***

That afternoon, thirty maids were assembled in the detached wing of the palace. Ten of them were old hands, long in service to the royal family, while the other twenty were freshly hired. The crown princess was to choose her maids from among these thirty. They wore their nerves plainly on their sleeves.

“Hey, I thought this palace was in a terrible state of neglect,” one maid whispered. “Why is it so sparkling clean?”

“Yeah, you’re right,” said another. “Someone must have sorted it out before we arrived.”

“I wonder what kind of person Lady Rishe is. Ooh, I’m so nervous.”

The girls looked around anxiously.

“Hey, Elsie, that girl who was always helping us isn’t here.”

Elsie blinked. “You’re right.”

“Look, Diana. That impertinent newbie didn’t get picked.”

At her friend’s observation, Diana preened with satisfaction. “No surprise there. You needsomemanners to attend to Lady Rishe. I bet she got kicked out of the running!” Her eyes sparkled with confidence.

At last, there was a knock at the door.

“Her Royal Highness, Princess Rishe.”

The maids quickly fell into bows. Diana’s chest ached with anticipation as heels clicked on the floor, approaching the line of girls. From the corner of their eyes, the maids saw a wide-skirted court dress. A gentle scent washed over them.

Without even looking at her, they could tell Crown Princess Rishe was a lovely woman. Diana and her friends swelled with pride that she was to become their mistress.

But then Laura whispered to Diana, “Hey, isn’t this scent familiar?”

“Quiet!” Clearly it was some sort of expensive perfume. Or so Diana thought, but then she realized what it was. The words just slipped out. “It’s soap.”

“Huh? Did you just say something?”

“It’s soap. The same kind we always use.” Diana was sure of it.

The princess said, “Please rise.”

Why did her voice sound so familiar? An incredible foreboding gripping her, Diana looked up. She gasped.

“My name is Rishe Irmgard Weitzner.”

Before her stood the beautiful newcomer—the thorn in her side for the past few days. The smile she wore was peaceful and just the slightest bit satisfied.