The diary of a maid has a chapter on dusting . And espionage. But mostly dusting.

Jyanet was one of the highest ranking palace maids. She had been trained in being a maid since she was twelve, and had started out doing odd jobs, rising slowly through the ranks. Only the highest order of maids worked in the royal suite, and that was were she worked now. Ever since the prince brought back the princess from Erth, her job had become harder. Mostly because the princess was wildly unpredictable and independent. Jyanet would suddenly find she had destroyed a vase, or a picture, sometimes thrown her food across the room. The worst was when the princess would suddenly disappear without warning. Presumably, wandering the palace without an escort, unsupervised. She suppressed a dangerously reprobative thought about the girl.

Jyanet knew she should not feel anything negative for the alien.In fact, before the princess came here, the prince had called those who waited on the royal suite for a meeting. The prince! She had come face to face with the prince, who had been rather scary, though swoon-fully handsome. She understood why so many of the younger maids took evening shifts in his study in hopes of seeing him.

Anyway, the prince had, very scarily, impressed upon them that showing any kind of distaste or enmity to the foreigner was going to leave him very, very angry. It had left some of the younger bellboys crying. To show any kind of distaste or negative emotion to a master went against her code of conduct personally. However, with the alien, she had to forcefully restrain some of her disapproval when the princess returned from another unchaperoned tour, or had a screaming match with the prince.

It was like this when, one day the prince returned to the suite with the truant princess in his arms.

Jyanet was dusting the curtains, when the prince came in. He looked at her and flicked his eyes over to the bed. She hurried over and parted the covers so he could put the princess in and began to pull the covers back over her. She tried not to show any kind of surprise at the princess's bedraggled appearance, and grimy blotches on her skin. She supposed she should send the younger ones to run a bath for her later. The prince stood at the foot of the bed, still staring at the princess, so she ducked her head and went back to dusting, realising he wanted her to move.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him bend over her. She quickly averted her eyes. She knew prying was wrong really, and if she was caught, she wouldn't reach home alive too. Yet, there was something about the lives of the prince and the princess that drew people in. There was something magnetic about them. They were both wildly passionate people, and very intriguing. It was not a wonder the nobles and courtiers were very captivated by them.

She sometimes supervised guest room cleanings, and had met many nobles who disliked the prince, but still couldn't help but be drawn to him.

Much of the workers and ladies of the court craved the gossip and the strange stories about that horrid Erthling. Of course, she didn't really divulge anything to anyone, except to...him. That nobleman. He had saved her and her children from a certain death, and she was also sure he didn't really wish the princess ill. He had told her, it was to keep an eye on her. To make sure no trouble came to her, and she knew he was trustable, because he had saved her. He was very high up in the hierachy, so he could possible have no further ambition really.

Anyway her information was of no importance really, and she did believe he could not really do any harm to anyone with it. So she had acquiesced.

She could see that the prince had finally exited the room, and she went back to the princess. The princess looked fatigued and worried even in her sleep, as if she had gone through a great trouble. Jyanet supposed it must be hard for the girl, so young, to leave her entire planet to marry their prince. She wondered what kind of love made someone so wild and independent, willing to leave their planet tied to a single man.

Though granted, she knew the prince was no ordinary man. He was something more. Something that unnerved even the fearless, quaked the courageous and inspired the witless. Though sometimes Jyanet was prone to wonder if the princess really came here for love...after all, if her tantrums, cold tones with the prince and disappearing acts were any indication, it might seem likely, she was here unwillingly. Strange...but the prince could have any woman, any Erthling he wanted really...that was obvious. There was no reason he could have brought her here unwillingly. So she guessed she was just imagining things.

Though it wouldn't hurt to mention this to him...after all, he had wanted to know about every little thing, and she really wanted to be of a help to him. Her heart squeezed painfully when she thought of her children dying and she desperately wanted to repay him.

Jyanet finished up her work, and ambled out of the suite. She reached this abandoned wing of the castle, cursing her bad hip. Perhaps she was getting a bit old for this, but really, she was barely forty. He always insisted in holding their meeting in this shady part of the castle. She suppressed shudders when she thought about the horrors that occurred here twelve years. The prince had closed off this wing, but they said, the old king and queen often haunted this seeking reven- Jyanet stopped. She was a grown woman. It was silly to believe this stupid stories. The castle wards regularly purged ghosts out back into afterlife.

Here she reached a room, their normal meeting place, devoid of doors because the magical enchanted doors were taken away to save power for other wings. He stood in the center of the room. In darkness.

"Well?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary Lord -"

"No names here! Surely you remember that"

"Of course my lord. The mayfly was away on one of his jaunts and this time the Royal steed brought him back unconscious."

"Hmm...he really won't live another day, that mayfly, if this continues."

"Also my lord, I have a suspicion that perhaps the mayfly is not here by choice. It feels like he is in a cage here."

"What!!" he exclaimed and then quickly composed himself. "That is interesting. Thank you for your good work." He paused, and then added, " Do not repeat any of this to anyone."

"I know this by heart, my lord." Jyanet bowed, feeling like she was dismissed she exited and left. She had an hour of tea break, before her laundry duty.

________________________________________________________________________

Back in the main part of the castle, in a particular royal suite study, a rakish prince exclaimed softly in a way that sort of made your feet like jelly, and your stomach like pudding. In short, you would have felt like a dessert for him to devour had you been there, which is likely what Kashara would have felt as well, had she been there. Luckily, or rather unluckily, she was slumbering a very troubled sleep in which the same prince kept caging her into a wall, looming unbearably close and then pushing her roughly to the floor.

The prince in the study, might have done the same had she been near, for he growled softly. "Oh darling, you have been a verry bad actor. Even the help knows you don't wish to be here. Looks like you are going to need some re-education."

_______________________________________________________________________

Tada. Extremely sorry for the super long wait guys!! Really I am so sorry. I did finish half, but last week was review week and i had presentations and practicals for every single damn course with no warning at all, and i was pulling an midnighter. O.o if you know me, you know i never stay up beyond 1, so it means business when i do -_-. I was up the whole week doing stupid website designs which our teacher told us a day ago!!!! 0.0

Anyway, really sorry. for those who didn't get what mayfly and royal steed meant - mayfly is kashara and royal steed is the prince. They switched genders too so that no one might know what they were talking about.

BUT it looks like Fallon knows!! Muahahaha ! How devious is he? A lot of plot right now going on? Anyone wonder why the castle wing was abandoned???? stay tuned for the answers? Who is Lord Faun, who is the mysterious man jyanet spoke too, how did Fallon know what they talked about??

I would like to hear your ideas!!! ITs so fun knowing what you think of the story so please review or pm me!!

Tom: what is pm?

Loki: Private message.

(onlookers in shock as Loki didn't insult Tom)

Loki: I don't have to insult you, because your intelligence is your own insult.

Tom: (splutter) how dare you! Technological and all muggle things are below m-

Loki: Do you want to hold my hand? I heard ice soothes burns. These mortals have this saying...what is it... Apply water to burnt area or something.

Tom: (more spluttering) Ink! Are you sure we still need a sentient air cooler still. Summer is nearly gone.

Ink: Oh never mind him! Not knowing the short form of private messaging is not a crime :).

Tom: I can definitely think of something private, and its better than messaging.

Loki: Yeap, private time, I heard it does wonders for self discovery. so get going bye. (boots Tom out) Now where was I...Aaah yes private time.

(Looms over Ink who quickly updates the last chapter, she knows she might not get a chance for a long time now)

bye

love

inkonparchment