Crowe here!
Aria here~
And we're back for another chapter! SUPER BELATED HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
First of all, EVERYONE PLEASE BE SAFE OF THE CORONAVIRUS. We hope that all of you have been well and are okay. Please stay in doors when you can, and do not go out just yet.
Secondly, we are so sorry this took so long to get out. Crowe had been busy with his part-time job and had no time to write, while I have been busy with my school works and keeping track of my scholarship. Being in the Computer Science field takes a lot of time into account. We swear, we had this chapter already written out way before, but we had to rewrite it again and again because it just didn't feel right and does justice to the main character of this chapter. This is the 10th iteration that we feel remotely comfortable with pushing out, so we do hope you'll enjoy this!
With CoronaVirus in our country right now and being in quarantine, we hope that we'll be able to have enough time to push out more chapters. However, we hope that you will be patient with us TTvTT. Despite the situation, Crowe is still working and hoping to expand on his repertoire of jobs, and I am trying to find a job as well. The both of us are in a difficult position right now... we fear that we might not have enough money to last us for the possible months of quarantine. ~Aria
Again, our readers, thank you so much for keeping track of this fanfiction thus far. We will keep this story going, and we'll have at least one chapter out per year! That will be our promise for all of you.
Now, let's get to the reviews~
ultima-owner, thank you for your loyalty, and reading for this long! We're so sorry that it took this long. Indeed, and we hope that Saito will learn from his mistake... or not.
IHateGenericCereal, thank you for your loyalty, and reading for this long! We're glad that you liked the idea of the Four Familiars coming soon. The scientific magic should come out next chapter as we will have it focus on Mipha and Tabitha's relationship while Louise and co are knocked out. We hope that you're fine with waiting, we'll be starting on writing it soon!
Rey Paloma, thank you for reading and leaving a feedback! Thank you so much for placing our story into one of your best FoZ Crossover Worlds you've read. We tried our best to keep the story close to FoZ without it leaving the canon altogether. We found just mashing two stories together to be incredibly infuriating to read, so we're glad we managed to achieve what we wanted to do!
We'll do our best to keep this story from getting too angsty~ even Crowe who's the edgiest person I know doesn't want this story to steer into that direction. Hopefully we do Siesta even further justice in this chapter!
The Dark Hour, thank you for your loyalty, and reading for this long! It's fine if you ask, we like to give small hints for our readers, especially since these chapters take long to put out. We'll try not to spoil the future plot of this story, but we think you can easily deduce what we're going to do in the future. For this timeline, we're going for the Fallen Hero Timeline. We're trying a take where what if Link died and Zelda failed to seal Ganon away for real. Without Link nor Zelda sealing Ganon away, there is no need for Mipha's soul to show up later. That is why, in the beginning of the chapter, the Three Goddesses had to intervene. For how we can connect LoZ further to the FoZ lore, there is that one dragon and other artifacts as well as the existence of Ashei in this story...
For our one-liner ends, it is actually more of a spur of habit on my part. I never really got rid of it, and I thought it might work out with how this story's prose and theme is going. In the end, Aria liked it despite how cheesy it is, so we kept it! - Crowe
xirons20, thank you for reading and leaving feedbacks! We're kind of sorry that we made you cry for the beginning, but, at the same time, we're kind of glad that we did as we managed to deliver the emotions well. We hope we'll be able to make you feel all sorts of things so you can enjoy this story further!
Kuchiki Erza, thank you for reading and leaving a feedback!
Now that we read back on the chapters, I guess that's exactly what happened in Chapter 2. chuckles - Crowe
Sprengkamp, thank you for reading and leaving a feedback!
Angron, thank you for your loyalty and for reading this long! Belated happy new year as well, and thank you for waiting for this long. We hope that this chapter will be able to satisfy you to keep reading!
We'll most likely start writing on the next chapter as soon as this one goes out. Once again, we ask all of you to stay safe during this epidemic, and we hope that our story we'll give you some entertainment for these following weeks/months!
Now, without further adieu~
Siesta
The brunette had been in the middle of pouring the Crown Princess tea when she saw Louise and her friends being carried on stretchers. The sight had caused Siesta to drop the tea pot she had been holding. Louise! She thought in panic as the sound of fragile ceramic crashing and her fellow maids' shrieking had barely registered her ears. The sounds outside were muffled as if she were underwater at that very moment. Her mind blanked, and before she even realized it, she was already running. The winds blew against her face as she'd felt her maid cap fell off from the sheer intensity of her run. Ragged breaths left her body as the special "servant attire" she had been wearing weighed down against her. It felt like moving against the currents of water, and she cursed in her mind over how slow she was. Eventually, she tripped and fallen as the dress she'd been wearing wasn't well suited for running. A snarl left her lips before she could even clamp it down. The frustration she felt was simply overwhelming. She quickly picked herself up, but her friends were already mere seconds away from entering the Medical Ward. While she knew that she could just visit sometime later, it felt wrong to do that to them. She owed her world to them, literally, and she wasn't going to skip out on returning that favour. She ran towards them again. The weight of her clothes began weighing down on her again, and it caused another snarl to leave her mouth. The apron was first to leave her as she'd haphazardly threw it to the side. She reached down on her skirt next, and tore it apart so she can run faster. The sounds of some boys' gasps reached her ears, but those didn't matter for the moment.
At some idle part of her mind, the brunette could recall reading a scene similar to this. It was a novel the Germanian had given her as a gift for being a good friend. The plot revolved around a maid and a noble's unrequited love for each other. At the later point of the story, the noble was carried off to meet his "arranged fiancé". She never could understand why the maid of that story described herself to be racing against time. She felt scandalized when the main character also tore her own dress just so she could chase after the carriage of some noble she'd fallen for. Sure, she did that herself, but that was under very different circumstances. Now, though, Siesta was beginning to understand.
Her efforts of reaching her friends didn't let her down. She managed to reach the professors right before Louise entered the ward. "What- happened to them?!" Siesta screeched in between her ragged breaths. The teachers stopped on their tracks from surprise, and all turned to face the maid. She saw a few of the males turn bright red and turn away, while the women had solemn and sympathetic expressions for her. It was only then that Siesta realized that she'd literally screamed in their faces; unexpectedly, panic didn't come to her. In fact, she continued to stare worryingly and approached her friends little by little. The teachers looked conflicted until, reluctantly, one moved to stop her. She stared at him dead in the eye, her worry only increasing by his action. As she'd stared the professor down, she finally realized why she wasn't panicking. It was her worry that overpowered everything else she felt. That worry that threw everything she'd learned throughout her life over to the wind, and lit up something in her. It was the same fire she felt that caused her to throw caution to the wind and discovered the dungeons under the count's manor. Instead of cowering like she usually did, she held her head tall and continued to stare at the professor's eyes. To her dismay, it was the male professor who turned to the side first. Why are they not answering? Their silence only served to intensify her worry. She turned to look at the unconscious students instead, and let her eyes find the answers.
A heavy sigh left her mouth as relief washed over her chest. Her legs nearly gave out as she'd put her hand over her beating heart. Thank goodness, they're alright. Despite their unconscious state, their skins had a healthy colour on them. The teachers seemed to have noticed that and nodded at the maid. They turned to leave, and carried the students off. This time, Siesta didn't chase them. She knew that she had wasted enough time for them already; her friends need to rest at the medical ward regardless of how healthy they've looked. So much for that favour I've wished to return… Still, as she watched the teachers take her friends away on stretchers, she couldn't help but feel creeped out. They were moving as if they were puppets, and not even one of them had uttered a word.
"Ah, Siesta," a tired voice called out from behind her. She turned around to see Mipha with a sad tired smile on her face, and a hand on her stomach. She seemed to be using her trident as a cane of sorts to move around. For a moment, Siesta was worried that Mipha got into an accident before she remembered. Right, the princess did run after eating a huge meal.
"Mipha, what happened to them?" she asked as she'd walked forward to support the familiar. The latter gave her a kind and grateful smile as she'd adjusted her posture to lean on Siesta. As Mipha came closer to Siesta, the maid noticed that the redhead's bangs were nearly covering her eyes. Now that I think of it, she'd never once cut her hair during her time here, huh. From the time she met Mipha, the princess' hair was at waist's length. Now, her hair was starting to dangle just a few inches off below her knee. It seemed that the redhead was thankfully keeping her bangs cut short, but never really bothered to cut the rest. The thought of Mipha cutting her own hair caused Siesta to slowly turn her gaze to the trident.
Despite herself, the maid giggled at the idea of Mipha using the sharp edges of her trident to cut her bangs. Little did she know, she was actually hitting that mark straight on. Her small giggle caused the princess to face her with a confused expression. Siesta idly chided herself from giggling out of nowhere, and tried to school her expression. "Sorry, just a passing thought," she said to Mipha. She looked around for a nearby bench, and, once she spotted one, started walking towards it. The princess nodded, before starting to speak.
"They were attacked within the library. From according to the analysis of Agnès, two people initiated the attack. It had taken out Montmorency and Kirche, while Guiche and Louise tried to fend off the attackers," she explained. Siesta shivered from the idea that people can easily infiltrate the academy. If what Mipha said were true, and Siesta quickly believed that it was, then the academy was not as safe as the Headmaster preached it to be. "Even worse than that," Mipha continued, "is if this event goes public, the nobles will most likely blame the Crown Princess for this."
Wide eyes were the response Siesta had for the familiar's words. "Wait, isn't that unfair?"
"Indeed, but no amount of convincing would matter. In their eyes, it's the princess' overwhelming presence that allowed these thieves to come in the first place. Even though, very obviously, the fault lies within the academy's staff." The sheer venom that Siesta heard from Mipha's voice caused her to turn her head to the redhead in alarm. The small sad smile was no longer there, and it was replaced instead with a cold hard mask. The way the princess' lips thinned into a straight-line scared Siesta, but she didn't dare cower away from it. However, knowing that whatever answer she'd give would quiver from her voice, she decided to hum her agreement instead. She gently sat Mipha down on the bench. Fortunately, the momentary rest to the feet and possibly to the stomach brightened up the latter's mood. The thin line of her lips settled into a small relieved, albeit exhausted smile. "Siesta, sit with me?"
The maid didn't dare refuse. The moment the request was given, she immediately sat down next to the princess. While she was now relieved and knew that her friends were in a good spot, surrounded by teachers in the Medical Ward and whatnot, she knew that Mipha needed a friend. She seems pretty shaken… The way the princess' arms were tensed, and how her eyes constantly looked around betrayed her smile. It was quite similar to how her younger siblings acted whenever they just saw something bad. Sisterly instincts kicked up inside her as she'd moved closer to her smaller, demurer friend. She wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "What's wrong, Mipha?"
Siesta didn't quite expect the princess to suddenly just drop the trident on the grass and wrap both arms around her neck. The maid panicked for a bit, and didn't know how to react well to the situation. Should I hug her back? Wait, but what if she- that was until she felt the arms around her tighten. She felt no tears spill her dress, but the shuddering of the princess' shoulders told her enough. Whether it was due to frustration or sadness, the maid did the one thing she knew she should do. A sigh left her mouth as she'd tightly hugged the princess back. The two continued to stay that way, as the winds blew against them in an almost comforting way. The maid saw guards scampering all over the place, being led by that manticore woman. The woman even had her sword drawn. Wait, isn't that illegal! She thought as she'd watch that woman push men around like they were her playthings. Even some of the teachers who she happened to come across weren't spared from her authority. However, because of the tensed atmosphere and sounds of armor hitting each other, it brought up very horrible memories for Siesta. Without even realizing it, she hugged the princess a bit too tight for comfort as she'd fought to push down the memories of those haunting halls. The face of the man she'd knocked out with a vase, the blood dripping down from his forehead-
"Si-Siesta, c-can't breathe," A voice pleaded her. Siesta inhaled sharply as her senses came back to her. Why does Mipha feel closer than earlier? She asked herself as she slowly let go of the hug. This time, it was the princess who inhaled deeply while coughing lightly. "What happened?" the princess found herself asking as she'd held her throat. Immense guilt washed over Siesta as she'd quickly apologized to the princess. She was supposed to be the one comforting her, and not the other way around.
"I-I'm sorry, Mipha. It's just- everything's starting to get to my head. The noises are too familiar to back then."
A worried look passed over the princess' vintage. Soft warm hands cupped Siesta's cheeks that forced her to look at Mipha's yellow eyes. "I see. I can't just tell you to quickly forget what happened, but know that you are stronger than you credit yourself for. You are better, even more courageous than you've ever thought you've been. You've been fighting this silently, and you haven't fallen- not even once." Siesta knew what the princess was implying. Have you fallen, you would've left this academy a long time ago. Siesta's eyes closed as she'd taken deep breaths to calm herself down. "However, I implore you, to share your burdens with us. It hurts us to know that you've been hurting all this time, and we haven't even noticed. You don't have to go through this alone." Siesta bobbed her head down as she'd taken all of Mipha's words in. She focused on the warmth of Mipha's hands, the Wisdom of her words. The sounds of the hall-steps, the visage of the man's bleeding forehead, and the count's haunting eyes- all faded ever so slowly. They would still be there to haunt her, definitely, but the maid now knew she had people to share her burdens with. That brought enough comfort for her to fight on. Siesta slowly opened her eyes to Mipha giving her a small, though surprisingly mischievous, smile.
"I do not lie that you are strong, Siesta. I mean, you do have a knack of irritating Louise so early in the morning with your teasing."
The maid's eyes widened from shock. She didn't quite expect Mipha, out of all people, to tease her. A laugh escaped her lips as she'd wiped the tears that were forming at the edge of her eyes. It looks like Kirche and I are starting to rub off on her. "Yeah, I guess. It is somehow exciting to run from Louise's explosions." Mipha giggled softly at her response. Her hands left her cheeks, before she reached for the fallen trident, and leaned it against the bench. The princess watched the guards move along, as well as Siesta. Silence fell between the two of them for a while, as they chose to soak in all the events that just transpired.
It was Mipha who broke the silence first: "Louise, Montmorency, Kirche, Guiche… It was horrible, what happened to them." Siesta turned to look at Mipha from the side. A sad look had entered the princess' face again, and there was the same tiredness she'd seen from the princess from some time ago. At the very least, Siesta was certain that Mipha wasn't just about to break into tears, but she was worried that the redhead might just faint instead. "When I found Louise, there were marks on her sides- as if she was engulfed by something. Her arm was bleeding from a cut, and, from the looks of it, the wound came from a sword. However, compared to her, Guiche was even worse." The worry Siesta felt came back. She could feel her pulse race, and her desire to run to her friends' sides again. It was only the fact that Mipha had healed them stopped her from doing so.
"Guiche's body is battered completely by blows. There were bruising all over his chest and arms, and possibly chest fracture. A few cuts were spotted on his body, but they were small and minimal compared to the large gash on Louise's arm. Montmorency and Kirche seemed to be knocked out earlier on, but their head injuries were a cause for alarm. Honestly, Siesta, it was so bad, but I'm just glad I've arrived in time. Have I not…"
Mipha trailed off, but the implications of her statement reached the brunette. She had read enough novels and academic books from both Kirche and Tabitha to know what would've happened then; the spitfire would've died from blood loss. Guiche would be suffering from injuries in the inside, and the two might as well have died or have memory loss from their head injury. Frustration welled up inside the maid as her hands balled into fists. While she knew that there was nothing, she could've done to prevent it, she should've at least asked the head staff if there were guards roaming around the academy. She should've at least checked on Louise and her friends right before she attended Mipha and the Crown Princess. What truly frustrated her, however, was the fact that even if she were right there, there was nothing that she could've done to help them. That fact gnawed at her, taunted her, that she was nothing more than a worthless maid.
She hated it.
Seeing the sadness in Mipha's expression, the unconscious states of her friends, it brought back a fleeting idea of hers from just a few days ago. There's no maybe anymore. I will learn the way of the sword. As she was just about to open her mouth, however, the strong flapping of a certain dragon familiar interrupted her. The strong winds caused the two to yelp and cover their eyes.
Mipha
A loud thud had signaled the end of the winds buffeting around the princess and the maid. The redhead slowly lowered her arms, and smiled softly when she saw Tabitha scaling down her familiar. She nodded slightly to her, and the bluenette had done the same. When she saw the young mage approach them, Mipha knew what she'd wanted. Her alert senses had been enough for her to take note of the tight grip Tabitha had on her staff, and her tensed shoulders. Of course, she'd wish to know what happened to her dearest friends. Just remembering their wounded forms had easily spread melancholy across her frame. It hurt her as much as seeing one of the champions and Zelda get hurt. The image of a grief-stricken Zelda after another failed attempt to unlock her powers lingered fresh in her mind despite how long it may have been. Louise, Guiche, Kirche, and Montmorency's unconscious forms would be no different, and surely have been added to that pile. Then there was also the anger. Unbridled rage was welling inside the redhead, and it was directed to whoever did this to her friends. She simply has had enough of watching the people close to her suffer, and she had half the mind to still go out to look for the people responsible, and shove her trident up their-
Mipha quickly shook her head from the imagery and silently chided herself. Come on, Mipha. You are not that crude.
"What happened?" came Tabitha's curt question. Mipha felt troubled, and felt her smile strain wearily. While she'd just recounted the tale to Siesta, she was in no mood to do so again. It wasn't because she wasn't in the mood because Tabitha appeared; no, that would be absurd. Tabitha was kind to her and Louise during her first few weeks in the academy and their magical sessions. In fact, the princess was grateful to her. It was just she simply felt too tired to speak of the tale again. To her fortune, it was Siesta who'd recounted the tale. She decided to take that time to relax her senses, or, at least, calm herself down. Once the maid finished, the bluenette's eyebrows furrowed, and her mouth had turned into a frown. If it were any other occasion, Mipha would be celebrating that the usual blank-faced bluenette was expressing her emotions. Age-wise, Tabitha was still very much a child. A child should be able to frown when they're angry, cry when they're sad, and laugh when they're happy. Tabitha had barely exhibited any of those, no matter the occasion. The fact that this was the first time she'd openly expressed her emotion to others and it was because of her friends being in danger of all things, it saddened the princess even further. Her yellow eyes continued to watch the smallest of the three reigned in her emotions.
"Where?" the bluenette asked. Siesta simply pointed towards the Medical Ward, seemingly exhausted from retelling the tale. Mipha couldn't help but add that to her already growing list of worries. She hadn't realized Siesta was suffering at all in the past weeks, and it gnawed her only to realize now; even she still had nightmares from that terrible monster known as Ganon. If only- her thoughts were interrupted as she'd heard Tabitha speak. "The event, cancelled. Princess, called back to castle, but insisted to stay." Mipha blinked. That was the most she'd ever heard Tabitha speak. Another thing to celebrate about, if only it were any other time. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she'd leaned back against the bench.
"Are you alright, Mipha?" She heard Siesta ask. The worry out of the maid's tone made her realize she was still feeling melancholic despite how things have turned out well in the end. She took in a deep breath, and began to psyche herself up.
"Yes. Just, quite a few things running through my mind. It'll pass eventually," she responded kindly. The shaky, weary smile she had on her lips felt genuine as she'd gently picked her trident from the side. "For now, at least Kirche, Montmorency, Guiche, and Louise are safe. They're resting, being taken care of, and, most importantly, protected by the teachers. We should look around, and assist the guards as much as we can." Their replies came in the form of short nods, the red head failing to notice the maid biting her lips. Mipha stood from her spot, and gently patted down her dress with her free hand. She saw Siesta do the same, and it was only then the red head realized the current state of the maid's dress. "Uhm, Siesta, maybe you should go change first?" She suggested with a weak voice. The maid looked down, before her face lit up a bright red.
"Ah, yes. I should, or people will start staring at me," she agreed, before rushing off to her quarters. Mipha followed her shortly, as she'd gestured to Tabitha to come as well. The bluenette gave her silent consent by gesturing to her familiar to fly around. A slight twirl of her fingers was all that's needed for the dragon to understand the command. However, she added a small gesture in the end that had her bring up two fingers and curl them slightly then up. The instruction confused the princess, as she'd watch the familiar flap her wings. The winds almost blew Mipha from her feet as it rose to the skies. An apologetic smile was sent to Mipha's way. Wait, the bunny!
"Oh, about Mira-"
"Already accounted for," the bluenette answered her question, and did the same odd gesture she had given Sylphid. It didn't take long for Mipha to understand what it meant, and made a small "o" with her mouth. The bluenette smiled slightly at her which caused the princess to laugh from embarrassment. She gestured for Tabitha to walk with her again, and the two resumed their walk. "Ah, for the winds earlier, I do not mind being blown away slightly. I suppose I'm not quite used with the winds buffeting against me. It's quite a different experience from the waves of the seas." A small spark lit up in the bluenette's eyes when Mipha mentioned the last part. It was no secret that the bluenette was immensely interested with stories from Mipha's past and experiences. The time they shared on the back of Sylphid was certainly one of the fondest memories Mipha had so far in her time in Halkegania. She had spoken about the kingdom of Hyrule and the rich history behind it, as well as the other races that occupied t. It was as if her stories were tales of fantasy to her. While the ex-Zora loved to indulge her, she couldn't help but feel a strange pain for the bluenette.
"Seas?" the bluenette asked as she fell in rhythm to Mipha's own pace. The two were by no means walking slowly by coincidence. Even though she was about to start a casual conversation with the bluenette, Mipha kept her magical senses about her. By using the moisture of the air, she kept track of the guards, the students, the teachers, and the Crown Princess at all times. Juggling a casual conversation, magically observing the area, and walking towards a direction were all still very difficult for the red head to do. For the bluenette's case, Mipha hadn't the faintest idea why she wasn't urging them to move faster.
"Yes. Now that I think about it, I've never told you that story, have I?" Tabitha responded with a silent shake of her head. Taking that as the cue, she continued her story. "When I was younger, my father brought me along the coast of the kingdom I belong to. As a royal member, it was crucial for me to learn to swim against the tides. It was quite difficult at first, but I eventually grew used to the waters." The bluenette tilted her head. It was something that she'd done very frequently when she felt confused.
"No magic?"
Mipha nodded. "No magic, it was purely a physical activity. It's been a while, now that I think about it- to swim in the waters," she answered. Yearning washed over her features as she'd remembered the feeling of the waves against her skin. It was only by talking about it with another person that she realized she missed swimming. She had spent months in this world without a single dip into a lake or pond. The only times she ever dipped herself was with the huge bath for the students, and the one time she threw herself into the fountain. She couldn't quite swim across the bath as it was too hot for her liking. The one time she did try swimming in the bath, she passed out in the center. If it weren't for Louise, she would've definitely drowned. Her Hylian body wasn't anyway capable of breathing underwater.
"I see. Me, swimming, never tried. Too busy, studying," the bluenette spoke after a while. Mipha turned to the bluenette to look at her expression. Unlike earlier, where Tabitha's emotions were leaking out, a cold mask had fully placed itself once again. Still, she could tell from her voice that the small mage wished to try it. A comforting smile found its way to Mipha's lips.
"Remind me to take you swimming after all of this is over. We all deserve a break," she promised to her bookworm friend. Tabitha's mask cracked as her eyebrows furrowed. Mipha was worried that she'd reject her offer. When she silently nodded, a relieved sigh escaped her lips. Conversation between the two died down after that, and Mipha was uncomfortable about it. Usually, she'd be fine with a silent walk like this, it's how she usually interacted with Tabitha after all. However, with recent events still fresh in the mind, it worried her that she might've said something wrong. It was only a small breeze when she came slightly closer to the bluenette that she realized why she'd been silent.
She's doing it too! She thought as she'd concentrated a bit of her senses around her walking companion. The moisture in the air was being slightly directed by a nearly non-existent breeze that could've easily passed off for someone's imagination. Now it makes sense why she isn't rushing to follow Siesta. She was observing the academy in her own way. The silence became a lot more comfortable for Mipha to bear. However, that gave her a stronger discomfort as a thought manifested in her mind.
Just when did she cast a spell like that?
She had been with Tabitha from the entirety of her since landing, and she had never once seen nor heard the bluenette cast the spell. From her experience of watching the students perform their spells in the courtyard for their practical, all of them always chanted their spells. Even the teachers were casting their spells through a verbal medium. Is it possible that she's able to do wordless casting now? It had been no secret to the group that Mipha had been teaching Louise, but she had never once disclosed to them their lectures of Science and Magic Theory. The teachers weren't teaching any of the students her version of casting magic either, so it would've been impossible for Tabitha to learn it. Unless she heard me teaching it to Louise before, she was responsible for sound-proofing our rooms, but even so, to be able to do this without instruction. It only meant one thing; their resident bookworm was nothing short but a prodigy.
Or Mipha was just being silly, and was overthinking things. As they turned the corner, a loud shout brought Mipha out of her reverie. The two looked at each other in alarm, then hastened their pace without saying another word.
"Do you realize what you've done?!" the voice continued as well as Siesta's familiar voice profusely apologizing over and over again. A dreadful feeling crept underneath Mipha's skin as she'd dropped her magical senses for now. It seemed like Tabitha had done the same when a sudden breeze of wind blew from her general direction. The two continued to run, and, after turning another corner, they saw Siesta bowing her head down to another maid. However, unlike the others that were crowding the area, this particular maid had a demurer attire- and definitely a better dress as the poor brunette still had her's torn. A stern expression was present on her face as she'd crossed her arms to show her displeasure.
"What happened?" Tabitha was the first one to ask a nearby butler, who was watching the situation.
"Ah, Siesta ran from the Crown Princess after dropping the tea pot on the floor. The Head Maid is currently punishing her for that mistake."
This time, it was Mipha's jaw that dropped. She turned her attention back to Siesta, and was about to step in, when one of the maids stopped her by walking directly in her path. She turned to the maid, who had browner hair compared to Siesta, who simply shook her head. Mipha looked at her confused, and the maid simply gave her a reassuring smile.
"You just ran away from the Crown Princess! In the middle of your duty, no less, and in front of the masses. Do you have any idea what your actions imply? Your running from the princess after failing to serve her count as an insult to the crown! They'll have your head for this, or throw you into the dungeons if the Crown Princess saw it fit. In fact, several of the guards are already looking for you," the Head Maid shouted at her. Several of the maids paled at the thought, and so did Siesta. Tabitha's grip tightened on her staff while Mipha…
The red head was just confused with what she said.
Mipha thought that punishment was a little too severe, and a bit exaggerated. Over the time she'd gotten to know Henrietta, she knew that the latter wouldn't dare harm a poor soul. She was much too kind for her own good. Agnès would've informed her already of what happened by now. She wouldn't be surprised if Henrietta pardoned her immediately after knowing what just transpired. Actually, it was 100% possible that Henrietta had already pardoned her even without knowing the reason.
"I'm sorry, but I just couldn't leave my friends in that state!" Siesta shouted back with equal fervor. She even dared to raise her to look straight into the Head Maid's eyes. "If your friends were in danger, even you would run to their aid! I wouldn't dare to throw away the bond I've made with them, all just for the sake of duty. If getting punished for rushing to check how my friends are doing is an insult to the crown, then I will retract my allegiance to the country!" Several eyes widened from the maid's outburst, including Mipha's own.
"Si-Siesta, do you even understand what you're saying? If one of the nobles heard you, you would be killed on the spot!" One of the maids spouted out as the crowd looked around frantically for any nobles in the area. Fortunately, there weren't any that they considered bad. Tabitha was friendly towards them, and they all pretty much worshipped Mipha. For them, the two wouldn't tell a soul of what has transpired.
The princess didn't really know how to feel about that part. However, for Siesta's, her soul burned for her. The passion in the maid's voice really struck a chord in her heart. Her hands balled into fists as she'd bit down the frustration of failing to notice the maid's struggles. She knew that she was being unfair to herself; after all, there hadn't been any occasion that showed that Siesta was struggling. The maid had been good at hiding her emotions from them, but, even so, she wished that she noticed it sooner. The maid didn't answer as she'd simply looked down in frustration. When Mipha saw the Head Maid kneel down with one arm outstretched, she was about to jump in and hold that hand back. She did stop, however, for one reason: she wasn't expecting the Head Maid to forcibly lift the maid up by her shoulders. The stern expression the maid wore was still there, but she could see the warm light slip into her eyes.
Panic gave way to confusion as she and an equally perplexed Siesta watched the Head Maid pat the latter down from the dust. "Your growth is outstanding, Siesta." The maid spoke after a while. She looked around to see some of the older maids and butlers scoff before leaving to do their jobs. So… Siesta was never in a perilous situation in the first place? The princess concluded although the reasoning was wrong to her. The Head Maid ignored their looks, and continued to look at the brunette. "Honestly, I doubt that you would've shouted the same before. I guess I have you to thank for this," the former continued as she'd turned to Mipha briefly. She gave her a brief nod to show her gratitude, which Mipha accepted by nodding as well. "Even so, you need to be more careful next time. Be grateful that the Crown Princess is lenient and merciful- had it been someone else or one of those nobles, they would've had you thrown into jail after that comment of yours."
"I-I'll keep that in mind," she stuttered as the Head Maid nodded and flicked her wrist. The rest of the maids went to work after seeing that action, but a few still lingered about. That caused the Head Maid to give them a piercing glare.
"Now, all of you run along. Siesta, the Crown Princess intends to stay for the night. You are to be her attendant for the duration of her stay, and I do hope you be on your best behaviour. Any more like earlier, and I won't be able to excuse you."
"Yes, ma'am!" Siesta answered with fervor as she'd bowed at the Head Maid. The latter clicked her tongue, as she'd forcibly pushed her straight up.
"What did I say about bowing, Siesta?"
Siesta stuttered as she'd quickly held the sides of her apron and performed a short yet graceful curtsy. The Head Maid clapped her hands once in satisfaction, before leaving. The other maids took that as their cue as they've all dispersed; they were certainly not eager to receive a true berating after all. Mipha and Tabitha walked closer to Siesta once the rest has left the trio alone. "I thought I was going to be punished for sure. That was scary," the latter said shakily. A soft chuckle left the red head's lips as she'd gestured at the door. As confused the red head was, she was glad that nothing bad happened.
"Maybe you should dress up first," she suggested to the brunette who looked down at her attire once again. A sigh left her mouth as she'd entered her room, and gestured for the two to come in as well. Mipha looked at Tabitha, who simply nodded to the small request. She smiled at the bluenette before turning to Siesta: "if you do not mind, then we will gladly accompany you." The maid happily smiled at that, and once they were in the remotely small room, she began to change out of her maid clothes. Tabitha closed the door behind her as she was the last to enter, and waved her staff while she'd mouthed a few words. The winds softly blew as the window closed itself as well as the curtains. The redhead raised her eyebrows at the feat.
"That's wonderful, Tabitha. It looks like your spellcasting has been improving- I barely heard you say anything!" she praised the bluenette as she'd diverted her attention from the dressing maid. It's not like she was embarrassed about being in the same room with someone dressing. She had plenty of experience already while she, Urbosa and Zelda had their little get-togethers in the castle; though, not like her experience was voluntary in any sense. Urbosa simply muscled her to join them as a way to "bond" together. Besides, she simply wished to let the maid have her modesty. The bluenette nodded from her praise, and her cheeks seemed to blush a little bit. Mipha's smile grew further when she saw the faintest of colouring on her cheeks.
"Not, enough. You, able to cast spells. No words," the bluenette replied as she stared at Mipha with those analytical eyes. The redhead shivered from the sheer intensity of those eyes. It was hard to match them, especially after the suffocating silence that followed afterwards. "Magic, you can use, without channel too. Your trident, has magical properties, but not, like staves. How?"
Perhaps Mipha's thought about her-able-to-use-magic-without-chanting being a misunderstanding was just wishful thinking. She found it incredibly harder to match the bluenette's eyes, especially when it was starting to feel like they were slowly stripping her naked. Tabitha's eyes narrowed as a guarded expression came to her face, and her shoulders started to tense. The former princess heard a sharp intake of breath from the side, which caused her to take a step back in alarm.
"… Elf?" she asked. The way Tabitha's eyes glazed over with cold determination which caused Mipha's hair from her neck to stand up. For the first time in her life in this new world, she felt like her life was being threatened. Mipha's smile felt stiffer than before as she'd started panicking internally. Why is today turning out to be really awful?! First, that manticore lady's grilling about my origins. Second, that awkward social interaction with the Crown Princess and the heavy lunch I had to power through. Third, Louise, Kirche, Guiche, and Montmorency had been attacked without me being there to protect them. Now, Tabitha's on my case! she ranted in her mind as she'd quickly composed herself. She was about to reply, when Siesta suddenly answered for her.
"No way Mipha's an elf! She's too kind to be one; not to mention, Elves are supposed to hate humans. On the day of her summoning, I doubt she would've reacted kindly to being in the middle of a school that teaches humans magic," the maid answered a little too quickly for Mipha's liking as she'd stared at the maid. The brunette had been in the middle of buttoning up her blouse when she had shouted, and it seemed she had completely forgotten about it. The ex-Zora was certain that, at the very least, the maid had never seen her slightly pointed ears. She was extremely careful about it, and her crown helped very well in keeping the attention away from them. The white colouring of her hair might have helped in masking them as well, as her skin is slightly paler than the others in the school. But even so, the way you said it is totally suspicious! she lamented in her heart. Now, the comment made her self-conscious. Just how much do other people know, or suspect her even? Fortunately, Tabitha accepted the reasoning, albeit reluctantly. The red head tried not to hold her breath she saw some of the tension leave the bluenette's features. The transition worried Mipha even further. The small Tabitha she knew was capable enough to threaten people. Just what is going on lately…
"Still, doesn't make sense. Under your tutelage, Louise's progress, phenomenal. From constant explosions, to precise blasts- even levitation. How?" the bluenette continued as she frowned slightly. A sigh left her lips as an awkward silence settled in the room. Mipha didn't know if she should shoot Siesta a grateful look. While she was truly grateful for the maid's act, doing so would likely increase the suspicion, and might cause the maid to suspect her as being an elf. Not that she was an elf, of course. I'm a Hylian, there's a clear difference! She settled with clearing her throat as she nodded to Siesta nonetheless, who snapped out of her thoughts and finished dressing up. With one worry gone, it was unfortunately replaced this time with the odd look on the bluenette's face. She didn't quite understand the look on her face, as she'd frantically tried to put some words of comfort out.
Surprisingly, it was Siesta who got the first sentence out.
"Tabitha, are you actually envious of Louise?"
Mipha had to blink when the Tabitha blushed heavily. She blinked again to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her, and the bluenette was still blushing up a storm. She couldn't help herself as she let a small chuckle escape her lips. She's still just a child after all. Her sudden laughter caused the latter to pout at her openly.
"Not, funny. Her progress, mere days, I, been training, months, years," she complained as a sudden weariness fell over her. On that second, she looked incredibly tired, as if she was carrying a particularly heavy burden that she hadn't shared with anyone else. Perhaps due to Mipha's prior moment of emotional vulnerability, an image of Link and Zelda overlapped Tabitha's tinier frame. The princess winced at the sight and almost buckled to her knees. Right, for these children, Magic is no laughing matter. The way that the Founder had shaped this world was horrible. Everyone was being judged over an ability that not everyone possesses. In a sense, it was no different from Hylian royalty, and the dark history of the Sheikah. The amount of responsibilities and hard work Link and Zelda had to pull through was being reflected by this single girl.
"… Mipha, can you teach me?" the bluenette spoke to the redhead for the first time in the sincerest voice she'd ever heard from the smaller girl. That small sentence caused the overlapping images to waver. Once gone, the image she was seeing instead caused her no small amount of shock. No longer was she seeing Link or Zelda; what she saw instead was a blue haired girl with her fingers clutching the ends of her skirt with a downcast expression. This time, a different image overlapped the smaller girl: a certain pinkette with a wild temper. Inwardly, that caused her to tear up.
It was a sign that she was finally starting to move on.
Siesta
Night eventually fell, but Louise and her friends were still unconscious. Whatever the intruders had done to them, it had been enough to knock them unconscious for the whole day. The candle's warm light danced across the medical room, as Siesta walked over to where Mipha and Tabitha were sitting at. She draped some blankets over the two, draping a longer one over the former's head to hide the pointed ears that were starting to peek through. She knew how secretive Louise and the princess were about the latter's ears, so she wasn't going to let their efforts go to waste. Since their moment in her room, she had accompanied the two to the medical room where Louise and the others were resting. No more talk had taken place after Mipha accepted Tabitha's request to teach her, and that honestly stung the maid. She envied the bluenette, who had mustered the courage earlier than she did to ask for Mipha's tutelage. To at least repay for their kindness, she had looked after the two nobles for the entire afternoon. Both had been worried sick for their friends that they even refused to eat the dinner the brunette had brought. Though in Mipha's case, it might've just been that the red head was just too full from lunch anyway.
She sighed in sadness as she'd looked over at Louise's expression. The pinkette had a remotely peaceful expression for most of the time, but it was sometimes morphed into a disturbed one. Siesta guessed that the spitfire was probably having a nightmare of what happened. Siesta clicked her tongue in frustration whenever that happened. I wish I was born with Magic, she thought. Maybe then- maybe then I would've been able to at least help them. Her fingers curled into her palm, and she bit her lower lip. I should've asked Mipha to train me when the opportunity presented itself… No, it wasn't that. Siesta knew in her heart, but she couldn't just admit it until then.
All this time, she had plenty of opportunities to ask the red head for help. She had been hanging out with the princess more frequently, and there were more than enough times when they were alone. She didn't simply have the heart- had the courage to ask her saviour to train her in swordsmanship. It was embarrassing, humiliating even for the maid. She had a sense of duty, an obligation to fulfil for the red head, and it was making her feel guilty from wanting to receive training from her.
She didn't know how long she remained standing. Many thoughts of frustration made her distracted, that it had taken the knocking on the medical door to grab her attention. Her senses eventually caught up to her, and she quickly wiped the tears that she felt that were threatening to spill on the corner of her eyes.
"Yes?" she asked to the person who knocked as she'd swiftly turned around. Her eyes widened as she'd recognized who it was. "P-Princess Henrietta!" she exclaimed as she curtsied with both hands clutching her dress. Oh no, I was supposed to be her aide for tonight, she realized as she bowed down lower. "I-I'm sorry-"
"Please," she heard the voice pause as a pair of hands gently grabbed her shoulders. The maid stiffened further, as she wasn't certain on what to do. She could clearly see who was the person that grabbed her shoulders. The pristine white dress, shoes, and violet cloak were all she needed to know that it was Crown Princess Henrietta that was holding her. Why was the soon-to-be, or maybe even the, CrownPrincess holding her? Was she going to get punished just like what the Head Maid had told her about? "Raise your head. I do not blame you for what you have done, I would've done the same." The unexpected answer caused Siesta to muster the courage to finally look up. The gentle light in the princess' teal bordering grey eyes melted away all the worries she felt. Ah… I was worried for nothing.
"T-thank you, for your kindness," Siesta answered as she bowed this time to express her gratitude. When she rose again, the heiress was staring at Louise. She curiously watched Henrietta as she'd approached the side of her bed with a worried expression. "Oh, Louise, my old friend… Who could've done this to you?" she asked as her voice cracked. Siesta's eyes widened again this time for a completely different reason. The purplenette had taken off her gloves, to gently hold the pinkette's face.
"You, come with me for a bit," another voice called behind her. A hand had landed on her wrist, and that caused her to swing around.
Siesta regretted that decision as she saw the most terrifying woman in her life. It was the manticore woman that had been following the Crown Princess around like a loyal dog, and her eyes were piercing through her soul. She couldn't do anything but follow the woman as she was dragged to the side of the room. The two were standing with backs against the wall, which gave Siesta the best view to see the Crown Princess' sombre expression. Siesta's heart ached for the latter, but the scene had also confused her greatly. While it was pretty obvious now that the princess was probably acquainted- or even friends with Louise, the question was how they had become friends in the first place? She literally jumped from her spot when the manticore woman had suddenly spoken up.
"I can understand your confusion. Princess Henrietta was often sheltered within the castle, and didn't have the time to socialize with commoners and other nobles. However, Louise was, as the Crown Princess says it, her 'royal playmate' from when they were children. She likes to think that the girl over there is her friend. Seeing her like this has definitely devastated her," she finished as Siesta felt the grip on her wrist tighten. She yelped slightly in pain as she tried to pry the fingers off. "Those cowards. They dare infiltrate this place and shift the blame unto the princess. Unforgivable."
"U-uhm, my wrist is breaking, it's breaking!" Siesta pleaded as she continued to pry the woman's fingers off her wrist. Relief washed across her as thankfully the woman let go. She gently held her wrist that had finger marks wrapped around it. Just how much strength does this woman even have?! She thought to herself as she'd inspected the depth of the marks.
"My apologies. Today's incident has got me worked up more than usual. The guards here have been practically worthless, and ordering them around all day yielded no results either," the manticore woman apologized while clicking her tongue. A tired sigh escaped her lips as she'd leaned against the wall. The armour she was wearing tapped against each other which caused Siesta to flinch. Being around her isn't good for my health… I need to find a way to- In the next second, the maid froze. She felt like she was being sized up by a predator. She slowly turned her eyes towards her temporary companion, and saw green eyes looking her up and down. "I knew I recognized you. You're Siesta, the maid from Tarbes, and the one who had bit the Count's dick off." Siesta flinched from the name, but the horrors she expected to arrive didn't come. That threw her off, but she wasn't really allowed to dwell into it as the woman patted her in the back rather forcibly. She had almost fallen over if it weren't for her foot being able to step forward to keep her from falling. Okay, that was uncalled for! She complained in her mind. She glared at the woman, who was staring at her with a grin.
"Quick on your feet too, and a tough personality as well. Very good, not even the male guards I was leading earlier had the balls to glare at me like that. I'm Agnès," the woman continued. Siesta simply scooted away from the knight, who took it in stride. The knight nodded in what Siesta thought as approval, but the frown didn't quite show it. The maid didn't know why she'd be frowning while nodding until her hands shot out to grab both of the brunette's. The low candle light made it very hard to be sure, but the former thought that there was a hint of sympathy in Agnès' expression. She couldn't understand why until she felt something sting on her hands. She looked down to her hands, and saw that the latter was holding them palm-side up. There were small red marks on her palm- spots where her fingernails had dug a bit too deep.
"Hurting yourself is no way to release anger."
That caused Siesta's glare to worsen as she forcibly pulled her hands away from the knight. It wasn't like I hurt myself because I wanted to-! she held her tongue, knowing that the knight had a higher authority. Still, the knight's sentence angered her at how it was worded- as if it was telling her that she was weak and there was nothing she could've done anyway. So many emotions were festering inside her, and it was all waiting to blow up. She settled to look away from the knight and to continue looking after her friends instead. What she found, instead, transfixed her. The sombre look Henrietta had, at one point, broken down to silent crying. As she'd watched the heiress helplessly clutch the hand of Louise, a dark realization came to her.
All things suddenly became clear to her. Confusion gave way to apprehension, as anger dissipated to her feet. The maid's hand raised to her chest where she felt the beating of her heart. It was beating slightly faster, and memories from her time at the Count's Manor suddenly flooded her vision. However, it wasn't the fear that she remembered from those memories, nor the horrible things. What she remembered, instead, was the moment of her revenge against the Count. The emotions she felt during that time, all the anger, the hope, and courage she felt just so she can get out of his clutches.
A shift of metal plates snapped Siesta out of her thoughts, but it was the words that followed it that truly brought her back: "so even the princess can feel powerless."
The words echoing her thoughts caused Siesta to turn to the knight who spoke. Agnès had been staring at her for the entire time, and the glare in her eyes caused her to tense. Her first instinct was to run out of the room, but a thought rooted her feet. It was such a simple and sudden thought, but it was one that could easily fix her problems. In fact, it was so simple that the brunette couldn't help but let out a self-deprecating chuckle at her own trouble. After all this time, all this troubling on my own, I never realized the answer to my problems would be right in front of me. The opportunity that she had been waiting for was already right before her. She was not going to let this pass by, and she was going to beg if she had to. Siesta returned the knight's glare before bowing. Her words that came from the bottom of her heart came bursting out of her mouth:
"Please, train me in the way of the sword. I will do anything you ask me to, just, please, give me- grant me this opportunity!"
The knight was silent after her outburst, and she couldn't quite tell Agnès' reaction since she was bowing. What weirded her out was the fact the room was silent. Sure, Henrietta was crying silently, but she could still hear the soft sobbings from the purplenette. A few seconds passed, maybe a minute, and Siesta was about to beg again when a hand came to her shoulder. She looked up, and saw the smirk on the manticore knight's lips.
"Accepted, but it will only be for tonight. Meet me at the courtyard, where the Familiar activity shit went down." Agnès answered her as she left the room. The maid heard the knight command some of the guards outside. It took Siesta a while to realize that the woman accepted her request. Sadly, she also realized that she had pleaded the knight loudly. She quickly turned to Henrietta, who was wiping her tears off with her handkerchief. There was a small smile on her flushed face. "I-I'm sorry for disturbing you!" the maid blurted out as she bowed deeply towards her. A soft chuckle and a loud laugh answered her which caused her to straighten her back seconds after bowing.
"I do not mind. In fact, I have to thank you. Your sudden outburst made me realize that all hope is still not lost." The heiress hands were clutching her white dress, but there was no melancholic look on her face anymore. "I will look into this affair immediately tomorrow morning. I will not rest until we find the people responsible for this- you have my word."
The maid didn't know how to reply this, so she quickly stammered out a "thank you".
"You should be going. Agnès dislikes tardy people."
"R-right!" Siesta panicked as she realized that knight was also the same woman who pushed the guards around all day. She was starting to slightly regret her decision. It might've been better to just swallow my pride and ask Mipha for help instead. Ah, there's no time! She hastily moved to the doorway, and left. She swore she heard Henrietta say something, but she wasn't sure. Anyway, she wasn't going to keep her tutor waiting! She bolted right down the halls, and the sight of vases, doors, and the grass field zipping pass were all too familiar for her. It reminded her of the occasional mornings that she was late from attending Louise. The explosions that usually followed them weren't exactly fun, but it was something that she was fond of recalling. The idea of no longer being beset by explosions from a small spitfire scared her.
I will die before that happens.
Then, there was the uneasiness. Sure, she got the knight to agree to her insane request, but will the knight see it through? Siesta had no prior experience to swordplay, and she was certain she was going to flop for at least the first few tries. She was scared that Agnès might just abandon her midway through the training, and that opened up a new bundle of emotions in her.
Will I be worthy enough for her to keep training me?
She eventually arrived to the courtyard where the knight was holding two wooden swords in her hands, and the latter's armour plate and chainmail was lying on the grass nearby. That caused the maid's brain to go blank for a bit. Where did those swords come from? Last time Siesta checked, she was working in a Magic Academy, and there were no Knight Academies nearby. Does she… carry those around? Agnès finally noticed her, and frowned as she walked towards the maid. "Don't look at me like that. I'm just as confused as you. Why do you guys have these swords lying around," she waved the wooden swords, "in a Magic Academy no less? I'd expect to see wands littered about, but not these. Well, whatever. It helps us." The knight tossed the wooden sword towards Siesta, who barely caught it with both of her hands. She studied the sword, then saw an 'M' engraved into its base.
Ah. This is Mipha's.
Suddenly, the wooden swords made sense. They were probably made to "train" Louise. Probably. Siesta wasn't going to try and question it either. She had seen the training Louise went through before, and being forced to dodge stabs from a very very sharp trident was all the maid needed to see to keep quiet. Thinking back on that, the maid was no longer regretting the decision of asking Agnès for training instead.
A sudden swing for her head caused Siesta to jerk back in alarm.
"Don't be distracted. The moment you caught your sword, the training begins," Agnès scolded her as the swing eventually came around to swipe at her diagonally. Siesta barely had the time to block the attack as she was forced backwards by the blow. Okay, she is just as bad as Mipha! The maid thought as she quickly retreated to put some distance between her and Agnès. The latter saw what the maid was trying to do, and quickly dashed into her guard with her sword already swinging horizontally. Unfortunately, just as the maid expected, the sword hit her right into the stomach, sending her crashing into the grass. She had let go of the wooden sword at one point, and she was clutching the spot that hit her.
"Get up. You should learn to take a hit or two," Agnès said as she stepped a bit further back to give the maid some space. The comment irked Siesta, and it annoyed her enough to stand back up. But by Founder, that hit hurt, she complained in her mind as she rose the wooden sword before her. The moment she had done so, the blonde immediately stepped in to take a few swings at her. The force behind the swings caused Siesta to wince every time. Her fear of being hit only grew further as she opted to simply dodge out of the way instead of blocking every single time. Internally, she thanked Louise, thanked the pinkette that the latter had tried to explode her every time she was frustrated. Her "training" from avoiding Louise's explosions were working out somehow. "Why are you being so passive? Try attacking me!"
I can't when you're swinging at me faster than I can react- Siesta thought about complaining, but a near-miss to her face made her bite her words back. She could only raise her wooden sword on time to block the attacks, and the long skirt she was wearing hindered her movement. Her foot caught the end of her skirt eventually, and that caused her to clumsily stumbled backwards. The mistake left her open, and Agnès capitalized on it. The latter scored another hit at her, this time hitting her by her right shoulder with enough force that Siesta dropped her sword. The maid moved to pick it up, but the tip of the sword pointing at her throat stopped her from moving.
"Again." Her tutor said as she took a few steps back. There was a slight haughtiness on the blonde's face when she said so.
That irked Siesta only further, and the fire she felt burning in her spread wider. A growl left her lips as she'd picked up her sword, and gripped its handle tightly. She rose her sword again, and Agnès struck. Siesta tried to do, as what she read from the novels, "parrying" but she was even less than a casual to do so. Her attempt caused the sword to be immediately flung from her hand as it was hit by the wooden sword. A yelp of pain left her mouth as she held her hand. The knight took a step back and said one word: "again."
Siesta tried to swipe at the knight's knees, but the latter had seen it coming. Her tutor easily countered her attack by slapping the maid's sword away with her own and slammed her entire body weight at the maid. The impact caused a shortness of breath from the maid. Siesta collapsed on the floor, and taking as much air she could. She was desperately trying to stay conscious as that blow had almost been enough to knock her out. "Again."
Agnès was easily beating her around, and the maid didn't like it. Not one bit. She came after the blonde again and again, even though it was fruitless. Her body was hurting all over the place. Her shoulders, thighs, and stomach took most of the blows and Founder it was almost enough to send her unconscious. The worst part is, she knew that Agnès was taking her easy. The blows Agnès dealt against her, she knew they were all held back. She had seen the grass below her create small dents whenever the knight had struck a particularly strong blow.
It frustrated her even further, to know that she was this powerless. She tried to hit Agnès again, but the knight only took one swing to send her sword flying. A swing came again towards her, and both of them thought that would be it for her. Time seemed to slow down around Siesta as she looked towards Agnès' green eyes.
The taunting gaze in them was finally enough to snap her.
"How can you expect more from me, when I'm just a damn maid?!" Siesta found her voice as she shouted angrily and dove out of the way. She had launched herself towards where her sword was dropped, and successfully picked it up. Using the wooden sword, she had used its slightly pointed tip to tear a hole on her long skirt and proceeded to tear it apart. "Why are you even attacking me so suddenly? Aren't you supposed to train me with forms first, or how to actually swing my sword?" she continued to vent as she dodged another swing from Agnès. The fact that the knight was not even replying to her only served to piss her off even more. When the blonde was turned around in the middle of her momentum to swing, Siesta took that as the chance to strike back. She stabbed forwards with all she had, and that had stopped Agnès from completing her spin. There was an audible yelp of pain that left the knight's lips.
The blonde knight took the first step backwards in the fight.
"Are you mocking me? I asked you for training, I didn't ask for you to beat me around!" Siesta shouted as her anger clouded her fear of being hit. This time, the maid rushed forwards with sword in hand and just started swinging madly. Agnès was able to block them of course, but was unable to strike back. The sheer anger Siesta was releasing made her attacks unrelenting in speed. Of course, the maid didn't notice that at all. All she wanted to do right then was hit the knight silly. "I had enough! I had enough of being tossed around, I had enough of being so powerless that I can't do anything. My friends kept saving me from time to time again, but, when it came down to it, I can't even do anything for them. Do you even know how I feel right now?!" she shouted at the top of her lungs as she did what Agnès did to her.
Siesta may not be magically able. She might not be the brightest in her circles, and she was certainly not someone in an equal footing with them. However, in all her time as a maid, Siesta had one confidence in: her strength. All those times of carrying heavy laundry, lifting barrels with her father for her siblings, and moving heavy fragile vases were not for nothing!
She slammed her body at the knight, and that caused the latter to be launched back for a few feet. There was visible shock on Agnès' face as Siesta simply stood before the blonde. The venting took a lot out of the maid, as well as the physical effort to push the blonde back. Right after, Siesta collapsed to her knees, drenched in sweat and heaving.
"Did you get that out of your system now?" the woman asked as Siesta looked up in confusion. The knight no longer had that taunting smirk. There was a normal grin on her face instead. "I couldn't train you when you had those emotions bubbling up inside you. I needed to get them out somehow, or you would be frustrated with how slow we would be going. I'll let you catch your breath for a while, then we'll begin your proper training."
Siesta blinked at the blonde, before realizing what the manticore woman meant. The maid let out an audible exhausted sigh as she collapsed on the grass. She had nothing on her mind on that moment as she simply stared at the stars on the sky. Thinking about it, she was right. The day had been long for her, and there were so many things that she had kept in. She thought that she would've been fine since she had vented to Mipha and the familiar confided to her as well. Siesta liked to believe that she was well tempered. Whenever she had frustrations about something, she kept those in. However, her outburst in this fight and the way she lost her temper was something she didn't see coming.
She didn't have to wonder what would've happened if Agnès didn't goaded her into venting physically. She had read enough novels to know how impatient the character can be during training, and she had experienced Louise's failed attempts and increasing anger before Mipha arrived. Had Agnès just trained her, Siesta was certain she wouldn't have lasted and got beaten up further.
That fact made Siesta laugh.
"Right, I think you rested enough. The night is still young, we have plenty of time to train," Agnès' voice called out to her. Siesta sat up and felt her muscles aching for release. She winced.
She was not looking forward for tomorrow morning.
And that's a wrap! How was the chapter? Was it to your expectations after our year long disappearance (we're still sorry about that. We'll try to be more active)? Let us know in the reviews!
And for the new readers, welcome, welcome. We hope that our long chapter posts won't discourage you, and that our story stays consistent in quality to get you to like reading!
