Genevieve sighed for the fourth time as she released her breath after the corset had been tightened around her waist, making it a little difficult to breathe. Mina and Betha are the ones dressing her up to look just like the princess and they put the last layer of cloth on her body which was a small silk jacket.
"I can't believe I am really doing this again," Eve said and turned around to look in the mirror.
"At least you get to go out of the palace," Mina said, sounding jealous.
Princess Isabel clapped her hands from where she sat and she said, "Wow! You really do look like a princess. Now it remains the blush."
Eve went to sit on the wooden chair and while Beth applied the blush on her face, she could not help but think about what the princess said.
"Why is the life of a servant so hard?" she muttered to herself.
"What?" Beth asked.
"Ah! It's nothing."
After they were done, Eve left the dressing room and head to the tutoring room, pretending to be the princess. On the way, some workers that walked on the same ground, stopped and lowered their heads and Eve held her breath for few seconds as she walked past them and entered into the room. Once she was inside, she sat on the soft pillow made for sitting and she released a sigh instantly and stretched her legs apart.
At the other side of the door, a guard announced, "Princess, your Tutor has arrived."
The door opened immediately and Eve's eyes snapped wide open before she quickly brought her legs closer to herself and she sat in a composed manner.
From the dark transparent veil used to demarcate the tutor's space from the princess space for privacy and to avoid trespassing, when Eve saw the glimpse of the tutor's face, her eyes rose a bit and her jaw dropped as she stared at him until he went to take his seat. Even though she could not see his face properly, she no doubt knew he was alluring and there was something about him that made him stand out from every other men in their kingdom.
When he raised his eyes to look at her through the veil, Eve quickly lowered her eyes and head and her hands moved to pick up the sheet and the ink pen. That was how confused and flustered she was.
"Uh…" she heard him made a sound and she heard some noises but she didn't dare to raise her head.
"Forgive my manners, Princess Genevieve."
Eve gasped immediately and raised her eyes to look at him in shock. He is standing with his head slightly bowed.
How was it possible that he knew her name? she thought. Then does that mean he knows she is not the princess? But how? These were the questions that kept running in her head.
"Who are you?" she asked, sounding alarmed so she would know how to act and to report to the Princess immediately. If words get out that she is imposing as Princess Isabel, it would get her in deep trouble with the Queen.
"Moon Moriarty," he responded and raised his head.
That name doesn't ring a bell, thought Eve as her mind raced.
"I recently moved here and I am still trying to adjust to how things work here, especially in the palace. Now if you don't mind, I will like us to start from where your former Governess stopped," he said and turned his feet but when he was about to sit, Eve asked;
"Why did you address me as Genevieve?"
Suddenly, she realized she should act more like the princess, so she said, "How dare you address me as a maid?! Do you not know the name of the princess of this great kingdom?" she raised her voice a bit at him, sounding harsh and she almost started to cough but she held it in, hitting her chest and gulping.
The tutor turned his feet back and he asked, "Are you not Princess Genevieve?"
At this rate, eve felt she would lose it so she stood up and said, "I am Princess Isabel, daughter of Queen Opaline and King Otto of Moon Kingdom. How dare you call me by my maid's name?"
Moon gave a deep bow and apologized, "Forgive me Princess Isabel. I must have misheard when I asked someone."
Eve huffed and took deep breaths as the corset was making it hard for her. Her mind was finally at ease and she said to him, "That is alright. You can now begin."
"Yes, Princess Isabel," he responded.
From the other side, Eve could see a smile or what seem like a small smirk, appear on his lips as he raised his head up before going to sit and she blinked her eyes immediately. She sat back down and they started for the day.
*
It was evening in the kingdom and Eve was outside, drawing water for the princess bath. She had already changed into her maid dress which was a dull pink that didn't catch the eye. At either side of her stood Mina and Beth who were paying attention to what she was saying.
"I have never seen one like him in the entire of this kingdom," Eve said and paused what she was doing only to stare at nothing as she continued, "His sense of dress, the way he speaks, his appearance…everything speaks royalty. But who is he, really?"
"he could be one of the king's concubines son," Mina whispered and both eve and Beth snapped their eyes to look at her.
"What?!" Beth half yelled and looked around immediately before hitting Mina on the arm. "How can he be—"
"What?" Mina asked and nudged her head up. "eve said he speaks royalty so you should be asking her."
They both looked at her and Eve blinked at them.
"Well,' she said and cleared her throat, "I only said that because he looks too perfect to be a tutor," she said and made her way towards the house.
On getting inside, she sighted maidservant Ann, the keeper of the house and one of the oldest servants, heading towards her direction with her usual composed figure and Eve stopped to greet her with a bow of her head, joined by Mina and Beth who tagged along.
Maidservant Ann moved her eyes to look at the three of them and then her eyes lowered on the wooden pail Eve was carrying, filled with water. Raising her eyes back up to look at her, she said, "The weather has changed and the water has become cold for the princess. Prepare a warm bath for her."
"Yes Maidservant Ann," Eve responded politely and she saw her feet starting to move as she walked away.
Eve fetched five more pails of water and Mina helped in heating it before it was taken to the bath. After adding the heated water, Beth put rose petals and added scents to the water while Eve went to inform the princess that the bath was ready.
Not a minute later, Princess Isabel appeared and both Mina and Beth went to stand at either corner. Eve took the Princess robe and she watched her back as she stepped inside the bath, naked. This brought back memories of when on few occasions, the princess would treat her to hot baths secretly and a small smile formed on her lips. She and the princess have been friends since childhood after the king brought her to the palace and they did almost everything together not until the day Queen Opaline broke that bond and now, Eve has been taught to keep her distance, but she and the princess still remains close friends, even though now, Eve knows Princess Isabel already changed over the years which she might not be aware of. She now uses her to her own advantage.
"What are you thinking about, Eve?" Princess Isabel's voice woke Eve from her thoughts and she looked at her.
"Nothing," she replied immediately and her eyes followed her as she went to the edge to take a bite from the fruit in the place.
"About the tutor…" Eve started and she could feel Mina and Beth's eyes on her.
"Yes, what about him?" Princess Isabel asked and she turned around to meet her eyes.
"I think you will like him," Eve said and when the princess eyes didn't leave hers, as if asking for more, she added, "His teachings are quite good and he doesn't seem to have an attitude," even though his appearance might say otherwise. She said the rest in her head and saw the princess give a nod.
Princess Isabel took another bite from the fruit and said, "You seem to like him already," and a cunning smile appeared at the corner of her lips. Turning to face her again, she said, "Well, since you seem to like him, which I don't, I think you should keep pretending to be me."
"What? No!" Eve rejected immediately with slightly raised brows.
"Don't worry Eve. You will get to see the beauty of the outside world more often again," Princess Isabel said and gave a little chuckle.