Princess Vivianne & Juniper the Guard

Chapter 2: Tempting Fate (2)

Mrs Reeves was a young lady when she got a job at the castle, mainly by the recommendation of her uncle, a well-known butler and excellent teacher.

The crown princess was already a wonderfully well-mannered young child. Hence, the arrival of Mrs Reeves didn't disrupt, nor did it disturb her. She rarely engaged or addressed the workers at all, opting to stare outside her window, daydreaming.

Mrs Reeves had walked by the little princess's room one dark and chilly night where the caste whistled and howled from the strong winds rushing by. Small sniffs echoed down the hall where Mrs Reeves was dusting off the antique paintings and vases.

She opened the big gate to the princess's beautiful, serene bedroom. Tonight, the shadows stretched across the marble flooring and a small figure who should be sleeping clutched her duvet with tiny fists.

The very young princess's chambers were vast but simple, with a single bed covered in a soft pink blanket and a matching pillow.

The room was decorated with delicate floral wallpaper, and a few stuffed animals were placed on the bed. A small wooden dresser was near the bed, with a mirror and a few hair accessories.

The princess's teary eyes stuck to the dark figure approaching in terror until the figure spoke in a small voice.

"Little Iris? It's me, your new lady-in-waiting."

The girl jumped out of bed and clutched Mrs Reeves's apron. Soon the small article of clothing was drenched with warm tears. Mrs Reeves pushed blond locks out of the way; the child had big brown eyes similar to Queen Henrietta, her mother.

Iris managed to explain between sobs that she had a bad dream. "I don't like to be alone..." she had meekly said, her iron grip on Mrs Reeves's apron tightening. 

It reminded Mrs Reeves that Iris was no ordinary child, yet she comforted and rocked the little girl like any other little girl. She had always loved children, and the slight smile on her face was evidence of that.

She locked the bedroom behind herself gently to not disturb the now-sleeping girl. The heavy wind had also let up a little, giving hope for calmer weather tomorrow.

...

Mrs Reeve's extraordinary ability with children had reached the King's ears.

The mighty man with three consorts and ten children had only allowed new staff to enter the premises as the Queen had recently birthed a prince.

The demand for childrearing and cleaning had increased, especially considering the youngest prince was a fragile child with sensitive lungs.

Frankly, he didn't care much about who tended to his daughters as long as they didn't cause too much harm or disrespect his children, as that would also be disrespectful toward him.

The mousy girl had a reliable uncle, but he was annoyed at the crown princess's sudden attachment to the worker. It would do her more harm than good to cling to such a low-status woman, as she would soon be attending rigorous schooling.

She needed a noble lady as a mentor, not some meek maiden, although said meek maiden had helped control the child's night terrors.

So, some credit was due; he wouldn't leave her unemployed.

Thus, he summoned the new lady into his throne room, where hundreds of knights were gathered, lined up against the golden walls.

The hall was grand, with crystal chandeliers sparkling brightly and a long crimson rug covering the marble flooring up to the shockingly ornamented golden throne.