The Queen's Handmaiden

An Unexpected Friendship

“So, boxes of cake, huh?”

Jane missed the joking tone behind the prince’s question and finding herself in a bad place, being found bad-mouthing the potential future queen of the kingdom, began explaining herself, “Your Highness, I don’t know how much you heard but-”

Before she could continue, Richard simply stated, “Oh I heard enough.” Jane’s eyes grew wider as she once again tried to cover her mistake, slapping herself mentally for not checking her surroundings before beginning to express her thoughts so freely.

Richard had found sanctuary in his mother’s favorite rose garden when he overheard a pair of palace maids making fun of the ladies in the ballroom. If it was his older self, the poor girls might’ve lost their jobs, but Regiim Academy had done its magic. He had learned to step outside the rules once in a while and stop being as rigid as he once used to be. So instead of rebuking the girls, he simply walked closer to join the conversation.

“Your Highness, I was only joki-” Jane began again, one more futile attempt to fix her mess, but Richard remarked, “So you mean to tell me that you did not notice the fake mole on Lady Weathersby’s chin?”

Jane only stared at him confused, or like he had grown another nose on his face. This was not the Prince Richard she remembered. She finally realized the lightness of his tone when he added, “She did place it very neatly, and to think she believes it to make her look more attractive.” He laughed lightly and his laugh was contagious.

Jane couldn’t stop herself before muttering, “She isn’t the only one in there with a fake mole.”

That is how they spent the next half hour, laughing at the ladies with their fake mannerisms and pretense. “Your Highness-” Jane laughed at yet another remark he had made about a certain princess, when he suddenly interrupted her, “Richard.”

She looked at him confused, so he explained, “You don’t have to be so formal with me when we are alone. We grew up together. You are basically family. Call me Richard.”

‘Family’, she thought, for some reason, she didn’t like the fact that he believed her to be like his sister, but she let it slide for now and nodded, “Richard,” She tested how it felt on her tongue spoken out loud, “I believe you might be being missed by,” She took a deep breath, trying to avoid any unwanted syllables to leave her mouth, “the ladies in the ballroom. You should get back inside.”

He didn’t know why, but he enjoyed the sound of his name in her voice. This was, after all, the first time she had said it. Despite the fact that she was right, Richard did not yet want to return to the chaos called The Ball. He looked up at the sky, something about the night and his company, made him feel like opening his heart, so he did.

“You know, I have never seen my mother so happy, Jane. And it’s all because of you.” She tried to contradict him but he continued, “You know, I tried so hard when I was young. To do everything she asked me, to be the best child she could hope for. To be perfect. It never worked until you came into our lives and taught her to smile again that day.”

She felt a pang in her heart at the thought that the prince felt so useless in reviving his own mother. As he sighed, she asked, “You really don’t know, do you?”

He looked at her confused, so she elaborated, “Richard, you are her son, her only child. It was never me who did what you are giving me credit for, it was you. Always you.” He tried to argue but she unconsciously placed a hand on his and spoke, “You are right, it was me who made her laugh at my silliness that day. But the happiness wasn’t mine, I wasn’t the one who prompted it. She was already happy. And you know why?”

He looked at her as she answered herself, “Because your every accomplishment mattered to her. Whenever you won a duel or someone praised you in front of her, she smiled through the shine in her eyes because of how proud she was of you. She was never one for expression. You were always so busy and his highness was always working. I was only there to listen. It was you who revived her back to life. Even that day, the fact that you had advanced enough in dueling to begin against Sir Greywind, was the reason behind her mood that allowed her to laugh at a joke.” Richard tried to ask about the authenticity but she beat him to it, “She told me herself a few years afterward.”

All this was new to him. He had never seen the situation like this. He had sometimes even felt jealous of Jane-Anne for accomplishing something so easily that he had been trying so hard to do, to now realize that it was him all along. Jane looked at the sky and was about to remove her hand from his, since he thought of her as ‘family’, especially since she was still by profession his mother’s handmaiden and shouldn’t be holding hands with the prince. That is when Richard placed his other hand on top of hers holding his, shocking both of them and spoke with emotion, “Thank you, Jane-Anne, for letting me know. I wish I had known all of this before.”

Jane smiled, “It is not too late now. Even today, if your mother smiles, it is because of her hopes for your good future. To see you inheriting your father’s throne, to see you in a groom’s suit, and to play with her grandchildren. The reason behind her happiness is you, always has been.” They looked into each other’s eyes and just wanted to lean in. Jane’s mind tricked her into believing that Richard was going to kiss her. Richard felt so caught up in the spell of the moment, just wanted to lean in and capture Jane’s lips in his.

But the moment was over before either of them realized what was happening. The loud music coming from the ball had suddenly changed to an upbeat one, bringing them back to reality. Richard stood up and cleared his throat, letting go of her hand at once and removing the non-existent wrinkles from his attire. Jane too stood up beside him as he noted, “I should really get back now if I want the announcement to be made and this night to end.” His tone suggested otherwise.

But Jane didn’t catch the rift as she curtsied, “That would be for the best, your highness.”

And just like that, their older professional selves were back, their newly built friendship and the newfound comfort with each other locked away for some other time in the unforeseeable future. Richard was reminded of the ballroom with the music that constantly flowed dimly out into the garden where they stood surrounded by rose incense under the pale beams of the full moon.

He did not want to go in alone and asked Jane, “Mother would be missing you as well, you should come too.” Jane simply nodded, following him silently back into the ballroom.