"Halt!"

Rita hid her hand behind her back, and Bianka did the same to the cat. It was dark and the light of the campfire was dim — the perfect setup to hide secrets. Ragna squinted at their state of dishabille, especially at Rita who was usually more dignified and reserved. The latter was almost naked, covered by thin fabrics that were a see-through when wet, and the lower part of her clothes was smeared in blood. Her master, on the other hand, wore nothing under the long vest she had borrowed and her cleavage was showing. Ragna had questions, but she was not sure whether she wanted to hear the answers.

"As punishment for your tardiness, you will both be stationed for the first watch of the night after dinner. I'll be in my tent. Have a nice evening," Ragna said. She was gone as quickly as she appeared, and both girls breathed a sigh of relief. When they regained their shared tent, Bianka took out the first-aid kit and obliged her maid to sit and do nothing.

"I'm sorry," Bianka said after she was done, "I should've gotten out of the water faster. At least, I would've been able to stop this cut from happening."

"The wound is not that deep," her maid replied, "I only pray it does not scar. Besides, it is the duty of a maid to worry for their master, not the other way around."

Bianka wrapped the strip of gauze around Rita's hand with an unwavering stare. She then took out a marker pen and drew a tiny depressed face on the bandage. "How can I be a good master if I do not worry about you? You often say stuff like: 'a good servant takes good care of his good master'." She tried to imitate Rita, and the latter scoffed. "Miss Ataegina," Bianka continued, "how can you behave so recklessly? It'll be a marvel if I do not find gray hair over my head before my mid-twenties. Hey, Mr. Cat!" Bianka turned to the kidnapped cat who was not so happy about its new accommodation. "Let me remind you that you're living on borrowed time, and that I will personally end you with my scythe once my master finds no use in you."

Rita could not hold back her laughter, something rare for Bianka who had always known her maid as a quiet laugher. Their moment was cut short, however, when Rita noticed that the tent flaps were slightly open and that the cat, that was nibbling and scratching the plastic seconds ago, was gone. The next thing they heard were the aggressive neighing of horses and their heavy hoof stomps. Bianka went a shade lighter and immediately ran outside. She saw Krishna and Renaissance tugging on their reins and begging to be freed, and she saw the tiny mischievous culprit. The cat did not do anything other than sitting and licking its paws. It looked at the frightened horses with a lack of interest. The horses somehow translated it as a death threat and neighed louder. Bianka facepalmed.

.

.

.

When dinnertime was over, Bianka and her maid stood on either side of the camp as night guards. Behind them the rest of the Valkyries gathered around the campfire to laugh and play to their heart's content.

"Hold on! Ana Schariac? The shyest one? Has a boyfriend?"

"Show me! Is he handsome?"

"I can't understand them. These two lovebirds still exchange love letters like in old times. Phones exist!"

"How do you know we exchange letters?"

"Cuz your dumb pigeon pet flew to my window instead of yours last month. I've never read something so cheesy stinky before."

"Shhhh! Some of us are trying to sleep."

"Psst! Wraith! Did you return Bianka her clothes?"

"Oh shi– I forgot about the prank!"

"Shut it, everyone! You'll wake Leader Lodbrok up!"

When all seemed to have quieted down, the light strings of a ukulele filled in to uplift the mood and everyone hummed along. As Rita gazed skywards, her mind was wrapped in a cocoon of old memories that matched the sombre hues she was contemplating. The wind swayed the most brittle branches, stealing some of their leaves and leaving them bare. Like wind on a dry branch, with every person she encountered her heart had nothing more to give (this was how she had felt in Schicksal at first). She was born to serve and to betray for her own survival. Her guilt had come in waves after she met Ataegina. She momentarily felt Cecilia's pendant in her hand, and her guilt amplified. Rita deduced, from Ragna's familiarity with Otto, that she used to work very closely with him. Then something happened after Cecilia's death that caused Ragna to develop a severe dislike for him. What really happened? Rita had many questions, none that she dared ask.

The crescent moon made its apparition in the sky along with the shy creatures of the night. They were curiously drawn to the cackling voices and angry half-whispers of the camping ground. The animals observed Rita with their glowing eyes, and she espied them in return, wondering if they would blink if she stared long enough. Other than tightening her grasp around her scythe's handle, she made no sudden movement to scare them off.

At that moment, a disturbing memory resurfaced — one that made Rita shiver despite the battlesuit she was wearing. The campfire transformed into a raging inferno, and in it she saw her mother, her father and her little sisters and brothers. In an instant, the thin puffs of smoke became thicker, there was no forest but a small town in chaos, and the glowing eyes were now from powerful Honkai beasts. That day she hid in her family's flower shop and waited until the screams outside would be over. Perhaps, the devil had forgotten about her existence, and had unknowingly spared her. She could not tell how long she had stayed hidden, how long she had cried. Her savior had the silhouette of a woman. A maid. The woman extended her hand, and a younger Rita took it.

She remembered another fragment of her life. She woke up in an orphanage, surrounded by people she did not know, who did not speak her language and who were too nice for her not to be on her toes. Eventually, she showed them that she could speak and that she was literate. The nuns realized that she picked up new things with ease: languages, books, piano, cooking, cleaning and sewing. One day, a young man accompanied by a woman who wore a strange orange mask came to visit. The man introduced himself as Otto Apocalypse, the archbishop and Overseer of Schicksal. She even remembered part of his conversation with her and with one of her caretakers.

"I beg your forgiveness, Lord Otto. You must have thought of me as too nonchalant, but I assure you that it was all for a dutiful cause. On the brighter side, your wait has drawn to an end. Meet our finest candidate."

The petite old nun was followed by a tall man. Rita was in the kitchen holding a knife to dice the onions when he suddenly appeared behind her. She was taken by surprise and accidentally sliced her finger with the sharp edge of the knife. Beads of blood seeped out. She dropped the knife and quickly reached for a towel to press the cut.

"My apologies, dear Sir, for this unsightly mess," she said. "How may I be of assistance?"

He took a step back, slightly bowed and apologized in English. He then turned to the nun and spoke a different language in an unfamiliar accent. The key word Rita captured from him was the word "nobility", which he said in a rising intonation that implied that he had asked a question. The nun shook her head in disagreement and uttered the word "commoner". As per what Rita understood, the man asked if she was a noble, and the nun who knew about her background replied that she was a simple commoner. A commoner who behaved like a noble. The man looked at her. She usually felt uneasy when strangers would stare at her, but this man did not make her feel anything. He left without a word. Soon, the orphanage received a letter saying that his academy would take her in. She never saw the children in the orphanage again after she left.

Schicksal was the name given to the new place where she would be staying. At first, Rita felt lost when exposed to the modern world and its finest technologies. She was a fast-learner, however, and none of the unknown scared her for long. She learnt about the Valkyries, the St Freya Academy and the long history behind the church of Schicksal. She became the favorite pearl of the Overseer with her gentle demeanor and sharp-witted nature. He allowed Amber, his loyal servant, to teach her the ways of an assassin and a spy. With the fifteen-year contract she signed, she was promised to have an easy life with everything she needed.

Rita enrolled in the academy, graduated early and enlisted in the Immortal Blades troops. It was there that she met her savior again. The woman wore a bird beak mask and had draped a long dark cloak over her shoulders, but despite her odd look, her silhouette made her recognisable. Her savior was Ragna Lodbrok, the leader of the Immortal Blades. It was as if they were fated to meet over and over again. After a while, the Overseer appointed Rita as Ragna's personal maid and assistant. There was one thing that became clear to her afterwards — Otto Apocalypse was never trusting, which was why he had employed her as his spy. She had never felt remorse when her words twisted the lives of others. She had never felt guilt when she was the cause of someone's downfall. So why was she feeling all these things now?

What was the difference between Ragna and Bianka?

Rita served Ragna at a point in time where the latter was already a mature adult. Ragna was ten years her senior. She got stabbed in the back to the point that she became as sly as a vixen. She would smile for the sake of common courtesy and would nod to pretend to be a fool, but underneath she knew that she was treading on a field of mines. Rita won her friendship after spending too much time around her, but that said feeling was short-lived when Ragna confirmed that her closest maid was a spy. They had never truly been friends, and they could never be.

Bianka was a major contrast from the maid's previous mistress. This one was basically a child when she arrived in Schicksal. She had a happy-go-lucky attitude, she was ever so narcissistic and overly optimistic, unrefined, loud, and with a poor anger management. She was hell-bent on becoming the next leader, without knowing what it really meant to be one. She was nevertheless genuine in her actions. Her face easily expressed happiness, sadness and grief. Her voice could go from a high-pitch squeal to trembling murmurs. She was very affectionate and easily expressed gratitude. At first, Rita felt displeased with her new lady, but with time she developed feelings that she had tried to avoid around Ragna.

Comfort.

Warmth.

Attachment.

Helplessness.

Guilt.

Rita could not contain such feelings properly. Cecilia's pendant glistened under the moonlight. It was cold to the touch, the same kind of cold Ragna's hand felt the day she had lost her family. The same kind of cold the doorknob at the orphanage felt when she was leaving. It would be the same kind of cold in her heart when Ragna would be gone. And it could happen to Bianka too in the distant future.

"Rita? Are you… crying?"

It was her mistress' voice. Rita quickly turned, wiped her tears and turned back to look at her mistress. Bianka had a saddened expression as well. She had never seen her maid cry before.

"Is something wrong?" She held Rita's hand. "Would you… like to talk about it?"

"Ah, that will not be necessary," Rita murmured back, "My apologies for worrying you."

"Is it because the injury on your hand hurts?"

"I appreciate your concern. Rest assured, miss, I'm doing fine."

Bianka frowned. She did not seem convinced. "I came to inform you that our watch over round for tonight has ended. We'll be replaced by other Valkyries. If you're not feeling sleepy yet, I can hold you company."

"Well..." Rita gazed at her mistress and smiled before her eyes went back to stare at the sky. "You may stay by my side then," she uttered in whispers.