I swear I'm working on TSOS, but uni comes first and I have been bogged down a bit! But, to tide you over here's a short one-shot in response to the "Threesome" Challenge at Aria's Ink:

"The Setup: Write a scene in which one person is listening to two other people have an argument about something. Have the third person narrate the argument and explain what is going on, but have the other two provide the entire dialogue."

They say "Love is a many splendor'd thing". Of course, they also say "All good things come to those who wait," and I've yet to see the fruit of my patience. I really don't know how much more of this I can take. Wait, there's a break in the yelling—

" Is it so bloody hard to pick your clothes up off the floor when you get changed, Rex? And possibly lay them on a chair so I don't trip on them?"

Spoke too soon. I just want to get on with my day! After this room there's still about 20 more that need to be attended to and here I am scrunched down on a bed, covered by a pile of dirty sheets.

"You're the one who wanted me to get rid of my valet, Ella. You're the one who wanted us to live in one room! We could be using the other rooms of the suite!"

Sure, I could have refrained from hiding when I heard them come in, and gone on my merry way like any good chambermaid, but who wants to get into the middle of this little spat? I've heard that their Highnesses like to rant on about each other at length and then force innocent bystanders to pass judgement whatever the problem of the day is.

"Well pardon me for trying to save some semblance of my former life. I haven't grown up in all this wealth and opulence as you damned well know. I was trying to save someone some work, having to clean this place up after us. And as for your valet, I'd like to think that at your age you can bloody well dress yourself! I don't enjoy having random strangers see me in my nightclothes, Rex. It's not how I was raised!"

Save us some work? And here I thought that the rumours about 'Cinder-Ella' being one of the masses was dreamt up by one of the Ministers to keep us quiet. Who would have thought that a former maid could be jumped up to Princess so easily? This has just become much more interesting!

"That's part of the problem isn't it? The way you were raised? You're part of the House of Charming now, Ella. You have standards to uphold as a member of the Royal Family."

Oh, that's rich! 'Standards' is it my lord Prince? Seems those 'standards' were misplaced when your Grandfather took a tumble in the hay with that handmaid. You do have an aunt in one of the rural nunneries don't you?

"It's easy for you to lecture me on that sort of thing, pretend that it's my fault for not adjusting so quickly to Palace life?"

"If you'd just make the effort—"

"Effort! That's all I have been doing! I find it hard to believe these things come easily to anyone. How am I supposed to know that Lady Arella isn't to be seated next to Lady Inaria because she ran off with her fiancé twenty years ago?"

Don't know about that one, Ella-dear. That really is a rabid piece of gossip. Most everyone around here knows about it, probably even Prince Rex himself. Seems those two enjoy stirring up trouble and have for the past 20 years. Listening to those two rip apart each others' fashion sense is what makes me take twice as long to clean their rooms!

" Maybe if I had an advisor in these matters? Your mother doesn't seem to be up to the challenge of tutoring a 'commoner'."

All points to Princess Ella! The Queen really is a piece of work, having her as a mother-in-law would be like slowly ripping leeches off your skin, without the aid of salt. Seems to forget she was only the daughter of a minor baron in a neighbouring country 'fore she married King Harold. I sincerely hope she kicks the bucket before the King, having her as Dowager Queen is enough to turn the stomach.

"You have Roald, who as far as I can tell just agrees with everything you have to say, and you can't spare someone to teach me the bloody intricacies of Court? Believe me, this is not something you can pick up in a couple of days! You've had a lifetime to be adjusted to it."

"Roald was my father's idea Ella, not mine. You're right, you do need someone to give you a hand with this. I'll see who I can find to give you a hand, you'll need a tutor in more than Court etiquette though, I'll see if my old Law tutor's up to the challenge."

He's going to have her learn the Law? My, my, a forward thinking Prince isn't he? I wonder if anyone will know just how much power the woman behind the throne will wield? Ah, it looks like they're leaving. Good thing too, I was getting rather cramped in that position. Now all I have to do is finish the rest of my tasks and see if I can't find Elena to discuss all this with.

A 'Princess of the People' and a soon to be well educated one at that!

Life will certainly be interesting in the reign of King Rex and Queen Ella…

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