V.

1. Audience With A King

"I'll be honest," Audrey told her with a sigh. The night was cold and blue, but their possibilities were shrinking into one end. Even under the garb, her arm glowed. The Golden Hand's influence spread up her wrist, stopping right beneath her elbow. Madoka knew what she was about to say based on the trepidation shaking her skin. "I kinda don't want to go to bed."

"I know," Madoka said softly. They were informed that they should report to the Guild by dawn and initially they both were compliant, but now they fell into a solemn state. Her Highness did not use a voice like she did in her childhood when she threw a tantrum to avoid sleeping. Instead, she was standing there vulnerable under the moonlight. Still, the stars twinkled in her eyes.

"What do we do?"

The shadows of the distant mountains hung over them, indifferent to their struggles. The wind picked up the smell of dirt and dusted it against their faces. Even Audrey's hair batted her skin as she walked hesitantly down the cobblestone road to the inn. Madoka took Her Highness's Golden Hand and felt its cold metallic grip wrap around her palm. A squeeze did not harm the princess, but only sent a small tingling feeling between their interlocked fingers.

"We'll have to get rest," Madoka opened the door to the inn for her. Everyone inside did not even bother with them. It seemed that whatever crisis the Uracksheegal caused had worn down a lot of them. No sign of anyone familiar either, she scanned the place. The door to their room seemed like an invitation to the Abyss itself and Audrey's cold Aura became more prominent. The lock's shakiness offered little comfort to security, only an invite to their impending departure into the dream realm. Her hand froze on the handle when she suddenly felt like memorizing the floorboards instead of heading inside. Another hand squeezed hers. "Right. We have each other."

"It's weird, you know?" Audrey said as Madoka attended to her. The brush she formed with her crystal could have been a barrier, but the princess insisted that she should save her energy. "Now that I expect and know a weird dream is probably coming, I don't want to sleep. You probably have been through these a lot, so I don't really have the right to complain."

Madoka continued working silently, because what else is she supposed to do? Anything that causes discomfort to the princess is an affront to the maid, so naturally shielding her from a dream by having them alone was preferable to her going through them, even. Moreover, the princess having rough and troublesome things bothering her sleep is bound to make her grouchy tomorrow.

"I would rather take on the burden myself instead of you, Audrey," Madoka told her softly.

"Nah," Audrey immediately flopped onto the bed after freeing herself from Madoka's grasp. "I'm too sleepy now."

Madoka knew this was her putting on a brave face, though her tightly knit eyes quickly settled into slumber. So she simply joined her and closed her eyes. Her pulse settled down an hour later, but she felt wide awake. Audrey had turned over on her stomach with a small moan. She was always such a heavy sleeper in the first place. So why could she not? Did Elise not want to see her? Madoka blinked her eyes and saw the moons casting light into the room.

Soon, pattering pelted the window outside. It began to rain outside and the thunder began to roll. Madoka got out of bed and stared out of the window for a long while. Audrey stirred slightly, but eventually rolled over like a log pushed into a rut. Even the flash of lightning did not reveal the Uracksheegal's shadow looming in the sky in its luminous but brief fury. Instead, a flash of white blinded her suddenly and the silhouette of something else filled the room like a monstrous predator. A stark scratching noise clawed at the window, barely audible over the sullen chorus of raindrops. A break in?

Another flash illuminated the room and the shadow became a demonic wing and a jagged pair of ears. Madoka's mind immediately became filled with horror and then replaced by a readiness to strike. A cold and evil laughter suddenly fell over her, but she quickly realized it was inside her head. That voice…! She simply propped the window open and in fluttered a wet, orange ball of fur. King Hei Meng? Although she was originally annoyed over the mess he caused, she quickly got over her urge to clean after his trail of glistening rain water since it did not seem he intended on stopping. King Hei Meng strutted into the corner as if he owned the place, then shook off his wings and fat coat of fur, making the place even more messy.

"Y-Your Majesty!" Madoka protested to him with her thoughts in Reverent Royal. The cat ignored her, instead opting to lick his fur down and then look around the inn room with sheer disdain. His tail went crooked at its tip, seemingly acting as a third eye as he paced around the mess he made and then she heard him scoff.

"They named me King Hei Meng, the King of Shadows," his words held some kind of meaning and a hint of reproach. Yet he sidled up before her as she sat on the edge of the empty bed. "Yet I am as orange as the blazing sun. Wouldn't a wretched slave like you agree?"

"It's Madoka," she rolled her eyes. His plump little body indeed cast a round shadow upon the floor, his gait uneven under the weight of his wings and stubby legs. "And I agree."

"You have some nerve living in this rubbish, cur," he hissed, though he did not seem to mind her talking back to her even in Royal. "Especially with that… Demon."

His little apricot eyes furrowed as he glanced at the princess, who was now snoring and no longer in their world. Madoka was confused. Was he not known as the Orange Demon among the birds? Maybe he did not care. Actually, upon a second thought, he definitely did not care.

"A-Apologies, Your Majesty," she responded with a hint of resignation. It was odd being scolded by such a cute and adorable furball, but here she was. "She is my Master."

The cat's ears folded back and his black leathery wings unfurled when he heard this. He was quite displeased with the news she had given him, but eventually found a dry spot that was not yet soaked and stood on it. Thunder rumbled outside, making Madoka wonder if he truly was going to stay here for the night and not even pay for sharing the room.

"I have an order for you, cur," King Hei Meng sat down and licked his paw. Madoka knelt down and stroked his fur instinctively. Despite his hissing and the dampness in his coat, it felt incredibly soft to the touch. A purr escaped him, but he managed to bellow out his command. "S-Stop! You and that fiend of yours!"

"What about her?" Madoka continued to pet the cat until he hopped away. His fat fur coat seemed to undulate in ripples as he desperately licked at various places she stroked as if they were irrevocably ruined.

"I cannot abide by your rudimentary kinds and your social ladders here," he seemed to be ranting to himself. Madoka folded her arms and kicked her feet impatiently. "None of you creatures are like the ones from my old kingdom. Larger oafs, dumber slaves—" the cat stretched, but his tail pointed directly at her. "Some look like you but have tails and scales, others are like you short and plump like fat mice, and the elders who brought me here dare make it rain during my night on the prowl. How you blindly follow such a fool is simply beyond my comprehension. Even if the fiend possesses delicate and absolutely sinful fingers — more than capable of reducing my magnificent form to blissful comfort by running through places that are just right... Don't look at me like that, slave!"

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Madoka was not really looking at the cat at that point, instead zoning out while he rambled pompously with his fur rattled in indignation. She imagined what it would be like if Audrey reached up and ran those same fingers through her own hair. One day, she supposed. Maybe at home, if Her Highness had one. She would get all the pets she desired if they had a palace or an empire. Madoka glanced at the other bed. Her Sleepiness had rolled herself into the blanket, then curled up into a ball.

"What do you want to say about my Master?" She asked His Majesty. King Hei Meng growled directly.

"Free yourself of the burden of servitude," it pompously declared. "Then you shall remove her from my Kingdom, you hear me? By the God of Tomorrow, I hereby order you to free yourself and get rid of her at once!"

"My apologies, I cannot order my Master to leave anywhere, Your Majesty," she told it. It hissed incredulously. She shrugged while it flapped its wings in annoyance. "Don't you have a master of your own?"

"Fool!" It hissed again. "I merely allow her to serve me. My infinite generosity extends even to the Lady Fate, for if it did not — I would be bored and reduced to hunting street rats in a sort of rotten wont, like that of a simple fuzzy bug! Hmph!"

A lot of beings in this world have asked her to free herself from her slave status. Madoka really did not understand what the difference would be if she did. She figured being a free Commoner would not change anything if she still was going to serve Audrey anyways. The panicked thoughts of the birds outside in the storm scrambling to watch out for the Orange Demon gave her an idea.

"If I were to free myself, can I ask you to do something for me?" Madoka asked, then she added hastily in Reverent Royal. "Your Majesty."

"Quite a bold slave indeed!" King Hei Meng exclaimed, but then he meowed in approval. I'm talking to a cat who thinks he rules things, Madoka suppressed a groan. "You know who you are speaking to, yet you make demands! Just like you defy my Servant Fate's commands— You are born to be free."

"I would ask you to stop hunting the birds," she laid out the compromise without decorum. The cat pawed at a puddle of water, evidently aiming at his own reflection.

"You dare ask me to not sate my pride daily?" He asked, fury rising in his fat little breast. The throaty purr escaped him when she stroked his back again, but he caught himself and backed away defensively with another hiss. "Then what am I to do instead?"

"If you don't hunt, I can bring you various meat offerings," Madoka added tactfully. In truth, the chubby thing could do without eating birds for some time though it seemed he hunted them for fun rather than for survival. "In addition to freeing myself."

His Majesty sighed, as if making a great concession like his whiskers were being pulled.

"Do not make me wait!" He meowed in approval. She guessed he agreed to the terms. He suddenly leapt into the air and flew to the windowsill, scanning the window. She knew he was ready to depart. It was still dark and it seemed like the rainstorm calmed down outside. Madoka kicked herself up and moved to open the window. Her proximity did not seem to alert the cat anymore, so she simply propped it open for him to escape into the night again. Without any more words, he flew off, leaving Madoka to wonder which kind of meat offerings cats like.

Madoka then noticed the mess he left during his intrusion and sighed. After some drying and cleaning, she flopped back into the bed next to the balled up Audrey. Looking at her face, she prayed to the kind gods that she was not having any nightmares before drifting to sleep herself.

Sure enough, the disorienting buzzing feeling brought its blunt edge down on Madoka's head. She felt like she was falling and she has done a lot of falling this year. Still, everything was just a blur and nothing recognizable was in sight. Suddenly, her throat felt constricted as if a dark hand had grabbed her neck. Instinctively, her hands reached to defend herself but nothing was there. Then, she heard a voice. Shaking, sobbing, and then it grew silent. The rapid hiccups and gasps evened out, like a blanket being smoothed out by fanning hands. Not a wrinkle left, only steady breathing remained. The smell that followed was disgusting, disorienting, yet entirely something her nose felt used to. Its presence was everywhere around her.

The smell of a rotten prison. Yeah, Madoka thought. She knew of this place somehow and floated over it. She was not somebody in this dream, nor did she have an actual form in this world unlike last time. She was simply a presence, able to see everything around her. She found her vision eventually land on a body beneath her. It was lying motionless on a soaked mattress. A door somewhere out there slammed shut, then engines came to life quickly and veered off in retreat. That truck was full of the murderers, wasn't it? And this place was where they hastily locked her away in. All the dream perspective gave her was that her neck felt sore, nose felt clogged, and her new life had begun. The body's eyes opened suddenly and to her surprise, they stared directly up at her. It was then Madoka recognized who the would-be corpse was.

Audrey Elise. Or rather, Elise Audrey. What was she supposed to do again? Madoka's mind nagged at her, but all she could do is silently watch the girl sit up and calmly look at her surroundings without a word. Madoka dared not speak in her presence, nor did she think she could in this cold world. All she could do is simply watch over her as she sat there, staring blankly. This cramped space was meant to be a burial ground for her, wasn't it? Madoka suddenly heard her whisper something in English.

"I hope you're happy with her. Hope you keep her safe, Madoka."

Madoka tore herself awake at that moment, checking if everything around her was solid. The sheets, her legs, and the lights outside. She knew Elise sensed her presence somehow. She also realized that dream showed her the moment Her Highness woke up in Audrey's world, like she knew it would happen. How? Was it what Ilalune told her? Princess Fiara had knowledge of some link between— wait, that made sense. That word "link," Madoka realized its definition was the answer staring at her face. If Audrey spoke of the Red String inside her body being broken upon Elise's death and the clues of the Uracksheegal's visions where the princess tore her own Red String to sacrifice herself… Madoka's head hurt. The Link must be Elise's power and therefore she was responsible for bringing Audrey to this world somehow. Who was Audrey to Elise, then? As she thought this and her brain hit its limit, she felt a pair of familiar blue eyes were watching her.

"You're awake, Madoka," Audrey observed her.

"And you're staring at me," Madoka groaned and rolled over to face the wall. The bedframe shifted as Audrey got up beside her.

"Could you blame me?" Audrey murmured.

"Yes."

The body that sat up flopped back down, dejected.

"Nae waah…" The princess's soft complaint came from beside her. "How did your dream go? Did she… speak to you?"

The question should have unnerved her, but Madoka picked up from her tone that Audrey did not seem to have as bad as a dream as she thought. Their dreams were out in the open now and for some reason that comforted Madoka. She sent a prayer of gratitude to the kind gods.

"She did," Madoka confirmed. "She knew you are here. She told me to protect you. Keep you safe."

The command was clear, but it added a heavy layer of complexity that neither girl wanted to address first thing in the morning. Audrey was smart. She also understood that Elise was somehow responsible for sending her here to occupy her body. The original Royal had plans of her own, unlike both the Maid and Her Princess who were currently sprawled out on a bed made for one person.

"That's all she said," Madoka realized she could not remember where or what happened during it. "Did you dream as well?"

Audrey's breath hitched and her body stiffened a bit briefly, indicating that she indeed had a meddlesome dream that disturbed her slumber. Madoka felt something off, a question that had been bothering her but she refused to ask. Why has she not had any prophetic dreams in awhile? Why has she not gotten sick since her days before moving to the Estate? Why now were these mysteries springing up inside her mind? She realized she was growing up in the head more and asking questions. Only problem, she did not want to admit it.

"I had a dream from something called the Witch," Audrey said simply. It was Madoka's turn to stiffen. "I think she is the Goddess that showed up first, but corrupted as you might've guessed. Perhaps the Goddess is trapped inside the Uracksheegal, waiting for us to come back to her. You know, like when we talked about Gechick when we were up there. Actually, yeah, that makes a lot of sense. She told me that Her Eyes were going to set upon this town again soon in a couple of days. Maybe even sooner."

"We— We should say something, shouldn't we?" Madoka suggested. They had always been secretive around others, so she decided to wait upon the princess's command. They simply got ready. She decided if they were fighting goblins today, she would not need Magnolia. She instead took out the Tier 2 Esmeralda axe that jumpy captain gave her.

"Yeah," Audrey finally said, her eyes reflecting the faint yellow glow emanating from Madoka's axe. "We'll tell Mr. Drezgor and see what he'll do about that, though I doubt they could do anything about it. Come on."

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