The air hung thick and oppressive over the Kingdom of Liones, despite the clear Summer sky. Nary a soul spoke above a murmur within the king's castle. Only the clash and clang of swords and shields broke the pregnant silence as the kingdom's Holy Knights and apprentices trained for the foretold Holy War.
Princess Margaret pressed a heavy seal into the red-hot wax pooling on a letter that carried the royal insignia. She sat alone in her bedroom, shadows shrouding its corners. If one looked closely, the shadows seemed to be constantly moving and the princess seemed to be avoiding them determinedly .
A gentle knock sounded on the door.
Margaret raised her head. A sad sigh escaped her. At that moment, the Princess looked decades older than her 21 years.
"Come in," she called softly.
A red-headed maid stuck her head around the door and gave a cheerful grin. "Tea's ready, your highness."
"Is it time already?" murmured the Princess, rising gracefully from her chair. Then she stopped, seeming undecided, and looked back at something on her desk.
Grace frowned. Ever since she'd entered the Princess' service - oh, some 7 years ago or so - she'd watched as the princess had become more and more morose with each passing year until simply hearing her voice was a miracle. Grace had felt on many occasions that the Princess chose her words with much thought and care, almost as if someone was constantly judging her. In fact, her whole demeanor was studied, measured and ethereal, almost like she existed on a different plane altogether.
Which was why the uncertainty caught Grace by surprise.
"Is something wrong your highness?" she asked quickly.
She saw the Princess square her shoulders imperceptibly. "No, nothing's wrong." She answered easily now. "Will you come in here for a moment?"
A sense of dread crept over Grace as she walked into the princess' bedroom. When she'd first joined the service, she had been instructed in no uncertain terms to never enter the Princess' room - per her highness' order. Only the head housekeeper went in there to clean. In all her years of service, Grace had yet to enter her mistress' bedchamber. Has it always been so dark in here? She wondered
Her eyes darting nervously to every corner, Grace finally approached the princess and dropped a quick courtesy.
"Grace," Margaret spoke quietly as was her wont, but warmth suffused her voice as she spoke to the girl in front of her. "I hope you know how much I appreciate all that you do for me - above and beyond what duty calls for…"
Grace squirmed. It was an open secret that Princess Margaret cried herself to sleep most nights but Grace had taken to leaving cold washcloths in her dressing room overnight so that Princess Margaret could remove any traces of tears and puffy eyes in the morning before anyone saw. She could pick out the Princess' mood within ten yards and had seen to it that the Princess was left alone whenever she wanted her solitude, which was more often than not these days. In contrast to Erica, the other maid, Grace had acquired a reputation as a bit of a dragon for her overprotectiveness of the princess. Seems it hadn't gone unnoticed.
She shook herself back to reality. The princess was still speaking.
"... but I'm afraid I no longer require your services," Margaret said, her voice even. "This is a letter to the Treasury, certified by the royal sigil, which will secure you compensation for the rest of the year. I'm sorry it's on such short notice - "
"No, please, your highness!" Grace cried, interrupting a royal for the first time in her life and not even noticing the Princess' raised eyebrows in her despair. "Please, you can't dismiss me. Please tell me - tell me what I did wrong and I swear -" she took a ragged breath, holding in tears, "I swear it will not happen again."
But Princess Margaret only shook her head. "It isn't a question of fault, Grace. Your conduct and service has been impeccable. It's…"
"Princess, please!" Grace would've thrown herself at the Princess' feet, if she hadn't known how much the princess hated such displays. "I cannot go back to my family in disgrace after so many years!"
Grace kept her head bowed, no longer able to keep her tears from flowing. She loved this princess like a sister and had ached to see her suffer some unspoken curse year after year, night after night. She'd watched as the Princess distanced herself from her father, her sisters, even Lord Gilthunder whom she'd once been so close with. And now -
It was in between her own noisy breaths that Grace heard the Princess' own breath sounding harsh, as if she was struggling to control it. She lifted her head, her mouth dropping open at the glimmer of unshed tears in the Princess' eyes. The princess was upset too?
With a visible effort, Princess Margaret calmed herself.
"There is no disgrace," she said firmly. "I'm letting both you and Erica go for the simple reason that soon, I will not require maids. When that moment comes, I would not wish for you to be cast adrift, so I'm taking steps now to ensure that those close to me are taken care of."
Grace hiccupped, eyes still streaming. With a gentle look, the princess plucked a handkerchief from her desk and handed it to Grace. Grace was scandalized.
"Oh no, your highness, I couldn't!"
"I insist, Grace. I can't have my dearest friend melting into a puddle in front of me."
It took a moment for the words to hit her. Grace gaped at the princess, ludicrous. Since when did a princess consider her maid a friend?
"You may not believe me," and now the Princess was smiling, actually smiling! "But for several years now, I've considered you one of my closest confidantes, even if I couldn't share my thoughts as freely as I would've wished. You may not consider me your friend - indeed I haven't done anything to deserve that title - but you somehow claw your way back in even when I've tried to push you away and… I…" The Princess took a deep breath. "I'm more grateful than I can ever say."
Grace gave a watery smile, the handkerchief crumpled into a ball in her hand. "I'm sorry that we couldn't have met under different circumstances, your highness." She sighed in regret. "I would've loved going window shopping with you."
Princess Margaret's smile deepened and Grace watched in wonder as her whole face lit up. "I wish that too."
They stayed where they were for a beat, neither wanting to break the companionable silence that enveloped them. Then Grace stirred.
"I know you cannot say what it is," she started firmly and continued despite the growing alarm on the princess' face. "But I hope this shadow that looms over you is dispelled soon. And maybe, when that happens, we can meet again."
The princess gave a subtle nod, no longer able to form words. The brief cheer that had illuminated her face was gone, leaving it as serious and drawn as always.
"Goodbye, your highness."
The maid slipped out, clutching a letter in one hand and a handkerchief in the other.
Margaret sat back down in her chair, exhausted by the encounter.
"It's for the best," she murmured. "It's for the best."
And she would continue to remind herself this every time she was confronted by her empty rooms.
A/N: I borrowed Grace from the Nanatsu no Taizai light novel, 'The Seven Scars They Left Behind' by Shuka Matsuda which contains 7 stories from when Margaret was 15. I love how Grace & Margaret are the same age but have two completely different personalities. In an AU, I can totally see them being BFFs so I tried my best to bring in a hint of that in here. Hope you enjoyed reading and watch out for the next decision Princess Margaret has to make!