AMITY

CHAPTER 5

The next Monday after the week Amity had been assigned to the store room in the castle, they had to meet with Mistress Devine for new duties. They met at the castle again that week since it seemed all four girls were going to be permanent castle workers for at least some time.

The two girls kept their distance - Amity still did not remember their names. The nice girl, true to her nature, came up to Amity and attempted to start a conversation.

"Hello, I have not seen you in a while" Amity nodded at that for it had been her intentional on Amity's part to have as little interactions with this girl as possible. Amity did not even know the girl's name and she preferred to keep it that way.

"My name is Vivienne. Two n's and one v. You are Amity, right? It is nice to finally introduce ourselves" It appeared the girl-Vivienne other plans for them and their relationship though. Amity gave another nod.

Maybe Miss Vivienne would take the non-verbal responses as a hint that Amity was not interested in continuing the conversation.

The hint had clearly flown over Vivienne's head as she continued to speak. "I hope we get good assignments this time. Preferably something like the previous week's. That way we can avoid running into the royals".

Amity actually agreed with Vivienne. It was not like she had not run into any of the members of the royal family last week but an assignment like last week's would still ne the better option.

She could not imagine having to work directly for one of the royals. She detested having to serve anyone even more now, after her time outside the castle.

"Yes, that would be good" Amity, responded audibly despite her earlier objection to that idea. Amity regretted the choice soon after though, as Vivienne's brown eyes lit up at the response and she bopped her head full of straight black hair, eagerly.

People would unquestionably find Amity's aversion to Vivienne as impertinent and without reason but it was not like Amity cared a hang what people thought about her in the first place. The only opinion of herself that mattered was hers and hers alone.

However, to give a reason to this specific dislike of Vivienne, co-workers that had been too nice to her had turned into some of her biggest regrets. Also, just simply, she was not here to make friends.

Mistress Devine, like she had the week before, saved Amity from the conversation.

Straight brown hair laid and tied back in a neat and tight ponytail, maiden dress starched to perfection, face matching the texture of her dress in the sense that it was just as straight and without lines as her dress, Mistress Devine stood before the girls with no traces of anything but sternness on her face.

"Good morning girls. Good job with your last assignments. The queen was pleased with your work and her majesty herself has suggested that you girls be given permanent and better paying assignments."

The girls looked happy with the news and that was understandable, for who did not want the favour of the queen herself. Amity though, did not like where she felt this was headed.

"You two" Mistress Devine gestured towards the two girls whose names Amity still did not know. "Since you work so well together, you have been assigned to the queen's quarters. You will see to it that that place I clean at all times and provide the queen with whatever assistance she needs when she visits there"

The queen's quarters referred to a part of the palace outside the main castle that held where the queen took rest during the day. It was where she had meetings that she did with the noblewomen and the queen definitely had another jewelry room there. That was just a guess on Amity's side.

The King had one as well. Much bigger and it housed the throne room for meetings as well.

The two princes probably kept a house reach to themselves as well.
Amity did not know if the princess was allowed to have one.

The two girls nodded and bowed their heads in respect towards the queen and Mistress Devine. "And you" the supervisor nodding towards Vivienne said "You will be part of the second prince's handmaids. You will avail yourself to every call he makes quickly and with efficiency".

Amity turned to look at Vivienne when the supervisor said this because from what Vivienne had said earlier, it seemed she had wanted to be ass far from the royals as humanly possible but fate had everything but Vivienne's wishes in mind.

Vivienne looked distraught which was unsurprising and the other two girls looked at Vivienne with jealousy. Amity understood both Vivienne and the girls' reactions, evenly. Being around a royal could spell trouble but being around a royal could also bring favour.

Mistress Devine finally turned to Amity. If the permanent stern look on the supervisor's face could get any sterner, this was it.

"Amity" That was the first time the supervisor had used any of the girls' names. "The princess has requested for you". That was all the supervisor said, if she wanted to add some words she did not. If the Mistress wanted to ask how the princess knew Amity, she did not.

Amity did the best she could to not let the anguish she felt show. She just had to accept the assignment she had received with graciousness. She already knew the attention she was going garner for already having her name on the lips of a royals two weeks after she had returned to the palace.

The other three girls stared at Amity, mouths open and eyes wide but Amity was too busy trying to reel in the turmoil she was feeling.

Amity did not have a choice. She had t do as she had been asked. Aside the attention, she detested as always having to serve someone. Having to be at someone else's beck and call was not something had been looking forward to returning to. Having to cater to someone else's every whim was not something Amity looked forward to. To have to comply to another's request no matter how preposterous it was, was not something dreamt of doing ever again.

"The three of you, will go to your designated posts. Instructions on what is to be done will be given t you by the head maidens there" the mistress instructed the other three girls. Then nodded towards Amity "As for Amity, follow me".

As Amity and the supervisor climbed the stairs to get to the princess' room on the royal's floor, instructions were rattled of to Amity.

"You have to make sure to wake the princess up on time. You have to make sure that she gets dressed appropriately. You have to make sure that the princess is present for all meals and all lessons. You have to make sure that the princess maintains etiquette at all times. You have to make sure that the princess remains near the castle at all times until otherwise ordered by the king or queen and you have to make sure that the princess is in her room by her bed time every day".

It sounded as if the princess was some sort of pet instead of an eighteen-year-old maiden who could make most decisions for herself. Amity wondered if the princes were treated this way as well. She wondered what warranted this sort of obsessively protective behaviour towards the princess.

But alas, Amity was but just a servant and had to what was required of her. She nodded to imply that she had heard the instructions given to her and headed towards the princess' door, to wait until it was time to wake the princess up.