M E R E D I T H is a princess without a country. Her family, formerly the royal family of Borgavia, has been exiled from their home, forced to live under the rule of the Empire of Astoria.
A N T O N Y is a prince who doesn't want a crown. Soon to be...
Meredith spent the rest of the evening working for the Lady Catherine. It seemed that every time one chore was finished, Catherine only thought up another to keep her busy. The next morning was much of the same. By the time she was able to eat breakfast, it was already ten o'clock.
She made her way wearily down to the kitchen, where she found Ramona taking her mid-morning coffee break.
"Meredith!" said the cook. "Saved you a plate. I figured that Lady Catherine was keeping you from your breakfast. Freshly reheated too," she added, pulling out a stool.
Meredith sat down gratefully and began to eat the eggs and ham before her.
"What happened to you?" said Ramona, gently, after a while. Meredith froze, her hand immediately going to her face. She was ready to repeat the story she had created as an alibi, but Ramona held up a hand.
"Whatever story you've come up with, forget it!" Ramona said."I won't get involved," she said. "Unless," she added. "I deem it absolutely necessary. However, I have a feeing I know how you got that bruise," she finished, gesturing at Meredith's face.
Meredith sighed, looking at the plate before her. "That time I came down for coffee two days ago? Lady Catherine didn't approve of my taking a break. I...wasn't there when she returned, and so she became angry." She shrugged, going back to her food.
She glanced at Ramona after a while of the older woman's silence.
"Lady Catherine had no right..." mumbled Ramona, angry. "No right to mess with the way things are run."
"There's more..." said Meredith, softly. "She's planning on staying here for a good long while. Perhaps permanently. Isabella told me."
Ramona frowned. "I simply don't believe it. The Princess Therese ought to stand up for herself yet she doesn't! And she sees to it that Isabella doesn't do anything. I don't like it. Don't like it one bit."
"I suppose there's nothing we can do, anyhow," said Meredith, finishing her breakfast. "I suppose I had better return now. She'll be waiting for me."
As she was about to leave, she turned around briefly. "When is Anton...King Antony returning?" She mentally cursed herself for slipping up and using his given name without his title.
She saw Ramona smile a bit. "Should be soon. The messenger arrived only about a half hour ago to give Fulton the message that they'd be arriving soon. I suppose you're excited to see your family?" Meredith couldn't help but wonder if the old cook was not putting a bit of emphasis on the word "family".
"Yes," she said. "Very much."
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Ramona spent the next few hours stewing over the Lady Catherine and her ridiculous treatment of Meredith. The girl had volunteered to serve her and she treated her as if she were merely a slave!
