Her Royal Highness

Daily life

Every morning is the same for us. We wake up ready ourselves for the day and get ready to wake Alina. I remember the day I was chosen to be one of her ladies in waiting. It was quite frankly the best day of my life. To be a lady in waiting to a future queen, there is no greater honor for us of average birth.

There are four of us including myself. We were all chosen from extremely young ages to be raised alone side Alina as her ladies in waiting. It is our jobs to help her ready herself each day, help her woth her classes as she needs us, and unbeknownst to us at the time but to be her only real friends.

Raina was chosen at a year old, she was the first. Her uncle held some minor position at the court and basically threw Raina at the King to be a lady in waiting without even consulting his brother on the matter. But for people who are not born from a noble birth the best ypu can hope in life is to get some family member as a part of the royal court in hopes to elevate the status of the family.

We all love Raina though. She's like a big sister to us all. Always making sure we're up on time, making sure we're all eating properly, and doing our own studies. Making sure we all stay in line and do our proper duties to our station. And this I blame solely on the influence of her uncle, making sure we all look our proper best at all times in case we should ourselves catch the eye of someone who holds a respectable position in court. I swear all these people think about is marrying off to a higher station in court.

Maria was sent as a gift to Alina after her birth was announced. As strange as it sounds to gift a baby with a small child it's what happened. Apparently she was the daughter of a lady in waiting to a princess in some kingdom we have an alliance with. She was offered to the king for Alina at 5 years old as she had already been training with her mother to serve her own princess. She was already considered old enough to start her duties to Alina and therefore be able to set the example for the other girls who would be chosen. The King excepted her of course as a means to show good faith between kingdoms. Maria is pleasant but quiet. We think being picked was harder for her. she was taken away from her family and her court and everything she knew at an age where she could still remember them all. She has never once complained of her station nor her duties to Alina but we think she has always missed her mother and home.

Tova is the daughter of one of Alinas mothers friends. She had married a knight of a neighboring kingdom. They met when Alinas grandfather was at war. He rallied all his allies and their best knights together. Tovas mom was a lady in waiting herself handpicked by Alinas mother herself for herself based solely on the love they had for one another. so She was more than willing to excuse her form her station to marry when she had told Alinas mother she was in love. When they came back to honor her for her funeral she approached the king with the idea herself. She said his daughter had been the best friend she had ever known for herself and hoped her daughter coukd be just that for Alina and offer her the same comfort and friendship her mother had bestowed her with. We're not sure that the King really cared to much who Alinas ladys in waiting we're to be but with such a string public display and devotion to Alinas mother the king had no choice but to accept the offer to keep the favor of his people.

And then there's me. I like to say we're nothing special. My father was originally just a lowly rank of the castle guard. Through sweat blood and perseverance he worked his way up the head of the castle guard when the last one retired. My brother being the prodigy of our father and his first born male heir worked just as hard to make his own name for himself. He succeeded in doing just that when he was knighted at the young age of 15 for his bravery in battle and his excellence at royal tournaments. So naturally my mother wanting something of equal greatness in opportunities for little old me offered me to the king as another lady in waiting for Alina. The king didn't really see the need for another one but my mother being the stubborn mule that she is said why not. Some queens having nearly a dozen ladies to wait on them hand a foot and why shouldn't the future queen of one of the greatest kingdoms have herself at least 4 to start. My dad swears with her persuasive personality my mother could have easily worked her way up the social ladder of the royal court but was thankfully happy to be the wife of the captian of the royal house guard. And with my mother's persistence and persuasion the king accepted me into Alinas circle at the ripe old age of 6. So from 6 on Alina and I grew up together. I loved every minute of it. She was the sister I always wanted out of my brother. Every day was a new adventure around the castle and a new life I had to adjust to.

The thing about Alina is she never made us feel beneath her and that's probably why we all love to serve as her ladies in the court. She's never yelled at us, never disciplined us, I can't even think of a time she's ever even thought to complain about any of us. She is the queen wed all happily die for. She is beautiful inside and out and if noone else knows it we at least do.

She always says we give her the courage to stand tall in court. Knowing she has four faithful friends behind her. To me, she's more than my future queen, she's my best friend. I'll serve her to the very end even if nobody else would. While that might seen like an odd thing to say it sometimes feels as though her grandfather would like it that way.