Meredith woke early as usual the next morning, and dressed for the day. Isabella would be spending the morning hours in town with her mother, so Meredith opted to dress in her working clothes and return to below-stairs to do ordinary work.

She was sent to work in the kitchen, helping one of the kitchen-maids to prepare breakfast trays for members of the royal family.

"I'm Diana," the maid introduced herself.

"Meredith," she answered, smiling at the red-haired kitchen girl.

"Haven't seen you before..." continued Diana, arranging plates and silverware on one of the trays. "Why is that? You new?"

"I was hired the day before the royal family arrived," she explained. "I'm the Princess Isabella's companion."

Diana simply stared at her. "Well!" she finally said. "You certainly moved up through the ranks quickly!"

"I suppose..."

Meredith took note of the bit of jealousy that tinged Diana's voice. She was obviously trying not to be jealous, as she gave Meredith a gracious smile and focused on her work.

She soon spoke again, however. She seemed the talkative sort.

"Why are you down here, if you're Princess Isabella's companion?"

"She's going to the city with her mother this morning, so I'm not needed. I wanted to come back down here for a bit. It's a lot different than working upstairs."

"What sorts of things do you do?"

"I'm mostly there to keep Isabella company. I went to the coronation ball with her, for instance."

Diana gasped, dropping one of the forks in her awed envy. "You didn't!" she finally said.

"I did."

"You're so lucky! I would give anything to go to one of the palace balls!"

Meredith smiled a bit. "Perhaps I'll ask Isabella if you can come with me some time. She was off dancing with her beau for most of the evening anyhow."

"So the rumors are true then? She's in love with that general of King Antony's? Kade?"

Meredith nodded. "Aren't they perfect together?"

Diana sighed rapturously. "Yes," she said. "I wish that I could find someone as perfect with me as Kade and Isabella are together."

They finished the trays and reported to the cook, who called for two other maids and gave them each a tray, handing the remaining two to Meredith and Diana, who walked together up the stairs and through the hallway that led from the servants' rooms and the kitchens to the parts of the palace where the members of the royal family lived.

"Who's tray do you have?" asked Diana, carefully balancing her own.

"Princess Olivya's," she said.

"Don't you think it would be sort of a let-down for Olivya when she went back to being a princess after being queen?" mused Diana, keeping her eyes on the floor in front of her as she took careful steps up the stairs.

"I don't know...From what I've heard described, she's not the sort that would be too bothered. Besides...she can't be queen anymore, because whoever marries King Antony will be."

"True, I suppose. Speaking of King Antony, I have his breakfast here."

"Don't drop it," she warned, watching the tray that Diana was bearing wobble a bit precariously.

"I've got it..." muttered Diana, concentrating on holding it straight. "Remember," she said for Meredith's benefit, having done this before when Meredith had not. "If Princess Olivya isn't there, just set the tray on the parlor table and leave quietly."

"Thank you," said Meredith. They reached the point of their parting, and Meredith recognized the east wing; she could smell the fresh air from the presumably still open window.

"I wish the king would close that dratted window..." grumbled Diana. "It's freezing."

"I think it's nice..." mumbled Meredith, walking off in the opposite direction with Princess Olivya's tray.

Moments later, she came to the door to Olivya's parlor, and knocked hesitantly. She could hear voices inside, which stopped at her knock. Then footsteps.

The door opened, and she saw Isabella.

"Meredith!" exclaimed her friend, laughing with delight. "What are you doing?"

"Delivering your grandmother's breakfast," she said, smiling. "What are you doing?"

"Mentally preparing for spending several hours with my mother," she said, grinning back. "Come in! You can set Grandmother's breakfast on her desk, I was just leaving." She gave Meredith a little wave and then departed.

Meredith entered the room and set down the tray. Just as she turned to go, Olivya stepped into the parlor, having just come from the adjoining library.

"You must be Isabella's new companion," she said, smiling.

"I am," said Meredith, giving the Princess a small curtsy.

"No need for that," laughed Olivya, before crossing to the table to eat breakfast. "Have you eaten?"

"A bit, Ma'am..." said Meredith. "I wasn't very hungry at the time."

"Here," she said. "Come eat with me. They should know by now that I couldn't eat this much if I tried."

Meredith came hesitantly to the table, and sat down in the chair that Olivya gestured to. As she ate the food offered to her, she sensed Olivya watching her thoughtfully.

"You're certainly different from most maids..." she said, giving Meredith a small smile.

"Why do you say that?" said Meredith, a bit defensively.

"Only that you've managed to secure a position of esteem in the minds of both of my grandchildren."

Both Antony and Isabella? She thought, surprised.

"Really?" she said, out loud, trying to keep her voice sounding perfectly normal.

"Yes," said Olivya smiling. "I've heard quite a lot about you, my dear."

"Oh..." said Meredith, wondering just what, exactly, the two had told their grandmother.

"Nothing bad, of course," continued Olivya, seeming to sense Meredith's unspoken question. "Isabella claims you to be her best friend. Antony says that he danced with you at the coronation ball. That was quite the feat on your part, I'll admit. My grandson does not usually enjoy dancing."

"I didn't have anything to do with it, really..." said Meredith. "Isabella sort of forced us into it."

"She introduced you as the Lady Meredith, did she not?"

"Yes," sighed Meredith. That was the only thing she could even be a little angry with her friend about, her only complaint.

"My grandson is a bit...reserved, I suppose you might say. But he cares a lot about his cousin, and he tells me that you've made her very happy, in spite of the pressures that her mother insists on putting upon her."

"I'm just being a friend to her, My Lady," said Meredith, honestly. "Everyone needs a friend to confide in."

"Yes, very true. I just want you to know that we all hold you in the highest regard."

Meredith froze at her words, remembering, suddenly, the huge secret she was keeping from them all. The secret she could never tell them.

"Thank you, Ma'am," she finally managed to get out. She stood, no longer hungry whatsoever. "I thank you for the breakfast. I really should go now...I promised my brother a visit today, as I have not seen him in a while."

"Very well, Meredith. Thank you for spending breakfast with me."

Meredith curtsied quickly and hurried out, and back down the hallway.

Diana had probably returned to the kitchen long ago, and Meredith was left to go downstairs on her own. She saw a harassed footman making his way up the stairs, a pile of clothing and various pieces of armor balanced in his arms. As he passed her, one of the gauntlets dropped from the top of the pile. She caught it, and handed it to the footman.

As he turned to give her his thanks, she recognized him.

"John!" she said. "I don't suppose you remember me! Evan introduced us a while ago."

"Meredith!" he said, grinning at her. "Of course! How are you getting along? Haven't seen you for a while."

"I've been promoted to the Princess's companion."

"That's swell!" he exclaimed, smiling, his reddish-brown hair falling into his eyes as he nodded approvingly.

"Where are you off to?" she asked him, gesturing to the armor.

"To deliver this to the king. He's leaving today, with some of the army, so Fulton took his armor downstairs to be polished. He sent me to take it back upstairs."

"Well, I won't stand in your way," she said, smiling.

As she walked back down the stairs, she heard him stop once more.

"Hey, Meredith!" he called.

She turned back around, smiling up at him.

"Every once in a while, the royal family gives the servants the use of the smallest ballroom for one night. They throw a great party! It's not formal at all. You should come! I mean...will you come? With me, maybe?"

Meredith laughed softly, then smiled. "I'd be glad to come, John," she said, simply. "And I'll bring a friend."

"Great!"

He continued on his way up the stairs.

Meredith smiled as she thought about seeing Isabella at a servants' party.