AN: Hey. So, this is my first story for this fandom, so be kind. But, I got a bit of an idea, and thought I'd just go for it. It won't be very long (maybe around ten chapters or so), since it's mostly just something to get me writing again. It's also going to be fluffy, funny, and sexy. Not much angst, so if that's what you're looking for, this probably won't be it. I hope you all like it, have an awesome day!

I was going to say it's a long story, but it's not really. How I came to work for her highness is rather simple.

My parents weren't wealthy. In fact, they were simple peasants. When I was born, we lived on a small farm. I mean, small like a pig, two goats, and four chickens. When they were killed in a dispute at the market, I was five, and we had since added a skinny cow to the family. A kind neighbor took me in, but the aging woman didn't have much, and by the time I was twelve I was being sold into servitude.

I bounced around from master to master until I was twenty, at which point I ended up at the castle. I had served a wide range of masters; men, women, whole families, nobles, royalty, and so on. Some masters were ambivalent, some cruel, some physically abusive, some used me for personal pleasure, some were kind, and some treated me as a pet. But, none of that mattered, because a servant was property, and all were free to do as they pleased with their property. I had long since given up hope of having my own life, love, family, freedom, or happiness. My life belonged to the next person willing to pay well enough. So, I simply accepted that undesirable fact, and tried to make the best of what I was given.

I managed to make a few friends that were in similar circumstances. Other servants that I saw frequently when completing errands, or accompanying masters to events. I even found a minuscule amount of time and space to engage in a few romances. Nothing particularly deep, permanent, or completely satisfying. But, enough to stave off total isolation, and curb some of the sexual desires that arose.

So, my existence was not nearly as awful as it could have been for someone like me. I was also quite attractive, so that tended to help my situation. A young woman with long, blonde waves, a slim figure (but not too skinny), ample breasts, and fair skin tended to catch the eye of the upper class as someone they could bring into their lives without contracting the imaginary, but very serious, aliment that the poor people carried around with them. In general, masters were just more drawn to servants that were pleasing to look at.

Despite my usually surprisingly ambivalent attitude towards my shackled life, I was standing in my new master's chambers wearing a deep scowl of annoyance. I had just been sold to Queen Cora as a hand maiden for her daughter. I suppose it would be more appropriate to say that the King had purchased me, but whether we uttered the sentiment out loud or not, we all knew that the Queen held the power in the kingdom. Anyway, I was irritated because I actually almost enjoyed my last master. She was a middle aged noble woman that hadn't asked much of me and treated me with a generous amount of respect, for a servant. Then, suddenly, she informed me that her hand had been forced into a transaction involving my transfer to the castle. She had no answer to my question as to why the royals would so adamantly request my service, but sighed that she had no power to stop it. So, there I stood in the princess's bedroom, which irked me with it's deep red and black color scheme. I guessed the princess had a bit of a dark side.

As I re-adjusted my dress, and paced the room anxiously, I finally heard the latch click on the chamber's door, and the heavy creaking wood scrape the floor. Taking a deep breath, I whirled to face my new master. My angle in the room afforded me a few brief moments of unnoticed observation.

Stunning. That was the only thought that crystallized in mind when I witnessed the petite brunette walk through her door, deep in thought. Her brows furrowed, and her bottom lip shifted between her teeth. Her shiny, dark, chestnut hair lay in a braid down her back. Her plum purple dress contrasted well with her tanned skin and pushed her cleavage up in an enticing, but elegant fashion. My last uninterrupted thought was mentally adding her deep mocha eyes to the list of things I found mesmerizing about her.

"Excuse me, but who are you and what are you doing in my bed chamber?" The princess demanded after her shocked expression faded into anger.

I cleared my throat and lowered my head in a sign of obedience, "The queen assigned me as your hand maiden, your highness." I murmured the statement quietly, but firmly.

When I glanced up after a moment of silence from the princess, I noticed an expression akin to pleasant surprise color her pretty features, before she noticed me watching and relaxed her face to reflect passive indifference. "Very well. I would have appreciated her notifying me of the change, but there's no use in dwelling on that now. Have you been informed of your duties?" Her tone was brisk as she studied me closely.

Her intense gaze made me want to squirm in discomfort, but I fought the urge, knowing it would be a sign of her superiority over me. Not that either one of us had any disillusions as to who in the room controlled the power, but I found that if I pretended that I possessed some sort of self-assurance, that I usually had a fighting chance of not being completely dominated. "Yes, your highness. I am to remain at your side at all times. I will accompany you on any outings, errands, and events. I will complete all daily chores, which involve your dressing, grooming, meals, and cleaning your chambers. In addition, any other tasks you shall need or want will also be my responsibility." The man that ran the household for the king and queen, Marco, had listed my duties for the princess before leading me to meet her. As I understood it, he was actually the one that had found and purchased me on behalf her Majesty. He also would not provide a satisfactory answer as to why I had been so specifically chosen for the job. He only said that he had been charged with finding someone suitable for the princess, and I fit the qualifications. I could read people fairly well, and I knew that wasn't the whole truth, but was in no position to press for answers.

The princess gave an approving, but curt nod, "Good. I suppose Marco also provided a tour of the castle so that you can actually accomplish tasks I need of you?" Seeing my swift nod in confirmation, she continued, "Then, I suppose we can get started. Go to my closet and bring me my riding uniform. I have riding lessons in a half an hour."

I immediately followed the direction of her brief gesture, and entered her massive closet. I had been in many wealthy women's closets, and was accustomed to large volumes of clothing, but her highness's put them all to shame. After a few minutes of inspection, I figured out the organization system of her clothing and located her cropped riding pants, button up shirt, boots, and blazer. Gathering the items, I returned to the main part of the chamber. "Am I correct in assuming these are what you requested, your highness?" I asked softly, offering her the set.

Her eyebrows rose in surprise, and her lips quirked as if she might smile, "Yes, you are correct... I must admit that I'm quite shocked at how quickly you found them. Most new servants take much longer, bring me the wrong thing, or have to return for my assistance." Her tone might have been mistaken for pleased or amused if I hadn't known any better.

I debated my answer for a moment, waffling between quiet acceptance of her near compliment, passive rebellion, or testing the waters of my new position. Following an unidentified instinct, I decided on the last option. With an almost imperceptible smirk, I questioned softly, "Then, am I to understand that that task was a test of my competence, your highness?"

She had been facing away from me, laying her new clothes on the bed, but whirled at my slightly daring inquiry, "You are to understand that my motives are my own, and certainly not for you to question or consider. You are to understand your place, servant." Her tone had grown icy and demanding in an instant, but I thought there may have been a trace of intrigue in her eyes.

I lowered my eyes, but kept my stance strong, "My apologies, your highness. I overstepped my boundaries, it will not happen again."

I could feel her eyes bore into to me, the heat of her stare spreading through me. "See that it doesn't. Now, come and help me with the fastens on my dress so that I may arrive to my lessons on time." Without a word, I moved behind her to undo the ties of her gown. As I began, she added, "However...you were correct in your assertion. It was a bit of a test."

Daring to grin since I stood out of her eyesight, I couldn't resist asking, "Did I pass?"

I felt her back stiffen and saw the muscles in her jaw twitch, but she mumbled, "You did."

Wisely keeping silent, I smirked to myself. My instinct about her had been right. She would be strict, but not harsh. Had she been the type of master to enact cruel consequences, I certainly would have been punished for asking about her intentions. Her gravelly voice broke through my inner musings, "I will grant you one last leniency, servant...Because you are new, you may not be aware that I have a mirror on the far wall from us." My stomach dropped as I froze, certain I knew what I would find if I looked up. Unable resist dragging my eyes toward the opposite wall, I confirmed my suspicions. The reflection in the mirror clearly granted me view of her stern face, which meant she could clearly see mine. She had seen me smirk at her, not once, but twice.

A blush immediately covered the light skin of my face and neck. "I-I'm...I di-didn't-"

I stuttered to a stop, unsure of what to say to rectify the situation.

I glanced once more at her face. A fleeting consideration crossed my mind that witnessing the smirk she aimed at me might make any punishment or embarrassment that came from my actions completely worth it. After a long, stretching, tension filled silence, she stated regally, "It's forgotten. But, work harder to maintain your emotions. I am the princess and will be treated with the utmost respect." I nodded and finished undoing the intricate lacing of her dress. The lavish garment pooled to the floor and I offered my hand to lend aid to her stepping out of the material. I attempted to advert my eyes, but the stunning princess stood before me in only her undergarments and silky skin. I quickly fought back the sudden desire to run my hand along her arm and toned back, and retrieved her pants and shirt for her.

As I scooped the dress from the floor, I mulled over my reactions to my new master. Attraction to other females was not new to me. A couple of the brief romances I had engaged in were with women, but never a master. I was confused and uncomfortable with my instant and inadvisable fascination with the woman. I guessed that these feelings would get me in more trouble than usual. The good news was, she seemed unconcerned with my behavior. Perhaps, she might enjoy having a unique maid that challenged her a little. I sighed and hung up the dress, I knew I should just ignore any thoughts of her, other than as my master, and be done with it. When I reentered and saw her in her riding gear, I knew ignoring my attraction would be a trying endeavor. The pants and shirt fit snugly showing her delicate curves in a way dresses never could. And, her eyes now sparkled with an excitement that added a beautiful element of joy to the princess's already magnificent presentation. I made a mental note of her apparent passion for riding horses.

When she finished fastening her belt, I quickly snatched up her blazer and held it up to help her into it. As her arms slid through, I foolishly, and accidentally, let my fingers trail down her shoulders to her biceps, before catching myself and withdrawing my hands. She turned to face me, "Come along, servant. My lesson is about to start."

I nodded and followed closely behind her. As we exited the castle and walked across the field, I gathered the courage to speak to her, "Your highness?" She simply cast a brief glance over her shoulder, but continued her quick pace forward. I took this as permission to continue. "If you ever desire to call me something other than servant, or peasant girl, or slave, or thing, or roach, or-" I cut off when she spun around to glare curiously at me. I shrugged and almost grinned before I remembered what happened last time I grinned at her, "I've heard my fair share of names...just if you'd ever like to refer to me as something other than a servant moniker, you could...you could call me Emma."

The princess cocked her head, scanning my face, searching for something. Either finding it, or giving up, she turned back to her original course and strode away. Slightly irritated, but not surprised, I jogged to catch up to her as she entered the stables. I watched as she gave a quick hug to the stable boy, who smiled brightly at her. "Hello, Reg-" His eyes cut to me as I stepped into the musty structure and cleared his throat, "Your highness."

She followed his line of sight, "Oh, this is my new maid, you needn't worry about her." I tipped my head to the side, trying to determine why she might say that. She couldn't possibly trust me already. Perhaps she assumed that I had already pledged loyalty to her and would protect whatever secrets she may keep. The thought of being privy to intimate details of her life sent a small thrill through my body. She didn't bother introducing us, but I heard her call him Daniel as they prepared their horses. I took note of their body language as they interacted. I guessed that they were old friends, and that he probably had romantic feelings for her. I didn't notice anything from her that suggested she felt the same. But, that was just the simple observation of a slave.

When they mounted their horses, her highness looked down at me, "We will be finished in one hour, be here when I return. However, your time is yours until then, Roach."

I had been looking away from her eyes, taking in the beauty of her obsidian colored horse, but my gaze snapped to hers with the last word from her plump lips. My brows furrowed in displeasure as I opened my mouth to protest in some acceptable form, but I stopped. Before any words escaped me, I caught the dancing light in her eyes, and her somehow both adorable and infuriating smirk. She was teasing me. And, it was...kind of...sexy. Determined not to reveal my pleasure at her comment, I fought back my own smirk, and nodded, "Understood, your highness, thank you."

Turning to follow Daniel toward the riding trail, she paused and brought the horse a few steps back to me, "Another thing, while alone, or in...acceptable company," She nodded her head toward Daniel, "You may call me Regina. In front of anyone else, I expect the proper formalities."

She didn't wait for an answer as she directed her horse after Daniel, but I called after her, "See you in an hour, Princess." Her braid whipped around her head as she shot me a displeased glare, but she had already spurred her horse into a gallop and was too far gone to properly admonish me.

The way I saw it, the princess would either be the best thing to ever happen to me, or be death of me. I supposed time would tell.

AN: So, this was a little tester chapter to see if anyone's interested. If you liked it, let me know, if you didn't, you're welcome to let me know that, too.