The Fair Maid
an analysis on the concept of fairytales
There is nothing more dangerous than a beautiful maidservant.
The bloom of a princess's flower is nothing compared to the secret radiance of a maidservant, who clothes herself with virtue and loyalty. The finest of jewels will do nothing to enhance the beauty of a princess, yet the countenance of a maidservant in rags will draw pity and wonder. While the princess lifts not a finger to help others, the ever-so-helpful maidservant takes on any daunting task with utmost determination.
There are thousands of maidservants, one princess and one witch in the kingdom of Lucifenia.
Princess Riliane sees the maidservant walking beside the mage, but the ephemeral way as to how the maidservant glides about signals the beginning of a story. Her apron billows as she walks. Her shoes make no noise. She clasps her hands as if in prayer to an unknown god who provides her daily bread, and her short golden hair could very well be spun gold thread. Elluka Clockworker stops Madame Futapie and laughs boisterously with her, and the maid disappears like a fay in a folktale.
The princess is disturbed.
She demands to know who is the girl. Lady Clockworker shrugs in indifference. "Well, as you know, I bring no one with me, save for my apprentice," comes the stubborn reply, and Princess Riliane wonders whether her eyes are failing her.
Maidservants become princesses with enough virtue. That goes without saying, for a few lucky maidservants who were treated miserably were blessed with divine providence, or good luck, or a fairy godmother, if you will. Evil employers subject them to impossible tasks, and with the power of a maidservant's good heart, miracles occur, and a prince on a white horse whisks her away to his palace. A crown of gold will be set on her head, and she would enjoy eternal happiness with the one she loves. The princess spends a day thinking, wondering how on earth could such a girl be employed under her, and over tea at three, she drums her fingers on the table in the gardens.
"Allen," Princess Riliane asks, "have you seen a blonde-haired maid accompanying Elluka Clockworker lately?"
Her faithful servant raises an eyebrow in genuine confusion.
"I believe not, mi'lady."
The princess sees the maidservant again the next day.
The maidservant laughs, and the birds sing. Creation adores her, and the mage discusses a few matters with the remaining heroes over tea. They talk about the days of old, and though the maidservant privately admires the beauty that is the Heavenly Yard within the confines of the Lucifenian palace, she has never once left Elluka Clockworker's side. A momentary shock - the maidservant gasps at the sudden appearance of a hare running through the hedges, and all at once, the princess realizes that the maidservant has been doing everything but working.
"You!" she calls out, and the Three Heroes turn their heads. The princess pays no heed. "You," Princess Riliane repeats, "how is it that you're not worki-"
That was when the princess had the shock of her life.
The maidservant turns her head, and it was like looking at a mirror. The princess saw her, or rather, her servant in this maid, and ignoring the jabs of the sorceress, the concerned questions of the head maid and the constant inquiries of the warrior, she finds herself staring at this girl.
Blue eyes, blonde hair and an immaculate disposition. The maidservant does not curtsy, nor beg for her life, but she stares at the princess in surprise herself as she delicately rests her fingers on a yellow rose. The picture of beauty surprises the princess, and the fact that the maid looked so much like her, or her servant, almost made her doubt herself even more.
The maidservant gives a most lovely curtsy.
The princess finds her hands balling into fists.
This is the start of jealousy.
Jealousy is a most powerful monster. There could be no one as beautiful as the princess. There could be no one who can ever notice the maid. She asks for the maid's name the next day, but none knew of her. She demands it, yet to no fruition. She had decided that if she ever sees that accursed maid again, she would have her head, and her beauty would cease to beguile any potential people.
Worst yet, if Prince Kyle were to meet the maid, it would truly be the end of Princess Riliane and her fragile heart.
The princess retires to bed, and she keeps her eyes open - there is truly no way that she can be able to sleep, and it eats away at her, the pride and jealousy over such an ephemeral beauty. There could be no way that the maid should be able to live. They must have hidden her somewhere deep inside the palace, or she could also be under the protection of the mage, but what good would that prove for the maid, if she needs even the slightest bit of protection?
Princess Riliane would find out sooner or later, and that would be the end.
She would be sure of it.
Everyone has dreams.
Princess Riliane dreams tonight, and she sees the maid. Bare feet were submerged into the waters of a beach, and a message in a bottle escaped the maid's hands. It floats away, slowly but surely, and the princess covers her arms in the cold of the night.
"This is the legend of the sea," the maid speaks, and Princess Riliane widens her eyes at the familiar voice. It is as if she is hearing herself speak, and the maid turns her head to face the princess with a serene smile on her face. "Write down a wish, then put it in a bottle and have it sail far away into the seas."
"...And what will happen?" the princess asks.
The princess knows what will happen, but she asks anyways. She wants to hear her voice tell her the answer. She wants the maid to keep smiling, and all of her jealousy dissipated into nothing at the peaceful atmosphere. The maid holds her shoes in one hand, and she invites the princess to walk over to her. The water is warm, the weather is cold and the sand is soft, and all at once, the princess recalls an age-old tale and past memories.
All alone, she had done this before. She walks over to the maid, and the maid takes her hand in her free one. The maid laughs softly, and once again, the princess asks the same question.
"What will happen?"
The maid gently rubs the princess's hand in hers, and then squeezes it forcefully, pushing her thumb down onto the soft expanses of the space between her thumb and forefinger.
"!"
At once, the princess winces, trying to escape from the maid's strong grasp, but worse yet, the maid kept smiling. The waves were ever calm. The night was ever young. The message in the bottle floats away, slowly but surely, and as the princess gasps and demands to be released, the maid gives her the answer.
"It is not a wish come true, Princess. It is a promise with a demon."
The fair maid is not fair in disposition.
The princess realizes in horror that the maid is not a girl. The maid is a boy, and his beauty is startling. There is no inner beauty within. The story is forcibly broken, there is no happy ending, and there is no prince who will whisk this boy away. He creates all, he destroys all, and he pulls the princess close to him, looking into her eyes with his own blue ones with morbid glee. She resists. He does not budge.
He speaks in Allen's voice. She feels tears form in her eyes. This was not what she wanted, nor asked for.
"Remember, Princess," the god Behemo says, and she feels herself going weak at the knees in fear, "that there is more to things than a pretty front."
The god lets go, and she falls seated onto the ground. She sees the might of the god, and she finds that she is stammering.
"W-Who are...W-Who a-are y-you...?"
He checks his nails in boredom.
"Me?"
"Who are you?!" she exclaims, and he turns to look at her.
It is the same beautiful face, the face that would enchant princes, the face that would evoke sympathy from any magical being searching to bless a good soul, the face that concealed a much darker heart. She looks at that face in fear, and he smiles that very same serene smile that she wanted to see a few moments ago.
"My name," he chuckles, "is Behemo."
A chill goes down the princess's spine.
She screams, and wakes up in the confines of her chambers.
The princess realizes that not all fairytales have good endings.
She sleepily ponders on her dream, disturbed beyond all means. She overhears a conversation - a harmless conversation between the mage and the head maid, and the latter wonders aloud as to how youthful the mage keeps herself.
"It's impossible," Mariam Futapie persists. "Tell me how you do it."
"Ah, Mari-chan," comes the mage's reply, "not everything revolves around beauty! Why, I think it just comes naturally - I mean, there is more to things than a beautiful exterior, don't you think?"
NOTES:
I...don't know. Ha.