Disclaimer: Someone once told me that I'd own Crest of the Stars "in my dreams" and this story is one of my dreams, thus I own Crest of the Stars... Okay, so actually I don't, but it was a really nice fantasy!

A/N: Hey all! Sorry for taking so long to update... I kinda got sick and then had all this make-up work to do for school and then these two reports, and I think you get the point. Anyways I'll try to make this chapter longer than the last, a lot longer than the last! (The last was just the introduction chapter, this one's a real chapter! (Everyone in audience begins to ohh and awe) Anyways on to the chapter now!

Chapter 2: Enter Lafiel, Royal Princess

"What!" The scream that came from a girl's utter shock and surprise sounded throughout the castle and echoed down it's long, endless hallways.

"Please Princess, don't make this any harder on us," desperately pleaded another female voice. "All your parent's are requesting is that you go to meet some of the townspeople that are complaining. They do it often enough themselves and they feel that it's time for you to start taking some responsibility. Besides if you're ever to become a good queen you must have a good relationship with the people."

"And I suppose next you'll be begging me to go off to an arranged marriage with some rich, snobby, fool of a prince that wishes to become a king. Oh fine, tell mother and father that I'll go. And don't bother to try to make it seem as if I sound happy about it." Lafiel sighed, she didn't wish to go to this meeting. Actually she found it completely pointless to go and listen to the townsfolk complain about everything that was wrong. "Well I suppose it will put me in good favor with them," she thought irritably while mumbling something to the extent of "stupid meetings". She then lifted her arms up high in the air as one of her many servants began to take off the frilly dress and undergarments that she had been wearing for a portion of the day.

"You know the higher favor that you gain with the people the more they'll like you, and if you get your future husband to favor you then you may find that you have lots of power at your fingertips ready and waiting for you to put to use of any sort. One could make herself really rich by doing so. Find a rich prince and who cares about love, you'll get even more power and wealth!" stated the maid in a nonchalant manner. "You really might find that you like power, your highness."

"Oh I'm sure that I'd love power," Lafiel started, "but I don't want to marry, especially some rich prince that I don't even like." She felt the cool air against her bare skin as the last of her undergarments was lifted off of her body. She looked down at her naked body, her skin really did look beautiful. Every day she had perfumed baths with the best of oils and lotions to keep her skin soft and beautiful. She lifted her head high, something she learned to do when she was little, and then proceeded to walk with dignity ten feet across her room over to the steaming tub of perfumed water that was awaiting her entrance into it. "Mmm..." she sighed as she stepped into it and felt the warmth cover her body, washing away all of her concerns and anger. "Go now, leave me to soak for a bit," she commanded two of her dutiful servants that happened to be the ones in her chamber serving her at the moment.

"But won't you need us to wash you m'lady?" one of them innocently asked. A naive servant this one was, twas her first day and little did she know the princess's temper yet, less than that the slightest contradiction to any of her orders could flare it up.

"Do what I commanded you to do! I wish to bathe alone for the moment and enjoy the peace, after that I will call out for you and then you may come and wash me if it so pleases you to do so!"

"Yes m'lady, it will please me to do so for you," answered the servant while heading towards the door following Lafiel's other servant.

"Oh how annoying they are!" muttered Lafiel as her serving-women walked out of the door. "It's a wonder they even try to help, they seem to do more good when they leave me alone." She then dipped her head under the hot water and felt it truly covering and consuming her being. She loved this peacefulness of mind that she reached when in the bath, it was truly good for one's soul. "Come now!" she shouted, for she was now ready to have her body washed and her hair washed and combed out nicely.

"Yes Princess, you called?" asked an old, aging woman while walking through the door. Upon seeing Lafiel in the tub unattended she smiled her sweet smile that she had so often smiled before. "So the new girl was getting to you was she? Ahh yes, I sent her off to the kitchen to get some chocolate to dry her tears with. Now, now, we can't have you being too harsh on the new ones now can we dear? Let's see, let's see... I suppose that you need help with your washing, I may not be as young as I used to be but I'm sure that I can do the job well enough."

Lafiel smiled at the woman, she was an old lady full of many words and phrases of wisdom. She didn't know how she came to befriend her, seeing as she was but a mere maid and she herself was royalty, but still there had always been something about this old lady that she liked. Perhaps it was because this woman had taken care of her since she was a young babe, or perhaps it was just her way of caring for her that she liked, but somehow Lafiel couldn't come to boss this woman around. She was like a second mother to Lafiel almost. "Yes, help washing would be nice. Though how can I stop ordering the new girl, or any new girls that may come, if there's mistakes being made and contradiction of my authority and judgment over her's?"

The old woman just smiled and walked over to Lafiel. Slowly she rolled up her sleeves and began to rub a sweet smelling soap made of the finest emu oil over her highness' smooth skinned petite body. Soon she finished with that and poured some warm water over Lafiel using a jug made of pure jade with golden handles attached to it. "You will do fine today, just fine. I'm sure of it, even if you aren't. And you may not find it as boring as you feel that it will be," the woman said while beginning to rub a sweet-smelling shampoo into the princess' hair.

Lafiel felt the warm water running over her head as her serving-woman rinsed the shampoo out of her hair. She could feel the woman's rough hands massaging a creamy conditioner into her hair and the she closed her eyes as she felt the water flowing down afterwards. "I'll be getting out now," she then said while tilting her head back as the old woman began to gently squeeze the excess water out of her hair. She then stepped out of the tub, not caring how much water dripped onto the floor, and let the woman wrap a warmed, soft towel around her body.

"And I'll now be off to call another woman to come here and dress you and comb out your hair," said the old woman while slowly walking out of the room and down the hallways to another serving-girl's room.

Lafiel sat down to wait on a soft velvet chair of a deep blue color with golden threads sewn in to make a pretty pattern. Not long did she wait before another girl, though this one looking to be only of about fifteen, walked in with her head bowed down in respect. She came up to and bowed before Lafiel before going over to the tub and beginning to clean up the water that was spilt over the lovely floor. She dried it and then grabbed a bottle of perfume from a nearby table and walked to her highness and began to rub the lotion over her body, admiring the princess' soft and beauty filled skin that was of the loveliest shade. Then she took a comb from on top of a shelf and began to run it through Lafiel's hair, all the while careful not to pull at a tangle too hard, as to not upset her highness. "Please your highness Lafiel, might I know which dress I am to dress you in for your meeting?"

Lafiel began to consider the matter carefully, she would have to make a good impression upon the people when appearing to them. "The one that is a deep crimson, with the gold and blue thread sewn in to make that wonderful design of splendor," she said upon deciding. The dress was one of her favorites, though sadly her parents didn't seem to fancy it much, but that didn't matter to her much at the moment. And soon she felt her dress tighten around her smooth skin as the young girl pulled the zipper up, closing the back of the dress and hiding the splendor of her magnificent skin.

"Tis time for you to go now your highness," the young servant sweetly said in a small lovely voice that reveled her envy of Lafiel and her position.

A/N: Well sorry that the chapter isn't any longer and lacks essential plot... just regard it as the introduction to Lafiel, all the fun should begin in Chapter 3!

And so now this leads us to wonder:

1. What sort of exciting surprise do I have in store for you?

2. Who all will be at the meeting complaining and of whom will they complain?

3. Will there be any action whatsoever?

4. Will she update sooner this time!

5. How long will the next chapter be?

And so I will answer a few of these questions...

3. Yes, I plan for there to be some action and such.

4. I do plan to update sooner, but I've still got two other stories to update and revising a story that I plan to publish and make a book, plus another story or two that I've been thinking of for publishing, writing poetry, and loads of school work so...

5. Preferably the next chapter will be at least another page longer... this is all four pages on Microsoft WordPerfect 9 so...

Anyways please review and read the next chapter!