The Maid and Her Princess - Chapter 31: Chapter 31

"Oh no," Elise cowered behind Madoka. "Not again."
She had to be marched up to the beast after some calming down and "forceful encouragement" from Madoka. They've ridden several times to the villages around the estate, but the princess would whine every time she rode on horseback. The beast was able to carry Madoka's sword and hatchet. Both weapons were shortened enough by Lord Zeron to be strapped at her hip with minimal effort.
"What are you scared of?" Madoka sighed, then pushed the princess's butt up on the saddle before climbing on. "These 'nature hikes' were your idea, Elise."
"I know, but like, listen," Elise whined, gripping tightly on Madoka's waist. "When did you get so sassy?"
Madoka shrugged and stroked Ciara's mane. She snorted as the two girls adjusted themselves on the saddle. Lord Zeron told them they could go anywhere on the Estate's borders. Madoka assumed it was just the walls of the estate at first, but the princess said even the villages and the forest between were on the estate's premises.
"Just tell us where to go," Madoka told the princess. She regretted saying us, as if the horse and her were the same. "But if you squeeze me any harder I might fall off."
The air is warm.
I will guide you.
I trust you.
Let's go.
Where to? Anywhere.
Madoka sensed Ciara's thoughts like they were one. She still did not ask about it, but with a kick from Madoka they were off.
"W-Whoops," Elise loosened her grip. "I'm surprised this animal listens to you, Madoka."
"I'm not sure what you mean," Madoka lied.
"I always wanted to hike in a forest when I was a kid," the princess went on. "There was this little park in the middle of the city that I would go to when my parent's home went nuclear, but even that didn't have many trails or stuff like that."
"Uh huh," Madoka said. The two rode out quite far, but it appeared the princess did want to go exploring in the forest. Though she knew not what she was talking about, as far as she could remember the princess spent all her time inside the palace walls.
There were so many duties she neglected to do because of the princess.
"Did you have a brother in your, ah, past life?" Madoka had trouble thinking of what it could be like having multiple lives worth of memories. One could do a lot of cleaning with their past lives, Madoka shuddered at that thought.
"Brother?" theprincess scoffed. "No, I was an only child. Thank god I didn't leave any of those behind. Here is good. We can leave the stupid horse here."
"Do we have to walk?" Madoka asked.
"Yeah!" Elise hopped off Ciara. So she is capable of helping herself off the horse, Madoka thought as she watched her. "It's going to be fun!"
Madoka halted Ciara and tethered her to a tree. "We'll be back... hopefully."
The horse neighed in response, chewing at the grass.
"There's a bit of a trail here," Elise said, waiting for her. Her attire was that of a simple traveler's clothing, unfit for a princess. Madoka wore a similar garb, but that was to be expected. She turned and narrowed her eyes at Madoka. Her look made the maid blush. Still, Elise maintained her gaze.
"Plenty of time for you to share your feelings with me."
"My... feelings?" Madoka placed a hand over her heart.
The breeze gently pushed aside the glittering green tree branches as the two began to walk.
"Yes, Madoka," Elise took her hand. Madoka felt the princess's grip to be solid, no longer wavering from being lifted. "You have doubts about me, might even despise me for how I've been making you do —"
"I'm frustrated," Madoka cut her off. A rare moment of rudeness and lapse in her judgment. She covered her mouth.
"Go on," Elise did not ask for an apology. "Consider this like the emergency meeting we had ages ago. We are equals. We will be equals. There isn't much I can do to prove this to you, but..."
She trailed off. Madoka was not a smart woman and never had many opportunities to express herself. Her feelings were as simple as mud at a riverbank.
"I wish I could understand you," Madoka continued, moving closer to her. "Believe in you, be of use to you, but I do not. I am not smart enough to see your greatest plans and you know that."
The princess flinched as if she got hurt but Madoka suppressed her desire to apologize.
"Even your Brother treated you kindly when you—" Madoka sighed. "I just cannot see what is wrong with what I am saying."
The princess scoffed at the mention of her brother.
"Or how you can believe in such visions," Madoka continued but stopped as she saw Elise's eyes darken. "I apologize, I shouldn't have pushed it..."
"No," Elise sighed. "I just can't help myself. These visions... I am a heretic in many ways, Madoka. Being in my presence is trouble but you know that, right?"
"You're sick," Madoka said. "I hate thinking of it that way. How it's all going to end. I—"
She did not complete her sentence.
"Do I look sick to you?" Elise snapped. Madoka could not answer that. Elise was much healthier than when she was in the palace. Madoka considered the fresh air that changed her but after seeing her training she changed her mind a while ago. "Don't answer that! I can at least believe that I can open a peanut butter jar all by myself now."
She flexed her arms in a joking manner.
"I'm sorry," Elise sighed. "It was a shitty thing for me to try and deflect with humor."
"You always do that to me," Madoka grumbled. "And Prince Fiara, too. It's no excuse to treat your brother with disrespect. After all he's done for you."
"After all he's done for me?" Elise shook a little, then increased with her emotions and broke away from Madoka. "He would have simply let Father kill me if it didn't ruin his reputation to standby! You don't know how he is! All this is his act and he's fooled even you! Hmph!"
With that, she ran off like the old times. Madoka quickly realized she made a mistake in upsetting the princess. Oh, kind gods, Madoka prayed for their forgiveness. She was sure she would not have any forgiveness from anyone if she lost Elise in the forest.
Madoka hardly noticed that they were, in fact, walking while they talked. They were quite deep into the forest by the time Elise ran off. She cursed herself. Why could she not track what other people were thinking as well?
The thoughts of other animals were fleeting so she could not track where she was exactly. Most were running from the princess as if she was a large predator. It made sense to Madoka, for the princess's magic powers were monstrous in her own eyes. She sensed Ciara's thoughts from far away but they were peaceful. Perhaps Lord Zeron was right in trusting them to be here, but he trusted the wrong servant. Madoka swore to herself again for being a burden.
Suddenly a scream pierced the foliage nearby. The princess was in trouble? Madoka sensed nothing out of the ordinary in the wildlife around her but trailed after the screaming anyways. She scanned for a sign of the princess within an opening. The forest branches were thick, but she caught a glimpse of blonde hair contrasting between the greens and browns of the trees. Madoka's heart sank as she pushed through the branches. The princess collapsed on the ground.
"Elise! Are you hurt?" Madoka rushed to her side, her axe ready.
"Madoka! H-Help me!" Elise clutched her maid's side. Was she attacked? Madoka squinted in the distance. Elise seemed like nothing happened, except she was a little dirty.
"What happened?" Madoka asked her. The tension was high. At any moment an attacker could show. There were no thoughts in the forest. There was only peace, which meant there was no attacker or a skilled assassin.
"A b-bug!" Elise pointed at a nearby branch. "What the hell is that thing! Get it away from me at once!"
Madoka's eyes darted across the branches. She has heard of many poisonous bugs but the princess seemed unharmed. Something moved on a branch, catching her attention. It was simply a fuzzy bug slightly darker than the branch it was trying to hide in. It opened its four jaws, trying to threaten Madoka. Its thoughts were primitive.
Keep away!
Don't kill me!
Back!
Stay away!
Ahhh!
Elise was pointing at it in horror. Madoka lifted it and placed it on a matching branch. The fuzzy bug scurried away, vanishing in the foliage without any further thoughts. She turned to the princess who was looking at her in complete shock.
"How are you not terrified of that!?"
"That's what you're afraid of?" Madoka asked her princess. Elise squeezed Madoka's waist and hid behind her. Madoka rolled her eyes. "I think that's enough outdoors for you, Your Highness."
Elise quickly nodded, quivering as Madoka guided her back to Ciara.
"W-What a terrifying creature," she muttered.
"It was terrified of you, princess," Madoka said, helping her on the horse's back.
"P-Please, call me Audrey— er, Elise," Elise's voice shook. "I'm not upset with you anymore."
"Anymore?" Madoka asked. The ride back home was quiet and peaceful, with Madoka thinking that perhaps the princess fell asleep. The poor girl went through quite an ordeal with a harmless fuzzy bug. Madoka smirked at the thought. Despite the headaches Elise caused her Madoka could not remain angry with her for too long. She felt a squeeze as they approached the Estate. "Princess?"
"I don't care about this dumb kingdom, Madoka," her voice was groggy. Madoka guessed she actually fell asleep or was talking in her sleep again. "Let it burn by my brother's hand. I hate him for what he does to you in my visions."
A terrifying feeling crept over Madoka when she heard what the princess revealed to her.
"What did he do to me?" Madoka asked. The princess made a muffled sound on Madoka's back. "Elise?"
"He stabs you in the heart," Elise murmured. "Before burning this place to the ground."