Kate stretched her arms over her head and yawned. Even though it had been hours since she had been awake, she was still as tired as ever.

She walked sluggishly down the hallway and stopped in front of a mirror and peered up at it. The task at hand seemed daunting for her and meticulous, but she had learned in her short time of being here to suck it up and just do it with no complaints.

She grumbled under her breath as she began her task of dusting the mirror in front of her. 'Why are there so many mirrors in the hallway? It's going to take forever to clean each one!' She thought to herself but she wasn't going to ask.

Madame L'Armay walked down the long main hall. She peered into each room she passed and around each corner. Her eyes landed on the particular maid she had been looking for. "Ah, Katherine, there you are." She softly spoke, stopping a few feet from her.

Kate looked up from dusting the picture frames and turned to face her. "You've been looking for me?" She asked, a little hesitant about why Madame L'Armay needed to see her.

Madame L'Armay nodded her head, confirming she had been looking for her. "Yes, I have. It seems Princess Adelaide has a broken vase that needs to be cleaned up and a few other accidents I assume." She explained, resting one hand in the other.

Kate blinked a few times in disbelief. "You want me to?" She asked, tapping her fingers on the handle of the feather duster. "But I don't know where the princess' quarters are." She added quickly, still getting familiar with the palace.

Madame L'Armay smiled softly and clapped her hands together. "Good thing Embriella knows," She turned to the blonde passing by. "Embriella, I want you and Katherine to go clean up a broken vase in Princess Adelaide's room."

Embriella stopped dead in her tracks and whipped her body around. "Excusez-moi? You want me? With her? To clean up a broken vase?" She scoffed, crossing her arms. "You're not serious, are you?" She asked, giving a sideways glare to Kate

Madame L'Armay crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at Embriella, glaring at her. "Did I stutter?" She handed both girls brooms, pan, and rags. "Go now and don't second guess my words." She said, motioning for the two girls to get a move on before turning on her heels and walking away.

Embriella bit her tongue and groaned, marching herself down the hall, a broom and pan in her hand. "I can't believe I stuck with you cleaning up another mess Princess Adelaide made!" She exclaimed, once Madame L'Armay was out of earshot.

Kate sighed heavily, holding rags in her hand as she tried to keep up with the blonde girl. "Are you mad at me or Princess Adelaide?" She asked, wondering what was going on with Embriella.

Embriella groaned and glared back at her with a furrowed brow. "Does it matter?" She snapped, whipping her head back to look in front of her.

Kate was taken aback by Embriella snapping at her. "No, it doesn't. But it'd be nice if we could get along during work. Then after work, you can hate me all you want." She insisted, hurrying to keep up with the other girl, taking bigger steps.

Embriella huffed, rolling her eyes and looking back at Kate. "Isn't that what I'm trying to do? This whole time I've been nice no matter how many messes you've made for us to clean up on top of our chores." She whispered-yelled, her knuckles turning white at how tight her grip was on the broom.

Kate sighed, hanging her head down, knowing she couldn't argue with that. "I said I was sorry. I didn't mean to drop the water bucket, it slipped from my hands. I also didn't mean to shower you with dusk, I truly didn't see you there and how did I know how much dust had collected there?" She asked, looking back up at the blonde.

Embriella rolled her eyes and clenched her jaw. "Sorry doesn't cut it anymore. Maybe if you could be a little less clumsy, then maybe we'd all be happier!" She snapped, not even bothering to slow down so Kate could catch up or look back at the girl to whom she was speaking.

Kate couldn't help her clumsiness. The harder she tried the worse things would get. "I've been trying, not as you'd even care." She mumbled under her breath, looking at the paintings she passed by on the walls to keep herself from sending Embriella death glares.

Embriella stopped in her tracks and whipped around, her eyes narrowing at Kate. "You're right. I wouldn't care. Whether you're trying or not isn't good enough! You won't last long here foolishly thinking that your mess-ups will be forgiven every single time. There will come a point in time when Madame L'Armay and we will get fed up and you're back to your little countryside!" She spat, pivoting on her heels and marching back down the hallway.

Kate stopped abruptly and swallowed harshly. Looking down at her feet, she tried to not allow Embriella's words to affect her.

She inhaled deeply and looked up at Embriella who was a ways down the hall. She needed just to get through this day and that meant not bickering with the blonde-haired girl.

She mustered up what little dignity she had and scurried after her, not wanting to lose her. "Uh, Embriella?" She hesitantly asked, chewing on the inside of her lip. "I have, uh, a tiny question," She continued, worried about how she'd react.

Embriella turned her head to Kate and huffed, clenching her fists tightly around the objects in her hand. "What?" She snapped, venom laced I her voice.

Kate hesitated before she replied. "Um, well, what's everyone's problem with Princess Adelaide?" She asked, having heard a few things from other maids, but never having the courage to ask for further information.

Embriella stopped in her tracks and turned towards the brown-haired girl. "You don't know?" She inquired, wondering if Kate was for real.

Kate frowned and narrowed her eyes, unimpressed with Embriella. "How would I know? I grew up on a farm in Gascony." She exclaimed in a soft voice, stopping and tapping her foot on the ground. "How would I know about the royal family in general?"

Embriella sighed, she was in no mood to continue being hostile toward Kate, it was tiresome. "Everyone knows that she's a disgrace to the royal family, namely the king. She acts more like a whore than a princess, in the way she talks, dresses, and acts, hardly becoming a princess. Even when they find a suitor for her the poor boy gets scared, heaven knows why."

Kate furrowed her brows. 'That's odd. There had to be more to the story than Embriella is saying. I thought I knew Madame L'Armay but by how she just treated Embriella - and now this new found revelation about the princess -' She stopped her train of though by shaking her head. "Oh . . ." She shortly replied, trailing off.

Embriella began to walk again, not giving Kate a second look. "Just don't speak with her unless she speaks first, and keep your replies short. Don't overly share. Also, don't make eye contact, you're a maid, you're lower than her and our job is to clean up what needs to be done and be out. And for the love of everything, don't ask why the vase was broken." She explained, hoping that Kate remembered that.

Kate made a mental note of Embriella's words. "Of course," It seemed that her coworker wouldn't allow her to say a single word either, recalling the swift ankle kick she had done hours before when she merely smiled at a lord who smiled first.

She looked up at the tall mahogany doors with fancy golden engraving; Princess Adelaide's room.

Embriella lifted her hand, tucking her fingers into her palm and knocking gently on the door three times in a row. "You're highness," She called out, her voice laced with humbleness, something Kate hadn't heard before.

Adelaide walked to the door after having gotten up from her desk where she was practicing her embroidery. She placed her hands on the door and swung them open. "Oh, thank goodness. The vase is over by the piano," She pointed her finger towards the puddle of water, broken vase, and trashed flowers.

Kate was at loss for words. From the way everyone talked, she wouldn't have believed how beautiful the princess was. Anyone else could admit she was stunning, from her eyes to her flawless skin to her hair falling out of its elaborate style.

Embriella dipped her head into a bow, holding out the sides of her dress, curtseying to the princess. She glanced over to Kate who was wide-eyed and seemingly awestruck. She lightly kicked her ankle and narrowed her eyes, silently telling Kate everything.

Kate pulled her eyes away from how beautiful the princess was and dipped down into a curtsey with her head bow. She sent an apologetic glance to her coworker.

Adelaide pivoted on her heels, not giving a second look to Kate or Embriella. "Thank you," She passively thanked, sitting back down and picking up her embroidery circle.

Embriella grabbed Kate's arm and pulled her over to the vase. "Get it together." She chided in a whisper, kneeling and picking up the broken vase pieces and putting them into the empty bucket she had sat beside her.

Kate knelt beside Embriella and hung her head. "Sorry," She apologized again, carefully picking up the flowers and putting them into the same bucket Embriella's was putting the broken vase pieces in.

Embriella glanced out of the corner of her eye at Adelaide to make sure she wasn't in earshot nor looking back at them. She turned towards Kate and frowned. "Sorry? Try to look a little less awestruck, especially when it comes to royalty. If it was the former king, you'd already have been to the guillotine."

Kate's eyes went wide and looked down at the floor "Sorry, sorry, I won't do it again." She whispered defensively.

Embriella rolled  her eyes and inwardly scoff as she started to dry up the water on the floor. She was just in a hurry to finish the job so that she wouldn't have to work with Kate any longer than she had to.

Adelaide focused on the delicate stitching of the fabric she was embroidering. 'I still haven't found anything out about Katherine Beaudoux! This is so frustrating. How can someone just disappear and no one seen her? She must've left for Gascony, but Cedric wouldn't believe that, would he?'

'My hands are tied. I've talked to everyone I can think of and no one knows anything. I am normally good at getting information but I am out of options. Cedric isn't going to like it but he can lump it.'

'It's not like I can just walk up to James, Roderick, and Gallo and ask them about their sister. They don't even know me personally, and it'd be a little uncomfortable with them wanting to know why. I couldn't lie, although I'm not above it, and I can't leave this room.'

She glanced back at the two maids and smirked a little. 'Oh, I haven't spoken to them before,' She cleared her throat, gaining their attention. "I have a question for you?" She asked, crossing her legs and turning her body towards the two girls.

Embriella looked up and sat back on her feet. She furrowed her brows. 'I wonder why the princess wanted to ask us a question? If the king ever found out - no, I didn't want to think of the consequences.' She thought as she looked back at Adelaide and raised her eyebrows.

Kate didn't know why but she felt guilty, the knot in her stomach tightened. "U-us?" She stammered only to be elbowed by Embriella who had a stern look telling her she shouldn't have spoken. "Sorry," She whispered to Embriella.

Adelaide didn't understand why Embriella was being that way towards Kate, however, she knew it wasn't any of her business what the maids did. "Have you heard about Katherine Beaudoux?" She asked, inspecting their faces.

Kate froze, eyes wide. 'Of course, I have: I am Katherine Beaudoux. But why is the princess asking about me? I can't exactly lie and say I didn't, and there must've been a reason why Adelaide is asking.'  She thought to herself, trying to find her words.

Embriella didn't take notice of how Kate was asking. "Yes, we have, why?" She asked, a little too blunt, but because it was the princess she had nothing to worry about.

Adelaide hummed softly, setting down her embroidery circle. "Oh, I was curious to know what happened to her. I can't imagine how one would feel to be embarrassed as such and I'm sure her brothers are worried." She smoothly explained, which wasn't a lie.

Embriella raised an eyebrow and turned her head towards Adelaide. 'I wonder why she was so interested in Katherine. I could honestly care less about that foolish girl who thought she could be a musketeer. Such delusions. As if that could ever happen. She was just asking for humiliation.' She thought and replied. "I wouldn't know." She looked at Kate. "What about you?"

Kate tried to relax but inwardly she was freaking out. 'Why is she asking about me? Does she by chance know who I am? Is she going to expose my identity? No! Let's not get ahead of ourselves. It's common knowledge what happened, everyone is talking about me. She probably heard it and is curious about the whole situation. That's probably it. I shouldn't worry and be as honest as I can. I can't no answer her and I can't lie either.' She thought to herself.

She inhaled shapely and shook her head, letting go out slowly. "She probably went home. Anyone who was embarrassed like that couldn't bear to show their face again, I know I wouldn't."

Adelaide sighed heavily, leaning back in her chair. "Thanks," She said, turning around and going back to her embroidery. 'Well, that's depressing. I thought the palace staff knew everything that went on. Guess I was wrong. I have to find a way to find information or something to honor my vow to my cousin.' She thought with an inward groan.

Embriella stood up followed by Kate. She curtseyed to the princess, Kate also followed her actions. "The mess is cleaned up, your highness," She said, glancing at Kate to make sure she wasn't looking up and she wasn't.

Adelaide turned around and exhaled, at least the mess was cleaned up, that was one less thing she said had to worry about. "Thank you, you two are dismissed." She flatly told them, turning back again and setting down her embroidery circle.

Embriella turned on her heels and walked out of the room briskly. Once out in the hallway and with the doors now closed she turned to Kate. "Will you quit saying you're sorry? Try to follow the rules or else." She snapped, shoving her bucket into Kate's hands before turning around and walking off.

Kate took the bucket and watched Embriella walk off. "I'll try," She whispered, turning on her heels. Once out of earshot of Embriella she sighed heavily. "Mother would be so disappointed in me. Once again I'm messing everything up." She mumbled, hating herself for being such a klutz.

It was going to be a long second day.

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A/N:
So, I had a bit of writer's block but thankfully I was able to break through it and finish this chapter! I have been having a lot of writer's block, and I assume it is because of being busy and my wonky sleep schedule. Or it could be for a variety of reasons.

Chapter Talk:
Embriella still doesn't like Kate, and I wanted to show that. Of course that will probably change over time, but right now Kate is still in the learning phase: making accidents and figuring things out. Which knowing Kate, it's gonna be a long time full of trials and errors.

Adelaide in the OG draft didn't really have any part to play. Honestly, I can't remember what her OG name was. I never really had plans for her. Whoops, but in this draft she'll have a much bigger part to play and I'm excited to show you guys.

Thanks for reading!