Prelude: Dae-Mi, the fighter of Water, is the fifth and first female warrior in line behind Mashina, she is the youngest warrior and is known to be quite insecure and indecisive, but caring most times. This is how she came to be Daylight.

CHAPTER 1: The Maiden

5. "Dae-Mi, you're going to be late!" 

"Coming mama." She says running down the stairs of their small shed home. 

Dae-Mi is from the country of North Chino of the Ashio (as it was split by war). She lives with her mother and brother in their small shed house after the death of her father. The North Chino and South Chino countries are the second richest of the Ashio, and they rule with politeness and loyalty, although they are actually pretty greedy. 

A small backstory, they weren't touched by the vicious Naminek country like the Doullishi's were, for their soldiers beat the Eneki's and won the war against them, driving the Eneki's back home. The riches they got from Naminek overcame them eventually once they took from them, and the Royal family took all the money from the people leaving them helpless and like laborers to the work of the royal.

By this, the peasants, as they are called, rebelled against the royal family, training themselves against the soldiers of the royal family to win over their freedom and equality. The royal family heard of this and thus fought against them. The royal family won the war, and they banished the people who rebelled and who lived through the battle to the south of the land where it was very mountainous and inhabited by animals and creatures, most notably an area of where dangerous gray bears inhabited. 

Once they were banished the royal family took control of the north while the rebels took control over the south, even taming the gray bears and giving whoever was the strongest left authority over the people, forming their own royal line.

Now in present day the countries have made up, but due to the different climate now and behavior of the people, they decided to stay separated due to personal reasons as well depending on who's ruling at the moment.

Now as Dae-Mi, her little brother Fei and mother Xiao, are running to the palace of the royal family, Dae-Mi gets in line with a bunch of young maidens, waiting for the princess to come out of the palace. As she stands small with the other girls, the big charmed doors open up, and about twenty guards come out, then the queen, the princesses handmaidens, and the princess herself come daintly like down the long white stairs, to all the maidens to see. 

The princess bows before her father as she walks to all of the young girls, but immediately she judges everyone, looks, actions, personality and daintiness. Finally, she makes it over to Dae-mi, who stands at the end of the line, looking shy as usual, trying her best to look at the princess.

Princess Fi-Mei, holds her head up saying, "and a child...What silly judgmental swain made you come here." 

"Well...Me, I did." 

Princess Fi-Mei looks her up and down, "figures..." 

Fi-Mei passes her as Dae-Mi shouts to her, "I am very good with housework! Do not let my age fool you, princess." She bows her head.

Everyone looks at Dae-Mi in shock, even her mother and brother, causing the princess to hit Dae-Mi with her parasol, saying, "how dare you speak to me like that with such words! You should be ashamed of yourself!" 

"I apologize, princess, I just have to say that even as a twelve year old, I still can accomplish a lot for you." Fi-Mei looks to her mother as her mother allows Dae-Mi to speak. 

...

Before this though...

"Mom!" Dae-Mi calls.

Xiao turns around while watering her many flowers on a bright cloudless sunny day, seeing Dae-Mi run over to her holding a piece of paper in her hand, with her little brother Fei. 

Dae-Mi lifts up her mother's hat as she is kneeling down and says, "our royal family is letting more girls come in to be maids in the castle, and it is for ten year old's to nineteen year old's, I can get in!" She says with excitement. 

"Yes, please, then I can have the room to myself!" Fei says with excitement, putting his hands up.

Xiao gets up saying, "It's like every year they have to hire new maids and handmaidens, it's very strange to me how every one of them don't seem to please the Royal family."

"She'll be fine mama." Fei says back with his happy and light voice. Dae-Mi pushes him out the way though saying, "please, can I join the new ones? We can send the letter right now! I'm sure I'll be able to please them, my skills are otherworldly in cleaning, look at how I take care of Fei." 

Fei gives a frown towards Dae-Mi as her mother starts speaking.

"Dae-Mi." 

"Please mama!" 

"Dae-Mi!" 

"I can prove a lot to you!" 

"Dae-Mi!!" Xiao shouts. 

"Yes...Mama." 

"It is not for you to do, I am making enough money here." She says strictly, carrying her basket over to the side of the house where Dae-Mi follows her along with Fei.

Xiao says then walks in the house, leaving Dae-Mi and Fei sadden. 

But that same night, Dae-Mi keeps cleaning and cleaning, to prove to her mother that she is an excellent young maid, where eventually Xiao says to her, "your father never wanted to see you as a maid."  

"I know...But I want to prove to him that I can rule that castle, when I show them what I can do for it." 

"Really?" 

"Yes, mama, I really mean it." 

"But how will we get there, we don't have free carriage to take us?" 

"By walking." 

"Dae, that is a lot for me, we live in a village in the outskirts of Sifon, it will take a few hours." "We can do it mama, I'll make it up to you, Fei, and papa, plus I'll be making more money for us, so we won't be poor any longer and you will not have to be so stressed trying to work for us." 

"Oh so that's what this is all about," her mother executes, holding her hand to her hip to continue saying, "the farmer I'm working for is fine." 

"No, it isn't just about extra money, it's about skill and showing how great we are when everyone sees that wonderful dreamy palace, so please mama, let me prove myself, for everyone in the village and city," she puts her hands up, smiling at the sky, "and...Forget it the whole world." 

"Yes, please, mom, let her leave." Dae-Mi pushes Fei again while waiting for an answer, then Xiao small smiles saying, "sure, you can go, we will collect your things and leave tomorrow night." 

"Aaah!! Yes, thank you, mama!" "Make that extra money then, okay, you better come back with your body and money, okay?" 

"I will mama." She hugs Xiao and runs upstairs in a happy manner. 

...

"So..." Fi-Mei looks at her up and down saying, "where are you from? You are not city, but farm girl swain." "The village, just down south." 

"A village you say?" Princess Fi-Mei thinks to herself for a while then confirms, "actually...People like you are perfect for a maid's work, because you will always be below me at all times due to the way you live, it's...Natural." 

She turns around saying to the queen, "mother! I say this girl..." Princess Fi-Mei looks at her to remember her name, "Dae-Mi," Dae-Mi replies, then Princess Fi-Mei continues, "shall be my new maid!" 

"So be it, daughter." Her mother nods after.

Her Father also nods yes as Fi-Mei's handmaiden meets with her mother, taking Dae-Mi's things and leading her inside as Dae-Mi gives her brother and mother a big smile. 

...

The handmaiden puts Dae-Mi's belongings by Fi-Mei's wooden closet saying, "this is where you will sleep, it is a cleaned out storage closet, this is Fi-Mei's old closet, I reckon since you about four four, you can sleep well in here, bye now." 

The woman leaves as Dae-Mi tries to get comfortable in this unfamilar atmosphere. And that night Dae-Mi has her first rough sleep, but manages her way anyways. 

"Father is not proud of me."

CHAPTER 2: A Maid's Hand In Work

5. "Rise and shine my servant!" Fi-Mei shouts to Dae-Mi as Dae-Mi wakes up, trying her best to stand in her room. 

"Today is your very first cleaning day, along with my two other maids, who specifically cleans my stuff, you are going to clean my room, bathroom, vanity room, upstairs hallway, all seven floors, and our closet, okay? Now wash up and get it done! We have company coming today, our other royalty half, now go get washed up!" 

Dae-Mi bows while saying, "yes, princess."

Fi-Mei leaves with her other handmaiden as Dae-Mi washes up, eats a bit of Zuzi (small rice balls) and starts cleaning. 

As she is cleaning the queen runs over to the princess saying, "they are here! Everyone get ready and look your best." 

"What about me? My queen." 

"You keep cleaning, and make sure you water our flowers out back as well, so do that," she suddenly turns to the window, running in her skinny dress, "oh my! They're here! Everyone come!" 

The guards open the large front doors, greeting a king and queen, with their two sons and guards, as all the citizens watch them be greeted from outside the blue palace. 

Fi-Mei and the prince walk away together as she becomes flattered by his greeting, which he gives her by kissing her hand, which she enjoys by waving her traditional blue and white Chino fan to herself. 

But Dae-Mi stands outside in the beautiful backyard, with a gorgeous fountain of blue water, along with the colorful flowers and cloudless blue sky, with the orange sun shining down on the garden. 

"My favorite weather, the blue daylight complements me." Dae-Mi happily fixes and waters the backyard flower, saying this and then singing after, until...Fi-Mei and her charming Prince come outside, with her saying, "what are you still doing out here!? Go inside and clean my room, me and Yunie have some business to talk about." 

Dae-Mi apologizes and then walks inside as Fi-Mei falls all over Prince Yunie. 

As Dae-Mi is on the stairs, getting ready to clean, the prince's younger brother watches her clean. 

She suddenly gasps, "oh my, I didn't see you there, everyone is downstairs my prince-" 

He cuts her off saying, "are you the new maid? You look very young." 

"I'm twelve years old, and yes I am the new maid." 

He walks up to her, grabbing her hand and saying, "I'm Prince Reyn, Prince Yunie's younger brother, do you mind if I stay with you for a bit? My family and being a guest thing is kind of boring me." 

She smiles nervously, "sure, I wanted someone to talk to anyways." 

Prince Reyn and Dae-Mi continue to talk for at least an hour, but eventually as she lastly cleans Fi-Mei's huge royal room, Fi-Mei and her lover Prince Yunie, walk in together, seeing Dae-Mi with Prince Reyn.  

"What are you doing!? I told you to clean my room! And you instead sit in my room with Prince Reyn! How could you take him in here with you, they are talking about the book of the Southern Island for someone's sake! Me and you need to talk about this!" 

"Princess Fi-Mei, I can explain, he was watching me as we were talking, I didn't purposely take him here in your room without reason, plus I'm only twelve, what could you be possibly thinking?" 

"I was just talking with her, I didn't mean no harm or to invade privacy?" Prince Reyn says, trying to explain to the stubborn princess.

"He means it!" Dae-Mi adds.

Princess Fi-Mei places her hand on her hips, saying, "Yunie, Reyn, I need you to leave." 

"Come on, Reyn." Yunie demands, "bye, Dae-Mi." He says quickly before leaving the room.

Dae-Mi waves bye as they leave while Fi-Mei stands there angrily, not saying anything but giving her vicious eye. 

Dae-Mi stands there holding her duster, while looking down in a sad manner, then Fi-Mei begins to say, "you need to learn about permission, that is royalty, your actions are still of swain, how pitiful, well...I asked for you, so...I get to insult you." 

"I apologize, princess." Fi-Mei swings her long cloth dress of silk and cotton at Dae-Mi, then she lays on her bed saying, "one like a queen, well...One I know I'll become once I'm officially Prince Yunie's girl, but father says until I turn eighteen, which is in a few months, so know worries, our worries are in the Southern Island, Prince Reyn missed out on that talk while wasting time with you, ugh..." 

"Southern Island? You guys are learning about the Southern Island below all lands?" 

Princess Fi-Mei gets up and walks over to her mirror as she takes down her hair, then she continues, "yes, only because it is apart of our royalty, I really don't care, these Adenians have yet to touch us, but these warriors sound...Charming in a way." 

"I love the thought of it, it is so important to us, how could you think it is nothing?" 

"Listen, I didn't even say that, but I would say that our royal families do believe that one of their sons is the warrior of time, the warrior of daylight, that is why we have been having cloudless days." 

"Prince Reyn did tell me that when he was in here, I believe it too." 

"I wonder if there is a female warrior...?" 

"Probably not, there is no need for us to do such thing." 

"Hmm...So they say?" 

"I've finished my cleaning, princess." 

"Good, now you only have two hours, then go to sleep." 

"I will, thank you." 

"Sure..." Princess Fi-Mei side eyes her then leaves, as Dae-Mi leaves with her. 

They all say goodbye to the royal family, and then that same night, Dae-Mi firstly gets her nice sleep.