The Crown of Wilted Gold.

5

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"Are you sure this is not a trick?" another maid whispered scared of Ivanna hearing what she just said. The girl next to her shrugged, "It seems too good to be true! I mean what was going on in the mind of the princess?" she whispered back.

"Only the Gods know," she said looking up, "I mean I am not complaining but if they request extra services from us I will die," another girl joined the conversation. They were currently sitting in an old hall where they mostly converged where they would disseminate information to them.

"I want all of you to know that added to the raise, the rule of corporeal punishment has been banned and you will not be punished through that sort if you make a mistake."

After another round of murmur, the princess was strange, very strange. Did she have too little to do that she would care about their lives and how they survived? It was a strange phenomenon that raised the question in the minds of the palace's staff.

"Furthermore, there is a new physician's office created for staff. You can go there when you are ill or unwell. Do not take the princess's kindness as an excuse to wander off and not perform your duty. She may be very kind toward you but I am not. I will be watching all of you very closely! You will get a new uniform out of the funds raised from the meal budget, new beds and a renovation of the maid's quarters. The princess is kind and good, and we are lucky to have her but do not mistake her kindness for meekness, do not put yourself in a position where you will be punished or you will not be able to bare the consequences."

Fear gripped their bodies as they wondered what kind of sinister punishment the princess had installed for whoever violated her orders. No matter how good one may seem, a royal will always be a royal but the relief on their faces showed that they were grateful for the changes happening in the palace.

"The coronation is tomorrow, you will be well prepared and coordinated, one slips up and I will make sure to personally punish you! Do not test me!" Ivanna warned them looking around.

It had been seven days since the take order of Prince Aaron and his wife Princess Irisa, everything seemed peaceful and fine and the new royals seemed benevolent and kind. The staff would often ponder on the new royals and their strange ways.

They would return greetings and send a smile their staff's way, something that rarely ever happened. They seemed like people far from what they would call a normal royal. The princess's gown was almost ready and the royal embroidery had put so much effort unto making a gown fit for an Empress. Life seemed better for the staff and many would thank their stars that those royals were not worse than the last.

Everything on the last ruling royals had quietened, and everybody quickly forgot about them. They were only remembered for their reign of terror and how animalistic they were. One would believe that Prince Aaron came out of the same woman that would work them to exhaustion and punish them if they broke down. He seemed kind, well mannered and courteous, he had visited the palace multiple times but they never took notice. Maybe that was what he wanted, no attention, no staff taking notice of him. How would he not be noticed, he was profoundly handsome, and he stood to go tall among his guards.

The prince now was far different from who he was before, it was a little odd seeing him walk around with his two legs. He had been well-known for his paralysis and now that everybody knew that it was all lie and a farce, they would watch for any discomfort to make that they were right about him and that they truly he was still suffering from slight paralysis but no, he walked very well, and he fought fiercely.

Many were opportuned to see him go against multiple allies, he was exceptional with the sword and he could only be rivalled by a few. He would train from dawn till mid-morning before joining Princess to have a simple meal. It took the palace kitchen by storm when they were asked to prepare simple dishes for the royals. A phenomenon that had never occurred.