Astoria

t w e n t y - f o u r

Meredith woke early as usual the next morning, and dressed for the day. Isabella would be spending the morning hours in town with her mother, so Meredith opted to dress in her working clothes and return to below-stairs to do ordinary work.

She was sent to work in the kitchen, helping one of the kitchen-maids to prepare breakfast trays for members of the royal family.

"I'm Diana," the maid introduced herself.

"Meredith," she answered, smiling at the red-haired kitchen girl.

"Haven't seen you before..." continued Diana, arranging plates and silverware on one of the trays. "Why is that? You new?"

"I was hired the day before the royal family arrived," she explained. "I'm the Princess Isabella's companion."

Diana simply stared at her. "Well!" she finally said. "You certainly moved up through the ranks quickly!"

"I suppose..."

Meredith took note of the bit of jealousy that tinged Diana's voice. She was obviously trying not to be jealous, as she gave Meredith a gracious smile and focused on her work.

She soon spoke again, however. She seemed the talkative sort.

"Why are you down here, if you're Princess Isabella's companion?"

"She's going to the city with her mother this morning, so I'm not needed. I wanted to come back down here for a bit. It's a lot different than working upstairs."

"What sorts of things do you do?"

"I'm mostly there to keep Isabella company. I went to the coronation ball with her, for instance."

Diana gasped, dropping one of the forks in her awed envy. "You didn't!" she finally said.

"I did."

"You're so lucky! I would give anything to go to one of the palace balls!"

Meredith smiled a bit. "Perhaps I'll ask Isabella if you can come with me some time. She was off dancing with her beau for most of the evening anyhow."

"So the rumors are true then? She's in love with that general of King Antony's? Kade?"

Meredith nodded. "Aren't they perfect together?"

Diana sighed rapturously. "Yes," she said. "I wish that I could find someone as perfect with me as Kade and Isabella are together."

They finished the trays and reported to the cook, who called for two other maids and gave them each a tray, handing the remaining two to Meredith and Diana, who walked together up the stairs and through the hallway that led from the servants' rooms and the kitchens to the parts of the palace where the members of the royal family lived.

"Who's tray do you have?" asked Diana, carefully balancing her own.

"Princess Olivya's," she said.

"Don't you think it would be sort of a let-down for Olivya when she went back to being a princess after being queen?" mused Diana, keeping her eyes on the floor in front of her as she took careful steps up the stairs.

"I don't know...From what I've heard described, she's not the sort that would be too bothered. Besides...she can't be queen anymore, because whoever marries King Antony will be."

"True, I suppose. Speaking of King Antony, I have his breakfast here."

"Don't drop it," she warned, watching the tray that Diana was bearing wobble a bit precariously.

"I've got it..." muttered Diana, concentrating on holding it straight. "Remember," she said for Meredith's benefit, having done this before when Meredith had not. "If Princess Olivya isn't there, just set the tray on the parlor table and leave quietly."