The Princes Swords

Her Maid

I sat at my desk, a stack of mail in the corner. Four letters, to be exact, each stacked perfectly on top of each other. I already knew that the one on top was from my Aunt Red, who always sealed her letters with crimson wax. The two below it, I suspected, were from my brother and his fiance.

I didn't move to open them, and instead opened the book sitting next to my school books. I picked up the French story exactly where I'd last left off - the murder of the King. The fantasy novella that took me away from the world went on explaining that the Prince couldn't be named King without a bride by his side. Pitiful.

"Lady Celina, would you like me to start a fire?" my maid, Sophia, asked in English. I suppose that was the biggest issue with being one of the only non-French Ladies that attended L'internat de Gabrielle Pour de Bonnes Jeunes Filles, I was constantly jumping back and forth between the two languages.

Right as I went to answer, there was two soft raps at the door. I sighed softly, placing the silver marker into my book and closing it. "Answer the door first, please. And then a fire would be lovely, Sophia."

At the door was none other than Countess Theodosia Redferne, the only other Lady that attended this school that came from London. She wore the black school uniform with a lace headband, making her white hair seem lighter in color and her grey eyes darker. She entered the room, holding the dress up just enough that I could see her inch tall heels beneath, her brown hair falling in waves down her back.

"Oh, hello, Theodosia. I wasn't expecting you," I said, standing from my desk. Really, it was no surprise. Theodosia 'lived' just down the hall, in one of the best rooms of the boarding school. Regardless of her own amazing room, though, she seemed to end up in mine more often then her own.

"If it's a bad time, I could always return later," she offered, looking around my room with a quizzical eye.

"Hardly," I said, before turning back to Sophia who had gotten a fire started. "Would you get us some tea, please?" Sophia nodded her answer, and left the room to go to the kitchens. Theodosia and I made my way to the small tea table made for two that was sat in the corner of my room.

She handed me a couple letters, which I added to my small stack. I'd learned that the whoever ran the mail box sorting downstairs could read maybe three words in English, not including my name or Theodosia's. Anything formally addressed with the word 'Countess' got put into either Theodosia's or my own box, and our mail was constantly mixed.

"You may want to read those instead of throwing them into the pile. One has your family seal, and then another has the Royal seal," she said, watching me move methodically around my room. Sophia came in, set out the two tea cups. Put the sugar by me, the tea pot in the middle, and the honey by Theodosia. She quickly poured us each a cup, adding two scoops of sugar and a bit of cream to Theodosia's cup, and a swirl of honey to my own.

I held onto the envelope from the Prince when I sat back in my seat. Quickly dismissing Sophia, who went to stand by the door in case we needed her, I began to open it. "You don't mind if I read this now, do you? As, it is from the Crowned Prince after all."

Theodosia simply raised an eyebrow at me, and watched me carefully open the letter. I didn't break the wax seal when I opened it, or tear the soft paper. I pulled the contents from the envelope, finding not one, and not even the two I was used too, but rather four papers.

Opening the first, I scanned my eyes over the inky black words of the page.

My Dearest, Countess Celina Phantomhive,

I know you are busy with your studies, but still I would wish to invite you to come home for the entirety of the month of December. Or, at least, I would ask you to come home for the holidays this year, rather than you staying at L'internat de Gabrielle Pour de Bonnes Jeunes Filles as you have in the previous years.