The Maid and Her Princess - Chapter 19: Chapter 19

"These are called Pull-ups," the princess told Madoka, pointing at an iron bar hanging above their heads. She jumped up to grab the bar and lifted herself up so her shoulders could match the bar's height. After one, she was panting and laughed sheepishly. "I can't do very many. That being said, take this."
"Are those bandages?" Madoka caught white wraps.
"It's called a sarashi. Cliche, I know, but sports bras haven't been invented yet," The princess pulled her common dress down, startling Madoka. The long cloth was wrapped around her entire torso. "Strap it around like this when we work out. Because if these delts, tris, lats and biceps aren't burning after you're done with these you're doing it wrong."
She poked the various muscles on Madoka's body. The princess went on to explain several other exercises, similar to the ones for sword training. Madoka was in awe of her strange knowledge, but her list of exercises was daunting. Was this how she managed to gain so much strength and coordination in such a short time? Did she learn this stuff in the library?
After an hour, Madoka was drenched in sweat and breathing hard. The princess, on the other hand, was completely fine.
"Whew, you okay there, Madoka?" She grabbed a cloth and wiped the sweat off. She tossed a spare to Madoka, who lay on the ground. "Now we're gonna do a bit of cooldown stretches. You're definitely going to feel it tomorrow."
And she was right.
For the following month, Madoka's body stung, became strung out and broken down until there was nothing left but muscle. Instead of going easier, the princess would smirk and increase the amount of exercises they were going to do. For a summer body, she said, whatever that meant. In between the exercises, she would train with Lord Zeron. Leopride would not show up often, but would beat her senselessly.
Her body would grow and be broken down. All that remained was a sheer duty to the princess's wishes and a hatred for that Cherish-man and Lord Zeron. Rain poured down on one fateful day, when Leopride's dreaded face showed one day. Lord Zeron took the princess on a separate practice session, but Madoka couldn't help but think the beast planned it that way.
The beast laughed. Madoka just held her sword ready. The rain bore its weight all around them and all that could be visible was the mist from their breaths.
"Let's see what you got, bitch!" He drew his sword. His stance was adopted to another form of swordsmanship. Madoka knew she was already outclassed, but still the duel began the moment her opponent's foot pushed off the dirt.
Swords clashed, yet Madoka was still standing. Leopride smirked at the young girl, kicking her and leaping back. She hardly had enough time to block it, so his foot still managed to hit her chest.
"You've gotten a bit tougher for a commoner," he said, brandishing his sword again. "The point of a duel is to prove one's resolve, the last man standing for their honor and country. Can you stand for such an esteemed woman? Does she know you for what a parasite you truly are?"
With that, he lunged at Madoka. She stood guard to block the sword, but noticed it was a feint. A month ago, she would have been spilled out across the field. But this time was different, she would give him a fight before she faced the inevitable. He was aiming at her hand.
It was too late, she managed to save her hand but the blow cleaved through her guard and sent her spiraling into the dirt. All she saw was rainy clouds and failure in her pounding head. Still she rose, learning the Cherish-man's movements. Another lunge, another clash between locked swords and splashing water dirtied her vision.
"You. Aren't. Strong. Enough!" The Cherish-man grinned. He was able to hold the lock with one hand and with the other hand he punched Madoka to the ground. He laughed before taking the wooden sword and snapping it with his knees. Fury built up in Madoka's heart at the reality before her. Leopride was right, as every Knight could tell her. She knew she was weak, yet she knew in herself that she needed to get stronger to stand even the slightest chance in the way of any danger to Princess Fiara. "I pity you, for I will stand before the princess as her new hand. You are fated to obscurity."
Madoka didn't dust herself off, but instead roared as she leapt off the ground and tackled Leopride in a surprise attack. The two turned into a flurry of limbs, mixing in with the golden spring leaves and sun-dried brown fruit. She had him in a locked position until his massive frame caught hold of her neck and lifted her off of him, freeing himself from her head lock. Soon he had her pinned down with one arm, flailing like a struggling kitten reaching for a string out of reach.
"You shouldn't roar before a sneak attack," Leopride simply said after Madoka stopped struggling. "But you have a beautiful cry. I bet that's why she likes you. Hmph!"
He turned around with an infuriating certainty that she wouldn't attack him a second time. Yet, Madoka stood up and charged him again. She did not know why, perhaps it was the constant pushing over the last month of exercises and training that built so much confidence in her or the hatred storming within her.
To his surprise, she grappled him to the floor from his blind spot and repeatedly put him into a headlock. Each punch was not initially enough to cause damage, but Madoka could tell she was overpowering his will. With a roar of both vengeance and victory, she drew blood from the Cherish-Man and mixed in the rain with her punches.
A hand stopped her from landing another, pulling her from her blind rage.
"Stop, Madoka," a voice echoed in her ears. Elise's, full of concern and a small amount of fear. Lord Zeron rolled his eyes, ready to yell at Leopride.
"How's that for a commoner," she spat on him and trotted off the best she could, trying not to show her own wounds. Leopride barely could move his jaw to speak and Madoka wish he could never open it again.
Elise chased after her, leaving the beast behind in the rain but Madoka collapsed into darkness around the corner, a small satisfied smile curling on her commoner's face.
"Nae waah!" Elise inspected Madoka's arms and body. "You definitely look like you can crush a peanut butter jar. Several, in fact. You're swole!"
Madoka looked at herself in the mirror. She got scolded by Lord Zeron, but soon enough the truth came out. He was more impressed that she managed to overpower Leopride. The wounds that "stupid Cat-man" inflicted on her the day before were worth it, for her muscles glistened with strength. She was still slim, but bigger than Elise. Not to mention the princess would never stop complaining about how short she was compared to Madoka.
Elise noted that she'll have to eat a lot more and work harder, while Madoka considered her delusional claims of being from another world to have some merit. She should not know the things she knows as her education was stopped by her Father awhile ago. Summer is fast approaching, and they've spent all Spring training.
More workouts, more eating, more training. Madoka was not a smart girl, but she knew that she was no longer doing it for Summer. Elise was preparing her for something more sinister. Madoka dreads the day she would pass away from the curse, but the princess looks healthier than ever and has suffered no symptoms of her sickness.
On one rare sunny day, she was invited by Elise to the garden.
"I wish to show you something," Elise said. She had trouble even thinking of the Princess as anything other than her title - especially not a familiar ground like her very own name. Madoka knew it was a privilege and one she dared not put to waste.
"It better not be magic, Elise," Madoka closed her eyes. Elise seemed to love that Madoka was calling her by her own name, sneaking peeks at her in between glances at her notes.
"It's not, I promise," she told her with a smirk. "Though, I have been making quite the progress in magic. I no longer set myself on fire—"
"Elise!"
"What? Come on! I'm not using magic unsafely— or is it dangerously? Same thing!" She protested, but pulled out a large scroll and unraveled it on the table. "No, I discovered some maps. It should help me figure out the general layout of the land in this country. It turns out, as I suspected, that there's some pretty big things beneath our very feet. Here."
She pointed to a part of the map.
"I can't read, Elise," Madoka said. The Princess looked at her apologetically as if she remembered that.
"I'll have to teach you," Elise muttered. "This is where we are, but just south of here is a cave leading to what I believe is a series of tunnels leading to the palace and other key locations."
She dragged her finger from one landmark to another. Madoka could only assume she was right, because it was just pictures to her.
"This will all come into play when this..." Elise hid her words. "Sheesh, we're late for Lord Zeron."
"No need," a man laughed behind them.
"Lord Zeron!" Both girls exclaimed. He eyed them both and laughed even harder.
"You two look tough!" The mountain told them. He inspected Madoka. "You should be glad, Leopride's ass is in the dirt now licking his wounds because of you."
"That's e-embarrassing to hear," Madoka stammered. "I merely got carried away."
"Today, we are doing something different," He said with a grin. "For I have a question: Do you like horses?"