The Maid and Her Princess [On Hiatus]

From Dragons to Picking Flowers

An Adventurous Year, Act 10
From Dragons to Picking Flowers

I.

"Okay," Audrey sighed. "It would help if you could read. I have to teach you one of these days..."

She searched through the board for copper rated commissions. Madoka did not help at all but she did not feel like it anyways. Instead, She silently observed the frustrated princess a little too closely while the girl searched through writings.

"It would narrow the search time by a lot, yanno," Audrey squinted at the board but she rested her hands above her head in a relaxed pose.

Every adventurer around them seemed to be at ease with the sword missing, Madoka noticed. She did not know whether to feel embarrassed or not since the blade kept people away from her princess. The message board shook as Audrey made a selection and grabbed a scroll.

"Herb gathering it is, then!" She looked at Madoka. Was she looking at her for approval? "It's harmless, see? We won't be fighting anything. It's in the plains west of here."

"Are you asking me for approval?" Madoka stared blankly at Audrey.

"I mean, we're partners, partner!" She nearly spun into another oblivious adventurer but Madoka stopped her. "Oops. I know it ain't as crazy as a dragon and you might be a battle junkie but—"

"It's fine, Audrey," Madoka sighed. "Just watch where you're going."

The two went to the commission register and stood before a familiar brown haired Guild Lady. Brown Hair, Madoka designated her. Even if she sensed the discomfort in the uniformed lady's uneasy stance, the maid decided that she will become their commission handler. Like the Head Maid would assign the maids in the palace certain duties only, Madoka deemed Brown Hair to be the one—

"Good morning," Brown Hair bowed. "Have you come to take up this commission?"

The girls simply nodded. Brown Hair looked the two over.

"I remember you two from yesterday," she peered at the girls' tags. "I hope you two are okay! Especially the way the Guild Master brought you two in. Your tags, please."

"We're fine," Madoka took off her hood and gave the woman her copper tag. Brown Hair gave a quick breath of awe at the sight of her hacked red hair but collected the tag.

"Your hair is very beautiful, miss," she commented.

"P-Please, no compliments," Madoka shied away from the table. Audrey giggled but handed her own copper tag to the Guild Lady.

Brown Hair examined the tags. Madoka watched silently as the lady did something extraordinary. She held both necklaces up and released them while she chanted under her breath. The maid instinctively reached to catch them but the glint of golden light stopped her. The copper tags remained suspended by the chains as Brown Hair moved her palms in a peculiar motion around them.

One palm balled into a fist above the tags and the other palm flat below them as she slowly rotated her hands around them like a clock. Madoka could see Brown Hair's palms extend golden chains to their adventurer's tags and the pieces began to become fixed without any dents on them. The Guild Lady smiled and handed the two notchless tags back.

"Here you go! A fresh start for both of you!" Brown Hair smiled but her expression turned to a frown. "If only I was here yesterday. You two would have not have been put in danger like that."

"Danger?" Madoka wondered. Audrey fidgeted with her necklace before stuffing it into her bag of talismans. The clinking wooden talismans would have bothered Madoka but she knew the girl was simply nervous. "Were we not supposed to do those exams?"