Just as they were about to head out to the garden, Rave came in and grabbed Valerie's hand. His face looked panicked and the air got thicker when he came around.
"There you are, Valerie! You were about to miss them! You're lucky that I saw them driving uphill. There'll be here in a second, come on!" Rave dragged Valerie and everyone followed along. They were curious about who was coming and why they were of the utmost importance to the young man and Valerie.
They arrived at the main hall, where they came in, and were asked to wait for Valerie. A large group of other maids were already there, bowing and waiting for something.
"My, Robert, who could it be to have a large crowd of people uncomfortably bowing and waiting for them," Margret whispered to Robert to be shushed by one of the other maids.
They took the horrid bowing position and the doors burst open, forcing Margret and Robert to lift their heads while everyone stayed down.
"Grand King and Queen, Felice and Theodore." A knight announced as they walked in, making Margret and Robert bow down once more.
"This place hasn't a speck of dust, my boy has been keeping up with the palace well, dear," Felice took off her silk white glove and rubbed her finger on a nearby vase and rubbed that finger to make sure.
"Of course he has darling, we raised him," They both chuckled and when they finished their faces went blank and they walked off, the queen a few steps behind the king.
Once they were gone for sure, everyone let out a deep breath of air and chatter started while some maids went back to their work.
"That was less, how do I put this... grand, than I expected their entrance to be," Dorthy said twisting her fingers in her short, straight hair, same as always.
"Yes, well, I expected unicorns to come running and doves to come flying in," Valerie joked, taking with her hands and rolling her eyes.
The others laughed.
"I believe you owe us that trib to the garden, Valerie," Margret said once she finished laughing.
"Ah, yes, of course," Valerie said before she was cut off by Stan walking towards them swiftly.
"The king has requested your presence in the grand hall, along with your..." Stan eyed the people near Valerie other than Alan, "family," he said before he rounded up the remaining maids and sent them back to work.
"Well, that trip can always wait, Val, the King, can not," Oscar said and Valerie nodded leading them to the grand hall. On the way there Dorthy commented,
"You know, I thought we were in the grand hall. That was the grandest hall I'd ever seen." Despite Dorthy's ignorance in castle rooms, everyone laughed. All the people there were raised up in wealthy family's, except for Valerie, so they should know about the castle rooms, granted, they ever paid attention in that part of class.
When they reached the grand hall, Malphus was seated at the head of the table with his parents on either side of him.
Valerie bowed like the servant she was and was ready to serve food or attend to the queen's needs.
"Yes, sire?" Valerie asked as she came up from the bow.
"Sit down, it isn't all the time the king treats his servant and her family for nice meals and a stay at the castle," The queen's face went from stone cold to sunshine warm in a matter of seconds, inviting Valerie to sit next to her while the same went for Oscar and the king.
"Thank you for such hospitality, sire," Valerie thank him after everyone was seated, Margret and Robert being at the end of the table.
"Oh, don't be like that Valerie. We remember you, you were Malphus' first time and right after that you were Malphus' date to his very first high school ball!" The queen said with so much brightness it could blind a person. Everyone besides the Nightcrumb's looked at Valerie in question.
"Ah! Your highness, I promised Malphus and I did nothing unholy that night." Valerie said flustered, wringing her fingers under the table.
"Oh, don't be silly, you were high schoolers, of course you did something and lied about it, it's alright I quite liked you so I let it slide. What happened to you though, that you ended up here like this?" The queen asked, sorrow in her eyes.
"Her elder brother died so that source of money was gone, but she was alright because she married wealthy, but they lost their shop due to unaccountable tax reasons," Malphus said and cleared his throat.
"Oh, you poor thing! How traumatizing, I bet it was extremely hard to learn to get your hands dirty, no matter," The queen turned to face her son, "Malphus, raise her pay, if she isn't getting 500, give it to her, if she is, give her 800," The queen said and the table was now quieter than it was before nervous about whether Malphus would agree or not, no clothes rustling, no whispers, not even breathing.
"Yes mother, I was thinking she deserved a bit more," Valerie heard multiple sighs of relief when his words were said.