I wake in the morning, quick to notice the sound of breathing beside me. I mumble with sounds of waking and turn slowly, so as not to aggravate my wounds. When my gaze falls on Asteria curled up beside me, my heart leaps in its chest. She clutches the covers to her body gently and breathes in and out slowly, looking peaceful with sleep.

Memories of the night before invade my mind; how we spoke, how we both cried, how we fell asleep entangled in each other's arms. I feel heat rise in my cheeks. Though we are no longer holding each other, having separated in the middle of the night, Asteria clearly did not return to her usual bed on the couch. I look down at her pitifully, supposing she must miss the bed that I have claimed for the past several days.

I avert my gaze from Asteria's sleeping form and gaze up at the bed's canopy above me. What joy I just felt a moment ago is now replaced with strange disgust and guilt. I feel as if I should have not allowed last night to transpire. And yet...I technically am not going against my mother's wishes. My mother told me to become close to Asteria by whatever means necessary, and it is clear from our discussion last night that she trusts me. So I push away the fear and guilt for now. If I allow myself to be overcome by those emotions now, they will only worsen when my mother plots out the princess's demise.

Beside me, Asteria stirs. I stiffen and attempt to sit up. I hiss slightly in pain, but it is much more bearable than it has been the past few days. I turn my head slowly to where Asteria rests, finding her blinking slowly. She lets out a loud yawn.

"Good morning, Fe," she murmurs, still groggy with sleep.

"Good morning, Asteria," I respond.

Asteria glances around slowly, most likely making the same realization I did a few minutes prior. "Oh. I had not meant to spend the whole night here," Asteria admits.

"I don't mind. It is your bed, after all," I say. "You were sleeping so peacefully. You must have missed it."

Asteria grins at my response. Slowly, she shifts her body upward to sit beside me in bed. "Dr. Thornton should be here soon. How are you feeling today?" she asks.

"I feel better each day," I respond. "There is still some pain when I turn the wrong way, but it is certainly becoming more bearable."

Asteria nods thoughtfully. "If I were to receive the doctor's permission, would you be willing to accompany me on a walk in the garden?"

I nod eagerly. "I would like nothing more." It has been too long since I have felt sunlight on my skin. Even though Asteria has done her best to keep me occupied while I have stayed in her chambers, it is beginning to feel like a prison of sorts. I long to leave the walls of this building and walk the estate freely, as silly as it sounds.

"Then I shall ask after your check-up," Asteria decides.

A knock sounds at the door.

"That is probably Alba coming to dress me," Asteria notes. I watch as she scrambles out of the bed with urgency to greet Alba at the door. I am grateful for it. Though my mother would most likely not have been upset by me remaining so close to Asteria last night, I am sure Alba would have had my head to find us both sleeping in the same bed.

Just as Asteria predicted, Alba enters the bedroom with the princess a few moments later.

"Good morning, Miss Fe," Alba says as she greets me. "How are your injuries?"

"They are improving," I say.

"Perhaps you will be able to return to your duties soon, then," Alba notes.

"As soon as I receive the doctor's approval, I would be happy to return," I agree.

It is a brief expression, but enough to gather my attention. As Alba and I make mentions of my eventual return to the maids' quarters, I can see Asteria's eyes widen in a look of shock and concern. I ignore it for now.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Dr. Thornton arrives while Asteria is downstairs eating breakfast. I follow the usual routines of the check-up. The doctor inspects my healing wounds and has me breathe in deeply. Occasionally I feel the discomfort of my injuries during the check-up, but not in the same excruciating manner from days prior.

"The princess stopped me on the way here to ask if you could go for a walk with her," Dr. Thornton says as he begins to place his belongings away.

"Does my healing show enough promise to do so?" I ask.

He nods. "If you feel up to it. I know you have been walking around the chambers, but I am sure some outdoor exercise would do you good as well."

"Thank you. I will take a stroll, then," I say.

As he continues packing, I find the courage to speak up once more. "Do you have an estimate of when I can return to my maid duties?" I ask.

Dr. Thornton pauses in packing. "Quite frankly, as long as Alba were to give you some lighter duties, I think you could return immediately if you were feeling up to it. I told Her Highness the other day that you could reasonably return at any time. I would have thought she had passed on the word to you."

I shake my head. "No. She has not said anything."

Dr. Thornton grumbles and shrugs. "I can only give guidance. Perhaps see how your walk goes, and you can decide from there."

"Okay. Thank you. For everything," I say genuinely.

"I am only doing my duty," Dr. Thornton responds. "I will be back to check on you tomorrow. Perhaps from then on, we can have more infrequent check-ups since your injuries are improving considerably."

I nod once more and wave good-bye as he leaves. His words settle in slowly. Why has Asteria been withholding the fact that I could return to my maid duties?

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

In the afternoon, I venture outside for the first time since I was injured. Asteria walks closely beside me as we head toward the garden. In the time that I have been inside, the blooming patterns of the flowers have changed. Some have begun to lose their petals, while new flowers, now vibrant with life, have appeared in their place.

"It is nice to be back here," I say to the princess. The warm rays of the sun on my skin put my mind at ease. It is nice to finally be able to walk somewhere besides the inside of Asteria's chambers.

"I'm glad," Asteria responds. "It has been lonely venturing out here by myself."

"You could have asked Maria or Alba," I suggest.

Asteria tilts her head away from mine so I can't see her expression. "No. It would not have been the same," she says.

I try to pay no mind to what she says. We do not head toward her secret area of the garden, much to my dismay. I am still not fit to walk quickly enough to avoid the sight of the guards. I do not mind though. Simply being able to stroll around the garden with Asteria is enough to satisfy me.

"Are we walking too quickly?" Asteria asks. "Shall I slow down?"

I shake my head. "No. It feels good to be stretching my legs like this."

She nods, though she checks in often during our walk to ensure that I am feeling okay. I am shocked by her level of concern, as I am a mere maid to her and nothing else, but I suppose it feels nice to be cared for. I recall time and time again when I was injured back home. A sprained wrist or aching bruise were never enough for my mother to delay Kiana's and my training.

Asteria and I speak about nothing important in particular this afternoon. We comment on the nature of the changing weather, the blooming flowers, and her duties for the day. As we walk, Dr. Thornton's comments from earlier in the morning flow through my brain.

"You know," I say, halting our conversation on whatever trivial topic we have moved onto. "Dr. Thornton says I am fit to return to my maid duties whenever I feel comfortable."

"Do you feel comfortable?" Asteria asks.

"As long as Alba keeps my duties light, I think I can return to the maids' quarters whenever," I say. "And then you can have your bed back," I say, teasingly.

Asteria does not laugh. Rather, there is a pause in our conversation, and I can only hear her footsteps against the soft grass of the garden now.

"Are you comfortable returning?" Asteria asks quietly.

"I am not afraid of the other maids," I respond. "Unless you have reason to believe that it is still unsafe for me to return..."

"No. It's not that. They have been appropriately punished," Asteria says. She takes a deep breath, then smiles. "If that is what you desire, you are welcome to return to your duties. I can call Alba this afternoon to discuss your return to work if you would like."

"Sure. Thank you again for allowing me to stay with you. I do not think I would have healed as fast," I say.

I see the faintest glow of red in Asteria's cheeks. "It is my duty to make sure my maids are well taken care of," she replies.

The rest of our walk seems somber, knowing that soon, we will not spend as much time together. Even my daily duties of dressing her may have to be paused, as I may not yet feel comfortable twisting and turning to dress her each morning. I wonder if Asteria senses this too, as she remains rather quiet. I could sense her look of disappointment when I mentioned that I was willing to return to my maid duties. I do not understand why. Surely she wants me to continue to serve her. It would have been unrealistic for me to remain with her in her bedchambers forever.

"It is getting about time to head back, don't you think?" I ask Asteria after we make yet another circle of the garden.

"Are you tired?" she asks.

"A little," I honestly reply. "But if you wish to remain out here, I can take a seat and keep you company—"

"No. We can return," Asteria says, almost annoyingly. I wonder what brought about her sudden shift in tone. She steps forward, leading the way back toward the estate, but before we can exit out of the garden, she spins back around and stares at me, almost defiantly.

"Actually, I would like to talk to you," Asteria says. "If you are willing to stay out here a few moments longer, that is."

I blink in shock. "Y-Yes. That's fine. What's on your mind?"

She stands firmly, and I watch her breathe in deeply. I stare at her and wait with baited breath for her to speak. I cannot imagine what it is she has to say to me, but I imagine it must hold some weight.

"I have been thinking, and...I would like you to be my head maid," Asteria says.

An incomprehensible gargle of noises exit my mouth. I was not sure what I was expecting the princess to say to me, but I surely was not expecting her to say that. I stand, frozen, trying to collect my thoughts.

Why me? What compelled her to make that decision? I want to ask those questions, but who am I to question royal authority? Instead, I settle on my third-best question.

"W-What about Alba?" I ask. "Hasn't she been your head maid since you were a child? I could not take that responsibility away from her."

"Alba has been serving me many years. I will still trust her to instruct the other maids and to handle some of my royal matters, but I would prefer if you would attend to most of my needs now," Asteria says. She pauses to collect her thoughts once more. "Spending time with you this week has made me rethink who I want to care for me."

"But, Alba—"

"It is a decision she will most likely not be pleased with, if that's what you were going to say. However, I have full authority to appoint you my head maid, and she is not allowed to question it."

I nod and remain standing, trying to piece my thoughts together. All parts of me are screaming yes. My mother will be thrilled with the decision, and I will have ample opportunity to pry more information from the princess. However, another, louder, foreign part of me protests. For what reason, I am still unsure.

"Forgive me. I do not mean to put you in an uncomfortable position," Asteria says when I maintain my silence. "I do not want to command you to be my head maid if you do not want to. The choice is up to you."

"I—"

My voice falters for a moment. I once again think of the mission, my mother, and as I glance up, I see an anxious expression Asteria's face as she waits for my answer. Slowly, I curtsy towards her.

"It would be an honor, Princess," I say.

The next thing I know, Asteria's arms are wrapped tightly around me. I return her embrace in shock, keenly aware of the guards watching us nearby.

"I am so happy to hear that, Fe!" Asteria exclaims. "We will have a meeting with Alba soon. You'll move into her current room, of course, and..." She rambles on and on. Though I worry of what the head maid duties will entail, I can tell Asteria is genuinely happy to know I will take on the position, and strangely, that affirms I have made the right decision more than any other factor.