The biggest problem was…I had missed my chance to leave…

The wedding had been and gone, and I had no chance to leave the Warmonger’s side to use my ideas to get out of the palace!

I was really upset about that…

When would be the next time that I would be able to get away!?

So…With the fact of having to find another way out of the palace, I was now at a loss!

I was often only allocated to stay in the Warmonger’s quarters, hardly seeing any other person besides the bodyguard, so I wasn’t able to even hear of many secrets!

It was a strange situation though, because I felt freer and felt like I had less to do, even though I was still a maid…

I cleaned my own quarters happily, taking my time and even moving things around at my own leisure, but…When it came to helping the Warmonger, I still felt like I couldn’t completely relax…

I found him sometimes looking at me and I really wished I knew what was going through his head but…I was sure now that he did think of me of only a maid, a servant, because he still ordered me around!

I had to admit, though, that I found that his voice was not as firm as it was to many others at other times and wondered if he did this to all his personal maids…

With the strange feeling flowing through me, of him having other maids, I tried not to think of it just like before, when I tried not to think of the weasel!

Ah, it was so good not to worry about being found out either, because of not being seen by people now. My dirty face seemed to be accepted by all and nothing went wrong in that department!

I felt pretty lucky!

But…I had thought too quickly…

On the second week…Things changed…

That’s right, the Crowned Prince set me up! I’m sure of it!

He was not satisfied with something that the weasel did in the residence and demanded me to look over it and even gave me the right to change it…

So…I was going to do as I was told!

“You’re giving me the power to once again change Lady May’s recent rule?” I asked in a strange tone…Honestly, I didn’t know what to think about this!

Did he forget that I was a maid?

“Who do you think changed the rules in the first place!?” I heard the Warmonger snap, yet I felt like he was directing his anger at the weasel, making me happy in the process!

“Very well, I’ll change it back then!” I state with a smile.

Watching him look at me then and smile back, I got lost in a trance and before I knew it, he caressed my cheek, before walking away, “I’ll leave it to you!”

The problem that Lady May had done, was really doing herself in!

It seems that the maid rules, that apparently got changed by the Warmonger himself, was trying to be reverted back to what it used to be!

She wanted to install the last rule upon the maids being servants without eyes, mouth and ears and must not have any power to be given a chance to clear their name or ask for help.

I hadn’t known earlier, that he was behind this change…Having had one problem all those years ago, where I had to kneel for not having done anything wrong, these rules came in not long afterwards…

So…It was him…

With another smile, I sit down and compared the notes from one rule to the other and rewrote the rules to how the Warmonger wanted them. Well, it couldn’t be helped, he gave me the power to change things for the better for me, so I was eager to have things go back to giving me some help too!

Upon finishing, and telling the Warmonger’s bodyguard of it being completed, the bodyguard disappeared to no doubt copy out the paper or to give it back to Lady May, with the knowledge that her plan had failed.

When Jorne returned, I was in a happy mood and he asked me how it went.

“It was easy, I just rewrote everything!”

“If it was so easy, I shouldn’t have to praise you then, mmm?”

Uh!?

“Oh, Your Highness, my hand hurts!” I tried to act as though my wrist was giving me troubles.

I heard him chuckle then and take my wrist into his hands, “It must have been taxing on you then, what would you like as a gift, for doing something so terribly hard?”

Gift!?

…Could…I ask to leave the palace?

I was silent for a moment while I seriously considered what I wanted.

Would he let me go? Probably not…Then, how about I ask for a day off?

That could work…

“You have nothing you want?”

I looked up at him and bit my lip, then nodded.

“Tell me.”

Whoa!

His look was so…Concerning…

Why was it that he looked like he really wanted to know what I wanted and even looked like he’d give it to me!?

I took a breath and then bowed my head, “Your Highness, will a day off and a chance to leave the palace, be too much to ask for?”

Silence followed and I really started to wonder what was going on. I did say that out loud right? And well, didn’t he really look like he’d give me anything!?

Why the silence!?

Ah…

As the seconds ticked by, I was losing more and more courage that this one thing that I asked for won’t be done!

“You think I’m working you too hard?”

I lifted my head and tried to act like I was tired, “Ah…Your Highness, I am doing the same things all the time and just want to remember that life can be fun too!”

“Life…Can be fun…”

He’s not going for it, he’s not going for it!

“What would you do if you had a day off?”

His question sounded quite cute to me and I smiled at him, “I would try some candy and say hello to my friends…I’d play a game of starting with one item and selling it…Then buying another one and selling that, both for profit!”

I had gotten closer to him, my voice growing smaller and smaller as I finished my sentence.

Being so excited at the prospect of getting out of the palace, I forgot about all the fun I used to have! I really was thinking about doing this, even if I run away after that!

Seeing him narrow his eyes, I lost my smile, “What’s wrong?”

He flicked my head and said, “That is cheating other people out of money!”

“Hey, if I want candy, how am I going to pay for it!” I state back.

“I’ll go with you, I’ll have money!”

Uh? Wait…No, I have to go alone!

“Ah…Your Highness…I can go by myself, how could a servant like me make you do something like that!”

He flicked my forehead again and I put my hands up to cover it, then he said, “I will not cheat someone out of their money, I told you I’d use my money. Besides, it’s been a while that I went out of the palace for a simple look around.”

Rolling my eyes and folding my hands, I already knew that he traveled outside of these huge and high walls! And quite often!

“Tomorrow. We’ll go out tomorrow and I’ll buy you candy, and you can talk to your friends. But no buying and selling!”

…Dam…Dammit! That’s the best part and…Why!? I can’t talk to my friends because they’ll know my name and if he’s there…

This was a stupid idea!

“It’s fine, I’ll stay here…” I was defeated and no longer cared to go out, even for candy.

“Too late, we’ll go out tomorrow!”

I sighed…

Was there a way that I could suddenly make him busy tomorrow, so that I could go on my own?

For the life of me, I couldn’t think of much that would keep him here and let me go…

Well…How about I lose him then when we are out!?

Feeling like this was the best idea that I had, with the circumstance, I nodded. Let’s do that!

“Your Highness!”

“Consort May has come…”

Turning towards the voice, and how they had not even been able to finish what they were saying before Lady May came into the room, I rolled my eyes.

“Why have you come?”

I silently let out a small laugh to how cold he was towards her, thinking that it was great!

“Your Highness, I…” She trailed off, making me raise my eyebrows in interest.

“You what?” The Warmonger asked, hell, I was interested too!

“Elijah has come with Lady Venus, Your Highness. He stated that he wanted to quickly speak with you.”

As she said that, she turned and glared at me, making me bow my head but questioned silently, what that was for!?

“Very well then.”

Just as the Warmonger walked out, I went to follow, but was stopped by the weasel, “…I have come to see you!”

Without another second, I was slapped and nearly fell down to the ground.

Hearing a laugh, I turned and put a hand to my face.

“With the rules as they were, I had not been able to touch this so called new personal maid of the Crowned Prince, my husband! I couldn’t believe that there was nothing I could do! Now that I changed the rules back, you are now mine!”

You’re kidding!

Was it really the case, that she changed things back just for me!?

Nah, it can’t be!

Just as I was silently questioning myself, I was then taken by the hand and quickly taken away, but not in the direction that Jorne had gone into.

To my utter astonishment, we went to my old quarters and I was harshly let go upon entering into my old bedroom.

“Kneel!”

Frowning, I looked up slightly at her and saw that hand coming towards me again.

Geez!

Feeling pain upon my cheek once again, I frowned even deeper.

What the hell!?

“I said, kneel!”

Looking up, squaring my face with hers, I firmly stated, “I do not take orders from you!”

I wasn’t surprised this time, when I felt her hand against my face and a sound that sounded like a slap…

What a bitch!

“I am the next Queen of Setchra! You are nothing! Now kneel!”

Hearing someone behind me, I then felt my knees buckle and I fell heavily to the ground.

“Lady Venus sent me to find you, Lady May.”

Clenching my hands into my clothes, I stayed silent and tried to wonder what was going on.

Obviously, the weasel was getting carried away with her status. Without me as the Princess around to stop her from thinking that she would become Queen, it looks like she has sort of lost it!

And…She still thinks that she changed the rules in the Crowned Prince residence about the maids, when I had already sent it off with Jorne’s bodyguard…

Dammit, why did this have to happen now!

“I’m glad you’re here, watch her, make sure she continues to kneel! I’ll send two of my maids to take over from you in a couple of minutes.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Uh? And now she’s leaving?

Just as the weasel had stated, two maids came and took over, making sure that I stayed in a kneeling state and I wondered why the weasel hadn’t stayed and tried to finish me off…Her time was running out and I knew that she’d regret it later!

But, as seconds turned into minutes and now hours, I found that neither the weasel, nor anyone else, came looking for me.

Darkness came and the maids watching me sighed often and sometimes nudged me, but otherwise it was really boring, and the worst part was…I was probably better not bothering to do anything because the new rules would be reinstated to everyone by now!

Well, I could ask for help but…How was I to get away from these two maids?

If only someone would walk by…

But, after two hours of kneeling, no one else came…

And this somewhat depressed me…

I mean, my knees hurt! I hadn’t knelt this long in my entire life!

…I didn’t want to depend on the Warmonger, but I just thought that he’d ask where I went or something by now…So, I was hoping that soon…Soon, someone will come!

Upon what felt like five hours, someone did come, but it wasn’t Jorne…

It was the weasel that returned…

“Quick, take her to the prison for now.”

Prison!?

No way! Why!? Only bad people go to prison! What are you going to tell them uh? ‘Oh, she’s too close to my husband’? Really?

Trying to fight off the two maids, but unable to do much because my legs felt terribly achy and weak, I then decided to yell out, “Help, He…”

My mouth got covered, making me move my head, so that I could try and get the hand away, but it didn’t work, instead, I went to bite part of the hand or finger, only to have the hand taken away and something shoved into my mouth instead.

“Hurry. I didn’t think I’d have so little time to do this!”

Letting out noise, without clear meaning, I felt like perhaps I should have taken the chance of fighting the two maids off earlier instead…This was just…

“Your Highness, what do you mean that you have little time?”

As I breathed heavily, I stopped making noise, so that I could hear what the weasel has to say.

“The rules have changed back but pretend that you haven’t heard it! Take her to the prison and state that she is to be killed! If they ask why, tell them that I have ordered it for something that she did to Her Highness, Lady Venus. I will talk to her and she will understand! Now hurry!”

Just like that, I was carted away to the prison, the weasel not following as she had left after she had spoken what she thought she had too!

I guess she was going to act as though these two maids of hers took up things on their own accord and claim that it’ll be too late and that she had nothing to do with it…Or something like that…

I…Was in for it…How was I to get out of this!?

And really…Could the weasel really go this far…Just for me…

Getting shoved down into a cell, I hear the door slam and mutterings, but I was still wondering what the weasel was thinking…

Was it because she really classified herself as Queen already?

This…Probably wasn’t just for me, but to give her more power over the maids in general.

I was too close to the Crowned Prince for her, but she still wanted that power…Or so I believed…

I was just her first target…The closest, and I was sure that she’d do this to any maid that got to close to the Crowned Prince…

Sitting and letting my legs out in front of me, I cringed…My hands were still tied but I didn’t care for that at the moment because dam…My knees hurt so much!

This was not cool!

The rules had gone back to normal, but I was still trapped, I was also pretty sure that they’ll try to rush my death…Somehow…

“This one?”

“Yeah, Her Highness Lady May stated that she had done something terrible to Her Highness Lady Venus.”

Looking up at the two men, that seemed to keep this area as their jobs, I stared at them, trying to make some kind of voice through what was in my mouth, but no words could be understood.

“Rules of maids having the right to defend themselves…”

“Her Highness, Lady May, stated that even with those rules, this maid had done a hideous crime that is punishable by death.”

“Oh…”

I screamed through the cloth, still staring at the idiots in front of me!

“Let’s get it over with then, get her out.”

Dammit!

This really wasn’t looking good!

Being taken by the arms and shoulders, I was taken out of the cell and taken towards the rear end of the prison.

“Quick, before anyone sees.”

Seeing them touch a certain area of the wall, I widened my eyes to see that the there was a hidden passageway there.

Holy…

Trying to look back, I wasn’t able to see anything, but when I turned back around to the front, I saw another person.

“Sir, this one is in for death, want her?”

Frantically looking around, I became increasingly scared by the second…

What was this place!?

“There’s been a lot less death penalties lately, of course I’ll take her!”

Getting dropped upon the ground, I take a few breaths and try to calm down!

“Let’s go!”

The two men that had brought me here sounded like they walked away, and I just did not have the courage to look anywhere but the ground below me at the moment.

…So, is this where the prison men will state that I was killed…But really had taken me elsewhere? Will no one really know that I was instead still alive? Was this…The end of being a maid?

But why here? What is this place?

“It’s seems luck has found you, my dear. Now, do you have any type of talent?”

In an instant, whatever that had been in my mouth was removed and I looked up at the normal looking man in front of me. He continued to untie me then, as I just stared at him in confliction. Was he an ally or an enemy? What was going on!?

He just looked like any plain worker…

“Speak! We have saved you from death and now your life will remain a secret. We are nobody and since you are nobody, you are to tell me what you are good at!”

The man was really…Annoying!

“If I’m nobody, then why save me?”

The man smirked at me, “Ah, one that asks questions! This place just takes in the innocent, remakes their lives so that they can become someone else. But you must remember that you are His Majesty’s people now! Who you were beforehand…It doesn’t matter!”

I couldn’t help it…I laughed!