“That’s not helping,” the little maid weeped as she watched the spector mocking the king. “Oh who am I kidding. I can’t help either… even if you sent me back… I was failing my lady even before I died… I’m such a piteous maid! I could barely feed her, or teach her, and I know nothing about what noble ladies are supposed to do- or… how to protect her from Penthia and her older sister… Even if I could go back- I was just a maid in training… I can’t stop them from hurting her or teasing her, or doing whatever they please. I’m a terrible help!” She curled into her own arms again and wept some more.

“Then we’ve got nothing…” the King sighed at last. He didn’t want to believe the maid was useless in life, however- after all she had saved the girl just now… though it was at the expense of her own life. “You were a valiant maid,” he said, and knelt beside her. “You gave everything you had to protect your little lady- and it was far more than anyone could have required of you… you’re still so worried about her even now that we’re all beyond help ourselves. I’ve never seen such a devoted soul before.” He put an arm around her. “If anything, I’m a sorry sappy sod of a King- I can’t even think of a proper way to cheer you up down here.”

The maid looked up and though she was frowning heavily with red glowing eyes, the King could tell she was hanging on his every word, wanting to hear something to save her, somehow.

“Let me tell you,” he continued, “If I could go up there for you, I would give those girls what-for! They would regret messing with me. I was known to be quite the troublemaker in my day!”

“Even though you were a king?” She asked.

“Being a king only made it easier for me to cause a little chaos and mayhem here and there.”

The maid smiled a little but didn’t know what to say.

“What’s your name?” The King asked them, glad to see that she had stopped crying for just a moment.

“M-Millaray Lace… I’m the last of the Lace family… or… Oh no… I was the last,” she sank her head down again. “I wish I could go back and do it all again… but I don’t even know what I would do differently…” She sighed. “I wish you could go and give them what-for for me though,” she said. “I’d have loved to see a little chaos in this house. Nothing’s been right since the King and Queen died…”

“It’s been one tragedy after another then?” The King asked.

“Oh yes… You have no idea. The Kingdom is in a poor state and with the True King and Queen long gone… oh!” She looked up at the king and spector suddenly, but before she could say a word, the Spector spoke.

“There’s no use asking. Their souls aren’t here and I’m certain they have already moved on,” Said the spector with little interest.

“Moved on?” Millaray asked.

“To their next life. It’s where souls are supposed to go after death but for whatever reason, sometimes we get stuck.”

“Will I be stuck?”

The spector shook its wavering head again, “No- I can tell you’re destined to head to your next life soon. See that glow in your heart? You’ve got a spark of magic in there- and that’s going to carry you on… In fact- it’s quite a good spark considering how little magic is left in the world."

The king scowled at the spector as he said this. What does he mean by 'little magic left'?! All he could do was hold this question back though- it was far more important to him (at the moment) that this poor, innocent maid be taken care of first.

She looked from herself to the King and then the spector. “You don’t have sparks?” She asked, seeing their hollow forms not shining from within the way she now realized she did.

“They were taken from us- but there’s nothing to worry about,” The spector said gently. “You’ve got more than enough magic to get by and we’ll be just fine.”

“If I have more than enough- can I share it with you two? You’ve been so kind to me ever since… well…” she glanced with a heavy shudder at her body- and turned away quickly, unable to look at it fully. “Can I share it- this magic in me?”

“Not with me - I’m tied to this world,” the spector said and looked sharply away.

“What about you, Sir?” She asked, looking up at the King. “Is there a way I can share it with you?”

“I… wouldn’t know.” He admitted. “Truth be told, I just got here as well.”

“Which is strange to begin with,” the spector said. “You should have moved on at least a few hundred years ago, if you're who I am starting to believe you are.”

The King glared at the spector. “What is this you say??”

“Nevermind me! Maybe you should accept her magic and get a move on now. Better late than never… though I am certain it won’t work. Whatever your 'friend' did that got you stuck here won’t be fixed by a tiny pinch of magic.” The spector tapped his chin then and said, “Actually- I have a thought…”

“A thought?” The King scoffed then, growing tired of the Spector’s unstable mood.

“You are going to move on sooner or later," the spector said to Millaray, "but most souls move on faster if they have fewer regrets…" Then he turned to the king and said, "Meanwhile, you can’t really move on because you’re stuck in this world like I am…” He pleasantly nodded to hismelf. “What if you try to use her magic to hitch a ride into her body then, restart it if your lucky- and then you go cause some chaos like you promised?”

The maid stood up quickly, her hair and dress fluttering with energy as the water around her almost seemed to react to her movements, “Yes! Oh yes! Please! If you could do that, I would be so grateful! They all nee a kick in the pants and- No! Most of all…” she grabbed the King’s hands and held them so tight that he felt them go straight to pins and needles again, “Most of all, will you look after Roisin- my Lady- for as long as you can? That’s all I really want… she’s just a little baby- all alone in the world… It would mean so much to me if there was even just one person on her side…”

Her glowing eyes shined like stars, full of hope and verve as Millaray stared them into the King’s very soul, and her grip did not loosen one bit. Every ounce of her will was focused on what the King would say.

Above, the King heard familiar crying- but not by the maid… No, it was the little girl, all alone and helpless.

He hadn’t been able to help before- but he knew he wanted to. “Are you alright with leaving her behind?”

Millaray smiled. “I’ll be leaving her with a King… A true King… won’t I? I feel like I can trust you- or rather, I want to. I want to believe in you- please. This is the last thing I want in this life.”

The spector leaned off his rock a bit and watched with growing anticipation.

After a moment, the King knelt before Millaray, still letting her hold his hands in hers, and pressed his forehead to the back of her delicate fingers, “I will… I will happily grant this last request- to watch over your precious Lady, so you can move on to your next life in peace. I pray to the power that it will be a life filled with peace and happiness.”

Millaray began to cry again, but with a bright smile on her face as the light in her heart began to envelope her, turning her entire being into a glow as bright as a star. Both the king and the spector watched as her light spread out around the pond in beautiful beams, until every lilypad glowed, and the King felt his heart beat for the first time in what felt like hundreds of years.

Suddenly, he felt a warmth enter into him, as though something vital had reawakened- and life came flooding back into him- along with the pond water that filled Millaray's lungs!