The Maid and Her Princess [On Hiatus]

You Are A Ray (Summer 3)

III.

"Madoka?" Elise's voice penetrated through Madoka's stirring like a ray of sunlight. "Why are you here?"

"Mmm," Madoka yawned, before realizing she was in the presence of her princess. She jerked awake and bowed her head. She also found herself still at the side of the princess's bed and must have tipped over on the floor. She smoothed out her dress and her hair. "Good morning, Your Highness."

"You look beautiful down there, but next time you can crawl in the sheets with me, okay? Come on, get in! Get in!"

"Your Highness, I..." Madoka hesitated.

"I don't bite, I promise! Not too hard, anyways."

That phrase alone made Madoka worried. She remembered that Elise nearly strangled her while she was sleeping. Tentatively, she got under the sheets and blankets by her princess's side just as she promised. Elise attempted to snuggle in her arms but stopped.

"Gah, my head feels like it got shaken, like, a brick hit me!" Elise clutched her head. Her hair was a complete mess as well. "A-And my room! What happened last night?"

Madoka looked and saw the aftermath of Elise's magic. Clothes and curtains were cluttering the floor. "A-Apologies, princess. You had a night terror and called my name."

"A... night terror?" Elise looked confused for a moment, but sat slowly up again. "That wouldn't be right. Are you sure you just couldn't resist a sleepover with me?"

"N-No, it's just that," Madoka noticed something on the princess's hand. A stain? "What's that?"

"What's what?" Elise inspected her hand and noticed the strange mark. "Yo, what the hell?"

The odd marking slithered down her sleeve out of view. The princess felt it, recoiling from the shock of the marking's movements as if she got stung. Madoka and Elise looked at each other with odd expressions.

"Ach!" She shook her hand. "Was that a bug? Oh hell no! Ach!"

She snapped her arm out in an attempt to shake out the bug, but nothing showed itself. "Ach!"

She slipped her sleeve down revealing a mark on her skin, clearly moving on its own. It writhed and made the princess wince. The two girls looked at her arm - spellbound in a strange fascination.

"It's kind of like a dragon tattoo, huh?" Elise remarked. She winced as the marking's jaws clamped down on her arm before wiggling further up her shoulder. "Not that you would know what a tattoo is, anyways."

"Does t-that mark, or ah, 'tattoo' hurt you whenever it moves?" Madoka was almost too afraid to ask. "Forgive me, princess. I forgot to mention this: You used magic in your sleep and the commotion made me enter your chambers to calm you down."

The princess rested her arm back down and squeezed Madoka's hand.

"You saved me from myself," Elise smiled. "And you will keep on saving me, Madoka. This pain is nothing. Like being zapped by violent static or a fork in an electrical socket. What more could I ask for?"

"Your Highness?" A maid's voice called from outside the chambers. Madoka yawned. "Lord Leopride has arrived with the object you've requested."

"Really?" Elise sprang up, suddenly awake at the news. "Let's go, Madoka!"

"So soon," Madoka calmed her down with a look. The princess stopped in her tracks. "We must get you changed and this room cleaned."

"Gah!" Elise pouted and then let out a long breath. "There's no stopping you."

"Precisely, Your Highness," Madoka smiled. She was worried still, about that living mark that marred her skin. Was it truly alive? Did it come to life when she used magic? There was no use asking, for the princess herself did not know. As she stripped the princess down, the tattoo moved along her shoulder blades.

An odd skin condition, Madoka attempted to scrub it off but it caused the princess pain so she stopped. After she was done tidying both Elise and the room, they marched down to meet Lord Leopride in the foyer. He bowed to them both, giving Madoka his homeland's salute. The gesture made her uncomfortable as it should not be done to servant-slaves like Madoka. Furthermore, he had a large object in his hand.

Was it a spear? Madoka wondered.

"I have something for you, Princess Fiara," he said, nodding his head at the item in his hand. Elise looked excited.

"Finally!" She looked at it with joy. "Thank you, Uncle Leo!"

"Now, now," Leopride chuckled. Then he dropped the object in the ground, startling a nearby maid. Princess Elise appeared to be in disbelief. Madoka chuckled at his actions, for she could tell what the Cherish-man's intentions were. "Your first workout, Princess. Take it away. Madoka, you can allow this, yes?"

Madoka simply remained quiet, but Leopride laughed.

"Nae waaah!" Princess Elise looked at the object. It was shaped like a staff, with two large objects at both of its ends. "Why are you two ganging up on me? A secret alliance?"

"So," Leopride spoke to Madoka as the princess dragged the object to the room where the pair of girls worked out. Elise called it a gym, she remembered. "You look like you have a question to ask me, no?"

"I was never good at hiding my questions, I suppose, Lord Leopride," Madoka chuckled again. Leopride shook his head.

"Ask away, do not be afraid anymore, little one," Lord Leopride laughed.

"Why are you so loyal to the princess," Madoka asked. "She has caused a lot of trouble for King Fiara."

"Aye, that she did," Leopride said, his eyes distant in thought. "I was once a suitor for her. She called me 'cute.' It was the first of many surprises she had for me."

Madoka could envision the princess being an unbridled mess for any suitor, but for Leopride especially. Something about him made her heart flutter, Madoka had no clue what emotion she felt when looking at the Cherish-man. A strong man like that should be more than enough to get anyone besides her.

"She went on to save my life in a way," Leopride continued. "A small conflict happened within my homeland and Fiara's soldiers. My homeland exists within Fiara and is allowed to 'cohabitate and be self-autonomous' within Fiara's borders. Don't know what those words mean? Ha! I didn't either."

"The princess mentioned and explained the terms to her father, who allowed us to live freely in the jungles under his protection. Were it not for her intervention, I would have been eliminated with the other nobles of my homeland."

"I see," Madoka said. "The princess is truly an unpredictable and intelligent woman."

"She rejected my courtship many times," Leopride chuckled. "And she calls me an uncle she's never had. Since I owe her my life, I support her upon the King's and Lord Zeron's request. Though, I found myself willing for free. I am sure you know the feeling, given how the princess is, no?"

Madoka felt her cheeks go warm and tried to hide her embarrassment at his comment. Leopride laughed.

"I mean no harm, I cannot return to winning the princess, given her situation," Leopride waved his clawed hands.

"Madoka!" Elise's voice echoed loudly from the east wing. "Help me! I need your strong arms to lift this thing!"

"It seems that you have been summoned," Leopride waved. "Be seeing you, Madoka."

Madoka opened the door and bowed to him on the way out.

Now then, Madoka huffed up the stairs. She was going to make the princess pay for raising her voice and causing a disturbance. Though, secretly Madoka knew it would be worthless. Elise yelled when she wanted to and there was not much the maid had for stopping her.