~*~ The Next Morning ~*~
Amalia walked into the Queen's room after getting ready.
"Good morning," Queen Thayet greeted.
"Good morning," Amalia responded. "Your Highness," she added as an afterthought.
Queen Thayet smiled warmly at her. "I've told you before, you don't have to be so formal here."
Amalia smiled sheepishly. "I know. I just am not quite used to it yet."
"It's okay. You will get used to it."
Amalia smiled. She knew she should already be used to it, but she wasn't accustomed to the social rules in her new environment and didn't want to offend anyone while everyone was so nice.
Queen Thayet sat down while Amalia began to arrange her hair, part of her daily duties. Although Thayet was independent, she realized that she must provide tasks for her ladies in waiting and hair was something she could use help on.
As Amalia's nimble fingers worked through Thayet's dark locks she attempted conversation.
"So, Kel agreed to go to the ball."
Thayet laughed. "How did you get her to do that."
"I have great skills of persuasion."
"I don't doubt that. I didn't think there would be any way to get her to come."
"Thanks for inviting her all the same. I really do think it will be good for her."
"I think it's good for her to have a friend here now. I don't pay much attention to the pages, but I am extremely proud of her being the first girl page."
"I'm glad she let me be her friend. I didn't think..." Amalia started, but was interrupted by King Jonathon entering the room.
Amalia instinctively began to sink into a curtsey, but King Jonathon held up a hand.
"Don't bother ruining Thayet's hair for etiquette's sake."
"Did you need something?" Thayet inquired, confused by his surprise visit into her chambers.
"Actually, I need to talk to you about that matter we were discussing earlier. Will you be done soon? It's important."
"Why don't you just tell me now?" Thayet asked.
Jonathon's eyes flicked to Amalia, who was still busy doing Thayet's hair. "That's okay. It can wait until you are unoccupied."
"We might as well tell her...It does involve her..." Thayet started.
Jonathon threw her a warning glance. "We can discuss this later," he stated resolutely, and turned walking out.
Amalia, though confused, continued on Thayet's hair.
"I'm sorry about that," Thayet said. "There are complicated things going on in the country right now. That's why the ball is so important."
Amalia shrugged. "I don't mind. I know it's none of my business."
Thayet shook her head. "It's just the opposite. It is your business. Don't you know anything about what's going on? Didn't your parents tell you anything?"
"About what? About coming here? Of course they told me that I was here to learn more about being a lady and get training."
Thayet turned to look her in the eyes. After examining her for a moment, and evidently not finding what she was looking for she shook her head disapprovingly. "Well, I suppose you will find out soon enough...one way or the other...but I don't approve of everyone keeping this a secret."
"What is the secret? When will I find out?"
"I'm afraid I can't go against your parents and my husband's wishes to tell you. The only thing I ask of you, is that you continue your training with those pages. I know that Kel has been teaching you a thing or two and just try to learn from her what you can. If I could I would train you myself, but unfortunately I cant."
Amalia remained silent, while finishing Thayet's hair. "Allright, all finished," she eventually declared.
"Thank you. Why don't you spend the day with me today? I've been thinking, that even though I'm not allowed to interfere, there's nothing to stop us from watching the pages training today and maybe you will learn some things that you can practice with young Keladry."
"I think I would be able to learn better if I knew why I was learning."
"Well, we'll see what we can do today. I'll meet you after breakfast."
~*~
True to her word, Thayet met up with Amalia shortly after breakfast, looking more troubled than ever.
"Hello Amalia," Thayet greeted.
"Hello," Amalia echoed, this time leaving off the "Your Highness".
"I've arranged it with all the trainers for you to follow the pages through their training. We'll have to accompany the pages to their etiquette training, though it will be dreadfully dull. I've told them that I am going to check in on the teachers to make sure they are doing an adequate job, so as to not arouse suspicion. And naturally, I need you to join me so that you can learn how to do so, if you are ever in charge of a large household."
"All right but..." Amalia started to ask, but stopped so as to not be imperitinant.
"What? You can ask me."
"I was just going to ask what's going on. I know that this isn't the normal training for ladies in waiting and I can't help but feeling that there is danger."
Thayet sighed. "I know this must be hard for you, but don't worry you aren't in any immediate danger. If I could tell you, then I would. But since I can't, you'll just have to be content knowing that no one here would ever let anything happen to you and this castle is the safest place around."
Amalia nodded.
"Let's get going. It wont be good if we are late to the classes. What kind of example would we set?"
Amalia smiled and followed her into the courtyard to watch the pages train.
The day went surprisingly well. Amalia found that Thayet was very comforting and almost made her forget all the secrecy that suddenly seemed to encompass her. But, no matter how much she enjoyed the day she found that she couldn't for get that Thayet had said she wasn't in "immediate" danger. ~*~
Amalia walked into the Queen's room after getting ready.
"Good morning," Queen Thayet greeted.
"Good morning," Amalia responded. "Your Highness," she added as an afterthought.
Queen Thayet smiled warmly at her. "I've told you before, you don't have to be so formal here."
Amalia smiled sheepishly. "I know. I just am not quite used to it yet."
"It's okay. You will get used to it."
Amalia smiled. She knew she should already be used to it, but she wasn't accustomed to the social rules in her new environment and didn't want to offend anyone while everyone was so nice.
Queen Thayet sat down while Amalia began to arrange her hair, part of her daily duties. Although Thayet was independent, she realized that she must provide tasks for her ladies in waiting and hair was something she could use help on.
As Amalia's nimble fingers worked through Thayet's dark locks she attempted conversation.
"So, Kel agreed to go to the ball."
Thayet laughed. "How did you get her to do that."
"I have great skills of persuasion."
"I don't doubt that. I didn't think there would be any way to get her to come."
"Thanks for inviting her all the same. I really do think it will be good for her."
"I think it's good for her to have a friend here now. I don't pay much attention to the pages, but I am extremely proud of her being the first girl page."
"I'm glad she let me be her friend. I didn't think..." Amalia started, but was interrupted by King Jonathon entering the room.
Amalia instinctively began to sink into a curtsey, but King Jonathon held up a hand.
"Don't bother ruining Thayet's hair for etiquette's sake."
"Did you need something?" Thayet inquired, confused by his surprise visit into her chambers.
"Actually, I need to talk to you about that matter we were discussing earlier. Will you be done soon? It's important."
"Why don't you just tell me now?" Thayet asked.
Jonathon's eyes flicked to Amalia, who was still busy doing Thayet's hair. "That's okay. It can wait until you are unoccupied."
"We might as well tell her...It does involve her..." Thayet started.
Jonathon threw her a warning glance. "We can discuss this later," he stated resolutely, and turned walking out.
Amalia, though confused, continued on Thayet's hair.
"I'm sorry about that," Thayet said. "There are complicated things going on in the country right now. That's why the ball is so important."
Amalia shrugged. "I don't mind. I know it's none of my business."
Thayet shook her head. "It's just the opposite. It is your business. Don't you know anything about what's going on? Didn't your parents tell you anything?"
"About what? About coming here? Of course they told me that I was here to learn more about being a lady and get training."
Thayet turned to look her in the eyes. After examining her for a moment, and evidently not finding what she was looking for she shook her head disapprovingly. "Well, I suppose you will find out soon enough...one way or the other...but I don't approve of everyone keeping this a secret."
"What is the secret? When will I find out?"
"I'm afraid I can't go against your parents and my husband's wishes to tell you. The only thing I ask of you, is that you continue your training with those pages. I know that Kel has been teaching you a thing or two and just try to learn from her what you can. If I could I would train you myself, but unfortunately I cant."
Amalia remained silent, while finishing Thayet's hair. "Allright, all finished," she eventually declared.
"Thank you. Why don't you spend the day with me today? I've been thinking, that even though I'm not allowed to interfere, there's nothing to stop us from watching the pages training today and maybe you will learn some things that you can practice with young Keladry."
"I think I would be able to learn better if I knew why I was learning."
"Well, we'll see what we can do today. I'll meet you after breakfast."
~*~
True to her word, Thayet met up with Amalia shortly after breakfast, looking more troubled than ever.
"Hello Amalia," Thayet greeted.
"Hello," Amalia echoed, this time leaving off the "Your Highness".
"I've arranged it with all the trainers for you to follow the pages through their training. We'll have to accompany the pages to their etiquette training, though it will be dreadfully dull. I've told them that I am going to check in on the teachers to make sure they are doing an adequate job, so as to not arouse suspicion. And naturally, I need you to join me so that you can learn how to do so, if you are ever in charge of a large household."
"All right but..." Amalia started to ask, but stopped so as to not be imperitinant.
"What? You can ask me."
"I was just going to ask what's going on. I know that this isn't the normal training for ladies in waiting and I can't help but feeling that there is danger."
Thayet sighed. "I know this must be hard for you, but don't worry you aren't in any immediate danger. If I could tell you, then I would. But since I can't, you'll just have to be content knowing that no one here would ever let anything happen to you and this castle is the safest place around."
Amalia nodded.
"Let's get going. It wont be good if we are late to the classes. What kind of example would we set?"
Amalia smiled and followed her into the courtyard to watch the pages train.
The day went surprisingly well. Amalia found that Thayet was very comforting and almost made her forget all the secrecy that suddenly seemed to encompass her. But, no matter how much she enjoyed the day she found that she couldn't for get that Thayet had said she wasn't in "immediate" danger. ~*~
