Esmeliyah was still in disbelief as she made her way back to her pavilion. She snuck back in successfully and got under her covers.
With the shock came excitement.
Stealing the Prince out of North Chedii was the kind of stuff she had originally been trained for.
She squealed silently into her blanket then stilled.
It wasn't a vacation after all. She was going to be responsible for the life of a Prince in enemy territory.
Esmeliyah began to feel the pressure, if she lost the prince it would be the end of everything for her. She had sacrificed so much for her position, she couldn't loose it.
When her mind began to wander through the possibilities and complications this new mission could bring she did her best to drag her thoughts to the present.
'First things first', Esme whispered to herself as she burrowed deeper into her blanket 'I have to find a way to make it into the cold palace in two nights'.
That was relatively easy, she only had to upgrade her status from an uncompetitive runt to a threat. The other ladies of the harem would take care of the rest.
She fell asleep pitching ideas to herself about the threat she wanted to pose.
The next morning as Colene was assisting her with her bath, Esmeliyah asked her a question.
'Colene', she called.
'Yes your highness'
'It's the palace so there's always an event happening right?'
'Most likely your highness'
'Before noon, I would like you to compile a list of events happening in the palace this evening'.
Colene gave her a strange look but promised to complete her task.
Esmeliyah hummed a tune the rest of her bath.
When Colene showed her options for her day dress, Esme rejected them all.
'Colene I need you to be more dramatic with my dresses. Where's the elegance, the glam. I am a Kings concubine you know'.
This time Colene got confused enough to speak up.
'Your highness you instructed for these kinds of dresses to be made for you. We have one for everyday of the month already'.
'I must have been out of my mind Colene, these dresses are so humble. Don't I have anything more bold, loud, confident, enviable'?
'Um.. there's a white and gold Otunarian dress that was sent in the chest that came with the carriage. it is quite beautiful and I suspect it would be rather enviable as hardly anyone here owns a dress of its kind'.
Esme smiled ' That's what I would like to wear as my day dress'.
Colene almost choked on her spit 'But my lady, it's too fancy for a day dress. Forgive me for saying this but you are not queen. Even the queen hardly walks around so fancy'.
Esme sighed with an air of snobbishness.
'Colene what is the difference between the Queen and I. We are both married to the King aren't we?'
Colene paled she had served as an imperial maid since she was just six years old and had seen what unspoken insurbodination had done to people.
'Your highness you mustn't say such a thing ever again', she was so stern Esme felt like she was being scolded. Colene continued, 'You and I know that the palace walls have ears. Your statement can reach the Queens palace in a of couple hours'.
Esme smiled that was the plan. The queen would be very insulted to hear even a rumour or speculation of what she had just so boldly uttered. Although Colene had a feeling it wouldn't be the queen taking action against her. Someone was ambitious enough to want to be queen and whoever that person was probably already spun an intelligent plan putting in consideration all the competition that she needed to take out to achieve her aim. This kind of statement would no doubt put her on the radar as a competitor. The schemer would become uneasy that there was a competitor for the throne existing outside of her well layed out plan and she would, in a haste and panic prepare a quick put down for the new threat.
Esme was sure of it. She would be in the cold palace that night and not only that she would have a series of events to investigate that would lead her right to the harems political puppeteer.
Colene went to the door and peeped out of the inner chambers. She turned back to Esme in a panic and whispered.
'The outer chambers are crawling with servants who definitely heard you. Your highness you must say something to neutralize that statement'.
Esmeliyah chuckled 'Colene you have gone white as a ghost'.
'Your highness this is no time to laugh', the frustrated maid actually stamped her foot forgetting herself. She had never had a mistress as difficult and stubborn.
Esme raised her brow at Colenes attitude which made her recompose herself.
Esme smiled again and beckoned the maid forward.
'Tell me Colene', she whispered 'Have you ever lived in the cold palace'.
The maids eyes widened in horror. Though she was a maid, having been a head maid to Otunara's princess Colene herself was quite spoiled to a degree. She had accompanied the princess as a subject and friend since she was only six years old. She had enjoyed the privilege of so many things simply by sticking to the princesses side. As head maid she had never had to do any dirty or uncultured work. She had been educated along with royalty so she could be better equipped to assist them. Apart from the cons of living so closely with royalty such as their little disprovals that could cause heads to roll spontaneously, Colene's life so far could be considered cushy or enviable. Normally as the noble daughter of one of the King's right hand families, Esmeliyah should have been much more spoiled than Colene but as a member of the Kings Calvary who had survived much rigorous training she was not.
Colene was terrified by the thought of living in the cold palace. Being a princesses head maid meant that she had probably never had to be sent there as only consorts and concubines were punished by life in the cold palace but Esme had slept nights in the dark open jungle where there was a fifty percent chance of her catching her death if she fell asleep in the wrong spot.
'Don't be so terrified Colene' Esme scolded 'You would be facing much worse sticking by my side. Now bring the gold and white dress and pick some very bold jewelry. Also make sure to bring about five or six best crafts people from the fabrics and embroidery offices. They may be busy with urgent orders so take some guardsmen with you and force them down here as discretely as you can. I need a new extra fancy dress in two hours. Get me the list of events happening in the palace in the next hour and come with me on a stroll in the imperial garden after breakfast'.
Colene felt overwhelmed by her ladies madness but she bowed her head and reversed her way out of the inner chamber. She quickly assigned jobs to the most capable servants ignoring their questioning glances and then went to bring her mistresses breakfast personally.
Something told her she needed to stick closer to her crazy lady than before.