Later that evening, the family prepared a dinner of steak and roast potatoes, to welcome the Prince into their home. Even though he was their guest, the mood was quite awkward. Mikael hardly spoke, simply eating without saying a word.
But what bemused both Rayvis and Irene, was the fact that Mikael's maid was also sitting at the table and eating with the family - as if she herself were someone with importance equal to that of the prince's. The children knew that their mother was just being hospitable toward her, but it felt odd. It was largely uncommon for servants and aristocrats to sit at the same table in a formal first meeting.
Ms Cather was a maid — with no noble background. Yet it seemed she wanted to be treated as the prince's mother, in a sense. No matter how much Irene tried to
