Spoiled

Morning @ the Palace

      "Bring me my neon pink headband! No, not that one! My neon pink headband! That is so dull!"

      Princess Abilenella Marcella Decorale slapped the maid's cheek and screeched, "Purple gown, the one with white satin ruffles down the side!" Another maid, around the age of eighteen, heaved the excessively over-decorated, puffy dress into Abilinella's dressing room.

      "Not that one! The gold rimmed one! It has the silver lacing, three rubies sewn into the collar, and two dozen gems around the frills! Hurry!" Abilenella tossed her dark hair over her shoulder. Another maid scuttled around the dressing screen, a terrified look frozen on her face.

      "NO! Don't you creatures understand? I must make a good impression on the Duke what's his name! They're different colors!" howled the princess, her face shook wildly like that of a maniac and her hair, a tangled mane, jiggled on top of her head.

      It was laughable, if you watched the situation progress. Abilenella was quite small compared to the maids who towered over her. And yet, all were terrified of the snarling, feisty midget.

      "The corset is three shades lighter than the dress! That seamstress who made this will certainly be paying a visit to Mrs. Trunia," she smiled with satisfaction. The maid holding the dress felt a pang of sympathy for the certain seamtress. Abi threw herself onto her white-pink, leather sofa. "Bring me my normal breakfast tray, but switch the soup to scallop and clam chowder," she called.

      "Right away, your Highness," curtsied the nearest maid, who then exited.

      Being a princess is hard work. Those lowly peasants don't know how it is. Abi sat up and felt her hair.

      "Where is the hair mistress!" she roared, seething. "I've been waiting for nearly an hour!" It actually hadn't even been five minutes, but the princess was lost in her thoughts.

      "Right away, your Highness," curtsied a young maid frightened at Abi's tone. She scuttled off into the long corridor.

      Abilenella relaxed on her sofa and dazed off. She loved being waited upon.

      It will be absolutely beautiful... The way it will shimmer and gleam, like a city on a beautiful hill. The way it will rest atop my head... It's too wonderful to imagine ... When I finally receive my crown, I can get rid of these bumbling, thick-headed maids and replace them with real servants who know their thing.

      Urg, drat the weather. She ordered a maid to start fanning her. I do hope Avatharis will notice how my hair has grown. It hasn't even got the slightest shimmer though. So dull. I want my hair to shine... That new hairstyle I thought up will probably do the trick. It was actually a maid that had come up with the idea.

      Where is my breakfast?! Drat these peasants, such slow creatures. Abi ordered a maid to hurry and send her breakfast in.

      When in the world will the Duke arrive? He was supposed to be here this morn! Well, the duke's carriages are nowhere as well made as our royal ones. I mustn't blame them for being late. Avatharis must have took hours to comb his hair for me... A love sick sigh... I am absolutely irresistible anyway. She grinned smugly.

      I wish I had a peacock. But oh, remember the last one? How it stank! But it tasted delicious, nevertheless. I want some marinated quail egg. She bid a another of the numerous maids to serve her a bowl of quail eggs. A delicacy. I really ought to go shopping. I want a new belt. It is so fun to spend.

      I want a companion. Someone to speak to me. Someone of my class. But then, no royal family even touches the superiority of us Decorales.

      I heard that the Duke is bringing his Highest Maid. Strange thing, she could've stopped working as a maid, but she refused. Her peasant blood is no doubt affecting her mind. But it would be such an honor to have a high maid serve under me. I want her. I'm daddy's girl and he'll give me her. I know it.

      The hair mistress arrived and immediately began working on Abilinella's difficult hair. Then Abi went to the royal court.

      Her food, abandoned, went cold as a fly daintily sipped her scallop and clam chowder soup.

      Days were like this. Abilenella was in a better mood then most mornings. Every day, the unlucky maids had to withstand the princess' horrid temper and mood swings. The princess was spoiled rotten. And the maids couldn't do anything about it. But things were about to change.

                   *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

      Janey, the "Highest Maid" for Duke Manseiff, was to arrive the next day.

      Abilenella obviously wanted to have such a worthy maid that a duke would even announce as a Highest Maid. They needed not only to be hard working, but also intelligent, well spoken, and possess good looks. Janey was one of a kind. She passed these standards for more than anyone in the probable past five centuries. Anyone could mistake her for a princess.

      "Daddy!" whined Abilenella. "I want her! I need her! I want to have a Highest Maid! I want to have Janey as my maid! Tell the Duke to give me Janey!" Abilenella put her hands on her hips and gave her father puppy eyes.

      Being appointed a Highest Maid was to allow the maid to enter the noble and highborn class. It was great news whenever a maid became a Highest. It also wasn't a very common occurrence. Most nobles wanted to keep their blood lines "clean", so they rarely appointed Highest Maids. The highborns felt no particular desire to appoint high mades, unaware that they might develop genetic disorders if not for mixing bloods with the high maids. However, there were those very few people who valued certain maids and appointed them. Also, highest maids usually never married, as they were usually already pass the prime of their age when appointed "Highest Maid". In result, Janey turned quite a few heads at the sight of her age.

      "Darling, dear," crooned King Chuck, "you must ask the Duke to release Janey from his service before she can agree to serve under you. Now, dear, run along! Ask the Duke if you may... But he might not agree."

      Abilenella was anything but doubtful. She was determined to have Janey. No matter what the Duke or her father said. She would have Janey. Really, she would. But just then, as she felt her hair, a ribbon came undone, collapsing her entire hairdo. She screeched something about a punishment to the hair mistress who had done her hair and stumbled out of the royal court away from the laughing counselors and important men of court.