The Dragonfly and The Sword

Part 3: Alliances with flowers Part 1

The light filtered through the windows too early for Amnicity's liking. She deserved a few extra hours, or days, of rest, and, of course, less of a headache, for how brilliantly she acted last evening.  Amnicity had continued to perform amicably with all the guests after the grand reveal.  

I had too much wine.

"Marie shut the curtains." Amnicity moaned into a pillow lightly saturated with her drool.

Marie tutted somewhere to her right.  "It is time to awaken Princess. Most of the guests have already departed."

Amnicity instantly flung her covers above her head, hoping to dull her pain.  "If they are gone, there is no need for me. I demand you to let me sleep. My head hurts."

"Your aching head is simply a result of overindulgence in wine. While," Marie removed the covers from the princess's head, resulting in a string of curse words. "Do not speak like that!  Your mother requested your presence for midday dinner. There are still guests that require Vetusian cordialness.  Your bath will be here in five minutes. It is your choice if you wish to enter yourself, or if the guards are required to dunk you."

"This is mutiny!" Amnicity screamed, sitting up and pounding her fists into her mattress.

"It seems you have neglected your lessons for too long, my dear. Perhaps you should review the definition of mutiny." Marie smirked, gathering discarded items from the floor.

Marie winced at the contact of a pillow hitting her head, followed by the Princess's muffled laughter.  A handmaid entered the room with towels and placed them on the vanity.

Marie turned to look at the princess over her shoulder.  "Dunking it is."

Amnicity screeched, providing a rushed apology. "I am sorry, Marie. It was an accident.  As you said, the wine has affected me today.  I would never do anything to hurt you!"

The handmaid exited the Princess's room with a concealed smirk. She had only gone to refresh the towels. Instead, she found out something fascinating: Princess Amnicity had let wine incapacitate her. The girl felt the information so pertinent that she discontinued her usual slothful nature, repeatedly despised by her peers, hastening to tidy the dishes.

"You will not guess the antics within the Princess's room this morning." The young handmaid hissed to another girl while sorting through golden forks under watchful eyes.

The young girl shrugged her shoulders. "She wished to burn all of her lace because it is from last season."

"Not today, but she did throw a pillow at Mrs. Marie then blamed the action on still trying to overcome the wine from last evening."

Two other handmaids near her looked up and gasped. A small clang of silverware caused the small group of handmaids to be admonished and silenced. Nevertheless, the words now lived. They quickly traveled to the footmen assisting the ladies with the heavier lifting. Then, the youths, now budding with new knowledge, were sent on to new tasks. There were windows to attend to, rooms to tidy, table settings for midday dinner, and, of course, whatever Queen Christaline's artistic nature wished to do that day.

***

Today, Christaline required assistance in developing her elaborate centerpieces. Her Majesty's wish for midday dinner to be exquisite only made the pieces of even greater importance. Unfortunately, for the handmaids involved, sheering flowers for Her Majesty left little room for chinwagging.

Queen Christaline stood in the center of the room, diligently working on a new centerpiece. "No, after last evening, it would be best not to see another rose for a fortnight."  She waved her hand in dismissal.