The Maid and Her Princess

The Heartbroken Maiden (Part 5)

V.

1. Audience With A King

"I'll be honest," Audrey told her with a sigh. The night was cold and blue, but their possibilities were shrinking into one end. Even under the garb, her arm glowed. The Golden Hand's influence spread up her wrist, stopping right beneath her elbow. Madoka knew what she was about to say based on the trepidation shaking her skin. "I kinda don't want to go to bed."

"I know," Madoka said softly. They were informed that they should report to the Guild by dawn and initially they both were compliant, but now they fell into a solemn state. Her Highness did not use a voice like she did in her childhood when she threw a tantrum to avoid sleeping. Instead, she was standing there vulnerable under the moonlight. Still, the stars twinkled in her eyes.

"What do we do?"

The shadows of the distant mountains hung over them, indifferent to their struggles. The wind picked up the smell of dirt and dusted it against their faces. Even Audrey's hair batted her skin as she walked hesitantly down the cobblestone road to the inn. Madoka took Her Highness's Golden Hand and felt its cold metallic grip wrap around her palm. A squeeze did not harm the princess, but only sent a small tingling feeling between their interlocked fingers.

"We'll have to get rest," Madoka opened the door to the inn for her. Everyone inside did not even bother with them. It seemed that whatever crisis the Uracksheegal caused had worn down a lot of them. No sign of anyone familiar either, she scanned the place. The door to their room seemed like an invitation to the Abyss itself and Audrey's cold Aura became more prominent. The lock's shakiness offered little comfort to security, only an invite to their impending departure into the dream realm. Her hand froze on the handle when she suddenly felt like memorizing the floorboards instead of heading inside. Another hand squeezed hers. "Right. We have each other."

"It's weird, you know?" Audrey said as Madoka attended to her. The brush she formed with her crystal could have been a barrier, but the princess insisted that she should save her energy. "Now that I expect and know a weird dream is probably coming, I don't want to sleep. You probably have been through these a lot, so I don't really have the right to complain."

Madoka continued working silently, because what else is she supposed to do? Anything that causes discomfort to the princess is an affront to the maid, so naturally shielding her from a dream by having them alone was preferable to her going through them, even. Moreover, the princess having rough and troublesome things bothering her sleep is bound to make her grouchy tomorrow.

"I would rather take on the burden myself instead of you, Audrey," Madoka told her softly.

"Nah," Audrey immediately flopped onto the bed after freeing herself from Madoka's grasp. "I'm too sleepy now."

Madoka knew this was her putting on a brave face, though her tightly knit eyes quickly settled into slumber. So she simply joined her and closed her eyes. Her pulse settled down an hour later, but she felt wide awake. Audrey had turned over on her stomach with a small moan. She was always such a heavy sleeper in the first place. So why could she not? Did Elise not want to see her? Madoka blinked her eyes and saw the moons casting light into the room.

Soon, pattering pelted the window outside. It began to rain outside and the thunder began to roll. Madoka got out of bed and stared out of the window for a long while. Audrey stirred slightly, but eventually rolled over like a log pushed into a rut. Even the flash of lightning did not reveal the Uracksheegal's shadow looming in the sky in its luminous but brief fury. Instead, a flash of white blinded her suddenly and the silhouette of something else filled the room like a monstrous predator. A stark scratching noise clawed at the window, barely audible over the sullen chorus of raindrops. A break in?