Maid of Honor

Maid of Honor (近衛侍女(メイドオブオナー)), alternatively known as Queen of Honor (近衛侍女(クイーンオブオナー) ) or Royal Maid (in the Baka-Tsuki translations), refers to special workers that serve the British Royal Family, as servants and bodyguards. Silvia is currently the only known named Queen of Honor, and has one of the highest ranks.

Etymology
The term is a title used for junior attendants of a queen in royal households.

Principles
The royal maids are essentially a type of shrine maiden because they looked after the royalty who were traditionally said to gain their authority by having a piece of divine power. Despite this traditional role, the maids also served as bodyguards to them, having been trained in magic and interception. The royal maids are strong enough to physically restrain Queen Elizard and even worry Carissa even if she had the Curtana. They likely wear traditional and elegant maid uniforms.

Finally, the maids are also well known, even in Academy City. Maids in training like Tsuchimikado Maika and Kumokawa Maria can apparently determine that Silvia is a Royal Maid just by looking at her alone.

Equipment
Maids of Honor have a number of spiritual items to aid them in their duties, including Arachne 8 (アラクネ八式), Habetrot 2 (ハベトロット二式) and Valkyrie Swan 3 (ワルキュリア・スワン三式). Many of these units are worn on the back and have arms resembling spider legs with joints and pulleys.

In the case of the Arachne 8, the device has a wooden casing with several coats of paint and varnish, described as having a texture similar to a piano. It has eight arms which shoot out from its back, mostly from the right side, with a sound like a spring-loaded trap. These have several knobbly joints, with needles and spools of thin silk thread. Normally used to mend damaged armor and habits at frontline bases so their wearers can return to the battlefield, it can rapidly weave items of clothing from thread, accurately producing the images found in the user's designs. Rather than sewing different pieces of fabric together to give the shape of a pattern or filling in details from an outline, each piece of clothing is made to order with details and decorations woven in from one end to the other.

Aside from weaving, other similar units are used for search and combat purposes.

Sisters Arc
The royal maids were first referenced when Index used the term Queen of Honor in reference to Misaka 10032's "cool" demeanor.

Kamijou Arc
Following the battle with Coronzon, several Maids of Honor were tasked with making dresses for Index, Misaka Mikoto and Shokuhou Misaki to wear at the celebratory party at Windsor Castle. The maids also attended the party to celebrate with the others. After the appearance of a certain 'winged lizard', several of the maids searched the grounds for traces of the intruder, without much success.

After subsequent events and revelations, the Maids of Honor were among the coerced forces set against Touma's group, having donned their combat equipment. One of them ended up running into Accelerator and was later thrown unconscious into Elizard as she was about to dispatch Hamazura Shiage.