Chapter 2
“Once more, Your Highness, this is the proper way to hold a teacup,� the steward, Edmond said. “Here, do it with me.�
Danielle watched as he grabbed hold of the small handle. He picked up the teacup. “Now watch my little finger.� Danielle did so as he held out his pinky and raised the cup to his lips. It was sticking straight out. Danielle followed his lead for the fifth time that morning. There were four other teacups on the table in front of her, the handles broken off all of them.
Danielle put the teacup down, this time very careful not to break another one. She had learned all of this before, a long time ago. Her mother had taught her and her sister, Adrienne, making sure that daughters of nobility would be trained in that art. Adrienne learned and remembered everything, she was her mother’s daughter after all. But Danielle, well, now she had been a different story. Danielle had been closer to her father. She had forgotten all that other stuff and concentrated mostly on fencing, farming, and reading philosophy, especially Plato, much to her mother’s chagrin.
“YOUR HIGHNESS, PLEASE,� the loud voice woke her up. It was Edmond who sounded very angry. She looked around, then down at the table. “No,� she exclaimed, “not again.�
Only this time it wasn’t just the handle she had broken, it had been the whole teacup.
She looked up and smiled a little sheepishly. “I am so sorry, Edmond, please forgive me. I did not mean…�
Edmond was shaking his head from side to side. “Aren’t you a Baron’s daughter, Princess? Have you not already had this training?�
Danielle looked at him. Could he read minds? How could he have known the very thing she had been thinking about?
She was about to answer when Edmond suddenly smiled.
“Come, let us leave all of these broken pieces behind, milady. Come, follow me, other chores are waiting.�
He led her up the stairs of the winter palace. She so much preferred the summer palace, the castle at Hautefort. It was quieter and so much smaller than then the one in Paris. She sighed as she tried to follow Edmond up those steps. Well, summer was only three months away. They would be closing this house soon and traveling back to Hautefort. She would just have to wait.
“Here you are, Princess,� Edmond said, as he led Danielle over to a table piled high with letters.�
“What is all this, Edmond?� Danielle asked.
“Invitations, complaints, letters from admirers, etc. Each one has to be answered accordingly. “
Danielle looked at the table, then up at Edmond. “These could take the whole day. Are you sure this is what I should be doing?�
“Queen’s orders,� a voice in back of her called out. Danielle turned around to find Marie coming toward her. “Come, I will help you with all of these until you understand what it is you have to say.�
“Then this is a task for a Princess,� Danielle said, smiling.
“Well,� Marie said, looking at her. “It is a task for a Queen.� She laughed. “I was doing this as a Princess. I believe has been handed down from one to the other, but since there was no Princess.�
Danielle smiled. Marie did not have to finish, she know what the Queen was saying.
They were just about to open the first letter when a courier opened the doors. He stood outside the double doors and looked up at Edmond.
“I have some news, Your Majesty.� He bowed so low that Danielle thought he would never get back up. Then he looked at Danielle. “And you as well, Your Highness.� Then he turned his attention to Edmond.
“The Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent and the Marquis Rene le Fleur have escaped.� And in one breath, “your presence is requested immediately.�
“And whose orders are these?� Marie asked. “I do not remember..�
The courier handed her a note. Marie opened it.
“Please come down, my love, and bring Danielle with you. Henry is waiting with me. We have much to discuss.“