The girl walked with the queen in a long corridor until they reached the palace, from there, they reached another palace nearby, through a common garden.

And eventually, through fancy hallways and lengthy stairs, they finally reached the inside of the queen's bedroom.

"Wait here". The queen delivered her first order but her tone was different. It was more like a request rather than an obligation. It was strange given how superior she was.

Diana nodded orderly, sitting on the queen's comfy bed. She immediatly felt how soft the sheets were. It felt like sleeping on the clouds. The appearence of the room was gorgeous. There was fancy stuff every corner. The lady of the palace herself was a piece of art on her own.

Her head ached, Tempered by the injury on her face for one and the present situation as another subject to worry about.

Her eyes snooped around the room as the queen opened her closet, looking for something. Diana, however, got hooked by a certain figure on the left wall.

Diana examined the portrait for some moments. A large painting of the queen with two boys looking just the same, along with a middle age man carrying a royal mace.

Diana examined the portrait for some moments. That must be her family. But something was out of its place. The husband was not the same person she was holding hands with two minutes ago. What happened to her husband? And now that she is recapping... there was no sign of any of the two twins.

The queen noticed Diana's sneaky eyes back there, and just the same time her fingers got what she wanted.

A bandage.

She approached Diana and told her to hold still as she rolled bandages around her injury, patching her up and stopping the bleeding from further messing up her face.

During the process, Diana was unsure of what was coming next. She should thank the queen for what she had done earlier, however, now that she expressed a perfectly bad impression to the royal family. She decided to remain silent instead. Part of her was still feeling embarrassed about what happened with the king. How she messed up widely and opened her mouth where silence and compliance were the keys to her survival.

She kept noticing the queen, as quiet and obedient as she could, till something stole the attention of her eyes...

A glimmer, not from a source certain light but its reflection. She barely contained her confusion when she came to realise what was going on.

There was a tear gliding on the queen's cheek. The queen didn't even try to hide it or wipe it out.

Diana couldn't help her curiosity about the reason that made such a high-figure person cry. If anything, she herself could be a factor contributing to her sadness.

Does she love the new king that much?! Diana wondered despite such possibility being far from truth by oceans.

Scared to stick her nose more into what was clearly not her business, she just waited put till her mistress finished dressing the wound.

After making sure the bandages were organized on her maiden's head, she sat next to her on the bed. While Diana was feeling out the dressing on her head, covering the scar, her queen was sobbing next to her in peace.

Both sat there, staring at the floor for a minute.

"You have Edward's eyes". The queen spoke through her cracked voice.

Diana didn't respond. She didn't know what to say or who's Edward. Or if she was supposed to respond in the first place.

"I am talking to you, you know". The queen confronted Diana.

Diana stuttered with clumsiness... "E-Excuse me, um... I don't know what should I say or who might be Edward to you?"

The queen's eyes looked away, squeezing even more tears from her swollen eyes as she struggled to keep herself together. She looked at the picture, eyes glimmering at the figure of one of the twins.

"My...son". She whispered. Her finger was directed towards the boy standing on the left side.

"Oh". She said as she followed the gaze before the painting.

"Well, Where is he? I didn't see anyone matching the painting but you"

The queen's head tilted toward Diana. This time her face was dull and had a slice of annoyance but nevertheless she kept her royal compure while addressing her newly recruited servant.

"Haven't your father told you anything about the royal family?"

"Not directly, I heard only rumours. And not good ones". After the last couple of words came out, she wanted to slam herself thousand times over. This was no way to talk to a queen.

"Figures". The queen half-smiled. "Those in the painting are all dead. Murdered to be specific. I am the only one alive.

Diana's eyes widened in fear. Murdered? Here! In this fortress!? Who would commit such a horrific act with all those guards around?!

"I-I am sorry, my lady". Her eyes dropped. "Did they catch the one responsible?"

"No". Her heart silently bleeds.

Diana nodded wilfully.

Both paused for a while. Letting the air soothe up a bit and giving Diana more time to think more wisely about how to approach the queen as she gathered some courage to start another discussion.

"Why didn't you approve of the king, Your Majesty? I mean, you saw how my big mouth capable of". She shyly addressed her own mistake. Not that she liked to be criticized more. But her curiosity defeated her pride at that moment.

"Because the best way to deal with your 'big mouth' is discipline and maybe some manners. Besides, I agree that your necklace is marvelous indeed, I approve of the goal, not the method"

Her eyes shifted to the amulet. "Was the necklace a gift from your dad?" She added the question despite how she already knew the answer.

"It is. My lady. The only thing left from Endora. My hometown" Diana begged, as she hugged the ruby, afraid that the same scenario might repeat itself.

However, Diana was surprised by the queen's hands resting on Diana's shoulder.

"Fear not, you are not in prison. You are in my palace. Of course, you can keep it. I love my girls of mine to be happy and well-decorated. Your appearance is of an importance from now on". The Queen smiled weakly.

"My lady, I-"

"Anna, call me Anna" the queen declared her name to her audience.

Delighted by the opposing to the expected, Diana was more than welcoming with the queen's kind-hearted impression. She gradually accepted her new position as one of the maids of the queen. Making peace with the past and slowly opening up to the future.

As time went on, Anna slowly trusted Diana enough to let her know all about King Wain and herself.

The Poor honourable lady endured such a black past. But still maintained her stance for her people who adored her and also for the charities that she controlled all over the kingdom. So, it was high time Diana knew how to respect such a symbolic woman.

On the other side, King Wain was triggered whenever he saw the girl. That day didn't quit his remembrance. He didn't forgive her but he didn't condemn her either.

With that said, she didn't expect a friendly remedy. She was marked as the maid who defied the king face to face and lived to see his fury. That fury was always resembled in the harsh manners when speaking to her. He took the most pleasure in spotting the little mistakes she makes and reported them back to the queen.

He wanted revenge. He couldn't receive the idea that a girl who didn't achieve puberty mocked him and also has the favor of the second highest crown in the country...

It was infuriating.

Diana endured, maybe time could prove if her loyalty was true enough to win him over as well. Unlikely as it may seemed, she never knew that her life will change forever after one accident that would happen a year after.

_________________________________________

1 year later...

Diana knew the palace like the back of her head, with every room and servant in it. Her friendship with the queen grew ever tighter each day until the queen considered her more like a daughter.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

She was thinking about how fate made her change from just a disgusted dishwasher to a maid of the queen.

She was still a servant. Yes. But with the first Lady in the country by her side. Things got much easier at least for then. No fights. No dangers of wolf attacks. The title of the maid of the queen was still impressive, Her father would be proud.

Yet...

Her father. She missed him every day. She missed how she slept between his arms whenever she had bad dreams. How she is the little brat who provokes fights with the protector and the next hour he comes and proves to her what kind of heart is buried inside his buffed chest. The sweet pie-loving soul he had.

She hugged the necklace dearly every night whenever she slept. She was trying to stop believing that the hope of returning had already been diminished. Only that mysterious necklace and the useless dagger was all that remained of him...

...

Till one day the king was having a meeting with his governors. Yet, since the king was extravagant when it came to parties. He made one as a cover for his meetings, as the king didn't want everything to be too official.

He invited all wealthy and influential persons from all corners of his kingdom to discuss politics with 'em.

And of course. The queen was there, and by the order, all her servants (including Diana) had to be by her side.

The party was full of people. People who wore expensive clothes that implied how ribald rich their families were. Some of them were friends of Wain or high-ranking generals in his army.

The party went smoothly at first glance. All were happy and immersed in a loud random chatterer. After a while, the queen requested some wine from Diana. As ordered, Diana bowed and went happily to fetch some. Queen Anna wasn't fond of alcoholic products but she needed to keep an image. For her current husband sake that is.

When Diana went to the kitchen, she heard whispers and people talking in a very low voice, she was barely hearing them. Her curious eyes forced her to look closer, to see three figures—the head of chiefs (cookers) and the other male two servants.

She heard the head of the cookers begin. "We must do this tonight, it's our best shot. We need to be quick and vigilant. So always remember, after you serve him, we get to the back yard and we will escape through it"

"And what if someone stopped us on the way? We are barely servants!"

"Fear not, I know someone who could help us escape, but we must be sure he is dead or all those days of planning will be in vain!"

Diana was unable to move from the shock that paralyzed her body. She couldn't control her accelerated heartbeats.

There was an assassination attempt planned to happen at the party!

The girl silently slipped away, back to the queen, with a lot of questions in her head.

Who's the target? How they are going to kill him without drawing suspicions? And the most important is why they would do such a crime in the first place. Are they doing this for someone. A devilish contract perhaps? or just to undergo a Private vendetta against the victim?

Queen Anna gazed as she noticed Diana coming empty-handed. But also noticed how she was running away from something.

"Dear, you forgot the w-"

"Screw the wine! My lady, we need to warn the king. I think there is a plot to kill your husband!"

"W-What?! That's impossible! The king picks his most trustful men to be his royal servants, how can that be true?!" Anna questioned. "Diana, have you been overdrinking?"

"I am telling the truth!"

"That's Still Not Possible! The king had appointed tasters and guards everywhere. Both for him and me. It's highly unlikely he is the target". Queen Anna analyzed.

"If not the king then who? Who do you suspect, my lady?" Diana asked.

Anna gazed away, thinking for some seconds. But Soon after, Queen Anna finally came to conclusion. Uncommon, but if true, a devastating one.

"Oh god no! My lone sister's son is here!" A shock brushed through Anna's face.

"His name is Louis, Go Fetch him IMMEDIATELY!" The order came sharp as a knife.

Diana obeyed the royal order and rushed to find the possible victim.

But there was a catch.

She didn't know his face or at least what he was wearing. The only thing she knew about him was his name. She should have requested more information.

"Idiot! UGH. No matter, it would already consume more valuable time to find my lady now. She must be already searching for him as we speak. I need to improvise. A royal family member shouldn't be too hard to find" Her brain echoed inside her head.

However, There were at least 200 men and women there and the palace was overwhelmingly huge that it can shelter a population inside. It will take some time to find That Louis.

She didn't even know how old was he. If he is a grown man or a boy that is younger than her. So, with no information given. Diana kept searching blindly, through her awkward shouts.

"Prince Louis, Where are you?" repeatedly.

"Prince Louis, can you hear me?" Her voice was fading away pointlessly. She tried to ask the guests but strangely, no one knew him personally and there was no helping response received. Except for the gestures of the guests who looked at her with a query and other gave her a disdain stare.

It wasn't going anywhere like this. There was too much noise and very little knowledge of her mission. While the element of time was pressing against her.

Then out of the crowd, Her eyes spotted him. She saw one of the two servants she saw earlier in the kitchen, carrying a tray in one hand. The tray had a jug which was probably full of wine and a cup next to the jug. The man was heading towards another room. He was serving wine to someone.

"Maybe their target is there!"

Diana followed him, keeping a little distance so as not to spook him. She tailed him to the room, till she saw a tall boy sitting and talking with another boy of about the same age.

She presumed that one of them was Louis. But she couldn't tell which one.

She watched closely behind the room door as she witnessed her queen's worries come alive. Louis could be the one who requested the wine, indeed. But she can't confirm it. And she can't be absolutely sure that the wine was poisoned.

Her heart bumped fast as the boy laughed with his friend innocently. Unaware of the expected conspiracy made for him, as the queen presumed.

The male servant poured the red wine into the cup, and then placed it in front of the boy. "Your wine is ready, My prince". He smiled while bowing

"Bingo!". Her eyes were fixed on the Right side boy.

Prince Louis was a handsome boy about 18 years old, he was wearing a green shirt closed by several buttons in a vertical row, one side of his body, added to his black expensive trousers, and shiny black boots. He had yellowish-wavy hair and black eyes.

The prince took the cup with happy eyes, staring at the red fluid that soon would touch his lips.

Either she acts now or lets her lady mourn later.

"DON'T DRINK THAT!" Diana shouted.

Both the servant and the two boys looked confused.

"Excuse me? Who are you?" The boy exclaimed

"Name's Diana, my prince. The queen sent me to warn you about what were you about to drink"

"Pardon me?!"

"Here I will show you!"

With that line, she snaffled the cup of wine from his hands and handed it to the servant.

"Drink that!" She ordered.

"Hey, that's mine!!" Louis stood up in a logical protest.

"That's not for me! Besides, who are you anyway to give me orders?" The servant joined the prince.

"I am the maid of the queen and was sent here by her orders, now do as I say or I will tell my queen that you are disobeying her!" Diana answered proudly.

"And I am the servant of his highness, which means you go suck a lemon!" He smiled mockingly while locking his arms over his chest

"What did you just say to my girl !?" said the queen who suddenly appeared behind the servant.

The servant's heart dropped with an echo that could be heard from Endora. As he turned back to Anna and bowed to her.

"S-sorry m-my queen, I thought..."

"I don't care about what you thought! No one speaks to my girls like this! Do you understand this melon face!" She scolded the fat servant.

"Now. Drink. The. Wine." She repeated.

"Y-Yes, my queen" The servant grabbed the glass of wine from Diana. The more the glass got near to his mouth, the more his handshakes were even more. Till finally the fluid went through his throat. Finishing all the content of the glass.

"T-Thanks for the good wine, my lady!" He faked a smile.

The queen waited for a minute.

Nothing happened.

Diana blinked with a disclaimer. Did she catch the wrong person? But that man was one of the three conspiracy thinkers. Both the queen and Diana exchanged a disturbed gesture. Had the queen falsely accused a rude yet innocent servant?

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH"

A woman's shout broke out

"What was that?" The queen exclaimed.

After a few minutes, two of the Royal guards ran with thumping breaths.

"My lady, we need to leave now!"

"What is going on?" Anna asked

"You don't know?! One of the tasters of the king just got poisoned! The king ordered your quick evacuation" He declared.

All eyes jumped high.

"So they were targeting him after all" Anna smirked in surprise.

"My aunt, the servant !" The boy burst out.

When the queen looked back, she discovered another dreadful truth.

The man held his throat as a horrible thick foam was pouring out of it. Whether his last moments were filled with regret or hatred. He fell flat on the floor, with soulless opened eyes. Choking with his own poison. Dead.

Louis was unable to speak from the trauma of what he had just seen. Backing away as he stared at the corpse, swallowing hard.

Everything became clear to the queen and Diana now. There was two assassination attempts not one and they all failed.

Soon enough, After the aftermath of this tragedy. The queen and Louis were evacuated along with all of her maids.

The party ended, and it marked one attempt- out of many before- to kill Wain.

Diana snitched the identity of the plotters and after a couple of days, they were brought and publicly executed.

Days passed...words reached Diana that the king was impressed by her close save to the boy But as ungrateful as he is, he soon forgot the heroic action of Diana. However, on the contrary, Queen Anna never forgot such a feat and she promised Diana a satisfying reward later on.

Overall, the matter of loyalty caused tension in the royal palace that escalated with every hour that passed. No servant fled from interrogation or the heavy random inspection except for Diana. Anna vouched for her.

...

The night of the same day came pretty quickly. Diana went to her room, changing her working clothes to her sleeping pajama. She checked herself in front of her small mirror. Brushing her tall Hair, which was rolled into a bun before.

She had been thinking about all the action today. She didn't have such an intense time since her confrontation with the king.

Yet, one thing kept pinching her...Louis.

She didn't have time to actually talk to him. But his attractive face , filled with the motivation of youth was always the subject of speaking of all girls around her after the party. And now she met him in person, some of those tales were true. He did have that 'perfect' laugh of his, that captivated many hearts. And his seducing blue eyes were so peaceful as a river.

"Hey, what is wrong with me, how am I even thinking like that!" She scolded herself, shaking her head out of embarrassment. It was too late at night, and Diana felt something pinching her heart.

She felt...strange feelings...good ones. She couldn't control her smile whenever his face flash in her head. Her cheeks flooded with red showing cuteness and happiness.

Am I in love with that boy?! No, that's impossible I just met him today" Her heart and mind began wrestling. She didn't know who was right but why did she care anyway. As long as that warm feeling remained and no one was hurt, she didn't have a reason to object.

During her thoughts and smiles. Something happened...

Her chest began to glow.

The glowing light catches her eyes. She blinked at her chest in disbelief. The light was so pure and engulfing.

She buried her hand under her pyjama pulling out the source of light. The ruby that her father gave her, was shining bright in a pink colour that filled her entire room.

She thought of throwing it away, out of fear. Yet, she kept calm. Handling that weird phenomenon. Why would her father give her a strange embedded magic necklace?!

As She examined it with puzzlement...Another event followed...

Knock knock knock

Diana jumped from her place at her room's door knocking.

"Oh, what now" her eyes rolled.

She panicked for a moment as her eyes searched for a place to hide the precious shining necklace under her pillow. She hoped it wouldn't cause her further trouble. Then She approached the door with steady steps with common wondering.

Who would visit a girl's room at such a late hour?

She rested her hands and ears on the door. "Yea?" She began. Without opening the door.

"Hey! Um..hello. it's me...ahem... Prince Louis.."