"This doesn't seem to compare to my father's court."said Rei.

"But everyone seems to be awaiting you so eagerly, my lady!"said Phobos. "They could just as well have decided to be throwing mud at you, couldn't they? Besides, if anyone was glad to leave the court, it was yourself."Deimos reminded her.

They both knew how unhappy the princess was at her father's court. Most princesses might be homesick, even before leaving home. Rei was just the opposite. Nothing could have made her happier than leaving her father's court.

"But not to be married!"she protested. "Especially to a man I barely even know! That's if I even know him at all."

"You could have done much worse. At least he seems genuinely fond of you. And did you want to remain a spinster? We certainly don't!"said Deimos. "If you don't marry, the chances for us to find husbands are even smaller than yours!"

"I would have made sure to have found husbands for you both."Rei assured them. "I will make sure the two of you remain with me here, though. That you won't be sent back. You could marry among the courtiers here. Hopefully you won't have to leave court."

Phobos and Deimos had been her closest girlhood companions.

"You will have to have a new household, though, even if we aren't sent back."Phobos reminded her.

Rei sighed.

"I will choose the ladies who will attend me, though. Not anyone else."

"If you're determined that we stay, I'm sure you will find a way for us to stay with you. You don't want to make yourself unpopular."Deimos warned. "You don't want to make enemies even before you are installed. There are probably plenty of ladies hoping to be given a place in your household, and the honor to serve you. They would feel angered and offended if you favored us instead of any of them."

"He wants to escort you to your new rooms."Phobos rushed back. "And please try to behave your best."she pleaded. "You know the marriage is very important to your father."

"How can I forget it?"

"We know how you feel, but perhaps the king, your husband, will be very different from your father. And you'll still be first lady here, just like you were at your father's court. And,"she kept on. "keep in mind that he's taking you to the late queen's rooms. Be grateful they're not the queen dowager, or the queen mother's. You know no one likes mothers-in-law. And there's neither queen dowager or queen mother here."

"I want to escort you myself to the queen's rooms."Jadeite said, as he offered her his arm, and they walked down a long corridor to their rooms. "They haven't been used since my mother died."

"So I get the late queen's belongings?"she asked.

It didn't really matter to her, either way, she thought. Like she had told Phobos and Deimos, she did not want this marriage at all. Then she remembered what Phobos said. Not that it would have made much difference if his mother was still alive. Rei would make sure that she would not have had precedence over her.

"No, but you can keep anything of my mother's you want. But I had the rooms redecorated for you. And you're free to change anything you don't like. Everything there is new, though. I hope you like it."

Rei was a little disconcerted. Why would he put an effort to see that her new rooms were redecorated for her, or worry that the decoration might not be to her taste? She knew for a fact that her father would not have worried one way or another.

"It's been ages since I've visited these rooms."he said, looking around, as he led her in. "Since my mother died."

"Has your mother been dead a long time?"

"Some years. Since then, my father had the queen's rooms shut and locked. Now I've had them opened, redecorated, and made ready to receive the new queen."

"But why should they be shut and locked?"she repeated, as he led her into the presence chamber.

It was certainly bigger than the one at her father's palace, and over the throne, was the curtain of estate. Around the chamber, the predominant color was red, and embroidered on the tapestries were snakes.

"I think he could not bear to have them otherwise once she was gone. There were tapestries before the doors leading to them, as well. To hide them. He insisted that the court be in mourning for almost a year."

Rei raised her eyebrows.

"Mourning a queen for an entire year? I don't think the court would mourn that long for a king! Were you in mourning that long for your father?"

"My parents were very fond of each other, you see. I hope you and I will be as well, too. I didn't open the rooms after my father died, either. But that was only about a year ago. I couldn't mourn him that long, of course. That was just not…practical. As soon as he died, I had to be crowned, and as for the king's rooms, I was expected to occupy them at once. But now the queen's rooms are ready to receive the new queen. Everyone in the kingdom is. And if there is anyone who isn't, they soon will be. I know you'll charm all my subjects, just as you have charmed me."

"You don't even really know me. We haven't known each other very long."

As a matter of fact, her father had only told her that she was betrothed only a few months before the marriage took place. A few months!

"I've known you long enough."

When they entered the boudoir, there was a woman who Rei hadn't met waiting for them.

"I hope everything is to your liking, Madam."she said to Rei.

"This is I guess you could call her my first cousin-in-law."Jadeite told her. "She supervised the redecoration of your rooms."

She curtsied to Rei.

"They're very nice."said Rei, looking around. "I'm sure I'll be very comfortable here."she turned to Jadeite. "What do you mean by your first cousin-in-law?"

"I have no siblings, as you already know. My closest relatives are my first cousins. She is married to my eldest cousin Eckhart."

"What did you think of her?"Eckhart asked Isolda.

"That she's certainly not too happy to be here."she answered. "But what's more important, what did Jadeite think of her?"

"He's clearly delighted with her. The miniature that was sent of her wasn't exaggerated. It certainly does her justice. Although Jadeite says the opposite. He says it doesn't. That she's much more beautiful in person."

"At least we know she doesn't feel the same. And I expected to be made mistress of her household, you know! Or at least mistress of the robes!"

Eckhart looked up, surprised.

"I thought you already were! As wife of the heir presumptive you should be!"

He looked just as upset as Isolda felt.

"I don't know half of these names, not to mention the people they belong to."Rei looked at the list. "Should I just choose randomly?"she asked Phobos and Deimos.

Deimos took the list of names from her.

"Or there is also time to choose. You don't have to do it right away. First, your retinue has to be sent back, before your new ladies take their place."

"Oh, wait!"Rei exclaimed.

Dipping her pen in ink, she took the list back from Deimos and drew a line across Isolda's name, next to Mistress of the Household, and put Deimos' name.

"There can only be one mistress of the household. That will be you, Deimos. "You, Phobos, will be my mistress of the robes. I think the one listed for mistress of the household was the wife of the heir presumptive. At least I think he must my husband's heir. Jadeite has no brothers, and she is married to his cousin. So far she's the only person I know at this court."

"Then she must certainly expect to be mistress of the household, Princess, or rather, Madam."

"I'm already your scribe, Madam."Phobos pointed out.

Rei hesitated.

"But surely you can be both, can't you? Or if we have to find someone else, either a mistress of the robes, or scribe, I'll need a little time to get to know the people here. How can I choose someone who I don't trust, or I don't know if they can even perform the duties required of them?"