Dryads and Nymphs

Chapter 4-In the Queen's Study

The next morning Ariana woke up to find Mrs. Henley glaring at her disapprovingly. Ethel was busy tending to the fire, but her stance was more alert than usual as if she knew Mrs. Henley was keeping a severe eye on her too.

"Ms. Greene, you need to be awake by now. We have a lot to get done," Mrs. Henley said in a grating voice.

"Y-yes ma'am," she replied quickly, and crawled out of her bed. Ethel hastily put a robe over her shoulders and scrambled away.

"Now, as you see," Mrs. Henley continued, still casting her disapproving looks, "we have a week, which is very little time to prepare a village girl, if you ask me, to accept the title of ladyship. We better get started right away."

"Of course," Ariana replied, her nerves tingling at the very thought.

Mrs. Henley regarded her for some time, silently critiquing her from different angles. Ariana's anticipation rose all the while and she clenched her hands into fists at her side, her nails digging into her palms.

"Very well," Mrs. Henley said at last. "Ethel will dress you and after breakfast you are expected to be at the Queen's study in an hour."

With that, she cast a final withering glance in Ariana's direction before marching off.

Ethel came in a while later carrying a tray laden with steaming soup, bread, cheese and butter. She allowed Ariana to eat in front of the fire-it was unnaturally damp and cold in the castle early in the morning-before dressing her in a simple gray dress. The dress could have belonged to Ariana or any other village girl she knew, except for the fact that it looked finer than that, it's cloth better in quality and silkier in texture.

"Ethel?" Ariana asked while the maid was tying up the strings of her corset.

"Yes ma'am?" the maid answered, hastily.

"Did you send the letters I gave you?" she asked.

"Yes! I sent them immediately off with a footman. He went to the post office and by tomorrow the letters will be at your home," Ethel answered efficiently.

"Thank you," Ariana said, falling silent before asking, "Do you have a family outside the castle?"

Ethel frowned at Ariana through the mirror. There was no doubt she thought Ariana's question strange and perhaps a little inappropriate. However, she answered cheerily, "I do. My father is a farmer. And my sister, Anna, works in the kitchens."

Ariana noted how Ethel stated this as happily as she could but didn't elaborate at all. Maybe that was how maids where supposed to be, and she didn't peruse the topic.

"Have...things always been this strained between the King and the prince?" Ariana voiced her worries.

Ethel cast her a concerned look, "Not always, Miss. Things got more strained between them when...Princess Corisande and the Queen died. They've grown more so this last year. I hope a female presence will mend their rifts, miss," Ethel said and it took Ariana a moment to realize she was expressing her trust in Ariana, and was deeply touched by the gesture.

"I hope so too," Ariana said, giving her maid a grateful look. Ethel smiled back at her briefly, before moving away.

"You are all done, miss," she announced and went over to open the door. Ariana walked out and then followed Ethel down the hall, and up a flight of stairs.

They emerged into a hallway with closed doors, guarded by a dozen guards. Ariana heard Ethel breathe in deeply, before setting off once again. The guards at the end of the hallway gestured for them to stop. Ethel announced, "Mrs. Henley has requested Miss Greene to be present in the Queen's study."