The Maid and Her Princess

In Between Gentleness (part 3)

III.

"In my old world," Audrey said as they left the alleyways behind. "Usually someone proposes marriage with a ring."

"Oh?" Madoka asked. She usually did not like when Audrey brought up her old world and life, fearing that it might stir up some bad memories. However, the mention of marriage piqued her interest.

"Yeah, the country I lived in. Most could choose to get engaged, marry, do life together. They could even split up for whatever reason," Audrey told her. Splitting up did not sound good to Madoka, and the way she said those words confirmed it. "In Fiara, though, marriages seemed arranged. Between my endless amount of suitors and my brother's, I'd say I got the lucky end of the bargain. No one was allowed near me, until the night they sent me away."

"Sent you away..." Madoka remembered her in that maddened state. She even felt a bit guilty for not being there for her.

"Nobles, on the other hand," Audrey continued. "Heard they never had a say. The women, I mean. They'd get packaged up and shipped off to their neighbors should their dads say so. Servants, commoners, Nobles, they all got sold off one way or another. Terrible. Here in this world, I have no idea what marriage is. Or what people think about love between, well. Our orientations. Sorry, my orientation."

"I don't know what that means, Audrey," Madoka shrugged helplessly.

"Orientation is, uh," Audrey struggled to say something. If there was such a concept that she could not explain, then Madoka wondered why it existed. How dare such a thing befuddle Her Highness! "It's like this. We're both women. And we love each other."

She pointed back and forth between herself and Madoka. Women? What do women have to do with anything? What did she mean by that? She wondered. She remembered during her days in the Palace, some Noble women would fancy some of her fellow maids. Still, she could not imagine that being what love is. She did not truly know what the princess meant by orientation. Perhaps, she did not want to know.

"What do you think love is, Madoka?"

The question struck her. Madoka remained quiet for a moment. She only knew that love is a terrifying thing now that she has it. She likened it to be the feeling she felt whenever she got to touch Her Highness. Madoka instinctively grabbed her hand. Audrey froze, glancing nervously at her. Whatever emotion on her face must have caused her to be uncomfortable, because she turned away. But she did not let go.

"You look terrifying," Audrey sighed. Then she muttered to herself, but Madoka heard it. "Gonna have to get used to that look."

"Do— Do you regret loving me?" Madoka asked. Her gaze must be burning Audrey, because her own cheeks were feeling hot.

"No."

The answer came out without any hesitation. It was all she needed to hear to quell the rising heat threatening to erupt out of Madoka's chest. Audrey looked like she wanted to say more, but she did not. Perhaps, she sense the intensity in the maid. It was new to her as well, so she assigned it as love.

It was a feeling so deep that it made her insides ache with longing; that even being this close still feels like an eternity away from each other.

They have meandered through this labyrinth for quite awhile, but things were eerily quiet. The princess said that the letter had a map leading to the Truth Guild's location, and in truth the path seemed straightforward. But now? They have walked until the sun was hot on their backs; they have twisted and turned between bright sunlit alleys and under shaded courtyard walls. No intent of any kind seemed apparent, but a quiet serenity. That made the tiny hairs on Madoka's neck stand on their ends. There was no one even around. Surely, a busy city like this would have even a rat within its cracks, right? Why now are things quiet? Now, a staircase of stone and brick towered over them. Audrey broke the silence once more.