My Mad Maid Marie

Three furious faces stared me down. Despite being back in my comfortable guest bedroom in Bridd Palace, I was anything but comfortable. Sir Robert and Margot, two of the three, scowled as they thoroughly reprimanded me for going into the heart of danger to save “some brat from another country.” Heartless.

It was the evening of the second day of the festival. After defeating the bone-stricken goat monster, Finley and Diana had done their magic-dirt-analysis thing and declared the festival safe. However, the magic demonstration was suspended due to uncertainty around the cause of the Scourge eruption. Additionally, all nonhuman animals were banned from the premises.

The people had returned to the grounds with resounding cheers and resumed festivities as if nothing had even happened. The Andrastian spirit is something else, I thought. The destroyed decorations and stalls were cleaned up and repaired by smiling Bridd citizens faster than I could blink.

The Lumineusians, on the other hand, were not so happy. We now return to this scolding lecture, specifically to the third furious face. I had expected Marie to be on my side, understanding and kind as she always was, but her expression told me she was the angriest of them all.

“If you’re going to rush in without a thought, how am I supposed to protect you? What if Prince Finley couldn’t do anything!?” Her frustrated tone was unnerving; her raised voice sounded wrong. The entire time, my gaze was trained on my shoes.

I sat through the grueling dressing down for an hour while the sun set. Nothing I said helped my case — I ultimately resolved to just keep my mouth shut and take it. The entire time, though, I was fuming.

I’m not some helpless, weak princess! I might look like one, but I’ve beaten more monsters than any of you! Just… in games. I shook my head. I don’t need this lecture. I’m not pathetic.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, Sir Robert and Margot left back to the other Lumineusian room in the guest wing. As soon as they left, I stood up and went out to the terrace.

Light shone again from the festival grounds, and the sounds of partying carried on the crisp night air up to the palace. As I gazed out at the nighttime city tonight, too, I was once again overcome with tears.

They think I’m stupid. Uneducated, naive, not worth listening to. I hate this. As I cried, I tried to figure out why they were so insistent on dismissing me.

I shifted, and my breasts pressed against the banister. The feeling brought a realization to my downtrodden mind. Oh. It’s because I’m a woman.

They see me as a woman.

A large cheer from the festival grounds rang out through the city. I thought back to Diana, Katrina the combatant knight, and even sweet little Aileen. The very girl I’d saved was an aspiring warrior, something her own mother approved of. Women here don’t get scolded for being brave. Maybe I’ll just stay here. I can be a free-spirited woman, unrestrained by Lumineusian values, if I’m in Andraste.

But… I don’t want to be a warrior woman. They’re wonderful, but I don’t want that for myself. What’s the alternative, though?

Being treated as a helpless maiden by even the ones closest to me, the ones assigned to support and protect me, made concrete my new feminine reality. A bit of me soared at thinking of myself as a traditional woman, not expected to engage in masculine things like fighting.

It was a conflicting feeling: for some reason, there was joy at the entrenchment of my womanhood through this lived experience (something I had come to accept), and simultaneously, I felt indignant that I was being seen as incapable and pathetic just because of that womanhood.

…Maybe they’re right. I’m just a damsel in distress now. I couldn’t even protect Aileen. Finley had to save us. I couldn’t get close to the fight, either. I… I am just a pathetic girl.

I buried my head in my arms, leaning on the banister of the terrace. The stone was cold. I wasn’t used to crying so much, but it just kept happening. I figured it was something to do with my new body. Part of being a woman, I guess — a thought which continually evoked both euphoria and anger, which I found utterly confusing. The tears soaked into my arms. I noticed the hair covering them was much thinner and lighter than my old life, a feature I hadn’t considered whatsoever. In fact, my arms were practically devoid of any hair anywhere.

Just a dainty little damsel.

My heart jumped. Stop it, you. That’s supposed to be a bad thing.

I spent the next ten or so minutes out there, crying my eyes out under the shimmering light of the stars, completely alone.

But at some point, my line of thought shifted. After wallowing in self-pity (fun, right?), something inside me clicked. Comparing myself to Diana and Finley, drowning in my sadness, I was reminded of their expert skill. And a spark was lit.

I don’t have to be a helpless girl. I can change.

I can learn magic.

Finley had been very receptive to my curiosity. A new idea sprang into my head: perhaps, just maybe, I could learn to be a fearsome mana caster like him. I could conjure whatever my mind desired, and save little girls like Aileen whenever I wanted — without getting scolded.

And, magic isn’t a super masculine thing like fighting. You’d get to stay a cute girl, too, I told myself. A magical girl, even.

I decided then and there that tomorrow, I would ask Finley to teach me magic. Out of sight from Margot, of course. If she found out I was learning magic, she’d probably kill me.

Excitement washed over me. I could actually learn magic. I could be a powerful, cool woman, too.

As I wiped the tears off my face with new resolve, the door to the terrace opened behind me. I turned around. Marie, fresh out of the bath, hesitated at the threshold. She was in her pajamas, a comfier version of her daily maid outfit.

“Miss Elisabeth…”

Turning back away, I pouted, “Come to scold me once more?”

I heard her footsteps behind me. Then, she embraced me in a hug. The sudden warmth against my back startled me, jolting me upright.

“Miss Elisabeth, I’m sorry.”

“Marie,” I said, turning around to face her and breaking her embrace.

“I know you just sought to do the right thing. That is admirable.”

“Then why did you-” I jumped, hurt.

“I don’t want to lose you, Miss Elisabeth.” She looked me in the eyes. Her deep red irises shone in the moonlight, two marbles piercing my soul.

The air fell silent, nothing but the cool breeze rustling through the terrace plants and the distant shouts of drunk festival-goers filling my ears.

“And I need you to be safe, so that that does not come to pass.”

I considered telling her about my plan to learn the magical arts from the Prince of Andraste; however, I still felt hurt. Maybe tomorrow, after things have healed a little more.

“I promise you, I will be safe,” I vaguely suggested. “But if you want to protect me…”

She hung her head. “I know. I am not so intimidating, myself.” Looking back up, she continued, “But in the bath, I had a thought. Perhaps I could have Captain Diana teach me about fighting.”

Great minds think alike, huh?

Alright, fine. I’ll tell you a little.

“Funny you should say that, Marie,” I said with a giggle. “I was thinking, myself, that maybe Finley could help teach me some magic.”

“Oh, Miss Elisabeth! That’s a wonderful idea!” She bit her lip. “But, what about His Majesty the King?”

I put a finger to my lips and winked. “Maybe it’ll be just our little secret.”

Marie smiled. “Well, wouldn’t be the first time we’ve kept something from him, anyways.”

Oh? How interesting.

She continued, “I think it’s a marvelous idea to have something to defend yourself with in the case of danger.”

Well, I’ll be learning all kinds of magic, I hope, but yeah.

“Marie, thank you for coming out to apologize.” I opened my arms for a hug.

“Of course, Miss Elisabeth. I never wish to harm you,” she replied. The two of us embraced under the nighttime sky. Thank God for Marie.

We shuffled back inside to prepare to sleep. As we readied, a knock came at the door.

“It’s Sir Robert! I’ve news!” a deep voice boomed.

“News? At this hour? What on earth…?” Marie wondered. She looked to me, and I nodded, giving her permission to open the door.

Sir Robert looked very worried. Slightly out of breath, he huffed, “Your Highness, Madame Marie, I just received word from Prince Finley. The Cernnos Woods. It was hit by a massive outbreak of Scourge, too, at the same time as today. It’s… overrun.”

“Meaning what, Sir Robert?” I asked, kind of annoyed he busted down the door just to tell us about some more monsters.