AN: No beta we die like hilichurls
Ellin was a woman on a mission. Training sword at the hip, she traversed the halls in search of a person she needed assistance with.
She, like anybody else in this city, wanted to be part of the knights of Favonius. But her dream was something even more than that. She wanted to be the Grandmaster! One just like her idol, Jean. Not to be confused for her imaginary friend, Jean. But the similarities between her imaginary friend and the acting grandmaster were too similar to go unnoticed.
Not that she told everyone about her imaginary friend anyway. But she would get caught sometimes.
Anyway, where was she going with this? Right, her current goal for the day.
You see, she spent most of her days practicing against the training dummies out back, and she was making steady progress especially when she would sometimes receive help from the knights that would pass by, but she knew that being the grandmaster would take more than strength.
It would take dedication, trust, motivation, determination, and last but not the least, hard work. And she knew just the person that had all of these things.
That certain person was brushing the shelves down as dust was starting to pick up.
"Noelle! Please take me under your tutelage for the day!" Ellin put her fist over her chest and she beamed.
Noelle sweatdropped. "E-Excuse me?"
"Please? I want to learn from you today! If I want to become the grandmaster one day, I can't just rest on my laurels, or simply train my combat skills every day. I have become a knight like Master Varka, or Master Jean. You know? One that represents the very spirit of Favonius itself." the girl puffed her chest out with pride. "And who better to teach me about being a proper knight more than the most hard-working person I know, you!"
That was a lie. Well, a half-truth would be better. The one she'd like to learn how to be a proper knight from the most would be her idol and the acting grandmaster herself. But she knew that was never going to happen what with the rumors of the acting grandmaster's days being just as, if not, busier than the wondermaid's.
Noelle blushed. "I am flattered that you think so, but you might be forgetting, that I am not a knight. I'm simply a maid."
"That may be, but the whole town trusts you! You're already doing very well. And besides, you've studied a lot about the knights in general over the past years," she often saw her studying in the library during her free time. "I know I can learn a lot from you, so please let me learn from you!"
Noelle was torn on this decision. On the one hand, she didn't mind Ellin, she had a goal far more than what Noelle had in mind. Whereas Noelle simply wished to be a Knight, Ellin went further and wanted to be the grandmaster. On the other hand, she didn't think she was worthy of being held to such a standard.
But the way her eyes shone reminded Noelle of something similar. Something she saw day by day in the mirror. Once she did, she couldn't possibly refuse.
"If that is the case, then by all means," she smiled at her and bowed. Ellin reciprocated. "I'd be honored."
Ellin pumped her fist into the air. "Whoohoo!" Already the day was going great for her.
"Although, what part of being a better knight do you wish to learn from me? Strength? Capability?"
"Not strength." She'd seen Noelle's might before, and she wasn't even sure if that was the most she was capable of. No one knew how strong Noelle was except for maybe Varka, the Grandmaster. She'd seen her obliterate training dummies in one swing, strike fear into people's hearts by lifting weight dozens times her own size, and there was that one time when she broke a lot of blades when she was acquiring her own weapon.
Never had she ever seen Wagner so frustrated and determined.
"I see, if not that then…" Noelle adopted a thinking pose. What could she teach Ellin that she could also pass on to others? She was only a maid though.
"You don't have to think about that specifically. Maybe I can follow you around? Help you with your tasks and stuff. I promise I won't do anything that'll cause you trouble."
Noelle's eyes widened. She vehemently shook her head. "Oh dear, I don't think my tasks are ones fit for knights. I am simply a maid."
Ellin nodded. "That is true. But again, I believe that learning from you would also mean learning about you. I may not be able to imitate your strength, but the fact remains that a whole lot of people look up to you, you know?" she smiled.
"But-I… Okay." Noelle sighed in resignation. She truly did believe that she was nothing worth mentioning, let alone prove to be adequate learning material for someone with such a goal as Ellin.
Meanwhile, Ellin only smiled. She was very enthusiastic about this. Everyone trusted Noelle. Everyone depended on her. And frankly, she didn't understand why she still wasn't a Knight. But that wasn't her place to comment on.
"Ellin, reporting for duty, Miss Noelle!"
"M-Miss Noelle? Awawawawawawawa"
"Miss Noelle? Miss Noelle? Please come back!"
"So for today, I have been tasked with delivery to Springvale. Crates of produce to be delivered to Miss Brook."
"Understood."
"Are you sure you want to come with me for this? I doubt you will learn anything worthwhile."
Ellin shook her head. "I want to come with you." Even if she didn't learn anything, it would still be a glance at the maid's daily routine. WHich was more than enough for her to learn at least one thing.
"If you say so," Noelle smiled. If she was fine with it, then Noelle saw no reason to think otherwise. "First, we will need to head to inventory before we proceed outside. There will be a carriage waiting we'll have to maneuver ourselves," she told her as she opened a door. "Then, we make the delivery and come back."
"Sounds simple enough."
"Most of my tasks are. But what's important is that they're done when they need to be."
Oh! She immediately pulled out a notebook and wrote as she walked. "But what's important is that they're done when they need to be…" she mumbled as she wrote.
With her eyes down, she didn't notice someone in front of her before it was too late. She closed her eyes and braced for impact-
But it never came.
"Please take more care in the future. Not paying attention while walking can be very dangerous."
She opened her eyes to find herself held by Noelle. She had pulled her aside from harm, and she didn't even feel the slightest discomfort! Truly Noelle was just as gentle as she was strong!
"Listen to Noelle, Ellin. Then again, I wasn't looking at where I was going too so I would be at fault just the same."
"Huh?" she knew this voice. She heard it a lot when they went adventuring together.
With short brown hair and green eyes, and wearing an adventurer's uniform, he was carrying several crates of something. He walked over to the side where several more crates were and them down on a push trolley.
"No worries, Mr. Jack. No one was harmed."
"Jack! What are you doing here?" Ellin smiled at the sight of the familiar adventurer. They had gone through many adventures together after all.
"Hello there, Noelle, Ellin," he nodded to the both of them. "I'm dropping these crates of produce off. I think someone was going to pick these up and get them to where they should be but I wasn't told that much."
"That's us!" Ellin puffed her chest out with pride.
"What? You?"
"Well, technically it was Noelle's job," she admitted and she looked to the side. "But today I'm studying under Noelle so it's my job too."
The adventurer slowly nodded. "I see," before he turned to face Noelle. "She was hard to refuse wasn't she?"
"Jack!"
"Well, she wouldn't take no for an answer, and I thought it was quite alright for her to accompany me." Noelle smiled.
"I', for how she may have acted. She's very stubborn at times."
"It was quite alright. I admire her enthusiasm."
"See? Now buzz off, I have my tasks to do." Ellin walked past him as she started loading the trolley with crates.
Jack chuckled. "I do think you can learn a lot from Noelle. Make sure not to cause much trouble for her, okay?"
Ellin simply turned back and blew a raspberry at him. Which prompted an even louder chuckle from the adventurer.
Noelle couldn't help but smile at the exchange. They seemed very comfortable with one another. "Please, take care, Mr. Jack," she went past him to help Ellin, but not before giving him a bow. "Ellin will be in safe hands."
"I know she is. I'm more worried about you than I am for Ellin. Who knows what she'll get up to when you're not looking," he shivered. "You could be cooking food one minute, and the moment you turn away she suddenly plays with the fire too much and we end up eating char for lunch."
"That was the one time, Jack!"
"Or maybe you could be sleeping peacefully one night and when you wake up she's suddenly-"
"Okay, you've made your point now!" Red-faced, Ellin rushed towards the adventurer faster than Noelle had seen Bruce run when Hertha was nearby the tavern - which was pretty fast - and rushed him out of the room. "Get out! Get out!"
Jack really did seem to have found fun in the situation. "Alright, alright. But hey, you take care, you hear?" he put a hand on her head and ruffled her hair. "I'm serious. Don't make trouble for Noelle. And if you're in trouble, you can always rely on her, okay?"
Again, Noelle couldn't help but smile at the interaction. It was like watching siblings. They would tease each other to kingdom come, but at the end of the day, they cared about each other.
A part of Noelle was almost jealous. She was an only child. But she loved her parents, and they loved her. That was enough.
"O-Okay." Ellin nodded. Her reply was a bit quiet. Possibly from embarrassment. But as the door shut closed, and they went back to loading the trolleys, Noelle refrained from making any comment about them and simply focused on the task at hand.
After all, it was none of her business. And if there was anything she learned as a maid, it was that personal information was not to be discussed, nor shared.
-x-
Afterward, they pushed the trolley full of crates up to the gates. Ellin insisted she would be the one to push the trolley, and Noelle let her. Along the way, Noelle was greeted by a multitude of people. Children, teenagers, adults, everyone knew her.
She'd heard the tales, and she knew just how recognizable the maid was around Mondstadt, but knowing and hearing were different from actually seeing it. This made Ellin appreciate her even more. She wanted to learn how she became so well-received, so she too could be the same.
Eventually, they reached the gates. Where the crates were loaded onto a ready carriage just outside. One knight was helping them with loading the crates, and the other seemed to be doing something to the wheels of the vehicle.
"Alright. The carriage has been loaded. You're pretty much set to go." a knight told them as he pushed the last crate onto the carriage.
"Same here. The wheels have been replaced. Should be as good as new." another knight told them as he stood up from beside the carriage.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Swan, Mr. Lawrence." Noelle gave them a bow.
"Not a problem, Noelle," Lawrence told her. Swan thought the same. "Though I didn't expect Ellin to be with you today."
"I'm with Noelle today to learn how she does what she does!" Ellin told them.
Swan raised an eyebrow. "How she does what she does?"
"Yeah. Noelle is one of the most hard-working people I know! If I were to study under her, accompany her in her tasks for the day, then I absolutely will learn something."
Lawrence slowly nodded. "I guess you have a point. Noelle is one astonishingly good example of how a knight should be, even without being a knight herself."
Noelle blushed as she went onto the carriage. "I'm simply doing what I do best."
'Amazing. Even the knights recognize her efforts.'
"Humble too," Swan added. "Make sure to pay close attention, alright, Ellin? Noelle has a habit of downplaying the things she does. Pay attention, and discern for yourself."
Ellin nodded. "Understood!
This was proving to be a mistake. A very big mistake.
She was ready for anything they would have to go up against. But nothing of this magnitude. She has never had this experience in her life, and right now, she was terrified, frozen, and there was no escape. Today, she had learned one very important thing…
She may or may not be afraid of horses, or maybe vehicles manned by horses? Or maybe just horses in general.
All her life, even when she was out adventuring with Jack, they would walk. Sometimes they would run, and sure sometimes they would hop on the back of a merchant's carriage. But that was as a passenger.
Right now, she was beside Noelle as the both of them held the reigns on both of the horses that were pulling them. And she couldn't be any more terrified. But she couldn't admit that.
"N-Noelle. Are you sure we're safe?"
"We are. I've known these horses for a long time. Cared for them on some days too. They're well mannered."
"W-What if they suddenly burst off running, or they grow wings and they fly off or-"
"Miss Ellin, are you scared?"
"S-Scared?! Hah! I'm not scared, I'm- aiieeee!" the darn horse suddenly huffed as if taunting her. "Okay fine! I am scared. It's different when you hold the reins."
Instead of laughing, teasing her, or ridiculing her as she would usually expect, Noelle smiled and put one hand on hers to calm her down.
"It may be frightening, and that's okay. You can calm yourself down. I can handle both reigns by myself without an issue," Noelle reassured her. "There is no need to force yourself."
Although the maid was trying to reassure her, in Ellin's panicked brain, she heard… quite the opposite.
It may be frightening, and that's okay. It may be scary but you need the find the strength to push through!
I can handle both reigns by myself without an issue Stop being a coward.
There is no need to force yourself GO EVEN FURTHER BEYOND!
"No need!" Ellin took a few breaths and calmed herself. "I must persevere. Otherwise, I won't be able to call myself a knight-in-training, much less a knight!"
"It's alright!"
"No, no, you're right. I need to push myself or I won't grow! I NEED TO GO EVEN FURTHER-" she snatched the other set of reins from Noelle's clutches. "-BEYOND. HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH."
"Oh dear-!"
The horses, sensing their coachwoman's passion, responded in turn.
At first, the horses sensed the pony-tailed coachwoman's initial fears and tried to make her as comfortable as possible. But how could they bear with their past actions when that same very person was taking a very brave plunge just to prove she was prepared to rise above her fears?! They knew exactly what they should do. Today was a day for breaking limits, breaking past fears, and becoming brave! It was their time. All their years of training, of being well-cared for by their owners. And yet day after day, they were forced to run slowly or walk fast. It was a travesty upon four-legged creatures to have been forced to limit themselves for the world simply wasn't ready for them.
They were born with four legs, and they would use the four legs accordingly. THE TIME FOR HORSING AROUND WAS NEIGH.
"Who's a good horse? Who's a good horse? You are, oh you are."
"It's good that you're getting along with them now, Miss Ellin."
"I'm glad too. Look at them! How could anyone be afraid of them?"
Ellin who just a few minutes ago was so afraid of them was now hugging their heads as they licked her cheek. She giggled. "Alright, I gotta go help out with the crates now. Stay there and wait for us okay?"
The horses made a sound of agreement.
Noelle smiled as they loaded the push trolley up and began walking towards the recipient's address.
It was good that Ellin got over her fear of horses. Albeit she did it unconventionally, what mattered was that she was fine now. And sure at the speed that they were going, it was most likely dangerous and would've damaged the contents of their carriage had they been fragile, but luckily it wasn't.
All things considered, for such a short trip, it went well for all involved. Ellin had fun, the horses got to stretch their legs, and she couldn't deny that she had fun too.
Perhaps the next time she was the coachwoman, she could do the same. Oh, how exciting!
"And here we are, at Miss Brook's house," Noelle told Ellin. "Remember, always show them your smiling, and make them as comfortable as possible."
"Really?" Ellin asked. They were only delivering crates.
Noelle nodded. "Yes. As a maid, I represent the Knights of Favonius in some manner. And no matter how small, I must always uphold their reputation."
"I see. Understood!"
Noelle knocked on the door thrice. "Hello? Miss Brook? This is Noelle, we're here with your delivery."
Moments passed and they were met with silence. The two looked at each other in confusion. Was she outside?
She tried knocking again. "Hello? Miss Brook?"
"Cough, cough, S-Sorry about that. I'll cough be there in a second!"
The door opened to reveal an older woman, with fair skin, brown hair tied into pigtails, clad in orange pajamas, with the addition of a mask on her mouth.
"H-Hi, I'm not really proper at the moment but if you could cough put the crates out the back for me, I'd appreciate it."
"Absolutely"
"Sure thing."
Noelle and Ellin brought the crates inside the house. "I'd hate for any of you to get sick so please make it quick. And wash your hands before touching your face," Brook told them as she went back to laying down on her bed. "I'll be in this room if you need anything." she closed the door to her bedroom. Coughs could be heard coming out of it from time to time.
"Certainly. Please take your rest."
Ellin was amazed again. The amount of trust to let someone else into your home, giving them full access while you were at your most vulnerable, she couldn't do the same. Though if Noelle was there, she would allow it.
Again, she was reminded just how much the people trusted Noelle.
Wordlessly, she helped the maid put the crates to where they should be. "Would you mind helping me check that everything is here, too?"
"Of course!"
A few minutes later after they had triple-checked the crates, everything was up to code. Their delivery was considered done.
Noelle knocked on the bedroom door. "Miss Brook? Everything is here."
"T-Thanks, cough Noelle. The payment's there on the table." she could be heard from across the door.
"You're welcome." she replied. Both of them went to the table and eyed the bag of mora on the desk.
Ellin didn't feel right, leaving Brook like this. A glance at Noelle showed that the maid felt the same.
"Miss Ellin, our task is done for the day. You can go on home," Noelle walked towards the kitchen counter. "I do not think you would wish to be here for this."
Ellin raised an eyebrow. "Be here for what?"
"I plan on making a light meal for Miss Brook. I assume she hasn't had anything to eat since morning from her cold," she said. "You're free to leave if you wish-"
"You kidding? I wanna help out too," she tightened her ponytail and stood next to her. "I may not be a great cook, but I can say for certain I'm at least average. I know my way around the kitchen," she boasted. "Just tell me what you need doing and I'll do it."
Noelle stared at her for a moment. Before she started to chuckle, and then she started to laugh. "I-I'm sorry. It's just that no one has ever told me that before. I always do my tasks alone though, but still."
"Really? No one has offered to help you out with these things?"
"No, never. And it's not their fault either. I prefer doing things alone."
"That's a shame. I think I'd have more fun if I did the things I love with friends."
Noelle thought about it. True, she was having fun. She slowly smiled. "I guess you have a point."
Ellin put her ponytail back on. It had gotten disheveled on the way here and she hadn't bothered to tie it back up. But now that they were going to be doing some cooking, she needed to get serious.
She was cooking with Noelle after all! She needed to make up for what she lacked in skill with enthusiasm.
-x-
"What… what is this?"
"Calla Lily Seafood Soup," Noelle answered her as she brought out a bedside table, and put down the bowl of soup alongside cutlery and some napkins. "We made it for you."
"We…? Oh," Brook smiled at the new face. Though her mouth was covered by a mask and her eyes were only visible. "Who's this sweetie who cough helped you out?"
Ellin stood up straight. "Hello! I'm Ellin! I'm someone who wants to become a knight of Favonius one day. I thought it would be a good idea to accompany Noelle for the day and learn from her."
"I'd say you're doing very well, Ellin. I'm cough sorry this isn't the best time for cough introductions."
"No, no, please drink your soup," Ellin told her. "Focus on getting better. We'll have plenty of time for proper introductions once you're well."
Brook nodded as she did as she was told. After a sip, she closed her eyes and sighed in relief. The hot soup did wonders for her. Especially since she hadn't had a meal since she woke up.
"Thank you, Noelle, Ellin."
Both of them bowed. "It was our pleasure." they replied. Surprised at their sudden synchronicity, they looked at each other before they shared a laugh.
The scene in front of her was just as warm as the soup she was sipping, Brook thought. Noelle was a girl of duty, and it was obvious that she didn't have much time for herself, let alone friends. But with Ellin, maybe she could find that sense of companionship she needed. They were working toward the same goal after all.
"This soup is delicious. Thank you very much."
"It was thanks to Ellin's fine slicing of the vegetables."
"What? You did way more than me here. You had to pay attention to the stock the whole time. You even made sure the flavor wasn't too powerful for Miss Brook!"
"That may be so, but with your help, you saved us time and we got to give the soup to Miss Brook faster."
"Oh please, you could've done that all by yourself and still have time to spare. Maybe you would have cleaned the living room too while you're at it."
"A-Ah, about that-"
"You plan on cleaning too, don't you?"
"Yes. You don't have to come help, I can handle it. I am a maid after all."
"Yeah and I'm currently learning under you. Of course, I'll come help!"
"Really? Wonderful! Okay, shall we get started?"
"Sure thing. You enjoy your soup, alright? Miss Brook?"
"Please call us if you need anything."
The two walked out of the room and gently closed the door as they started to clean the living room. All the while, Miss Brook thought about the two of them.
'Yeah, they're in good hands.'
After they cleaned the room, they bid Brook goodbye. Brook told them to come back when she was well and she would treat them to a meal. Noelle and Ellin both promised her they would, and they were now on the way back to Mondstadt.
Unlike the trip earlier, the ride back was a gentle one. Before they knew it, it was already nearing nighttime.
"Thanks for letting me follow you around, Noelle," Ellin said. "I feel like I learned a lot."
Noelle chuckled. "You're welcome. And did you really? I didn't exactly do anything different or provide pointers, or act as a teacher." Now that she thought of it, she really did treat Ellin as a companion rather than a student.
"That's exactly why I learned a lot!"
The maid raised an eyebrow. "I'm afraid I don't follow."
"You simply did as you always do today right? You didn't change anything just because I was around. And I got to see you like how everyone else does, except closer 'cause I was right next to you, helping you." Ellin proudly smiled. "And to think you've been doing this for years, and you're still trying to become a Knight, still pursuing your goal… I admire that strength, that tenacity."
Noelle blushed at the praise. "You're giving me too much credit. I expected you to get bored, or to break away after the first few minutes. But you didn't. You stuck by and even helped me. As your supposed teacher today I can't help but think I failed you."
"Aw, that's not-"
"But," Noelle interrupted. "But it was fun. Having someone accompany me. And if you learned something from doing my tasks with me then… as a friend… I'm happy."
Saying this all while having a bashful expression on her face, Ellin couldn't resist as she saw it and hugged the maid. "You're so adorable too! AHHHHHH!"
Everyone had different views on how Knights would be. How they acted, and how they responded to certain stimuli were heavily dependent on their character, evident from the various Knights she saw around patrolling Mondstadt. But Noelle, she was different. She wasn't a Knight, and yet from all of her studies, she had adopted all Knightly etiquette she had to learn and practiced it daily.
She heard the unspoken calls for help in any situation and reacted accordingly. She was well known because of her constantly cheerful disposition and when one needed help, she would always be there.
Noelle may have thought that she didn't teach a lot, but she didn't need to. Simply by being near her, by watching her, Ellin learned more than any textbook ever could about being a Knight, despite Noelle being a maid.
Noelle had an innate kindness to her that brought out the best in others. Knowing that she wouldn't judge you, or that anything you say to her won't be heard by anyone else, provided relief and reassurance. The smile she always had on her face would sooner or later find itself adopted onto your smile too.
Perhaps in the future, although she wanted to be the grandmaster one day, maybe it wouldn't be so bad to follow Noelle's example.
"Hey, Noelle?"
"Yes, Ellin?"
"Wanna do this again sometime?"
"..."
"Noelle?"
"Sure. I would love to."
