny them. “Medy, let’s not,” Orion started to say when a chill went up his spine.
“Look out!” A servant screamed. Orion and Medy looked to see a very unpleasant sight incoming.
\\~~~\\ //~~~//
Serena poured over the rigging backstage, spotting nothing so far but a few slightly loose bolts here and there. Alas, those could have already been like that. She needed to find hard evidence of tampering.
“Serena,” Penth emerged beside the raven-haired girl, causing the distracted Serena to jump.
“Please don’t sneak up on me like that, ma’am,” the young girl wheezed.
“Taking this impromptu job seriously, eh?” Penth smiled. “You needn’t be so invested in Aré’s whims. She just gave you this job to keep you out of the way.”
“Yeah,” Serena glanced around nervously.
“You also needn’t worry about the Regas either,” the head maid whispered in Serena’s ear, “I know what you’ve been up to. You made quite the stir by dealing with the Regas directly.”
“I can explain,” Serena began to sweat.
“Don’t worry about it,” Penth assured. “While the Regas did become aware we were on to them, it was far too late for them to course correct. They’re on guard but not the least bit prepared,” the head maid beamed, “our plan is already in motion. Even better, Orion is out on the floor and can’t get blamed for the Regas’s little scheme. So don’t worry about the rigging. They won’t even have a chance to break it.”
“Dare I ask what your plan is?” Serena gulped.
“I could tell you, but you’ll see for yourself very soon,” Penth smiled.
‘Oh Lord,’ Serena could feel her chest tighten, but then something she spotted out of the corner of her eye made it worse. “Why is the curtain rising?”
“What?” Penth flipped around. “But showtime isn’t for another ten minutes. There wasn’t even a countdown or announcement,” the head maid paled. “Someone stop the curtain,” she shouted.
“Too late. It’s fully automated,” Orpheo shouted back. “Places, everyone!” The Diane servants scrambled to their proper positions. Thankfully, Aré was already in place. She raised no complaint about the situation, seemingly ready to charge this unexpected moment head-on.
‘At least she’s taking this well,’ Serena supposed. ‘Still, who the hell raised the curtain so early?’
\\~~~\\ //~~~//
“Whoops, wrong lever,” Jace scratched the back of his neck. The butler had found himself in a secret nook above the stage, staring at four numbered levers. Despite his preparations, the Diane and Lady Aré had preemptively reinforced the stage rigging to curtail his sabotage. He had also nearly forgotten the smoke bombs, which now carelessly hung off his belt. ‘This rigging is more of a pain in the ass to sabotage than I thought. Thank the Queen for these convenient levers,’ Jace reached out towards the row of four levers. ‘Now, if only someone labeled these damn things, who wired it like this anyway? Wait, what’s this?’ Jace noticed a note tucked between the levers.
“Remember to properly label the levers sooner rather than later. A note from the desk of General Chrona,” Jace read the note aloud. The piece of paper was quite old and frail to the touch. “Warning: Lever 4 causes all the lights and rigging to drop, or was it 3? No, 3 turned all the lights on, I think,” Jace read the rest of the note.
“Huh, I don’t know why you’d want to do that, but it makes my life easier,” Jace shrugged. “Now, is it 3 or 4? Ah, forget it, I’ll pull both.” The butler yanked both levers. A loud creak echoed through the backstage, and at first, Jace thought it was all a dud. “Is that it?” He wondered aloud before an unsettling series of clicks spread through the rigging. All at once, every light backstage flared to life as the entire rigging fell like a lead weight. Rigging, which Jace just so happened to be standing on.
“Aaaaaaah,” the butler screamed as the smoke bombs and the note flew off his person. If he had been only a little more inquisitive, he would have noticed there was more on the back of the paper.
“Also, remember to install a proper platform next to the levers. Propping it up with the rigging is not the best idea. Oh yeah, and never pull both levers at once. You’ll probably start a fire,” the note read.
\\~~~\\ //~~~//
The lights and rigging crashed all around the stage. The servants leaped out of the way as the electronics burst into flames from the fall. Jace’s lost smoke bombs bursting open only added to the confusion. Aré stood in the middle of the chaos, contemplating how yet another debut had been ruined. Despite the danger, she remained unmoving, appearing more frustrated than concerned.
“Lady Aré, we must flee!” Orpheo rushed to her side.
“I’m not afraid of a little fire,” Aré growled. “Besides, the curtains should be treated to prevent them from igniting. I doubt the fire will have time to spread before help arrives,” Aré looked around. While the flames and crashed rigging were undoubtedly dangerous, it was only ‘exit the room and wait for emergency services’ dangerous. It wasn’t anywhere near ‘flee at once, the palace was going to burn down’ dangerous.
“Lady, please, you can’t expect me to leave you here?” Orpheo insisted.
“Fine,” Aré shrugged, “as long as nothing happens to the statue. Everything will be fine.”
“Why would the statue be a problem?” Orpheo sweated as they fled further backstage.
“I sealed some magic in it to enhance the finale. It would have made a firework effect,” Aré explained. “Now, it would only make this small fire into an unyielding blaze.”
“Oh, no,” Orpheo lost his breath.
“You idiots,” Aré realized. “That was your plan!”
“You know about the plan?” The valet panicked as they reached relative safety.
“Of course, I know about your plan,” the noble snapped. “Why do you think I sent Orion out there? But I didn’t know that was part of it. He won’t be able to hold up the whole statue!”
“Look out!” A servant screamed from somewhere on the floor, prompting the two to look out past the blaze.
“Oh no!” The two said in unison.
\\~~~\\ //~~~//
“Well, that was close. Now, how will I get Orion to take the fall for this?” Jace crawled away to the side of the stage. It was a miracle he was uninjured. Although his knees did feel like jelly.
“I knew it,” Serena appeared behind him.
“How did you find me?” Jace jumped to his feet but still wobbled.
“A little friend told me,” the maid replied. At that moment, Squeak emerged from behind Serena’s head and crawled over to her shoulder. “You’re in so much trouble. I almost pity you.”
“Wait, wait,” Jace backed away and out the door onto the grand hall’s floor. “Y-you can’t convict me based on the testimony of a mouse!”
“I can’t, but Aré will,” Serena followed and grabbed Jace by his collar. “But first. This is for trying to pin this all on Orion,” the maid held up her fist for a punch. ‘Okay, so I’m venting my frustrations on him, and that’s not good. But it’s Jace, so who cares?’
“H-help, she’s going to hurt my beautiful face,” Jace’s cry for help was drowned out by the sound of everyone on the floor panicking at the fire and something else. “Why is nobody-?”
“Look out!” Someone screamed. Both Jace and Serena looked in the direction of the scream and paled at the sight. The voice came from a Regas maid watching a particularly large butler trip over a table, bounce off the ground, and somersault into the statue. In fact, several Regas had been tripped in unison, and all were tumbling uncontrollably into the sculpture.
They hit the artwork in sequence, each crash knocking the statue a little further over. At first, Serena assumed there was no way such a huge statue would have fallen over from a few people slamming into it. However, as the figure began to tip, the maid came to a startling realization. The structure was obviously hollow and very top-heavy. Aré cheaped out, and now everyone would pay for it.
“Oh Lord,” Serena pushed Jace away and braced from impact. The statue tumbled over and slammed into the ground with a heavy thud, breaking open like an egg. This shook the entire grand hall and served to agitate the fire. “What else could possibly go wr-?” Serena quickly slapped her hands over her mouth in horror. Alas, it was too late. Fate was sufficiently tempted.
A wave of something swept over the room. It felt like a literal heat wave. Once it crossed over the flames, they went from a modest fire to a full-blown blaze and rapidly spread through the hall. Worse yet, it seemed the crashed statue caused some structural supports to be knocked loose, which the wave only exasperated, and parts of the ceiling began to fall.
“That answers that question,” Serena muttered as the room went into complete chaos.
\\~~~\\ III //~~~//
As the disaster unfolded, with nobles running around like headless chickens and the Diane filtering out the backstage, the two servant families began to lock eyes. Even as the fire spread along the grand hall’s sides, Penth stood at the front of the Diane family while Alcim stood in front of her own, and the two groups glared at one another.
“This is your fault,” they both accused in unison. “I’m glad you agree,” the two replied in unison again. Both families assumed aggressive postures. A fight amid the burning and collapsing hall was inevitable.
“There isn’t time for this,” Serena appeared Squeak still on her shoulder, her voice booming like Penth’s. “Now, do your damn jobs and help the nobles!” The maid pointed at the two family heads, a gesture the mouse emulated.
Both maids and the rest of their followers stared at the young girl in surprise. Yet, their determination did not falter. For a brief moment, it seemed Serena’s plea had fallen on deaf ears. However, a piece of the ceiling breaking off and crashing into the floor nearby snapped them back to reality. Penth and Alcim looked at each other again, a knowing look in both their eyes.
‘Just for tonight,’ the two heads said wordlessly, ‘then we’ll settle this.’ With a flick of both maids’ wrists, the two families sprang into action. Without words or direction, the mass of workers began to simultaneously herd the nobles out of the room, work to contain the fire and protect each other from the collapsing ceiling.
Serena moved with them, surprisingly being assisted by Medy of all people, helping to put out the blaze. The maid only paused briefly to address the mouse still on her shoulder. “Squeak, I have an idea. This whole situation begins and ends with Orion,” the raven-haired girl explained, “he’s the key to salvaging this mess. Tell that to Aré. She should figure out the rest.” The mouse nodded as she was set on the floor and raced back towards the stage. As her temporary companion left, the young maid spared not a single glance back. She was more focused on gathering water from the ice buckets used to hold the party’s complimentary champagne.
Meanwhile, Orion went to aid in the evacuation effort. Having narrowly avoided the falling statue earlier, the butler was shaken but eager to help. Alas, he wouldn’t be given a chance.
“You!” Jace confronted Orion. “This is your fault.”
“How could this be my fault? Weren’t you the one sabotaging the lights?” Orion pointed out.
“Well, I obviously couldn’t have made such a huge mistake,” Jace denied. “You must have set me up somehow,” the Regas butler accused.
“Jace, this really isn’t the time,” Orion refused to get caught up in the other man’s delusions and started to walk away.
“Don’t turn your back on me!” Jace jumped Orion with a right hook. The Diane butler ducked out of the way and raised his hands to protect himself.
“Jace, just stop!” Orion pleaded.
“Don’t chicken out on me yet,” Jace came at Orion again, and the two cousins began exchanging blows. Or rather, Jace threw blows while Orion dodged and pushed Jace away.
“Seriously, Jace, think about what you’re doing,” Orion begged the other blonde while directing the nobles to safety.
“I think you’re a coward,” Jace continued to live in denial.
“Jace, please,” Orion tried again while also knocking away a piece of falling debris. Saving both their skins.
“Please lie down and die,” Jace went on like a broken record.
\\~~~\\ IV //~~~//
“Well, this is unfortunate,” Aré made the understatement of the century. She and Orpheo had been trapped by the initial fire and stuck backstage. Their only saving grace was a scaffold atop the stage, which they climbed to avoid the fire while hoping they could jump to safety. Alas, they had only managed to trap themselves on the structure.
“Lady Aré, I can jump it, even while carrying you,” Orpheo assured.
“Well, unless you can defy physics, you’d just crash into the ceiling or that piece of wall where the rigging used to be,” Aré pointed out. It would be an effortless jump for the superhuman Diane butler, but he couldn’t change the fact they were so high up. They did, however, have a great view of the ongoing disaster control effort in the grand hall and Orion’s tussle with Jace.
“You’d think the sprinkler system would have gone off by now,” Orpheo commented.
“Yeah, sprinkler system,” Aré muttered. Unfortunately, neither individual would ever see the now incinerated note left by General Chrona that admitted the sprinkler system needed to be fixed.
“Squeak,” a little white mouse appeared between them.
“How’d you get up here?” Aré asked, but the mouse didn’t reply. “Whatever, just lead us the way you came, and I’ll be able to deal with the fire.”
“Squeak,” the mouse shook its head. “Squeak, squeak,” the creature continued.
“You little…wait, that’s actually a good idea. Glad I thought of it,” Aré grinned, failing to notice Squeak and Orpheo rolling their eyes. “If this whole thing is centered around Orion, let him take center stage at the climax.”
“I don’t follow,” Orpheo tugged at his collar, the heat of the flames getting to him.
“Just wait here or follow Squeak,” Aré replied. “I came to give a performance, and by the Lord, I’ll give one. First off, Squeak, go alert Orion to my position. Make sure he’s looking at me.”
“Squeak,” the mouse nodded and dashed back the way it came.
\\~~~\\ //~~~//
Orion blocked another punch from Jace, having given up convincing his cousin to stop. There was no point in wasting the dwindling air supply in a burning room. Instead, the Diane butler had switched to a mild offense, mainly consisting of judo throwing Jace away, hoping he’d stay down for once.
“I’m not done with you!” Jace exclaimed as he was hurdled across the room into a table.
“Of course not,” Orion sighed before noticing something crawling up his leg. “Squeak, what are you doing here?”
“Squeak,” the mouse pointed towards the stage.
“What?” Orion followed the tiny creature’s direction. “Lady Are!” The butler witnessed the noblewoman stumbling atop a burning scaffold. It was clear as day that in a few seconds, she’d trip and fall into the pit of smoke and burning metal on the stage. Everyone else was distracted by the evacuation and disaster control efforts, leaving Orion the only one currently aware. “I’m coming,” he sprinted for the stage.
“Don’t you run away from me,” Jace sprang back to his feet and chased the other butler.
‘I can jump and catch her, but where do I go from there?’ Orion wondered, noting that if he intercepted her, they’d either crash into the blazing scaffolding or fall onto the burning stage. ‘What would Lady Aphros say at a time like?’ He wondered. ‘…Improvise!’ Orion bolted at full force before bracing for the most critical jump of his life. Jace followed close behind.
“The heat, it’s too much,” Aré announced for all to hear with an exaggerated faintness of breath before finally “tripping” and falling off the scaffold.
‘Please support my weight,’ Orion prayed as he leaped into the air.
“Where do you think you’re-?” Jace jumped after Orion with the intent to grab the other man’s ankles. However, he was momentarily distracted when he finally realized Aré was falling off the scaffold.
“Sorry,” Orion kicked Jace away in mid-air before continuing on his way. The blonde butler sailed over the burning stage before catching the noble at the top of his arc. Then he put his feet forward and braced for impact onto the scaffold. At the point of contact, he pushed himself off the burning structure, sending himself back to the grand hall’s floor (mostly) unscathed. “Are you unharmed, Lady Aré?” Orion coughed.
“You saved me,” the noble replied with a smile before being set down. The act was witnessed by quite a number of people, all of whom were distracted from their pressing duties until they remembered, ‘Oh yeah, the room is still on fire.’
“Aré, you may be safe, but we still have a fire to worry about,” Orion commented.
“Oh, I can handle that,” Aré snapped her fingers. Suddenly, all the fire waxed and waned like the tides before gathering itself up in a ball and snuffing out. “It was my magic that made the fire worse. I just needed to be in the right place to dispel it.” There was still smoke and a somewhat unstable ceiling, but with the fire gone, it was much easier to contain. Before long, what would have been a terrible disaster was stopped entirely, and both worker families breathed a shared sigh of relief.
\\~~~\\ V //~~~//
The disaster had passed, and the cleanup had gone late into the night. The gathered nobles left with no more than a shrug and a disappointed sight. What else would they expect from one of Lady Aré’s festivals? The two servant families, however, were gathered at attention in the ruined grand hall. Aré stood before them, arms folded behind her back, a long rant forming in her mind.
‘Here we go,’ Serena braced for Aré’s fury. Even if it wasn’t directed at her, it still wouldn’t be pleasant to watch.
“First off,” Aré began but was suddenly interrupted by a cold breeze blowing through the room.
“Perhaps I should handle this, Lady Aré,” the Queen seemed to materialize behind the noble. In this light, the monarch’s hair appeared silver, complementing her white dress and pale skin and making her seem almost spectral.
“My Queen, I was just-!” Aré tried to reply.
“Don’t worry, I’m not angry at you (not that much, at least),” the Queen assured as she seemingly glided in front of the other woman. “Even if you should have warned me about what was happening.”
‘I forgot about this feeling,’ Serena felt the air leave her lungs. A quick glance to either side revealed that the sensation was shared among everyone in the room. The Queen was in full monarch mode, which never meant good things.
“Now then, Penth, Alcim, step forward,” Celene commanded, and the maids obeyed. She sat the two before her like small children. “Must we do this every few months?”
“…” Both maids murmured. Unwilling or unable to form a real reply.
“I asked you a question,” the Queen narrowed her gaze. At least, that’s the sensation everyone else in the room felt. In truth, the monarch’s eyes were obscured behind her long flowing hair.
“My Queen, you must understand, she started it,” the two maids accused in unison.
“Don’t you spout lies,” Penth snapped at the Regas. “We only retaliated against your plot.”
“Don’t act all high and mighty,” Alcim retorted. “If you thought yourself truly in the right, you’d have reported us instead of creating your own scheme.”
“Both wonderful points, ladies,” the Queen sighed. “Penth, I expect better of you than plots of preemptive revenge. Alcim, I know you’re capable of better (even if you actually started it).”
‘Did anyone else hear that last part?’ Serena wondered.
“My Queen,” the two maids beamed with hope in their eyes.
“Now, put a cap on this family rivalry nonsense for a while. In fact, you should follow Orion’s example. He never held a grudge, no matter what you did to him,” Celene declared. “If not, I’ll be forced to enact a much harsher punishment, understand?”
“Yes, my Queen,” the two maids bowed. ‘I got off really easy,’ they both thought.
“I know. I’m just giving you two the benefit of a doubt. It’s only fair,” Celene smiled as the two maids went pale. “Promise me this: don’t ever let it happen again,” the Queen’s words thundered through the room. Perhaps they didn’t get off quite as easily as they thought.
‘Just great, she really can read minds,’ Serena realized as the Queen gave her an amused glance. ‘Ah crap, she really can read minds,’ the maid cringed.
“As for the rest of you,” the Queen turned towards the two servant families. “Orion, you’re free to go,” Celene announced. Orion instantly lapsed into a palpable relief.
‘There’s one victory,’ Serena said under her breath and stepped aside. “Come on, Orion,” she grabbed her friend and pulled him away.
“Now, for the rest of the rest,” the Queen hummed, “Normally, the appropriate action would be to make an example of one of you, but I don’t like to do that.” A look of relief spread through the room. “However, one of you made an utter fool of themselves today, Jacey.” Celene looked to the side, turning everyone’s attention to Jace, who was attempting to escape the meeting.
“Uh, this isn’t what it looks like,” Jace defended himself.
“Of course,” the Queen waved her hand, and the Regas butler was lifted off his feet and pulled over to her. As though he were suspended by an invisible hand. “Assault, starting the fire, refusing to take responsibility for your actions. Need I go on?”
“It’s not my fault. It was Mother’s plan. Besides, Orion set me up,” Jace refuted the Queen’s accusations.
“Was it your mother’s plan to also attack Orion? Was Orion the one who started the fire? Did either deny their involvement in today’s incident?” The Queen countered.
“It’s not my fault!” Jace repeated.
“For refusing to take responsibility for your actions, among other things, Jace Regas, you shall be punished,” the Queen raised her hand. With a snap of her fingers, a flash of light struck like a bolt of lightning. When the light faded, Jace was gone. Only his clothes remained behind.
“Oh Lord, Jacey,” Alcim freaked.
“It is okay. He is not gone,” Celene pointed at the butler’s clothing. Within was a single moving lump that struggled its way out of the clothes to reveal itself as a tiny, yellow piglet.
“Oink, oink!” Jace squealed before being snatched up by a pair of female hands.
“Ah,” Medy had emerged from the crowd of servants, “he looks so cute now.”
“Medy, I charge you with his care until the boy learns a little humility,” Celene ordered.
‘Well, at least that worked out,’ Serena sighed. With the scolding and punishments seemingly out of the way, the servants slowly filtered out of the room. An air of mild discomfort hung over the area. The Queen and Lady Aré had also stepped aside and began discussing something privately. “Come on, Orion, let’s get out of here,” Serena took her friend’s hand and moved toward a new day.
“Ah-ah-ah. Where do you think you’re going, young lady?” The Queen grabbed Serena’s shoulder.
“Wha?” Serena paled.
“Don’t think I’m unaware of your mischief,” the Queen towered over the maid. “Assault, failed assault…Well, it was mostly the first assault, but need I go on?”
“But it was Jace,” Serena retorted, “I did it for Orion’s sake. It was preemptive self-defense.”
“That sounds like something Aphros would say. Besides, doing the wrong thing for the right reasons still means you did the wrong thing,” Celene admonished. “Don’t worry, Aré and I have talked it out. We have no grand punishments planned for you. In fact, it’s not a punishment at all if you look at it in a certain way.”
‘I don’t like the sound of that,’ Serena gulped.
\\~~~\\ //~~~//
Orpheo pulled himself out of the rubble backstage, suffering from nothing more than the worst headache of his life.
“I should have gotten off the scaffold,” the valet coughed as he dusted himself off. “I guess this is karma for how I treated my nephew.” The Diane servant sighed as he crawled out of the rubble, a wistful look in his eye. “What would you have done, Agamen?”
\\~~~\\
VI //~~~//
In the following few days, Serena found herself generally happy with how (most) things worked out. The tension in the air had gradually evaporated into a silent truce between the two families. At the very least, the situation was better than it was before.
“I’m just glad another day is over,” Serena admitted to Orion as they walked down the palace’s halls one fine night. The two princesses were safely in bed, and the two servants were ready for a nice sleep. But just then, the two crossed paths with Penth.
“Orion,” the head maid maintained a serious expression.
“Ma’am,” Orion replied neutrally.
“I’m sorry,” she bowed and patted the boy’s shoulder before moving on. Word had spread fast about Orion saving Lady Aré, basically averting a major disaster caused by all of the other servant’s hubris.
“Now that’s nice,” Serena smiled.
“Hmm,” Orion didn’t comment, but his expression was not an unhappy one. The two continued forward, passing by a pack of Regas servants. Both groups simply exchanged polite nods and carried on.
“That’s an improvement, at least,” Serena shrugged.
“Ha,” Orion chuckled, his expression unreadable. They turned a corner, their rooms only a hop, skip, and a jump away, when they beheld one last sight. Medy with the pigified Jace at the end of a crude leash.
“Out for walkies,” Medy chirped as she walked by the two. The piglet Jace shot the two a dirty look before Medy yanked his leash and dragged him onward.
“She’s enjoying this too much,” Serena curled her lip.
“I’d say so,” Orion replied quietly.
“I want to say I feel sorry for him, but I don’t,” Serena admitted.
“That’s not a nice thing to say,” Orion pointed out.
“Well, he’s not a nice person,” Serena threw her hands in the air. “I still think Queen was too forgiving as far as punishments go. Aside from the pork chop over there.”
“Perhaps she’s just a forgiving person?” Orion suggested.
“Nah, maybe it’s because nobody, by some miracle, got seriously hurt,” Serena theorized. “If that wasn’t the case, we’d all be out of a job right now (or worse).”
“I think the Queen may feel responsible for letting it escalate this far,” Orion countered. “She had to be aware of what was happening on some level and blames herself for not doing something sooner.”
“I think that’s more than a little optimistic,” the maid shook her head but argued no further. ‘With all that’s happened, I’m glad it worked out in Orion’s favor. They’re not treating him well yet, but they are treating him better. And I’m better prepared for the next time these shenanigans occur.’ The two continued forward toward their rooms, ready for a long night of rest in preparation for their next day of craziness.
May This Fantasy Continue A Little Longer…
Next Time: Chapter XIX: Serena’s Rival, Part 1
\\~~~\\ //~~~//
“Serena, if you don’t mind me asking,” Orion stopped in front of their rooms. “What was that punishment the Queen was going to give you?”
“Don’t know yet,” Serena admitted, “she just said she had something planned and gave me a wink. Well, I think she winked. I can’t really see her eyes.” The maid shrugged and opened the door to her room.
“Hello, maid,” Lady Aré sat in Serena’s room, waiting for her.
“Aah,” Serena nearly jumped to the ceiling. “Lady Aré? What are you-?”
“The Queen and I had a long discussion, and we’ve come to a conclusion,” Aré interrupted. “Aphros has been a poor mentor for you in the ways of etiquette and proper manners. Namely, she has taught you none for the past several months, hence your smart mouth and recent aggressive acts.”
“So?” Serena didn’t like where this was going.
“It’s been decided, maid, that I will take over your lessons in formality for the foreseeable future,” the noble revealed. “I’ll have you trained into a proper and honorable maid in no time.”
“Oh,” Serena replied simply. ‘OH, LORD!’ The maid screamed internally.
[1] See Maid in Fantasy Shorts III
[2] Yes, she did. Go back to the last chapter and see for yourself.
[3] You know, the gold shoulder pad things?
>>>~~~~<<<
In the workplace, punishment for misdeeds and mistakes should be even
and fair. There's no need to single out a poor soul to make an example
of them.
Author's Note: Maybe I should have taken my own advice and split this chapter up back into it's original four comonents, but that was outside the scope of my rewrites. Regardless, here is the big finale to what I call Volume 2 of Maid in Fantasy. It's easily one of the longest stories I've written, let alone chapters.
As for the contents I'm overall happy with how it turned out, we see another side of Aré (and plenty of her ego), Serena tries to be a good friend and Orion gets to save the day. However, what I find most important for this chapter is that it is setting several things in motion with its ending. Serena is now under Aré's tutelage, that writes itself. New doors are open for Orion, who now has a chance to gain the respect of his family. Jace has been horribly punished, leaving the question in the air for what he may or may not learn from this experience. All these nice little plot hooks are set up, just in time for me to throw a complete curveball (but we'll see about that next time).
Oh yeah, I was also going to add a Caenia epilogue to this chapter, like I've done a couple times before, but it didn't really fit (and I already had an ending scene with a good punchline, so I didn't want to ruin that). So I've moved that epilogue to its own little short that I'll be positng soon. Look forward to it.
Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy.
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