Chapter 2: dining with the princess

Very early the next day, Diana woke up and her maids helped her to prepare for bath.  They filled the warm water with flowers and they helped her took her bath. While others are helping the princess in the bathroom, Irene is selecting a dress for the princess to wear.

She ran her hands through the princess closet not knowing the exact dress to pick for the princess.

The princess can be picky sometimes and can be cooperative sometimes too.

Irene has been princess Diana personal maid since when she was 14 days old. So Diana grew up knowing one true friend which is Irene. She's the only person she can reveal her top secrets to since she's the only one she spends most of her time with. Even Arthur Claudius, her cousin she grew up with in the palace who's the same age as her, she don't even trust him with her life issues. She sees  him as a replica of his father Claudius Odysseus and his mother who has never smiled at her before.

Sometimes she wonder if that woman knows how to smile at all.

Irene pick a purple long dress with beads at the Hems of the gown adorn with beautiful flowers.

She picked a golden bangle and a bracelet and put it on the bed. She ran her eyes through the princess shoe closets and her eyes landed on a black shoe with golden designs at the up. She picked it and place it beside the clothes on the bed. She stood behind the dressing mirror and waited for the princess to come out from the bathroom with the other maids.

The door clicked open and the princess walks out wearing a blue short robe revealing her fair long legs.  The maids help her to the dressing table and she sat down on the chair in front of the mirror. The large wooden mirror was hanged in the wall with the initial DIANA carved on it and without being told, you will know it belongs to the princess Diana.

The entire room was filled with the scent of the princess cologne. Irene immediately set to work. She braided the princess backward with a butterfly pin as an adornment.

She applied the ancient oil which makes still to be soft always on the princess body and order the maids to bring the dress on the bed.

She showed the shirt to the princess if she like it and she nodded in agreement.

They helped put the dress on and they set to leave.

Diana looked at herself in the mirror and she smiled to herself. She probably like what she saw in the mirror.

"Elena!" Diana called walking to the window.

"Yes your majesty" Elene who's one of Diana maid reply with a bow.

"Tell my parents I would like to have breakfast alone here in my room" Diana said her green eyes counting the soldiers outside her window.

"Alright your majesty" Elena bowed and leave the room to deliver the princess message.

Elena is a gentle maid, a loyal one at that. She was assigned to Diana when she was 3 years old after she lost her parents to the cold hands of death. The royal family took her in and assign her to Diana.

Diana's five maids are all older than her. Some of them started serving her when they were sixteen and some eighteen.

The maid comes back shortly and the one in charge of food went to get the princess food from the royal kitchen.

Few minutes later , she came in with so many foods and bunch of fruits.

She prepared the table and Drew the princess attention.

Diana walked towards the table and sat down quietly. Sho observe the food for some seconds and sigh deeply.

"Irene" she called and Irene walks towards her with a bow.

"You people should join me" she said dishing her food by herself and the maids all turn to look at her.

They haven't heard of any princess calling her maids to dine with her. If the king or queen finds out, they will probably be in trouble.

"We are sorry your majesty, we are not entitled to dine with you" Irene said on behalf of herself and the other maids.

Diana smile bitterly to herself and think about something for a while. She wonder what's so special about being a princess and treating others as plague. These are the things she will put an end to when she finally take the throne.

"But why? " She asked bitterly.

"If the king or queen finds out, we will be in soup" Elena reply shivering.

" Then don't let them know" Diana said more like an order with authority in her voice.

"Your majesty" They called in unison trying to resist the offer.

"It's an order. I want you to dine and wine with me and neither the king or queen must know about it. Is that understood?"  She said filling her glass with grape wine.

" Yes your majesty" They all chorused and sit around the table.

"Alice, please lock the door. No one must come inside without my permission" she said putting vegetables in her mouth.

" Yes your majesty" Alice reply and went to carry out the order.

" What are you people waiting for? Eat with me" Diana said and they start digging on their food with joy in their heart.

Diana not minding her royal status dropped her utensils and dig the food with her bare hands which made them burst into a hilarious laughter.

The joy in their face was priceless as one of their dream of dining with the princess and eating with the royal plates come to pass.

"Come on Elena, don't be so selfish" Alice said dragging a big portion of meat with Elena.

" You can have mine Alice" Diana said laughing hard when she see the expression on Alice face after Elena managed to force the meat in her mouth and do justice to it"

" Your majesty, that meat belongs to you" Alice said gulping her wine down in a go.

" Okay let's share it" Diana suggested and a smile crept into Alice face.

"Her Majesty, princess Diana is so kind" Irene said with a smile on her face.

" Yes Irene, I never knew I will eat with royal dish someday not even in this lifetime" Elena said gulping down another full glass of grape wine.

" Take it easy Elena, you might choke on your food" Diana said walking to her bedside.

"Alright your majesty" Elena reply as she took her last bite of her meat.

" Alright Alice, you people should clean the table and return the dishes to the royal kitchen" Irene order and Alice and the other two maids carry out the order.

Diana grab an apple from the tray on her reading desk along with a mythical book titled HELA .

She sat down on her bed and flip through the pages of the book until she get to the folded part. She actually did that to remember where she stopped. She ran her eyes through the book and biting the Apple in her hand consecutively while Irene sat on the chair close to the window and watch the princess while Elena sat on the floor lazily.

The others reply not quite long and the princess turned to face them.

"I am planning to give you my maids today as a day of rest" Diana said flickering her long lashes and the maids squeal in excitement.

"You can just sleep the entire day in your quarters or probably just walk around the palace I don't mind" Diana added dropping the book in her hand on the bed.

" Thank you your majesty" They chorused in unison as they go down on their knees.

"You're welcome" Diana said raising them up to their Feet.

"Irene you're excluded, the others can leave" Diana said still standing on the same spot.

" Thank you your majesty" They squeal and rush out with excitement in their voice.

On their way out one of the soldiers guarding the princess door drew Alice back and the other maids turn to look at them.

"You guys can go until, I will join you shortly" Alice said giving them a nod for them to go on.

The others scurried down the hall way to their quarters. Some are even planing to sleep the entire day while some just want to talk all day.

"What do you want from me?"  Alice asked Dante one of the royal soldiers guarding princess Diana chamber.

Dante sigh not knowing how to make Alice see what he has for her. He holds her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I want you Alice, I love you. I want you to give me a chance in your life" Dante said with pleading eyes..

His golden eyes and black hair make him look more like a super hero.

"Dante please stop" Alice said looking embarrassed and the other soldier turned to look at them.

"Alice please try and understand. I really love you so much. I don't even know how to express my feelings for you. Please consider my request" Dante said with sincerity in his voice as he look intently at Alice.

"Umm Dante, I have to go no. I will think about it" Alice said as she run down the hall way to her quarter when Dante yelled after her.

"There is nothing to think about Alice" Dante yelled after looking frustrated and the other soldier Dimitri laughed sarcastically at him.

"Why are you laughing" Dante asked glaring at him.

"Nothing but you should see how you look right now" Dimitri said covering his mouth with his palms as try to suppress the laughter trying to force its way out.

"Whatever. You really don't know how feel about that lady" Dante said sighing heavily as he looked down the hallway.

"Take a cool pill, I really don't want to know" Dimitri said laughing at Dante's frustrated face.

"Forget it" Dante said focusing on his duty post.

Alice run down the hallway with her heart thumping on her chest. She ran into the room and lock the door behind her as she stood at the door with one of her hand in her chest and the other one supporting her against the door.

The other three maid including Elena turned to face the door when they heard someone barged in.

They look at her with confusion in her mind sighing heavily when they realise it's not an intruder but Alice.

"Why do you have to barge inside the room like that?" Elena asked dropping her hand from her chest and Alice just stare at her without saying anything.

"I thought it was an intruder" Kate said with her green eyes pupping out of their socket and her red hair falling on her back.

"I almost had a heart attack Alice" Sarah yelled and Alice just walk towards bedside and took her seat on the bed.

She looked down for some seconds and thought about what Dante told her earlier and her heart tump in her chest.

She turned to face her colleagues with pleading eyes and apologise for her actions.

"I am sorry, I didn't mean to barge in that way" she apologise looking at them and Sarah scoff.

" Must you barge in that way? Tell me what was chasing you? " Sarah said looking pissed off as she lay back on her bed.

"Wait, did Dante chase you all the way down here? " Elena asked not taking her eyes off Alice.

"Hell no!" Alice reply lifting her hands in the air as she fall down on her bed.

"So what was chasing you then?" Kate ask still sitting on her bed raising her brows slightly.

"It was a lizard. The lizard fell from the lamp fixed on the hall way and It almost fell on my head so I ran for my dear life." Alice said acting all real after cooking up a sweet lie.

Anyway I don't see any reason why Alice should run down the hallway to her quarters.

"Whatever" they scoff in unison and return back to what they were doing before.