337 serving the Queen
“Do you dare disobey me?” Esther said a little coldly as this was the only way to make Lady Tyra understand.
“I-I apologize for my mistake, Your…I mean, Miss Esther,” Lady Tyra corrected herself.
There was no reply from Esther as she only stared at Lady Tyra as if she was still not satisfied with her reply.
Sensing the silent but intimidating aura around Esther, Lady Tyra levelled their gazes. Esther nodded in satisfaction. “This is how you should look at me, with your head a little high up. Yesterday, it was all right to have to call me ‘Miss’ as I was here as a guest. However, I do think you simply call the other servants by their first names, don’t you? Tyra Ivanov, you are a member of the royal family, albeit a distant relative, and you are the head of the royal servants. Just look and address me as your subordinate.”
Lady Tyra’s entire body shook, but in the end, she had no choice but to resign to her fate. She nodded and said again, “Her Majesty must be waiting for us. Let us go…Esther.”
The young lady with honey blond hair happily followed behind Lady Tyra while wearing a set of working clothes embroidered with the crest symbolizing the Queen of Megaris.
Since she had walked the way once, the hallway leading to the Queen’s chamber was already familiar to Esther. She also recognized the faces of the other servants she met along the way, and they also gave her cheering smiles. Everyone was friendly to her; not only was she the saviour of the Queen, but it was also difficult to dislike someone as kind and gentle as her.
When they reached the Queen’s chamber, Esther greeted the Queen the way the other servants were taught to do so. She lowered her head and gracefully lifted a part of her skirt.
“Greetings, Your Majesty.”
There was a pleasant smile on the Queen’s face when she saw the blond girl wearing clothes tailored specifically for her. “Good to see you, Esther. From what I heard from Tyra, you have been getting along with the other girls in the palace. Is your room to your liking? I believe you are finding yourself more comfortable here in the palace than in your forest cabin.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you so much for taking care of me,” Esther replied with a grateful smile. “Everyone has been very kind to me.”
“Don’t mention it. You deserve it,” said the Queen as she continued, “Esther, I want to assign you the role of my personal servant, but that would mean that you will have to follow me around everywhere, even when I meet other people. Will you be alright with that kind of job? Or do you wish to do something simpler, since this will be the first time you will be working in this kind of environment?”
Everyone knew that the Queen’s personal servants were all killed in the attack, and thus, new ones were being screened and appointed by Lady Tyra among those lower-ranked servants who had been loyal to the palace for years.
Esther was touched by the Queen’s regard. She was aware that things like assignment of roles only needed to be passed down through Lady Tyra, as a Queen’s command was absolute. However, the Queen herself was giving Esther a choice, which proved how much she valued the blond lady.
Queen Theodora chose Esther to be one of her personal servants partly because she thought it was a good reward to the person who saved her, but mostly because of her curiosity. The Queen knew that if she had Esther as her constant companion, she could grow closer to this young lady and know more about her. Queen Theodora always thought there was something special about Esther, and she wanted to know why she felt that way towards her.
Esther did not contemplate for long. Since she entered the royal palace and decided to stay by the Queen’s side, there was no reason for her to reject the Queen’s offer.
“It’s my privilege to serve you, Your Majesty,” Esther replied politely.
“A good decision!” the Queen said happily.
Lady Tyra, who was standing next to her, nodded like Esther’s response was something to be expected of a commoner, but deep inside, her heart silently breaking. The mighty existence next to her was a kind of person with a status where everyone was bowing down to her, yet here…
‘Her Eminence held the power to make everyone in this kingdom serve her, but she is now acting like an ordinary person who is happy to have the privilege and honour of serving another, one with a status lower than hers,’ Lady Tyra lamented, ‘Alas! I am a sinner to have no way of stopping this madness!’
Queen Theodora turned towards Lady Tyra. “I will leave dear Esther to you. I believe you will teach her everything that is needed. How long will it take for her to serve me in my chambers?”
“Rest assured, Your Majesty,” Lady Tyra forced a smile. “She is a fast learner. She can start accompanying you by the end of the day.”
“Great!” said the Queen.
“Follow me,” Lady Tyra instructed Esther to which she nodded. She followed her towards one of the side chambers attached to the main room.
Lady Tyra had taken Esther to the Queen’s wardrobe, where countless clothes, jewelry and shoes were displayed in racks and shelves. The head of the royal servants made her familiar with everything that Queen would need to wear, depending on the occasion, the weather and who she would be meeting, in addition to the Queen’s personal preference. After that, she also even explained the Queen’s daily routine to her, starting from when she wakes up until the time she retires for the night.
Lady Tyra did not even look tired as she thoroughly explained the meticulous details to her about the routinary duties of the Queen’s personal servant. After explaining everything about the Queen’s chamber, Lady Tyra then took her towards the Queen’s study. Esther spent half of the day with Lady Tyra while listening about the palace rules and regulations that the servants must follow. Esther was absorbing everything instructed to her, even faster than Lady Tyra’s initial expectation.
After lunch, Queen Theodora called for Esther to accompany her for a walk through her garden. As it was summer, though the flowers were no longer blooming, many of the fruit-bearing trees were ready for harvest.
The Queen smiled at her. “Today is your official day working as my person, and this is your first task. How are you feeling, dear? Are you nervous?”
Though it was given for the personal servant to follow the Queen, as it was Esther’s first day in the palace and she was still new, the Queen wondered if she would be all right to be seen in the company of the Queen. After all, eyes would always follow royalty wherever she goes and whatever she does. The Queen remembered that many of her deceased servants were adorably nervous during their first days at work, especially when the Queen chanced upon a royal and they were unsure of the palace etiquette.
“Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty,” Esther replied with a bright smile. “I am honoured to accompany you in your walk.”
The Queen smiled fondly at her and they took a stroll towards the line of trees beside the rose garden. The sky was partially cloudy, thus there was no need to use a hat or bring a parasol. Just as the Queen was enjoying the refreshing breeze of the pleasant summer day, one of the royal guards announced the arrival of Prince Theron.
“Tell him to come to join me here outside,” the Queen told the guard. “It is a pity to sit inside the drawing-room in such good weather.”
Hearing that the Crown Prince would be coming, Esther felt uneasy while the Queen was happy to have her son visiting her. She even had a weird thought that perhaps, the attack was a blessing in disguise because prior to it, her son had been way too absorbed in his Crown Prince duties to even see his mother. She knew that his son was an adult with his own life, but it still made the Queen somehow lonely.
The moment Prince Theron reached the garden, the first thing his eyes noticed was the young lady standing just two steps behind his smiling mother.