"At least each of us gets our own room."said Toad.
"And plenty of nice clothes. Our size!"said Pietro, as one of the tailors measured him.
"I'm guessing that's all we're going to get to wear here. Just our uniforms. Nothing else."Lance told them.
Pietro looked around. He did have a point. Almost everyone here wore exactly the same clothes. The same color, with the same trimmings, same lengths, the same hats, and everything. The only differences seemed to be in the cost of the material, probably showing who had been there the longest, and had risen the highest.
"Don't I get to choose the color I wear?"Pietro asked the man.
"Your position dictates the colors you wear."said one of the men, taking down Toad's measurements. "You will be on night watch all tomorrow night."he told Pietro. "And your friend the next morning. For you,"he went towards Blob. "You will be in charge of fanning His Excellency's aunt while she chooses to stay in the gardens."
"I can't be on watch all night!"exclaimed Pietro.
"Only until dawn. At the front doors of the palace. Your friend will relieve you at dawn."
"Oh, and you believe he will?"
The man paid no attention to him.
"Breakfast will be first thing in the morning, before they prepare breakfast for His Excellency and his relatives. Anyone who isn't ready at the right time will stay without a bite to eat until the midday meal. The servants eat in the kitchens, and the Count and his family in the dining room. The first one to be served will be Don Ignacio, His Excellency's most trusted man. Your uniforms will be ready for you before this evening. You must not go out without them. Excuse me."
He made his exit.
"Wow. Sounds like they're pretty strict."
"I think they are."
"Don't forget to relieve me in the morning."Pietro told Toad.
"And you better not fall asleep while on guard. If they find you, I don't want to think what they will do to you. You don't want to be fired."Lance told him.
"All night!"
"You don't have another choice. It looks like whoever wants to work here, simply obeys the rules, or he gets kicked out. That simple."
"It's the first time in a long time that anything actually fits me so comfortabley."said Toad, as he tried on his new uniforms.
"And we wash these ourselves?"asked Pietro.
"No, you take them to the laundry rooms. The employee's uniforms are washed separately from the lady's and gentlemen's clothes."
"At least we don't have to do our own laundry."
Pietro left to go and stand by the front gates. On the other side was another boy about his age, and wearing the same attire.
"Been at this long?"he asked.
"No."
"I just started this afternoon. It's going to be a long night, don't you think?"
"Perhaps."
"And what exactly are we supposed to do?"
"Keep an eye on whoever goes in and out of the palace."
The next day, Fernanda went to the stables.
"I see he managed to convince you."she said.
"Well, did I really have that much of a choice? I really couldn't say no. If I did, what exactly was there in it for me?"
"Only to keep working for Nando."
"Well, he didn't look so mad. Just a little disappointed."
"I'm glad."
"And why did you send me that horse? It must have cost a fortune."
"Why couldn't I have send you the horse? Didn't you like it?"
"Well, yes, but why?"
"The daughter of a countess doesn't need a reason, does she?"
"Don't you mean a countess?"
"I'm not a countess. Just the daughter of one and a no body."
"I thought your father was…"
"My father is a no body."
Lance looked confused.
"You see, I'm not Don Ricardo's younger sister. I'm not his sister at all."
"You're…"
"Oh, no. No. I'm not adopted or anything like that. You see, I'm his niece."
"Then…?"
"Then, well, it's complicated. You see, my aunt arranged it all. My Aunt Petra, that is. She's my grandfather's sister. They made up the whole…thing just to…well, para conserver el buen nombre."
"Oh. And does anyone else know?"
"No. She plans on my marrying Fernando Ortiz. Don't you see? The Medinas and the Ortizs bound together, under the laws of the Church?"
"Are you willing to marry the captian?"
"I was."
"Until you found out about that?"
"No, I've always known. It was until I met you."
"Me?"
"Yes."