The Maid and Her Princess - Chapter 39: Chapter 39

"Okay. Who knew you couldn't use magic in the Palace? Not me, that's for sure," Elise said, pouting. Madoka shot her a glare but stood there quietly, awaiting her princess's orders. Elise already received an earful from the maid for at least an hour after the magic incident. After Madoka's scolding, she heard the princess receive another earful from her Father. He promptly placed her back in Madoka's care and told her to remain in the Royal Library's study room for now until she goes to bed. Elise kicked her feet as she sat in an irritating rhythm.
"I get why you're here with me. But why is he here?"
Squash-face saluted. Madoka imagined him trying to read a book and could not stop her chuckle. According to Elise, the "time-out" had to take place in this room or else. Also according to Elise, Madoka still failed at basic reading comprehension. It was not like Madoka cared. The soldier cleared his throat.
"I am here by His Majesty's orders to supervise and escort you around," he said, dutifully. Elise snorted.
"I don't need you, potato-head," she said. She quieted down when Madoka gave her another glare. "I have her, you know?"
"Well, I—"
"I know! You two can do an arm wrestle!" Elise said. Madoka knew where this was going and she did not like it.
"Your Highness," Madoka stammered. "That's simply His Majesty's-"
"Well tell him to suck it!" Elise snapped. "I'm in time out already and I'm bored, Madoka! Bored! Now arm wrestle! Loser gets voted off the island!"
"What does that mean, Your Highness?" Squash-face asked. Madoka stifled a chuckle. She remembered when she had a difficult time finding the context in Elise's odd words.
"A table, dammit," Elise snapped. "A study needs one. Why does this one not have a damn table in it? Also I'll need you to get my book from my room, Madoka."
"Understood, Your Highness," Madoka began. "We don't need to arm wrestle for simple orders like that."
"But I'm bored!" Elise complained. "Arm wrestle on the chair! Yeah!"
Squash-face gave Madoka a worried look. Madoka shrugged. He looked no more older than her, despite his odd face.
"I am a soldier," Squash-face said. "I've trained for many hours with my captain."
"Only hours?" Elise scoffed. Squash-face furrowed his brow and looked offended as she challenged his manliness.
"Very well, then," he declared. Madoka rolled her eyes. The princess got off her time-out chair and scooted it for them. "Have at you, Madoka!"
Madoka held the soldier's grip and found it to be weak. It must be bad if a soldier is this weak, Madoka mused in her head. She did not realize that Elise already started the match and Squash-face was trying with all of his might to win. Madoka's arm did not budge. It looked like he was sweating. In one swift motion, she flung his arm down.
Squash-face lay on the floor with a look of shock on his face. How unladylike, Madoka thought as she wiped her hand off. And how uncomfortable.
"See?" Elise laughed. "Now get me my table, potato! It'll make you stronger! And Madoka, dear, get me my book!"
"As you command," Squash-face took the defeat well, much to Madoka's surprise. He got back up and left the room. Elise's expression changed in an instant. Madoka froze.
"Do you know how hard it was to get a one on one with you?" Elise said. The tone in her voice was suddenly serious and devoid of any of the immaturity it had in it from before. Madoka stood silently. "I've not much time left here so I need to explain some things."
"Like what?" Madoka spoke in English to show her solidarity. The princess relaxed a little bit and spoke in English.
"I've gone and mapped everything I could in this damn place," Elise said. "You won't believe how many useless places and rooms are in this palace. The important things is the exit routes and this place deep in the Palace's inner sanctums is a treasury."
"Treasury?" Madoka did not know what that word was in English.
"Like a room full of money! And also, uh, divine artifacts," the princess explained. "It's full of them too. Said they're for a prophesied Hero. Could you believe that nonsense? A Chosen One? Poppycock!"
Elise snorted. Madoka secretly could believe it. She knew that the kind gods exist so they could choose a Hero. She wondered perhaps that Elise could be the Hero for a moment but discarded that thought. Elise cared little for her own people and has stated she "hated this world." That did not sound heroic to Madoka.
"Anyways—"
Someone knocked.
"Excuse me," Squash-face arrived without a table.
"Where is the table, potato-head?" Elise demanded. "How hard is it to fetch me one?"
"There was a slight problem," he admitted. Elise rolled her eyes and gave Madoka a look. Madoka nodded without them communicating.
"I will help you," Madoka said, not hiding a sigh. The soldier bowed and clasped his hands in gratitude. "I have to get her book anyways."
"What a weak potato," Elise muttered. Squash-face bowed in appreciation.
Madoka retrieved the book and joined Squash-face at the bottom of the ornate staircase, Madoka noticed the soldier did not seem down at all despite the princess being hostile to him. She still felt the need to apologize.
"I apologize for the princess's antics, sir," Madoka said to him. "She's not normally like this."
"Oh? It's nothing," Squash-face laughed. "She's quite different from what I expected."
"What did you expect?" Madoka asked him. "It's quite difficult to understand her, sir."
"Please, no sirs. My name is Jacob," Squash-face told her. The two stopped at the table which rested at the end of the hallway. Two guards looked at the pair expecting to laugh at them as they struggled. "She seems fun to be around."
"Fun?" Madoka asked. She considered the concept of "fun" sounded like a waste of time. She had cleaning to do. That was as fun as it has gotten for her.
"Yeah, fun. Unpredictable, even," Jacob said. "I just met her and I like her. It's just that... I find it hard to understand Her Highness."
"T-That makes two of us, sir," Madoka admitted.
Squash-face and Madoka looked at each other then both shared a laugh at their common misfortune.
"You are my senior, though," he joked. "You will have to show me the ropes."
"S-Surely not," Madoka realized both of them were speaking in commoner. "How old are you?"
"Fifteen," Jacob said. "Been training since I was 13. I can't believe how tough you are! You flung me around like it was nothing!"
"Please," Madoka protested at his praise. "I'm almost fourteen years old. Don't praise me. It's embarrassing!"
"It's the truth! I'm jealous," the soldier admitted and glanced at the table. "It should prove no trouble for you and me. How did you get so strong, anyways?"
"Watch, this," Madoka simply shoved the book in his arms and rolled up her sleeves. Jacob and the other soldiers gawked at her. Madoka lifted the table easily with her well placed grip. She thought of something witty the princess might say in moments like these when the soldiers asked questions among themselves in amazement.
"How did you manage to lift it?!"
"Kind gods!"
"I do a lot of sewing," she remarked after thinking too hard and proceeded to carry the table up the stairs by herself.
"I-I'll get the other end! Hey!" Jacob followed her. "I'm supposed to help you, you know!"
Madoka did not need help. Jacob followed hopelessly as the other guards laughed at him. His face was red from embarrassment. She brought it to the top of the stairs and looked at him expectedly.
"There you go," she told him and took the princess's book. "You can move it to the room."
"T-To think you can just lift that so easily," he stared at the table. If Madoka paid any closer attention to his squash shaped face she swore it would have popped. "And I'm the soldier, here. No, I will catch up to both of you. I, as a soldier of Fiara, swear to you and Her Highness."
"No swearing, Squash- er, sir," Madoka said instinctively, propping the door open for him. There was something other than the scraping of wood on wood and clinking of Squash-face's armor that disturbed Madoka's hearing. It crept on her and blotted her vision. Madoka dropped the book.
Kill her.
Cut the string.
We know pain.
We will take it from you.
Kill her.
Eternal peace for blood.
Madoka stumbled and had to lean on the table for support. Elise rushed to her maid's side.
"Madoka?" Squash-face or Jacob also attempted to help Madoka but Elise's ring of magic revealed itself as fury built in her eyes. Madoka could see her and Jacob through her blurry vision.
"Back off," Elise stopped the soldier. He bowed and backed slowly. Elise's magic core faded as he exited, presumably to get a healer. She was telling him something but everything sounded garbled and like it was from the opposite side of a tunnel. "Madoka?"
"I'll be fine...!" Madoka gasped. She said that unconvincingly. Even the voices got louder in her head. Outside, there were people walking past the study speaking in hushed tones. The voices drowned out her senses.
Kill her!
Free me!
I will...
Madoka struggled more. It seemed the voices were growing distant from Madoka but she was ragged. Elise had her sit on the chair and from outside the door Madoka's heart sank. The person walking past the study glanced back in concern. It was Prince Fiara. He locked eyes with her for a second before continuing down the hall with several of his nobles out of view.
"Kind gods have mercy," Madoka breathed out a prayer. Her fears were coming to life before her eyes and she had no way of escaping. "It's..."
She could not finish her sentence.
"What is happening to you?" Elise's eyes were overflowing wells of tears. Madoka clasped her princess's hands. "Are you okay now?"
Madoka nodded. She was out of breath but felt the warmth of Elise as she embraced her.
"Sorry about your book, Elise," she mumbled as the princess kept up her embrace.
"Forget the book," Elise was still crying. "I told that potato to get you a healer. Sit tight, okay?"
Madoka made a muffled noise in agreement. Inside, her head was swimming in a chaotic sea of thoughts and fears. The enemy of her Highness truly was the Prince. The secret and the oppressive voices made her feelings drain into an abyss.
"Everything you said about him," Madoka whispered into her ear.
"Huh?"
"It's true, right?"
Elise pulled away from Madoka and stared at her. Her face was pale and she slowly nodded.
"Yes."