"let's go" Winter finally decide to head to the meeting relieving the anxious little maid. A passing glint in her eyes revealed her excitement. Although the other two meetings are important, this one is the big step towards her gift to Prince. When she leaves, she will give him a present he will never forget or will never be able to forget.
Little maid smiled happily and led Winter to the hallway. On ghe way she kept anxiously warning Winter trying to desperately give her crucial hints, if possible she want to crawl into Winter's head to control her speech
Winter filtered the ones she needed and don't, listening to every word of little maid felt tiring for her.
She arrived in front of two large imposing doors leading to the balcony. Winter and little maid noticed something strange and frowned.
Unlike the others there isn't any doorman or servants staying at the door, every seem desolated. But Winter can pick up the little noises they made in their various hiding spots and little maid can sense them as clear as seeing them with her own eyes.
Little maid furiously stomped her feet.
This is blatant disrespect towards the miss!
She lowered her head sheepishly when she notice Winter saw her and cursed those people a million times in her heart. She took it upon herself to announce her miss, at least she still have some position among the lower maids as the crown prince trusted maid.
Her announcing the miss is big enough of a face, but still not enough as the doorman.
"Wait" Winter held her back and looked down and said"a queen is never late"
"And a queen commands respect"
Little maid grew puzzled again but obediently shut her mouth and took her place beside Winter.
They stood several minutes, their appearance puzzling to many making their way in the hall.
Indeed, this gave some malicious people enough time to blacken Winter's name and building a deeper impression in the people's mind.
Winter straight back and proud expression with a calm composure made the people in the dark blush with embarrassment. They grew irritated watching the girl stand proudly her posture queen like, they wanted her to also feel irritated like them!
Her future is on the line and this future particularly related with them and their well being. So if this girl actually reach that post, she will ignore their lives then since she can calmly ignore hers now.
"Oh miss" a servant from the kitchen that now have a good impression of Winter happens to pass by. He bowed respectfully and took his time studying the situation.
"pardon my rude question but I want to ask why you are outside when the meeting inside is already in full swing?"
The male servant didn't ask maliciously just worriedly. She was praying in a little corner of his heart she haven't decided to change her mind and back out. She is now a figure worth worshipping among them in the kitchen and the news is gradually spreading of how benevolent she is as a thanks to her.
He sincerely hopes from the bottom of his heart she get together with the crown prince because she is forced in the first place. This news is no new news among them in the palace. He and several others have this wish and any of them will be equally worried like he is. That's what led him to asking rudely even if any other servants wouldn't dare.
Winter didn't reply but little maid is indignant on her behalf.
"It isn't my miss fault!"
"On arriving here we met no usual door servants and no doorman to announce my miss"
"My miss won't swallow such disrespect!"
Little maid humphed displeased. She didn't open her mouth without purpose, if she guess correctly there are some people already slandering her miss inside, if she opens her mouth and correct that notion of the miss not respecting them by being late it will be very good.
The servant face fell and he instantly understood, even if little maid didn't say it anyone can quickly decipher the blatant disrespect. That is indeed quite malicious of those people. He didn't feel sad or pity for the servants that won't get to enjoy the privileges Winter will bring if she becomes crown princess.
He cursed them a bit before taking it up himself to make it go on.
"Why don't I announce you? Am also a doorman just in another position over there"
Little maid looked relieved and hurriedly accepted.
"That will be much appreciated" she smiled.
" No" Winter waved her hands" Remember, a queen commands respect"
Little maid frowned darkly and she felt like Winter is just throwing a tantrum to avoid this meeting.
'if she dares to leave? She shouldn't blame me then!'
The male servant understood and nodded in agreement. This grievance cannot be swallowed easily. He tactfully bowed and walked away his footsteps heading in direction of the crown prince office.
"Let's go" Winter turned to walk away.
"Miss" Little maid tugged on her cloths and said softly. The miss after finally swayed be the crown prince is now annoyed by some dead people somewhere. She wish she can personally smash those people head over they appear but that kind of pleasure is reserved for the crown prince in this case.
Pity.
"What's your name?" Winter asked suddenly shocking the girl who didn't hear the question, she repeated it again.
"Um..miss why do you want to know my name" Little maid said shyly.
Winter shrugged a 'i don't know' she just didn't want to regard her as little maid since the person looks older than her and it's rude to constantly regard her with her status.
"There is no need to know my name" Little maid shirk it off. The name was given to her by the crown prince and she didn't want to make the miss jealous. She will properly explain once the miss is officially blind to the crown prince.
"You can call me what you've always called me"
Winter face shook slightly and she looked down at the older lady with pity.
With the slightly eased atmosphere little maid grew the courage to speak again.
"Actually miss we don't need the doorman or servants at the door post"
Little maid is right, according to the law Winter isn't even supposed to have a maid as she is still just a guest not officially prince fiance.
But her word sounded with another meaning to those hiding.
Their faces changed one by one and they stared deeply at the two girls with resentment. They forgot they started it.
"We can just go in there looking cool and you will render everyone speechless like the chiefs meeting" little maid said enthusiastically.
"No" Winter shook her head slowly dampening the girl's mood.
"It won't work on these"
The chiefs special attention will be different from this one, is she appears too cheaply it will be presented like she is too easy to bully and the former effect she has on the rest will wear off and can be placed again.
"Oh" little maid lowered her head dejectedly.
Winter patted the head softly and turned to walk away.
The people in hiding are elated and they looked down on Winter even more but their eyes contained hints of fear and trepidation.
She isn't easy to bully like what the person said. They shrugged it off and just stayed happy they finished the task.
"Please wait miss Powers" The servant from earlier ran down and hurriedly stopped them, patting his chest with relief knowing he didn't miss them.
"Pardon my disrespect miss"
Winter nodded coolly.
"The crown prince arranged for someone else to announce for you" he pointed behind him to show the butler in charge of the palace operation.
"And for those hiding, the crown prince says get ready for your punishment" He said his eyes in one direction. Just like the little maid he wanted to personally do their beating.
The faces of the people in hiding didn't look good. They have been scared shitless on seeing the butler just a step away from the royals in authority in the palace and he commands fear.
But now they can't think of anything knowing the crown prince himself is getting involved. No one goes to the crown prince for punishment and comes back in one piece. That brutal look of those body parts lifted out of the torture room scarred many including them.
They burst out of their various hiding spots and went up to Winter leg begging profusely spouting all sorts of reasons.
Winter calmly shrugged them off and beaconed to the butler to announce.
She understand their thoughts,thinking she is too easy to bully.
"Welcoming the presence of miss Powers" The butler tactfully didn't mention arrival in place of presence. He roughly understand the situation and although he doesn't like or hate Winter, he supports her in this instance.
Winter went into the doors, they led to a grand balcony several floors high from the ground overlooking multitudes. From this view they looked like ants in different colors and Winter calmly took it all in.
Several murmurs and shouts erupted in the crowd. Each one of them condemning Winter to dust.
Winter calmly looked around the crowd and opened her beautiful lips.
"Bow"