We were the best of friends, her and I. She was my maid from when I was seven and her, twelve. We grew up together and as we grew older, we grew steadily closer. She was my only true friend in the entire palace and I didn't care that she was a mere servant, one not considered worthy of my time.
Despite her position being seen as lowly she did not resent any part of my life, only observed and offered me advice through the years as my parents arranged meetings with potential suitors, fancy dinners to show me off to other people of our class and various tutors who taught the many things I would require in order to be a respectable wife to the next king, whomever he may be.
She held me as I cried through every heartbreak, laughed with me at every joy we experienced. It was as if we were one person, bonded in ways no other could understand.
However, this seemingly ideal life, trying as it was at times, could not last forever. In fact, it would not last long as things changed drastically on the night of my twenty fourth birthday.
