The Exiled Gem

Sister Heiress

'School?' Asked Mother Diana and Betty,

'School...' Said Sarah, thoughtfully, 'What kind of school?'

'A national service's school - I learned diplomacy, statecraft - self defense and now...'

'Now?'

'After five years of it, I'm serving the Empire. That is how I broke my ribs - a bit of an accident. Nobody's fault - I fell off a horse and it was a bad fall,'

'Oh,' Betty said, 'That must have been bad... but you know horse riding? Really?'

'Ye-s,' Alexandra said, wondering what their reaction would be if they heard what else she knew to do. Like pushing daggers into guts - and spying. 

'That must mean,' said Sarah, 'you have a salary!'

'Er ... yes. I do,' Alexandra assented, with a tilt of head. She did not know too much about the salary part of it, 'actually, I need a house now. To live in. A small one - just for a single person...' she ventured. 

'That depends on your salary,' said Mother Diana, quite interested (as always) in property, and sitting down. 'How much is it dear?'

'I-' she began, but it would look bad to say I don't know, it was the truth. Alexandra saw Sarah push her copper bracelet up her arm unconsciously. She saw Betty fidget with something on her right hand's finger, and then decided upon an answer. 'It always varies. Depending on my work,' she said. Another truth.

'So... the minimum? What could you buy with your minimum one month salary?'

Mother Diana was rather sharp when it came to money-matters. As much as Alexandra appreciated smart people, she realized that the owner of the Shelter for Abandoned Kids and Orphans had a shrewd inside to her loving exterior.

'One month...' Alexandra thought about it, nevertheless. 'I don't know. But two months of it ...'

'Two months of it?' Sarah and Betty asked, bending closer.

'This ... shelter,' Alexandra said, a little thoughtlessly. The three ladies around her gasped. Exchanged looks, then-

'You're rich!' Said Sarah,

'Er - I am?' Alexandra asked, for she didn't know. She had been a princess, so everything in Doveland had belonged to her. Fine. Then she had been exiled. So nothing at all had belonged to her. Still fine. But now - somewhere in between, having a salary - seemed a little strange to her. The idea was an alien concept. And just then, her eyes fell on something - Betty's right hand had a ring on it, that she had been playing with.

'Oh goodness!' Alexandra exclaimed, grabbing Betty's hand, and Betty tried to wring it away but Alexandra was a bit too strong. 'This is an - an engagement ring!' She announced, holding up the thin hand.

Betty blushed. Sarah snorted, Mother Diana smirked.

'You ladies!' Alexandra yelled at them, 'You didn't want to tell me?!'

'Mabel, it's not like that - you just found out before we could...' Sarah said, 'Yes,' She then said getting up and twirling, 'Mistress Betty is Engaged to William Atkinson!'

'When?! And who is he?'

'Just a month ago,' Betty said, still redder than Sarah's robes, 'then he had to leave.'

'Leave?'

'He's in the army, Mabel.' Mother Diana clarified, 'Betty met him through Noah - and, I'll let the girls say further.'