The next morning, Riff Raff was again summoned to the Throne Room. The Queen, looking pale and wan, addressed Riff Raff.
"I wish to again thank you for the information you provided concerning Rocky's activities. The matter has been dealt with. Unfortunately, that means we now have an opening for a manservant for my son. Due to your demonstrated willingness to look out for his welfare, I would like to offer the position to you. However, I feel I must warn you it will not be an easy assignment, particularly right now. He is, understandably enough, quite upset about Rocky's actions. For the foreseeable future, serving him will require more than the usual amount of patience. It is of vital importance to me that he is treated with all due respect and compassion, even in the face of resistance on his part. Are you willing and able to do so?"
Riff Raff bowed. "Certainly, Your Majesty. I completely understand His Highness's current emotional state, and will do everything in my power to be sensitive to his feelings at all times."
The Queen nodded. "Very well. The position is yours. You should be aware, however, that if word reaches me that you are anything less than solicitous and respectful to my son, you will quickly find yourself back out in the gardens…or worse."
Riff Raff nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty. I understand."
"Fine. You may have today off, as I believe the Prince needs some time alone. You may use the time to move into your new quarters. Your duties will begin tomorrow morning, with the delivery of his breakfast."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. Your confidence in me is greatly appreciated."
She looked him straight in the eyes. "You're welcome. Take care to prove yourself worthy of that confidence."
"I will, Your Majesty." With that, he was dismissed. He walked back to his room, smiling to himself. Despite what the Queen had said, Riff Raff was quite certain his job would be extremely easy, at least at first. Frank would be so devastated by Rocky's "betrayal" that he would have absolutely no interest in interacting with Riff Raff at all. What it would be like once Frank recovered his emotional equilibrium…well, he'd deal with that when it happened.
The Queen looked after Riff Raff thoughtfully. She couldn't imagine Frank ever having any rapport with that rather odd young man. However, perhaps that would be for the best. Frank might not particularly enjoy Riff Raff's company, but at least that would mean he would never see Riff Raff as anything more than a servant…not as a friend or, even worse, as a lover. So much pain could have been avoided had she hired Riff Raff to begin with.
Tears came to her eyes as she recalled her conversation with Frank. When she'd told him what Rocky had planned to do, his reaction was immediate denial, just as hers had been. The coup de grâce had been the information about his sister. His facial expression, remarkably enough, remained unchanged, but the sharp flash of pain in his eyes - the same pain she'd seen the terrible day she'd had to tell him his father had been killed - was unmistakable and profound. She wished he had been willing to discuss his feelings with her, but he merely thanked her for the information and excused himself, saying he needed to go study. She didn't know what he was doing right now, but it was a safe bet that studying wasn't one of the possibilities.
She sighed. Rocky had seemed so perfect. Who could have guessed he was such a cold-hearted opportunist?