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A Maid's Tale	By : tealover Category: Final Fantasy VIII > Het - Male/Female Views: 886 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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It was a warm autumn evening and the sunset poured a golden
hue on the walls of Chateau Leonhart. Rinoa hummed to herself as she pushed the
cart carrying cleaning solutions, sponges, mops, brooms, dusters and other
various tools into the Master�s office. Although the work itself wasn�t very
difficult, the uniforms that all the young maids wore were very tight and itchy
while the skirts were very short. This made cleaning unusual spots such as
those under beds a much harder task than normal, as decency was of utmost
importance.

Rinoa picked out a duster and began the long task of
carefully dusting the books in the bookcases lining the wall behind the
Master�s desk. She only had to do this once a week but she dreaded it. The bookcases
were huge and often the Master left a mess of papers and books strewn about it,
none of which she was allowed to touch or move back into place. She was told
that even though it was a mess, the Master �knew where things were and couldn�t
work proper if someone were to move it�. With a small hop she stepped over some
papers and continued to dust the framed certificates lining the wall. She
yawned and scratched her shoulders, reading the large and beautiful looking
cursive certificate lettering in order to stay awake as she dusted. Most of the
certificates were the same, all about music, graduating with honors and similar
sorts of things.

While idly reading one of them she immediately noticed the
date. She never paid mind to the dates before, as they were inscribed in such
tiny lettering. 1632�That was 88 years ago! Rinoa adjusted her glasses
and reread the certificate. Balamb Garden�Organ Instruction�Honors� Squall
Leonhart� signed by Headmaster Cid Kramer. Rinoa knew that Squall Leonhart was
old but this would make him over 100 years old! Rinoa continued her dusting and
slowly read each certificate�s date more carefully. All of the dates were in
various early decades of the 1600s, it seemed Squall Leonhart was a piano
prodigy of sorts and it amazed her that a man could live so long and continue
to produce Operas. Perhaps Squall was the Master�s grandfather?

While thinking on it, Rinoa replaced the duster and reached
inside the cart for a brush. She began to brush the green velvet covered chairs
until all the fibers were on the proper side and shiny. After finishing the
chairs in front of the Master�s desk she moved behind the desk and began
cleaning the high backed chair. The same chair the Master used during her first
interview seasons ago. While cleaning the seat she found something small and
shiny. Without thinking she removed it and placed it on the desk. Wait a
minute, what is that thing? Rinoa took the small silver case and looked
closely at it. She fumbled with it and it popped open to show there was nothing
inside other than business cards with the words �Leonhart� at the bottom and a
strange lion, the family�s emblem in the middle of it. Rinoa touched the inside
of the card case as it was smooth and cold, like a mirror. Rinoa sat in the
chair and turned it away from the desk while holding the case in her right
hand. She put her arms on the armrests, as the Master would do, and then
positioned the case in front of her. So that�s how he saw me! That scheming
little�

Just as Rinoa was moving the case in her hand to get a
better idea of how Squall saw whoever was in front of his desk, she saw a
shadow move in the reflection. She jumped out of the seat and turned around to
look. A cracking sound emanated from the other side of the room but it was
completely dark now that the sun had set. Rinoa gulped and her eyes continued
to scan the obscured side of the room, waiting for something to reveal itself. Rats?
Please don�t tell me we have rats! I hate rats!! Rinoa quickly put
everything back into place and replaced her tools in the cart, wheeling it out
of the room as fast as she could. She had to inform the butlers that rats must
be moving into the chateau now that winter was approaching.

Out of the shadows stepped a suited leg, then an arm, and a
full body wearing a frock coat. Master Leonhart took off his gloves and threw
them on his desk. He sat in his chair and turned it back proper to the desk. He
then began to think as he always did. He had been watching the Housekeeper for
quite some time and although he doesn�t like anyone snooping through his
office, he didn�t mind her interest in him. She was quite the prude like most
other women but he found relief from the boredom of his solitary life in
teasing her by any means possible. The Master was attracted to his future wife
but circumstances meant he couldn�t act on it, at least not until his plans
were carried out. Leonhart was a very lonely person and would never dare admit
it to anyone. He simply had too much pride. Truth be told, he wanted people to
think about him. To care about his real self and not the persona that was
associated with his music�

Later that night Rinoa and Selphie were found inside
Ballari�s room talking until midnight. They discussed the day�s gossip and
Rinoa�s fear of rats. This is why they all were sitting on top of Ballari�s
large bed, in fear of the rats that may skitter across the floors. The
conversation soon shifted to some books, which the pigtailed maid wanted to
show off. She had bought some from Winhill earlier that week, although she
already owned a fairly large collection of books. All of her money made at the
Leonhart�s was spent on books and nothing else, over the years the collection
had grown so large that the stable boy nicknamed Ballari �the library girl�.

�Ay Rinoa, I�ll lend you this one. This popular one is
supposed to be about people who�ve become monsters or some such. What think
you?�

��Creatures of the Night�, hmm� It looks interesting.� Rinoa
blushed as she opened it to a random page.

Selphie pushed Rinoa out of the way and looked at the words
on the page, �Wowieee!! Ballari, this looks reeeally hard to read. Check out
all those big words!� Rinoa blushed even deeper.

I don�t want to admit that I�m not as educated as them...
�I�ll take it!� Rinoa barked as she closed it, just barely nipping Selphie�s
small fingers with the novel.

�Take your time with reading it, it is a tough one.� Ballari
said as she yawned.

Rinoa yawned in reaction and said �I should go back to my
quarters, I�ll see you guys tomorrow, ay?� Her vocabulary and habits were
slowly starting to become like those of Selphie and Ballari�s. They were nosy
and loved to procrastinate or gossip instead of working, they also never
addressed anyone formally when in private.

�Sure thing, Rin.� Ballari said.

After Rinoa left the room, Selphie looked at Ballari and
smiled. Ballari nodded and Selphie went on her toes while reaching across the
bookcase for an especially large book. As soon as she got the right book
Selphie said �I�ll give this to Rin. Night!�

�Goodnight!� Ballari replied as Selphie walked out of the
room.

Rinoa kicked off her heels and loosened her braid as she did
every night. She threw the book onto her bed and began untying her apron. A
knock came at the door and she said, �Come in.�

A small redheaded maid peeked into the room, �Rin?�

�Oh, it�s you! What�s wrong Sefie?�

�I just wanted to give ya something. Ballari says ya can
keep it for as long as ya need.� Selphie placed the large book on Rinoa�s dresser.

�Um, sure... Thanks Sefie.�

�Night!� Selphie said as she left the room.

Rinoa went to the dresser to find a fresh nightgown and
looked at the large dark blue book. Mirriam-Figaro Dictionary. Rinoa
smiled. They saw right through me. The feeling of acceptance between
Selphie and Ballari was something Rinoa had never experienced before. She grew
up in a world where rank separated everyone. Rinoa�s ideals and understanding
had slowly changed with her time at the Leonhart�s. Over the months she allowed
herself to dream of a better life and began to care less about rank and more
about the actual people she saw and lived with, and of course, gossip about
their young Master.

Rinoa folded her nightgown and draped two towels over her
left arm. Putting on her slippers and robe, she walked down the halls to the
bath. As soon as she reached the room, she had the tub filled with bubbling
soap and hot water. She then began laying her clothes on a stool in the outer
room for when she was finished. Taking her towels, she went to the inner room
and relaxed in the tub.

After a half hour had passed, she finished her bath and
dried herself off. She wrapped a towel around her hair, another around her body
and then she looked around the outer room. The stool was unmoved but all of her
clothes had gone missing! Rinoa stuck her head out into the halls and called
�Hello? Did someone take my clothes? Is anyone still awake here? Hellooo?� Her
voice echoed down the halls and nobody answered. Minutes passed and eventually
Rinoa decided to venture out, making the long trek back to her room in only a
towel.

As soon as she walked out, she heard footsteps approaching
and she rushed back inside the bathroom. She opened the door only a little and
saw the blur of a man holding a top hat, wearing a black frock coat decorated
with silver approaching her from down the hall. It was the Master.

�Who is in there at this hour? I order you stop hiding from
me at once.� His stern voice demanded from behind the door as he tried to push
it open.

�A maid, Sir!� Rinoa said from behind the door as she pushed
with all her might to keep it closed and hold her towel up. �I seem to have
misplaced my clothing, Sir. I�m very sorry, Sir! Please don�t open the door!
Sir!� As soon as she said that, the Master grinned and left the door alone. He
only used a fraction of his strength to keep her struggling with the door and it
was entertaining enough.

Rinoa heard his footsteps resuming as she continued to push the
door shut in case he tried to pry it open once more. She was tempted to open it
and catch a glimpse of him but his angry voice boomed from down the hall,
�Whatever� Get to your room proper as there�s a long day ahead of you
tomorrow.�

�Yes, Sir! Very sorry for this, Sir!� Rinoa collapsed to her
knees behind the door as the towel holding her hair came undone. Our young
Master can be a very scary man�
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A Maid's Tale