Annalise Stark, orphaned after losing her parents in the military, is desperate to find a way to pay off her sister's medical debts. She finds work at the palace, home to the infamous Prince William. Despite her efforts to ignore him, Annalise soon...
"Sisters function as safety nets in a chaotic world simply by being there for each other." ~Carol Saline
Annalise
The very beginnings of fall were just starting to show their existence as a bitter wind sprung up, causing me to hunch my shoulders in a futile attempt to block it. I couldn't feel my ears or my nose. Being in a skirt didn't help matters, but I had to look professional for this interview for it could very well change my life.
I was the only working person in my family because my parents- being in the Royal Navy- had passed away serving our country. My little sister, Mia, was sick with cancer, so working was out of the question for her unless she was willing to risk getting worse. Mia always said she wanted to in order to help me out, but I wasn't. As my last remaining family member, I refused to let anything happen to her.
Her hospital bills had put us deep into debt. She hadn't been sick when our parents were alive, and we'd lived quite comfortably in a decently-sized flat. In fact, Mia and I still owned the flat. The rent on it wasn't too bad. I was always able to pay it, plus the owner- Mr. Sanders- gave me a discount every month since I cleaned his office every Sunday.
I went down the steps to the subway as fast as I could. I didn't want to be late. I politely shoved past people even though practically no one else returned the politeness. I ignored it. I had more pressing matters on my mind. I barely managed to get onto the train that would bring me to the stop that could get me closest to Windsor Palace. I couldn't believe the interviewers even considered me as a potential candidate...
The train was crowded; I ended up smushed against the doors. Thankfully, my stop arrived quickly. I hurriedly got off the cramped train and back into the cold daylight, and Windsor Palace came into view. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. It would do no good for me to go in there nervous, or else the interviewers would think my fidgeting was because I was some crazy fan of the prince, which couldn't be further from the truth.
Prince William of Verona, a tall man with black hair and sapphire eyes... girls swooned over his eyes. It's not that I didn't find him attractive, because I did, but I had better things to do than drool over a guy I had no chance with. Besides, he's a partier and a drunk, and that did nothing for me.
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When I walked up to the front gates, I explained to the two burly security guards why I was there. Despite having nothing to hide, they still made me nervous, mostly because they looked like they could snap me in half like a twig. They led me inside to the palace foyer, where they examined my purse's contents and made me walk through a metal detector. Once cleared, a guard led me down a corridor lined with portraits of past rulers and landscapes the royals had visited.
"Wait here," the guard said when we entered a simple yet elegantly decorated waiting room. I happened to be the only one there, making me wonder how many people had gotten this far in the interviewing process. I sat down on a plush leather couch and out my folder, which contained my résumé and reference letters. I scanned through it, making sure I remembered certain points in my life that would highlight the skills they needed for this position, even if it was just as a maid. I'd take anything I could get
