A week later, urgent word came that the Duke was two days away from the Palace. The news shook the entire mansion to its core, as Madam Phineas wanted everything shining and spotless. Nitpicking over every chair and candelabrum, over every surface in the palace.
Emilia had to clean the same room three times a day after doing the dishes, feeding the horses in the stable, and also cleaning the rest of the stable for the arrival of the new horses and horsemen.
By noon, it was almost impossible to walk the halls without running into a frantic maid scurrying off to a new duty post in tears.
Another surprise came when the butler, Lancelot, dropped the news of the Duke's sudden engagement to Princess Ivie Eastwick of the Southern Isles. Emilia had heard tales of the princess back home; she wasn't too happy but glad all the same that one more person who looked and talked like her was coming to Therma.
Princess Ivie was infamous for her temper and germaphobia. So at the request of the princess's needs, the curtains of about thirty feet to the roof were removed and washed. The beddings and wardrobes were to be changed to accommodate her clothes and shoes, and a custom dog bed for her one-year-old poodle. The old mirrors and dressers of the mansion needed to be updated with new chic ones from France.
The princess was to arrive earlier than the duke to be prepared for the engagement proceedings. But all hell broke loose when Princess Ivie arrived at the palace and was told that the Duchess's quarters were unavailable.
It had been locked by the Duke himself since his wife passed in the west wing of the palace; no one was allowed in or out without his approval. Rumors say that after every battle, the duke locks himself in there for days drinking. New quarters, however, were created for her on the second floor of the mansion, but for the princess that simply would not do.
All Judith could do was complain at her exorbitant requests. Although the princess was insufferable, Emilia knew more of Judith's bitterness was because the duke was no longer an eligible bachelor. It wasn't odd for maids in the palace to swoon over him from time to time, but only Judith made it her life's mission to seduce the Duke, ranting on about how she would become the next duchess and rule the household.
Of course her dreams were now dashed with the recent bombshell. More so, the princess was cut from a much bigger cloth than Judith was. Their meanness was oozing out of their skins. It made Emilia wonder if the situations were different, they could be sisters. Similar light blonde hair and blue eyes.
As the only maid from Dystoria in the main palace, Emilia was left to do everything for the princess. After much effort of putting all of Princess Ivie's demands and all her belongings into the new duchess's quarters before her arrival, which wasn't easy, she certainly wasn't pleased about the news of being on a separate floor from the duke.
She threw a huge fit, and Emilia, of course, being the unfortunate one to deliver the news to the soon-to-be duchess, was scarred in the process.
"Do you realize who I am?" She laughed bitterly.
"Your highness, this is…" Emilia stuttered.
"Your Majesty to you!" She scoffed. "This must be some sort of joke!" She did a full twirl of the room, screaming with her hands in the air.
"I assure you, everything is as per your request…" Emilia's words died in her mouth as the princess turned to her in a deadly stare.
"Show me to the duchess's chambers at once!" She growled through her teeth, her left eyebrow raised.
"You, Hi-majesty, no one is allowed; the chambers are locked…" Emilia was silenced by the hard palm of Princess Ivie against her cheek.
"I am your future Duchess! I am not anyone!"
"I apologize, Your Majesty." Emilia rushed out pleadingly. She knew better than to get on the bad side of the new madam of the house, even if she was a horrible person.
"Kneel!" She growled. Emilia dropped to her knee without a thought. She heard the princess snicker from above her.
"I apologize, your Majesty." She repeated.
"Oh, you will be sorry." Princess Ivie said. "Lancelot!" She screamed into the hallway, raging in a fit of anger.
"Your Majesty, please." Emilia begged, crawling after her. Princess Ivie, unable to contain her fury, grabbed one of the late Duchess's paintings in the hallway and smashed it to the ground.
Mr. Lancelot appeared soundlessly a second later.
"Your Highness?" He asked in a slightly stiffened voice and with a side glare at Emilia on the floor.
Mr. Lancelot was a butler to his bones; he never showed any emotions whatsoever. But they had come a long way from meeting on the ship. He never went out of his way to punish her like Madam Phineas. All she ever received as acknowledgement was a stern warning when they arrived in Dacra.
"Dacra is different from Dystoria." He had begun. "It will do you good to learn to fit in." Among all the slaves that had been bought from Dacra, Emilia happened to be the only one that ended up in Therma in the Duke's palace. The others were sent to farms and other businesses the duke had in the capitol and other districts.
Since then, Lancelot would only ever spare her a glance, emotionless and stoic, but it was enough to incite the hatred of Madam Phineas and Judith. It was strange to see him rattled up before the princess.
Princess Ivie sighed dramatically before speaking.
"I would expect more from the highly dignified maids of the Dacra Palace, but all I get as the new duchess is a maid telling me what I can or cannot do?!"
"I apologize for whatever insolence she might have caused; I will see to it personally that you are satisfied with your next handmaid." His monotone voice caught up again, but he did spare Emilia another death glare.
"Good, good, but before that, surely you can't leave this one without a consequence." She walked up to Emilia on the floor, stepping on her hand with her pointy heel. Emilia belted out a muffled wail.
"Else you have a palace full of maids acting out and any way they like." She laughed.
His bow lowered. "She will be sentenced to hang by the gallows." Emilia held back her wince.
The princess laughed like she heard a joke. "Oh, you mean she will be whipped with thorns, right?" Clicking her fingers together.
Emilia could have sworn she saw Mr. Lancelot's lips quiver. Immediately Emilia plopped her head to the ground, begging furiously. The princess recoiled like she had seen a snake, even though she was the only snake in the room. And made her way out to the hallway.
Emilia, on bended knees, followed after her, pleading to be spared. She grabs onto the princess's leg, refusing to let go. Princess Ivie halted, biting her lower lip; she bent to pull Emilia up from the ground.
By now, a small scene had gathered, with Judith and her minion laughing. Madam Phineas startled like she had seen a ghost.
Emilia held in a breath, thinking she had been spared, that maybe the evil snake had a tiny heart. But her happiness was short-lived as another hard slap landed on her face, resounding on the palace walls. Emilia fell to the ground on impact.
"What do you think you are?!" Princess Ivie screamed. Emilia continued her profuse apology. She had come too far to die like this; she wanted to see her siblings again soon.
"Putting your filthy hands on my custom shoes?" She gritted.
Luck seemed to finally shine on Emilia, or shall we say Karma, in a deep voice that made an army of ten thousand shake in their pants. His voice filled the air of the hallway, following a chilly gust of wind.
The Duke of Dacra had arrived!.