"...and steep the tea again in hot water for 1 minute and 15 seconds." Amagi's elegance is incredible.
I've had my vision glued to her the entire time she's been teaching how to prepare Green Tea.
It's not actually that hard, I'm just used to British Tea.
"Dido!" I jolt at Amagi's call.
"Y-yes?" I reply, trying not to look dopey.
"Can you take these two back to the hall, I'll take my own tea." She asks, quite modestly.
"Yes, ma'am." I carefully take the coffee and tea and place them on a tray.
I also grab a packet of biscuits and fill a small plate.
Amagi holds the door for me.
"Thank you, Amagi." I say on my way out the refreshment room.
"No problem." She replies as she shuts the door.
Amagi walks alongside me all the way back to the meeting hall of the Royal Navy.
Again, she holds the doors for me.
"Thank you again." I sheepishly mutter as I enter the grand room.
King George V turns and smiles at me, so I guess I'm doing something right.
I slowly ascend the platform where my Master is planning the strategy to take out the Sirens threatening my homeland.
Ugh, the little Queen is here.
"Servant, I don't see your plan making any progress!" She almost screams at him.
"Your Majesty, this is a troubling situation." How dare she force him to call her 'your Majesty'!
"Sort it out!" Her crown falls and rolls off the platform. "Warspite, retrieve my crown at once."
The Corgi knight leaps after the crown immediately and reemerges a few seconds later and presents it to the Queen.
"At least SOMEONE is doing their duty around here..." She sees me and prances over to me.
"Maid!" She looks up at me. "Fetch me a tea, right now!"
She pokes my breast.
...I could punt this little shi-
I sigh, and prepare to return to the refreshment room.
"I'll do it." George comes in to save me.
"Hmph, I don't care who does it as long as it happens." She defiantly flicks her hair and returns to my Master.
"Dido, come with me." George whispers to me and starts tugging me along.
Once outside, she leads me to the wall and sighs.
"Listen, I saw your expression when she came up to you and tormented you." She places a hand on my shoulder. "You cannot lose yourself at her, no matter what happens."
"W-was it really that obvious?" I ask, in surprise.
"You looked about ready to kill her right there and then." She laments. "But just remember, do not ever get into a fight with her."
"W-why?" I keep a determined demeanor.
"You'll be exiled from the Royal Navy and likely kicked from the base." She explains.
"T-that means..." I would never see my Master again.
"I feel sympathy for you, I really do." George caresses my shoulder lightly. "I can tell you have been through a lot, and, even though you see yourself as just a lowly Maid, if you ever need someone to talk to, and your sisters are unavailable, then I'll be there."
A tear escapes my eye and rolls down my face...
I wipe it away, desperately trying to stop that drop from becoming a shower.
Somehow, I manage to succeed and George signals for me to reenter the hall.
"Don't be scared, Dido." She smiles again. "I'll be back in a minute."
"Thank you, your Excellence." I say that for the third time in 10 minutes.
Upon entering, the horrid glare of the Queen is locked on me.
"Where's my tea?!" She starts walking towards me.
"George is doing it." I reply flatly.
She stops dead in her tracks. "D-did you just talk back to ME?!"
"Yes, I guess I did." I return her glare.
"Kn-know your place, Maid!" She screeches at me.
"What?" I raise my hands. "Do you think I'm scared?"
Queen Elizabeth growls at me and starts closing the rest of the distance.
"You have no right to talk to me like that!" She says as she comes right up to me.
"Know your place, runty bitch." I'm seething at her.
She stutters a bit.
"What a pathetic Queen." I taunt. "Not even used to people standing up to you."
"A-at least I don't try to seduce that Servant with an oversized chest, whore!" She really went there.
I grab her hair tightly and prepare to throw her away.
"Dido! Queen Elizabeth!" My Master's voice resonates throughout the entire hall.
I instantly release the Queen and realize what I've done.
She fell to her knees in tears.
I...I never meant for this to happen...
The doors swing open, King George V enters and reminds me of how I failed to follow her advice.
I don't want to be discarded...my own tears start to well up.
"What happened?" George's concerned voice booms from behind me.
"Dido and her Majesty had an argument..." My Master comes up to me. "Dido, can I speak with you, please?"
His voice is soft and inviting, but I can't help but think he's going to hate me.
"Y-yes, Master..." I begrudgingly follow him as the Corgi knight and Amagi attempt to calm the Queen.
He takes me to a corner of the hall.
"Okay..." His voice is no more than a whisper now. "Can you tell me what she did to tick you off?"
I think to myself...no point in lying.
"J-just the way she treated you throughout this entire meeting..." I tell him.
"What about it?" He continues to look at me with comforting and understanding eyes.
"S-she was horrible, her judgemental eyes...they shouldn't be used on you..." I start to cry, even though my Master is stroking my hair tenderly.
"Dido..." He sounds at a loss.
"Calling you things like Servant..." I continue through tears and squeaks. "And Commoner...you are worth so much more than that..."
"You're giving me too much credit..." He laughs, vaguely bitterly.
"No..." I protest. "You don't understand what you've done for me, in my short time of existing in this form."
He continues rubbing my head.
"I-if you want me to go, I will." What am I saying? I have nowhere to go.
"What?" He looks shocked. "I would never wish that."
He suddenly hugs me in a comforting manner.
"Dido, nobody here deserves that, especially someone like you." He speaks gently and I start to calm down.
Still, for a Maid and her Master to do such things as this...
He slowly releases me and stays with me until my tears are gone.
"Are you alright now?" He asks.
"Yes...thank you, Master." There we go, fourth time today.
He stands up and encourages me to come with him back over to the platform.
I do so, apprehensively.
George looks at me, not with disapproval, but with worry.
I hear her mutter. "Guess it was worse than I thought..."
The 'Queen' is nowhere to be found.
"I'm taking Dido back to her room." My Master tells the small group..
"Understood." George turns to me. "Dido, is it alright if I visit you later?"
I simply nod.
"Okay..." She takes my shoulder again. "I'll talk her Majesty out of any punishment for you in the meantime."
"Thanks..." Fifth time...
"Follow me, Dido." I stick close by my Master as he leads me out of the hall and into the landings.
[A Few Minutes Later]
"Don't worry too much, Dido." My Master calls as he goes to leave my room. "I'm sure you'll be fine!"
The door closes and I'm left in my bed, wanting to sleep but finding myself unable to.
Instead, I settle for cuddling Hina...my best friend in this place.
She and I have an understanding that no-one else has...
We care for each other...even when there is no one else left.
...I still can't sleep, so I'm going for a walk.
Clipping Hina back onto my uniform, I exit my room and look down the passage.
Seems like I'm alone...as usual.
All the way to the fountain I only think over earlier...
I don't fully regret what I did...she deserved some of it.
Though, maybe I shouldn't have started on her.
No, I can't let this bog me down...I'll just try my best to forget it.
There are a few girls in the plaza, but the fountain is desolate so I take a seat on the rim and start to relax.
I'll be fine...I'll be fine...
"You look lost." An unknown voice says to me.
I open my eyes and see that orange-haired woman from earlier.
My stuttering seems to alert her.
"Do not worry, for I am here to help, not harm you." She steps closer.
I pull myself together and breathe deeply.
"I-I don't believe we've met..." I say, trying to hide my shyness.
"Ah, of course." She maintains an inviting smile. "I am Richelieu, the one who guides Iris Libre."
A faction leader?
Why would she approach me, of all people?
"D-do you have business with me?" I am struggling to keep my composure.
"Not particularly, you just looked incredibly down and lost." Richelieu sits next to me.
"S-someone such as yourself shouldn't be concerned with a lowly M-Maid..." Her warm, reassuring aura makes it hard to deny her.
"Please, I feel it is my responsibility to care for everyone." She continues to smile. "My Lord said so."
I remain silent, captivated by her positivity and confidence.
"Now, I know you have just met me, but can you please share what is troubling you?" Richelieu shifts closer, seemingly eager to know.
[Queen Elizabeth's Room]
"I shall have her executed!" The Queen shouts at the entire room.
"That is too far." I calmly state.
"Oh, and what if she talked to you like that George?" She looks at me with a smug expression. "What would YOU do?"
"I would calmly defuse the situation, then avoid her in future." Staying calm is hard with Elizabeth...
"Bollocks!" Warspite restrains her from approaching me. "Warspite! What are you doing?!"
"Apologies your Majesty, but as your advisor, I have a right to stop you from making the wrong decisions." The knight is also calm.
"Listen, your Majesty, I believe you should just let this go, one time only." I suggest, only fuelling the fire of rage in her eyes.
"Let it go?!" She struggles against Warspite to no avail. "She's a disrespectful little c-"
Her mouth is covered by Warspite to block whatever profanities she was going to spout at me.
"This is unfair!" I raise my voice.
"What's unfair is her, as a pathetic Maid, having the gall to speak to me like that." Elizabeth says, bitterly.
"She was already upset with you, and you only encouraged the explosion!" I feel myself getting more and more heated.
The Queen seems to have ignored me. "Perhaps, I should get the other factions on my side..."
At this, I've had enough.
"Elizabeth!" I shout. "Sorry to say, but this is mostly your fault."
"W-what?!" She looks stunned. "C-could you also be rebelling?!"
"No, what I am doing is pointing out your flaws." I say, further enraging her.
"I'm Queen Elizabeth, I cannot be flawed!" She spits at me.
"There is your first problem..." I smile. "Unacceptance."
"H-how dare you say such things to a Queen!" Warspite is the one struggling now. "I have been benevolent to everyone here!"
"Benevolent..." I almost burst into laughter at that. "You are only 'benevolent' when there is something in it for you!"
Again she ignores me. "Surely the other leaders would agree that she needs to be executed..."
"Hey, 'your Majesty', you are the one who ticked her off!" I approach her. "So pay the consequences, got it?!"
She glares at me.
Undeterred, I continue. "Don't try to rig it so it works for you!"
She stutters a bit before collapsing on her bed, seemingly defeated.
Warspite comes up to me. "This better be a one time thing, George."
"If she continues to mistreat my assistant, she will be hearing from me." I sternly tell the small knight.
"You'll be kicked out." She sounds genuinely concerned.
"She can't force me, especially if it's unruly." I turn to leave the Queen's chamber.
"George, be careful." Warspite says before I step outside and close the door.
That Queen...she needs discipline...in some form.
I sigh, having got my thoughts out of my system, I begin to walk down the hallways.
Might as well cook something up, for myself and Dido.
It will help me cool off as well.
What does Dido even like?
...I'm sure whatever I'll make will appeal to her tastes as it has with everyone else's.
All this thinking has made me hungry.
I pick up my pace to get to the kitchen faster.
Right now, I just want to be in a kitchen.