"So," Princess Fiara finally broke the silence. Madoka understood many things in the Palace, but this girl was not one of them. She understood how she ended up here, but not why she herself had to stay in the princess's room and not perform her duties. She watched as the girl sprawled out on her belly on the sofa. "Who knew those big gems were an actual thing in the world? And who knew he would actually bring me them! Sucker! They were beautiful! When I get out of here I'll have Mister Lesir make me a necklace out of them! Or maybe a tiara! Wait, I can't wear a tiara and my crown at the same time. Nae waaah!"

All Madoka could do is sigh.

It started a few days ago. A little too easily, she looked back in hindsight. The girl did not resist getting dressed nor insisted upon helping herself to eat. She did everything proper, and even followed her dance instructions with diligence. Madoka was impressed that it was all going along perfectly, until the suitor arrived. A duke's son. Or someone of great importance. He was kind, unlike the other ones and did not seem to rile up her antics. She waited on the princess, while they had an unusually normal conversation in Noble.

Her understanding of the language was growing, as the Head Maid taught her with strict instructions on its usage although she had no idea why she would need to speak Noble instead of addressing them in Reverent Noble. As their talk unfolded, she regretted learning the language at all. Princess Fiara began to make an entire list of demands, while the duke's son shrunk at the ever increasing number of valuable items she wanted as gifts for her proposal. His Majesty was upset that she did not immediately accept his proposal, but the suitor had already departed, looking white as a ghost.

It was only a month later when a wagon full of beautiful gems arrived at the Palace's doorstep, and when His Majesty found out who it was for, immediately Madoka was summoned to track her down. It turned out that the princess was too greedy and have been rejected on her requests for those gems from her Father multiple times days prior to the suitor's arrival.

"Ah, that was too fun. I am not greedy! Don't give me that look," Fiara collapsed back on the sofa. "Also, are you sure I'm grounded? Look, like, I can do stuff. Watch this—" She pointed at a maid cleaning off one of Her Highness's large dressers, who froze on the spot. "You. Get me treats."

Without another word, the frazzled maid scurried off out of the room, presumably to the kitchen. The Princess chuckled to herself in amusement.

"I can do that, and I can be as lazy as much as I want! See?"

"Your Father, His Majesty, has ordered you to remain in this wing until nightfall," Madoka took a little pleasure as she informed the princess. She was met with disbelief, but the Princess relaxed.

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"That's crazy. I should get grounded more often," she closed her eyes. "Father wanted me to marry him. That's a child! I am not interested in children, Madoka. No way! So he grounds me, but between you and me? I'd rather be grounded then married to some Noble."

"You will have to marry eventually, Your Highness," Madoka shrugged.

Those were not children, but Nobles, she thought. She herself was nearing what was considered adulthood. Eleven years old? Or was it twelve? She did not know her actual age, for that was someone else's duty. Some of the maids that were fancied by Nobles were married off and able to leave this place, but she found that idea dreadful.

Awhile later, the maid that she commanded brought in treats. The princess thanked her in Noble, but it fell on deaf ears. The maid did not know Noble at all, of course, but she still bowed and scurried out of the room.

"I don't know a lick of Commoner," Fiara pouted, stuffing her cheeks full with a crumbling cookie. "But I can still boss them around with the right words in Noble. Isn't that weird? The languages have a skill gap."

"I suppose so, Your Highness," Madoka had no idea what a skill gap meant, nor did she want to.

"And you're speaking to me in that weird version of Noble," the princess poked her. "Father, well, he cancelled my education for the moment because I kept bothering him about magic. Definitely not because of the gifts that kid gave me. Are they in the stones? I didn't get to see the healer cast his healing thingies on you. Nae waaah!"

"I think magic will be too dangerous for you, and His Majesty knows that," Madoka shuddered to think of what trouble she could bring about with magic. "Now eat properly and stop rolling around on the ground."

"Do you know Commoner?" Princess Fiara sat up and peered at her. The sight of her beauty forced Madoka to look away. "Nevermind, that's a dumb question. You could teach me how to speak it!"

"T-That would not be necessary," Madoka protested. Fiara crossed her arms.

"Do you even know my name in Royal?" She asked. Madoka shook her head.

"Apologies, Your Highness," Madoka bowed her head. "It would not be proper of me to know or say it."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," the princess sighed. "You people and your class divisions, wiggity wack! I'd like to thank one of these maids for once, you know? I'm not some CEO with a stick up her ass."

"Language," Madoka scolded her. "This is why you get grounded."

"I saw you bleed, Madoka," the princess rolled back onto her belly on the sofa. Madoka groaned, and sat the girl back up straight. Her concern was the only thing that would pass this day faster. Did she want this to go by quickly? "Red blood, which means we're breathing oxygen. But maybe not, it's a fantasy world after all."

"You needn't concern yourself with me," Madoka hushed her. The princess's eyes peered up at her.

"I would save you again in a heartbeat," she muttered. Madoka was about to question her recklessness, but then she perked up again. "Hey I know a secret language nobody else knows."

"Is this your delus—"

The princess cut her off by uttering strange words she could not understand. They sounded like the noises she sometimes made in her protests, but more complete. Madoka remained flabbergasted at the odd sounds, only to realize that Fiara stopped talking and was grinning from ear to ear.

"See?" She beamed. "I could teach you this secret language, and in exchange YOU can teach me Commoner!"

"Great," Madoka groaned. "Another language you can mouth off in and cause trouble with."

She realized that the thought escaped her mind into words. Madoka covered her mouth quickly and prepared to beg for forgiveness. The room fell silent, and even the frazzled maid dropped her duster in shock. The princess stared at her in disbelief, making her worry that she might be kicked out, but then erupted in laughter. Madoka sensed approval, which was strange when she was being rude to a Royal.

"So you can be sassy!" The Princess clapped. The other maids resumed their duties and sighed to themselves. "That's so refreshing that there's a cute girl inside of you underneath all that uptightness, ya know. But now..."

Madoka gulped. She knew she fell right inside the princess's trap.

"You gotta teach me Commoner, Madoka," she pleaded. "I'm so bored!"

"Whatever happened to being lazy?"