The ball was underway, it was a long week of hard work and preparation, but Bethany was happy to see it come together.
Bethany and her mother had the great honor of serving amongst the guests.
Bethany watched with deep hunger, eyes darting here and there. Everyone was so exquisite, dressed in the finest fabrics in all the land. Amazement shone on her face. She couldn't take her eyes off of those on the dance floor. There were many in attendance, from Kings south of Eldore, and west. Prince and princess, Ladies and Lords. Who wasn't here? Bethany thought to herself.
Soft music flowed through the ballroom. The band hired for the occasion, playing so magnificent. She had not heard such a beautiful tune before.
"Darling," her mother petted her cheek. "You can't get distracted. We got many guests that need tending to. When Princess Kathrine needs any kind of assistance, you go ahead and follow Missy to help her out. Understood?" Bethany nodded.
Missy was the older servant that took care of the serious stuff. Bethany waited on her with a towel ready, or any other supplies needed to prepare the princess for the day.
The day when the prince and her escaped to the meadows, she came back and was ordered to serve the princess. She found her in a terrible state. Her and Missy didn't know what to do. They found Princess Kathrine crying. Inconsolable.
Since then, Bethany has felt pity for her. Hasn't thought a single bad thought toward her. After all, that day with the prince showed that even the royals have tough days.
He spoke of his father wanting him to follow his footsteps exactly. Ronald disagreed with how he ruled the country, though he dared not to speak his thoughts to his father. The King in his anger, often made Ronald feel indifferent. As though he wasn't loved by him.
It is only because he would take the throne after him, that his father was proud of him. Maybe happy at times with him.
But that was it. Security. That's what his father loved about him. His future is secure in his son.
So Bethany took her sister's advice, and was careful to treat her future queen. Bethany was especially kind and did her best to comfort her. Though she didn't dare ask what had happened to Kathrine. The whole time they prepared her for bed she never looked up from the ground.
Later Bethany told her mother about that, and mother got all sad. She too, felt for the girl.
A very nice dressed gentleman came up to mother. Interrupting her thoughts of the princess, bringing her back to the present moment. The man was well dressed, and had a decorated sash across his shoulder. Showing his status as King. He didn't seem happy with her mother. Bethany watched their interaction.
"What are you doing here?" The king she didn't recognize, seemed dark with fury. Bethany shivered to her bones.
"I'm serving the king and queen." Her mother said in the same measured tone. Bethany didn't dare move or breath for fear of them noticing her.
"If my wife sees you here, she will be enraged." He said in a threatening manner.
"Now that's not my problem is it? You were just as much to blame as I was." Bethany didn't know what her mother meant by that, but she kept watching them. They kept going back and forth. Bethany picked up that he was King of Iris. Princess Kathrine's father. Bethany's brows rose. Her mother spoke to him as though he were a commoner.
Her mother knew him personally? And talked to him like that? Wow, Bethany thought. Turns out she didn't know her mother well. This was a side she had never seen before. Around anyone else she was kind and gentle, assuring no one would get spoken to harshly. Teaching Bethany to do the same. So this came as a surprise to Bethany.
"And who's that?" He nodded with his chin to Bethany. Bethany gasped. They caught her listening.
She felt her cheeks flush, and even more when the King got a weird funny look on his face. He didn't stop staring and Bethany became worried.
"That's Bethany, my daughter." His face was now pale.
"Mama is King Fredrick okay?" She whispered to her only. All the while she never took her eyes off the King.
Her mother leaned down, "Yes sweetheart, he just might not be feeling well." The king looked ready to pass out.
"How old is she?" He asked, his voice was taut.
"Nine." Her mother said. Bethany smiled at him. She needed to remember her manners. Maybe that was why he was appalled.
Bethany noticed he was a good looking gentleman. With hair similar to hers. She wondered if her father would have looked something like that. Mother never spoke of him.
"Get her out of here before-" he was interrupted by Lady of Ascott, who appeared seemingly out of nowhere.
"Honey, who are you-" she stopped mid sentence "You." She said accusingly, Lady Ascott's face turned a deep shade of red. "How dare you show your face around here?"
"I am allowed to serve in the King's palace. Besides what issue do you have with me being here?" Bethany couldn't believe how her mother so confidently spoke to them.
"You better not try anything." She was pink now. But still anger was clear to see. Why did adults get mad so easily? "My daughter will marry the prince and you try to undermine that, I will make sure your name goes through the dirt. Worse than last time. And stay away from my husband." She added, grabbing the king's hand, she pulled him away from the table before he could grab a drink. Then she stopped dead cold when she saw Bethany. "And who is this?" She asked the same thing as the king. Why did they keep asking that?
Bethany felt cold seep through her clothing. Though it was fairly warm in the ballroom, she felt a chill. It was her stare that sent shivers through her.
"My daughter." Mother put her hand fiercely around her in a protective manner. Bethany didn't understand what was going on but all she heard was the Lady of Ascott say to keep her filthy daughter away from the prince. Tears darted across her cheeks. And she swiped them away.
"Let's go." She said to King Fredrick, but he didn't take his eyes off Bethany, though they walked away. At some point he looked away. But not before she saw a glimmer of pity. Or was it compassion?
Mother must have sensed the confusion about why the lady was rude. She bent down, so she could see eye to eye. "Sweetheart I knew that man in the past, that lady was just being rude because of our history. You don't listen to a thing she says. Okay?" She brushed Bethanys hair away from where it fell down onto her face. Bethany let go of the emotions that built up. If her mother said everything was okay then it was.
Even if things clearly were stressful between them. Her mother knew better.
"Do you want me to go get more desserts?" Bethany asked, wanting an excuse to leave the room behind.
"Would you please? Thank you." She stood up, and was back at arranging the refreshments. Filling them. Bethany watched her mother. In all the years she's grown up, never had she seen mother with her shoulders even slightly down. But at this moment Bethany did, and it was upsetting.
Whatever happened in the past between them, made mother really sad.
Bethany walked down the dark corridor that connected to the kitchen, holding a candle that lit the way. She was at the kitchen in no time with her quick feet. Wanting to be back to help her mother in no time at all. She was surprised to find Prince Ronald hiding at the doorway.
"Bethany, you're here. Perfect. Let's get out of here." Bethany wasn't in the mood to do that. He almost cost her mother's position in the castle, again. Well, truth be told, the first time was her fault. After she came back she had to explain why she was gone for such a long time. Bethany said that the prince ordered her to serve him and accompany him to the seaside, while he rests.
That was the only way she got away with that. She remembered how Marie scoffed at her. She ignored but that played in her mind. She must not believe her. Even though she covered for her last time.
She realized she didn't want to do it again. As fun as it was, she was risking everything for him. And she couldn't do that again.
"Your majesty I have quite a lot of things my mother asked of me. And she is waiting on me to bring out desserts for the guests. I can't just run off." She said apologetically, making sure he knew she didn't want to refuse. However much she wanted to go with him. She couldn't.
He only smiled. Bethany sighed, why couldn't he understand? "Then I shall wait until it is over." Ronald said, surprising her. "I'll be in the library, I will let everyone know not to disturb me, that I'll be learning, so no one comes in. That way you wouldn't get into trouble."
He walked off before she could respond. Okay so he was thinking of her, he didn't want to get her into trouble. A warm feeling spread through her stomach.
Grateful that he hadn't requested right that moment to run off, because she still did want to see him. It just became more increasingly difficult to sneak around, trying to be friends with the prince. She knew there were great risks.
Bethany hummed a happy tune she heard from the ball as she waltzed her way to the desserts. Forgetting about earlier. Bring the desserts out to the ballroom, she all but forgot. Her mother caught her in the corner of her eye.
She only smiled and placed a kiss up top her head. "Glad to see you're chipper, even after what Lady of Ascott's said. I'm sorry sweetheart that she talked about you in such a way." She meant when the Lady all but called her unmentionable names just because she didn't look as polished as Princess Katherine. Or didn't have a title? Yeah, that.
"Mother it isn't your fault. Sometimes people can be mean for no reason. Or sometimes it comes from a place in the heart that is afraid." Bethany said. Mother was silent for a time. A sad kind of smile came over her.
"My darling, you're too wise for your age." She gave her cheek a small squeeze. Bethany felt pride at hearing that.
It didn't matter what Lady of Ascott said, because deep down she knew her place in this world. She knew that even if she wasn't a princess, she had a good heart. In the end, that is all that matters.