A few hours had passed, and the room had long fallen silent. The lavish purple curtains had been drawn, and only the soft glow from the few crystals dotted periodically around the room provided any light. The world had fallen into the night's darkness, the sun setting hours ago but those in the room dare not fall asleep, as there was a boy of utmost priority in the room beside them. The three maids remained alert, following the direct orders of their Lord Roswaal who had demanded they be ready for the boy to rouse. Rem had been sent to fetch the boy a change of clothing for the young half-elf a while back, and Ram periodically fetched tea for the group to ensure their attentiveness remained high. After what Roswaal had told them about the poor soul resting in the bed, everyone was driven by an almost insane desire to keep him safe, to protect him.
He was hurting. He was scarred. He was damaged.
They had to help ease these wounds.
The girl who was most committed to this task was none other than the angelic half-elf glued to his side, now carefully holding his hand, fiddling with his fingers in a cautious but gentle way. She was absolutely exhausted, but she was adamant that she was there for Subaru when he eventually woke up. The brave girl forced her amethyst eyes to remain open, transfixed on the boy of tranquil beauty and elegance. Emilia thought he looked adorable as he slept, his defencelessness only serving to drive her urges to protect him further and further. So she never left his side, grasping his soft hand between her own, stroking his palm gently, drawing circles on it with her thumb.
Emilia had completely forgotten about the others in the room as only herself and Subaru existed. The maids had not dared interfere with what could only be described as beautiful. Emilia, the girl who was brought to the mansion only weeks ago, was seen quite warmly by the maids, but they worried for her severely. She was clearly damaged, the torture and agony she suffered unimaginable but very very real, and the maids understood fully that she was hurting too.
A maid gets to know her master extraordinarily quickly, it's a key part of their job, after all. So Rem, Ram and Frederica all understood little Emilia's tragic mindset, brought on by her dire past which jerked tears just as Subaru's had. To be frozen for so long...how it made their hearts hurt, driving their urges to protect her just as hearing Subaru's heart-wrenching story had. But the maids realised very quickly that Emilia was terribly lonely, and literally everything around her massively amplified her sense of isolation and seclusion.
She was awoken to a huge, frozen forest. Elior forest probably had a thousand trees for every person which resided in it and poor Emilia - who was absolutely clueless about everything - was thrust into the thick of it. To make it worse, her only source of comfort was a great spirit, one who thought of her as a daughter and was an incredibly strict father. He told her what to wear, when to eat, when to sleep and rise, how her hair should be styled...he controlled everything but the beat of her heart. Frederica especially secretly despised this, the lack of freedom the girl was shown disgusting her greatly.
She was then taken by a high-ranking nobleman to an utterly ginormous mansion, which is fine at first thought until you realise it has 5 inhabitants, one who hasn't shown her face in over 3 months.
The poor girl was starved for love, she had no one, nobody understood her despite their desperate efforts to. It was frankly impossible, they hadn't seen the prejudice, the hatred, the looks of sheer disgust...they just hadn't. Emilia was all alone in her head, drowned with attention but absolutely none of it was directed to Emilia as a person. It was all instructed, forced attention and she knew it.
Rem especially knew how Emilia's mind worked. As the maid assigned to her service, she saw Emilia slightly more than the others, but only slightly. Rem could tell how uncomfortable Emilia would get when she tended to her. Emilia wanted not service, but friendship. She wanted someone to chat about insignificant nothings, to go on walks in the sun because it's fun and relaxing, she wanted to drink tea with someone who wasn't paid to do so. By all means, the maids of the manor would do these with her, but it was their job. They would never be Emilia's true friends, they would always be employed by the Margrave to serve the mansion. Inadvertently, this attitude just bolstered the sense of isolation gnawing at the heart of the amethyst-eyed young girl.
Emilia would chat around at meals, but it never felt natural, it always felt like Emilia would be asked an insignificant question about her latest studies or about the way her hair was styled and she would give a light answer. Small talk abounded throughout the table, but a conversation of deep meaning was rarely, if ever, present. Aside from her daily walks and dedicated time to talk to the lesser spirits, Emilia holed herself up in her room. She was bored, lonely and rather uncomfortable. She felt not unwanted but rather out of place, the sudden emergence of a girl with her appearance must be dreadful for the poor maids.
She often lost herself in thought: did they actually hate her? Emilia couldn't shake the feeling of discomfort in the room when she was alone with a maid, they always looked mildly uncomfortable.
But she could never blame them, for she had the face of the witch. Emilia truly believed she was a child who deserved nothing.
However, the boy had seemingly flipped a switch in Emilia's head, and her sudden infatuation was met with nothing but jubilation from the maids, who absolutely did not hate her, no matter what the girl thought. To see her smile with such genuine glee, how it brightened the maid's day. The boy was a catalyst for hope in Emilia, she could finally relate to someone, finally have someone who truly understood her, and she hadn't even spoken to him.
The simple sight of another half-elf made her giddy, one with silver hair like herself was something she thought she'd never see again. His face was pretty, his lips looked soft and gentle. His hair flowed beautifully, coating the white pillow underneath him with strands of silver. His delicate cheekbones mirrored hers, and his slight hands were just as soft.
And when Emilia heard just what he had been through, god did her emotions explode.
Anger, for they dared hurt him.
Sorrow, for he had to experience such horrors.
Pride, for he had survived such trauma.
Hope, for she would try her damnedest to make the future better for them both.
Emilia could not wait to talk to Subaru. She had genuinely never been so excited to do something so insignificant in her life. The maids knew this, as it was very clear by Emilia's utterly adorable reaction to everything about the boy, and frankly, they were overjoyed. They all prayed that the young boy could finally break Emilia out of her shell, help her realise that she is loved and that they were all in this together.
So as Emilia sat, gently holding Subaru's hand, the maids kept their lips sealed, enjoying a truly wondrous sight of childish love and beauty.
The room stirred for the first time in a while, as the blue-haired maid stood up from her seat and quietly shuffled towards the mahogany coffee table. She quickly prepared two fresh cups of the finest tea in the mansion, pouring the scalding hot water over the ground leaves and stirring it gently. She graciously picked up the small china cups, which were undoubtedly outrageously expensive, and cautiously resumed her shuffle, gently whispering when she reached the bed:
''Emilia-sama, sorry to interrupt, but you should drink some tea,''
Emilia, completely lost in her magical little world, jumped when she heard the maid's voice, causing Subaru to stir slightly before falling back into the depths of sleep. She turned to face the maid, never letting go of Subaru's hand,
''Ah, thank you, Rem, you should drink some yourself, it's getting very late after all,'' Emilia whispered, a small smile adorning her lips as she accepted a teacup with her right hand before placing it gently on the bedside table, letting it cool. Emilia, who had totally lost track of time, had only just realised just how late it had gotten, noticing the soft glow of the crystals and the drawn curtains.
With a practised bow, Rem replied, ''It's my pleasure, Emilia-sama, and I shall take your advice and pour some tea for the rest of us,'' Rem said as she handed the other cup to Roswaal, who nodded and sipped gingerly at the boiling hot liquid.
''Thaaaaank you Rem,'' Roswaal said, ''This is divineeeeee, please do as Emilia-sama said and pouuuur everyone else a cup,'' he ordered, smiling as he noticed the pink-haired twin standing up from her seat, walking up in front of him before bowing,
''Roswaal-sama, may my sister and I be excused to fetch the cheaper tea leaves, we need to discuss something and it would make the best of our time,'' Ram said confidently, leaving Roswaal little room to interject. The mage merely nodded, understanding that the maids must be slightly off-put, the situation he thrust them into being complicated and tangled.
''Veeeery well then, make haste however, Suuuubaru-sama could awaken any minute and we neeeeed you here,'' Roswaal addressed both of the maids, to which they simultaneously hummed ''Thank you, Roswaal-sama.''
With that, the twin maids hurried out of the room, closing the door behind them with a gentle click.
Roswaal sipped his tea carefully, placing his half-empty cup on the floor beside his chair, falling deep into thought once more. The room fell into silence once again, only the gentle breaths of a sleeping half-elf child could be heard.
The maids walked in silence briefly until they were away from Emilia's room, before beginning their rather important conversation. They walked and talked, as not to betray their master's orders, but their words were urgent and they would reach the kitchen before they finished, so they walked slowly.
Rem began, staring down the hallway, simply spilling her thoughts to her dear younger sister.
''Sister, you don't like Subaru-sama whatsoever, do you?" Ram asked, her tone absolutely deadpan.
Rem looked aghast. She had tried to hide her distaste, but her sister had read her like a book, seeing through her gritted teeth and called her out for her admitted unfairness. Subaru had just rubbed Rem the wrong way before she even knew who he was...her mind preparing for him to be a creepy old noble when in reality he was an innocent, exhausted little boy. She was frustrated with herself for her stupid, immature mindset but it just wouldn't go away. She couldn't help but gaze at the sleeping Subaru with distrust and felt irritated by his presence.
He was wasting their time. He was wasting their energy. He would have been better off dead in the snow, but he just had to be brought here. One was enough, but two of them was pushing it. Rem was scared of the repercussions, the dangers housing people like them faced to them every single day, especially in an area of high traffic.
She knew she was selfish, she knew her heart was cold and ugly, but she couldn't bear seeing her sister suffer as she had merely years ago. Her sister came first, and Rem was struggling to simply stand and watch as she was thrust further and further into danger.
Rem couldn't escape the memory of the men clad in hooded robes, gracing their clan with bloody murder, relentlessly seeking that the blood of the oni was spilt. They hacked and stabbed and sliced and burned and crushed...Rem saw them commit atrocities of unimaginable scale.
The nightmares haunted the blue-haired oni. She would never recover from the trauma, never heal because her sister had suffered so badly, her sister had lost everything. They had taken everything from Ram, but it wasn't them who inconvenienced Subaru...so to Rem, he was nothing but a catalyst of danger.
He was a half-elf, like Emilia. They were wanted by the Cult, who would stop at nothing to reach their goal when they caught wind of their location.
He was also wanted by a notorious assassin, one who Roswaal showed a clear worry about. The Bowel Hunter. What she wanted with Subaru was unknown, but she would undoubtedly be searching far and wide to track him down and end his life...as well as everyone around him.
Rem wasn't scared of Subaru, she was scared of the danger he presented simply being alive.
The younger sister stopped walking, fists clenched tightly, shaking in frustration and anger. Ram noticed this, her suspicions and questions rising, wondering what had this boy ever actually done to her.
''Rem, whatever is the matter?'' Ram asked, confusion littering her tone as she walked back to face her younger sister. Ram was concerned, she had immediately noticed her sister's uncomfortable look around Subaru, how she had to force herself to act sympathetically towards him. Why she was acting like this, Ram couldn't say. Subaru obviously had the trust of Roswaal and was obviously not a direct threat to anyone in the mansion, so her over-cautiousness and disrespectful attitude was something that was not necessary.
Rem shook her head, trying her best not to lash out at her clueless sister. Through gritted teeth, she scowled ''Sister, how can you be so oblivious? This boy, in fact both he and Emilia-sama are doing nothing but endangering us.''
Ram's jaw nearly hit the floor, disgusted that her sister would hold such beliefs.
''R-Rem...how could you, after everything we've been through, hold a prejudice over someone because of their race? I expected more from you Rem.'' the pink-haired oni spat, stumbling back, unable to register why her dear sister would dare voice such an opinion. The hypocrisy burned a hole in her heart before Rem could finally stutter out,
'Nono sister you misunderstand, this has nothing to do with my opinion on the pair, but because they will attract nothing but danger and misfortune! I may not hate them because they look that way, but other people do and they will stop at no means to watch them both die'' Rem shouted exasperatedly, trying to salvage the rapidly deteriorating situation.
She had expected her sister to understand, but instead, she simply stared at Rem with a look of betrayal, a look of hurt.
''Rem, Roswaal-sama has brought these children here to protect them, just as he did with us. I'd expect you to be a little less selfish,'' Ram retorted, unable to look her sister in the eye. She was embarrassed that she could let her younger sister fall into such a horrid mindset, to be so selfish and uncaring.
Ram had expected something of genuine concern to be bothering her sister, but had been instead hit with a ridiculous and outlandish excuse. She knew her sister better than anyone else, understood how her mind processed things, understood that she often did things without thinking. Ram thought carefully, her sister clearly meant no true harm, she was genuinely frightened and had gone about it in the worst way possible.
She was disappointed, but she didn't want to escalate the situation into something needlessly damaging. Ram took a deep long breath before walking up to the person she loved the most in the world and wrapped her in a tight embrace. Rem's tears were flowing freely, sobbing into the warm shoulder of her gentle sister.
''S-Sister I-I,'' Rem cried through her tears, before her sister stopped her, speaking to her in a tone of firm understanding and forgiveness,
''Rem, I need you to understand that Roswaal-sama brought Emilia-sama and Subaru-sama here out of the kindness of his heart. He would never let tragedy befall us, he has the power to prevent that. Please, try your best to get along with Subaru when he wakes up, I'm sure treating him coldly will only serve to deepen a difficult situation...can you do this for me?'' Ram said whilst rubbing Rem's back, reassuringly calming her sister down.
''B-but...what if, what if they do come, sister? W-What if they f-find us again,'' Rem sobbed, grasping her sister tightly,
''Then as I said, Roswaal-sama would protect us. Please Rem, be brave for me, I would never let anything happen to my dear baby sister, after all.'' Ram said gently, stroking her sister's short blue hair with gentle understanding and care. Rem was petrified about the idea of them finding her and Ram, but maybe, if she says it, then they will be safe after all.
''Y-Yes sister...Rem will try, I'm so s-sorry,'' Rem choked out, her tears still not quite stopping as she separated from her embrace with her sister.
''Thank you, Rem, now let's hurry along, we shouldn't wait any longer and make the others worry,'' Ram said with a smile, before turning and continuing to the kitchen. Rem hurriedly wiped her now fading tears and chased after her sister, praying she was right. Praying that they would be safe.
The door of the room creaked open once more, alerting everyone sitting in calm silence to avert their gazes towards the pair of twin maids who stood smiling, a tray in each of their hands. Subaru's eyes were still glued firmly shut, and everyone was still as they were before. Frederica was seated on a sofa, hands folded in her lap, posture absolutely impeccable. Roswaal was seated in a chair near the door, overlooking the entire room, lounging like a monarch. Emilia was still sat by Subaru, stroking his silver hair, holding his hand in her own.
Ram entered the room first, placing her tray filled with the necessities to make tea. Following her was Rem, who had a trayful of various cakes and sweets, catching Emilia's attention. The maids dutifully began preparing the tea for the room, refilling the now-empty cups of Roswaal and Emilia, whilst also serving three fresh cups of cheaper, but still delicious tea. Emilia had turned to face the rest of the room, obviously without letting go of Subaru's hand, patiently awaiting her prize with a cheeky grin.
Rem once again trotted up to the bed, holding a small plate and a teacup in her hands. Emilia's smile widened, the small pile of sweet treats causing her mouth to water, a small giggle escaping her lips as Rem set them down on the table by the bed.
''Thank you, Rem,'' Emilia said, reaching over and taking a small white pastry from the plate, making sure not to disturb Subaru.
''Puch ishnt allowud to knowb,'' Emilia said, greedily stuffing her face and eating with her mouth open, drawing a very displeased look from Rem, and a small chuckle from Frederica who was watching in the background.
''Emilia-sama, what did we teach you about etiquette for a lady...stop getting more, calm down,'' Rem said frustratedly, causing Frederica to laugh even harder, desperately trying to stay silent.
''Buwt they sho tasty,'' Emilia smiled, wiping her mouth cheekily as she swallowed her mouthful of cake. Rem simply sighed before handing her a cloth to wipe her face with properly and then handing the teacup to the greedy little half-elf. She hungrily gulped the hot brown liquid down, her face twisting in surprise as it was much stronger than she had expected.
She handed the cup back to the unamused looking maid, smiling at her frown with a pleasant ''thank you'' before turning back to face Subaru, linking her fingers with his once more.
Rem and Ram finished handing tea and cake to everyone before resuming their seats, once again basking in the silence of the room. The occasional sip and clink as people enjoyed their beverages were heard, but that very quickly faded away as the hours passed. The group had been sat awake for hours, the night escaping them as the sleeping boy occupied their entire minds.
Frederica stood up for what felt like the first time in hours, gathering the various cups and plates from the various tables in the room, Ram also standing to help her as she felt her legs begin to cramp and needed to stretch off. The pair swiftly cleared the room, before rhythmically opening the door and taking the dirty dishes to the kitchen, using the walk to have a quick conversation, just as the twins had previously.
''Ram...have you noticed Rem's peculiar attitude and body language, it's slightly worrying,'' Frederica said, looking down at the much smaller Ram. Her face was tinged with a look of distress, wondering if something had happened to her junior maid.
''Be at ease, I have spoken to her about it, she is just tired, that's all,'' Ram smiled, noticing the golden-haired maid's expression soften in what was assumedly relief.
''Ah...as long as she is okay...I was worried her new responsibilities were too much for her, but if she is okay...I'm happy,'' Frederica sighed, adjusting the tray she was carrying in her arms. The maids walked in silence after that, the exhaustion and lack of sleep now catching up to them.
They paused before re-entering the room, allowing their minds a moment to catch up with the chaos. Turning the door handle carefully, Frederica pushed into the room, the silence broken by the creak of the door's hinges.
As before, the maids resumed their seats, expecting to be sat in silence for another few hours waiting for Subaru to awaken. But to their surprise, once they were settled in their seats, a small girl of silver hair perked up, saying something which was obvious but warmed their hearts nonetheless
''You know, Subaru just being here makes me soooooo happy. I feel so...relieved, I feel so excited,'' Emilia chirped, a warm, thoughtful smile on her face. She was basically radiating pure joy, every fibre of her body nearly shaking in ecstasy.
''I bet he's a reeeeally good boy, goodness does he deserve a hot bath and a cup of tea,'' she declared, gazing at him with fond eyes once again. Just the sight of him calmed her down, brought her a peculiar but spectacular sense of comfort.
Everyone fell back into silence, the warm, fluffy words of Emilia boosting morale, leaving smiles on the faces of those in the room. Nobody said anything, for it was clear Emilia wasn't actually talking to anyone directly, but her words were wonderful nonetheless, and it reassured the idea that yes, this boy could in fact be the exact thing Emilia needed to break out of her shell.
''Emilia-samaaaaa,'' a long-silent voice said quietly, ''I neeeeeed you to understand some things about Subaru-sama's situaaaation, it's raaaather important.'' the jester-like mage continued, piquing Emilia's interest. She remained quiet but turned to face the man she found disgustingly creepy, showing she was listening.
''As I saaaaaid before, Subaru-sama couuuuld be in quite a bit of mental peril, he haaaas suffered a fair amount recently,'' Roswaal said to the serious-looking girl, her gaze determined and focused.
''I understaaand you are excited, but pleaseeee, we neeeeed you to think about this logically. You can't be selfish here, you especially will have to help him heaaaaal.''
Emilia, who had decided she would be the one to help him heal long ago, merely smiled at Roswaal's words, but that smile was quickly flipped when she felt the boy beside her shoot up with a look of sheer terror painted on his neat features, the entire room flying to an immediate stand as they noticed the boy's sudden awakening.
He was panting heavily, sweat pouring down his face, squeezing Emilia's hand with a force so tight it caused her to squeal. He choked out his breaths before the tears came, the memories like sandpaper to his brain.
The cold, he could feel the cold burning his gentle skin, he could hear the voices, the ridicule and torture eating away at his soul. He was hyperventilating, his senses overwhelmed and mind confused to the point where his body could no longer handle it.
His hazel eyes were bloodshot and engrained with fear, staring at the white sheets, the white sheets. He had to escape, he couldn't give up...the elves...he pulled his hand away from whatever was grasping it and grabbed his head, sobbing uncontrollably, they were going to kill him. They were going to kill him.
''P-Please don't kill me,'' he screamed between panicked breaths, his entire being crushed under the pressure of trauma.
The entire room rushed to the bed, previously frozen in sheer shock, somehow unprepared for a reaction as severe as this. But before any of them could say anything, one person clamped onto Subaru, holding his shaking body in an embrace so warm and caring, his shattered mind had a moment to collect itself.
''Hey, hey Subaru it's okay, you're safe, I'm here, I'm here, Subaru,'' Emilia whispered into his ear, stroking his back in a beautiful effort to ease his sudden pain. She held him gently but made sure he knew he could trust her. She was safe, she wouldn't hurt him.
Subaru knew not where he was, or who the girl was, but his mind eased instantly. The pure sense of terror lingered, but she seemed to ward off the cold, bringing a sense of heat and warmth which eased his soul, relaxed his body. Subaru buried his head into the crook of her neck, feeling her safety, feeling her love and care. They weren't there, the bad people, but she was, she wasn't bad at all.
''Subaru, you're safe, they are gone, they can't hurt you, I promise,'' the girl reassured, as he wrapped his arms around her slight frame, never wanting to let go.
''I-I was s-so scared, they are all dead, they are going to kill me,'' he sputtered between pained sobs, his chest heaving as he gasped for breath.
''Subaru, they are gone, you are safe, we are far away from there, far away from the fighting and the bad men. You're safe now, I promise,'' Emilia reiterated patiently, letting the boy feel her honest thoughts, tightening their embrace to show she would keep him safe.
''I-I don't know where I am...my family, they're all gone...who are you, where am I,'' Subaru said, panic flooding his tone again to which Emilia simply replied,
''I am Emilia, just Emilia. I am a half-elf, just like you, Subaru. I've been told aaaaall about you, I can't wait to be friends.''
As Emilia spoke, she gently eased away, letting Subaru take a look at her for the first time, praying he wouldn't be frightened for obvious reasons. Subaru lifted his head, body still shaking, wiping his tears with his forearm, and looked at the girl directly in front of him.
Long, silver hair darker than his own, silky and soft, beautiful by all means.
Ears that pointed slightly, poking out from under her hair, peeking at Subaru.
A youthful yet utterly gorgeous face. Not a blemish touched her flawless skin, her soft cheeks showing her young age, tickled by a light blush.
But her eyes, how they shined like orbs. Deep amethyst pools entrapped his gaze, capturing his entire being, leaving him unable to remove his eyes from her own.
Emilia, however, was just as enraptured. For the first time, she saw a pair of eyes that pierced her very soul. Sharp yet soft. Intimidating yet welcoming. Cruel yet kind. His eyes invoked a deep sense of nostalgia and longing within her, their hazel tone simply wonderful.
However, as the pair of youthful half-elves locked eyes, infatuated by the other's gaze, a voice interrupted:
''Suuuubaru-sama, I'm glad you're awake, I expect you would like some more informatioooon, no?''