Chapter 233 – Maid Making Promises

Marching is boring. The food sucks, and it's too cold. Even though I'm not even walking, it's a tiring process.

We start with the sun, breaking down the camp, then walk all the way through lunch until dinner, when Oriphusa makes us put up the medical tent for practice. Shyla doesn't help me remember how to set it up, but I'm figuring that out just fine. The others do know where their things need to be already, so it is mainly just me figuring out where things go.

Shyla has proven she already has it memorized but has kept to the idea that I need to prove something. I don't know or understand what memorizing a layout proves, but whatever. I'm figuring out how the layout goes.

I thought that healing the women would be nice, but it's just depressing. The number of women with diseases and injuries is much higher than I thought it would be. Many of them even have missing fingers and toes and terrible scars and things that should have kept them from even being here.

The officers are always visibly frustrated when they take a bit to get into their neat lines. I get that they need to respond to orders quickly and correctly, both for their lives and the lives of others. But this is meant to be time for them to relax after marching, not a drill.

The women are always nice after I heal them, not saying anything about the fact that I'm the reason they're here, marching out to their possible deaths in the middle of winter. And I get to make sure that they have warm clothing and boots. Their food is similar to mine, so it is nice that I'm not living in too much luxury compared to them.

Geta always has to drag me back to my tent, saying I have a month to get through them all. But Oriphusa doesn't think I do, and I'm not sure who to trust. Plus, I don't think I could get through everyone, even if I had all month to do it.

I can only do my best. I am pregnant and showing a bit now. I'll have to see how much my royal speed Skill shortens this one, but I can't really judge based on size when I haven't had just one kid in my belly in years.

The Princess doesn't look pregnant at all, but she is tall and big already with her muscles and lacks the Skills I have to speed up her growth. Her kid is from before I got my newest Skill, so I don't know if it's doing anything for her.

And how long will it take for the icy bitch to burst? Will I give birth before that happens, and if I do, will I have to take care of my kid while at war? If the Princess tries to give my baby to Aurora to raise while I'm stuck here in the fucking cold, waiting for these damn nobles to figure out what they want, I'll have to figure out a safe way for me to kill her.

The Princess could just make me fuck some noble in the stupid Edeozia Queendom to give them a kid, but I'd better not carry the bastard. Not that the nobles would ever take the reasonable route to end something.

What a time to decide not to whore out their pretty little whore.

"My Lady," Shyla says. "It's morning."

"A teddy bear, suitcase, and time manager," I groan.

"I help you get dressed, and I will help you set up the tents when we get to the battlefield, my Lady," Shyla says. "There isn't much we are doing right now, so I don't do much. I am teaching you to read some as well. And you like holding me. You sleep better when I'm in your arms."

"Would be better if it was Mommy or Mai," I say.

"I know, my Lady," Shyla says. "Best to get the day started. We will be moving into the city for a bit today."

"Fine," I say. "Why did the Princess ask you to bring a bunch of games if we never have time for them?"

"She likely didn't think you would be healing everyone, my Lady," Shyla says, pulling out the normal outfit—a loose dress to handle my growing breasts and belly and a long trench coat to keep me warm. "But you will have time when we get to the battlefield. You'll have moments when you'll be too low on mana to heal others and will be waiting for emergencies, and you can spend some time playing the games. You should have some time to spend with the men as well, if you like, as well as your wives. It would be safer to visit the men."

"They were nicer, for the most part," I say, forcing myself out of my bed. The brothel at least let me sleep in a bit, even if I had later nights. Aurora's efforts to make me a morning person again haven't quite worked yet. Maybe her Daughter will have more success.

"Yes, they are closer to your situation," Shyla says, throwing my clothing on me quickly. "Though they lack your abilities. When you get to put on a dress to a party, you are treated better, but you have a collar cementing your position below them."

"Thank you. The cold weather makes it hard to remember the steel against my skin," I say.

"I hate serving a slave, my Lady," Shyla says. "I don't think I would lay down my life for you as most expect a maid to do, but my Mother was able to show you that loyalty. I do have to thank you for saving her despite the risk and for healing her in that stupid state she was in. It has made serving you something I am ok with doing."

"Wow, thank you so much for that," I say. "Do you think I care? Do you think you have it bad serving a slave?"

"I do have it bad serving as a maid to a slave, my Lady," Shyla says, giving me a hug for some reason. "Others can have it bad around you. Nothing I go through is a fraction of your pain, yes. I'm not stupid to think my pain is anywhere near yours. That collar will always be more of an affront to your status and power than it will be to me or my Mother. What they've done to you will always eclipse anything I'm going through. But the collar is still lowering my status, and I'm allowed to be mad about that, just as I'm mad that you are still a slave. The second that collar comes off, and you become a true Lady, is the second I'll promise to die for you. I know you don't care. Why would you? But I would be the perfect maid or concubine for you when they recognize you correctly. I'll make every dress for you and your lovers. I'll make the cutest clothing for your kids. Do as asked in your bed. Even skip your lessons if you wish to never read again in your life. Taking out my pain on you when I found out you would still be a slave was stupid, and I'm sorry I did that. Mother does all she can to get your wives to free you or marry your lovers."

"Think I want you around?"

"Yes, you do want me around," Shyla says, her hand feeling my small bump. "You like those dresses, don't you? You love how sexy I can make you and how I can hide every single one of your curves. Your lovers will love what I can make for them to wear. I've been rude to you, but that will all smooth over when the collar is gone. All that will be left is a cute maid giving you the prettiest dress, butchering your suits, and helping your kids look their cutest. Want your Mother to grow stronger and live longer? You need me and my Mother for that, and I'll do it willingly with a smile on my face. I'll thank you for letting me serve the greatest woman alive. And besides the first time we met, I've not really been taking my frustrations out on you. I've been serving you well, and though there are still some rough edges, those will get smoothed out when the collar falls."

"You could just do it now," I say.

"No, I refuse to bow to a slave. You deserve better, and I deserve better."

"What makes you think I won't drop you like the rest of the family the second I can?"

"You will, my Lady," Shyla laughs. "You will. But Princess Elora has too much on you. A kid in her belly, and more in Isda, that will be born. My Mother and Calli. Duchess Fluvis will likely marry her too, with the sixteen, no eighteen children. Yuki isn't everything you hoped for. You'll come back, and I will be waiting with a smile and perfect obedience. I have nothing to worry about, and you have nothing to worry about. We are together for the long run. You can be angry about it if you wish, but I don't think you need to worry, my Lady. I'll help your Mother shine brighter than ever in my clothing. You still can and should hate that you'll have to come back to these women, but you'll take over and do as you wish with them. And I'll be right there behind you, working hard to make you and your lovers stand out."

"We'll see about it," I say. Bitch bringing up my Mother.

"Of course, my Lady," Shyla says. "But that is all for later. Right now, we need to put the tents away and board the carriage. It's time to find out if we'll be teleporting or marching to the front lines. I care about you, Alzi." She frees me from the hug with a soft kiss, returning to being a normal maid.

I don't know if that little speech helps or hurts her, but she has been nice to me recently.

...

"All reports had them several weeks away," The Princess says.

"Yes, and then they were just days out," some woman says in a mirror.

I don't know how long they have been fighting over this. I even had a bath while the meeting was going on, and they are still fighting about the enemy's position.

"You don't have time to march, your Highness," the woman says. "Pray to the Goddess and ask her for help."

The woman doesn't stick around this time; the mirror now shows the angry face of the Princess.

"Not a good thing, but we have to follow the rules," the Princess says. "I was hoping for more time to drill."

The rest of the wives seem to want to stay out of her way, just quietly following her down the hall. Oriphusa seems to have been right about the march ending quickly.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"To pray," the Princess says. "The Goddesses are getting too involved too fast."

Oriphusa seemed to think this was normal, and they have been messing with me for a decade now. Geta sure doesn't look surprised by the news.

The Princess forces us outside and back into the carriages. A short trip down the street, and we arrive at a strange temple. The building stands on just a corner of a large field, which has a bunch of symbols painted into the dirt.

The Princess forces us all to move quickly into the temple, and gold shines all around us as we are ushered into the few pews by a Priestess.

"I wish you all good luck on the negotiations," the Priestess says before leaving us.

"We'd best get started," the Princess says.

I bow my head and find myself looking at some very different flooring than was here before.

"Well, well, well," a voice sings out. "I was wondering if I would get to meet you in my realm before Mother."