Philippa Roseborn: Part 1

Philippa Roseborn: “We stopped caring what was appropriate between a maid and her mistress a very long time ago.”

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She was the child out of wedlock. The result of a nobleman's romantic triss with a commoner. The moment the illegitimate child entered the world she was viewed as a stain on the pristine reputation of a noble bloodline and a reminder of a naive village girl’s stupid decisions. The baby was ostracized by both her families and sent away.

The girl lived in an orphanage, where she scrubbed floors and was bullied by the other children, being starved and overworked by her caretakers added no incentive for any family to adopt a malnourished, pathetic looking child.

The girl’s life appeared to have ended before it truly had begun. Until a woman clad in black and white visited the orphanage.

“Good afternoon.” The woman held herself with a calm dignity as she exited her carriage and spoke to the headmistress.

“I have come here today in search of a candidate for a position in the imperial princess’ household.” She stated her business without fanfare and with the utmost seriousness.

The orphanage’s children gawked at the stern women with the request as the headmistress had lined up the prettiest bunch of children the orphanage could offer, the prettiest in the sense that they all had their teeth and were kept well fed.

The woman eyed the children like a hawk as she walked down the selection with her hands comfortable behind her back, her expression didn’t change even as she saw how the headmistress had lined the children up as if they were on sale at an auction.

“No boys.” Her voice matched her face.

The headmistress didn’t take a second to think and agreed with her client's desire and shooed the boys from the line-up.

Returning to the start of the children they started to grow nervous that the strange women had not chosen yet. The woman knelt in front of the first child, her dress shifted along with her as the white frills elegantly bounced off the ground. She took the child’s hands and traced her fingers along the inside of their palm before she uttered. “No.”

She repeated with the next child’s hands and the next always giving the same answer “No.”

“Is there something wrong?” The headmistress asked in a panicked voice as she glared furiously at the children she had chosen.

“The candidate I will be choosing will need to be able to complete any task presented to them. But you offer me children who look like they haven’t worked a day in their life.”

“Madam I run an orphanage, not a workhouse.”

“Is there a difference?”

Hidden away behind a group of smaller children who were watching the scene stood Philippa propped up with a broomstick.

“Now that's more like it.”

“Excuse me?” the headmistress turned to look at the girl and shook. “Oh no! She’s no one, just some noblemen’s bitch.”

“A bastard? So you don’t just deal with common pedigree but half-bloods too?” The woman walked up to the girl and the children in front of her scattered away like rats, the girl herself too weak to run away.

“But someone like her in the princess’ service? Wouldn’t that be contaseal?” The headmistress spewed whatever sounded correct out of her mouth as she chased after the women.

“The word you’re looking for is controversial and no not unless she someone important’s bastard.” The women stole the girl’s hand and once again traced her fingers on the inside of their palm and provoked a wince from Philippa as she felt the stranger's fingertips brush over her callus.

“You will do.”

A brief time was spent between Philippa and the women. She discovered that she was a head maid belonging to the imperial princess’ household and by the greying of their hair she was soon to retire from her position.

The maid later explained she had gather girls all around the empire with the potential of becoming Princess Alexandra’s personal maid. The idea was to add fresh blood into the ageing household and provide the imperial princess with a potential person she could confide in who was the same age.

At first, Philippa had thought she had found herself in dream one she was terrified she would wake up from, however in reality she may have thought she had traded one hell for another as the days turned into weeks, the maid had put the girl through the torment of regaining her weight. Not used to the rich food that the maid was accustomed to, her body imminently rejected and left the girl in fits of vomiting. Yet eventually bland food such as porridge turned into a delectable cut of steak and the girl over time developed an appetite.

Next began her relentless tutoring of learning how to read and write anything but perfection brought the cane down on the girl's hand, which she felt many times but like before she **** her way.

Despite her progress, she thought she had failed her carer, Philippa was thankful, but she was unable to learn much about being a maid let alone a maid to the imperial princess. A fact that stressed the girl out the most like living at the orphanage the princess was akin to the sun it ever-present yet never affecting a simple girl until now.

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The trial of Honesty

Philippa stood in a line of freckled-faced and cheerful girls, some even wearing make-up meanwhile she stood there plainly for all to see, wearing her maid uniform a size too big for her to hide her skinny figure.

The candidates stood in the marble halls of the imperial palace, waiting like the perfect dolls ready to be inspected. Philippa lingered on the splendour of the room; it couldn’t be more fitting for a princess. The sheen on the chairs’ fabric adding an extra touch of glamour and the lush curtains framing the bed to create a grand effect.

Questions on who would be worthy enough to own such a room petrified Philippa with anxiety; her empty stomach prevented her from throwing up on the priceless rug beneath her.

“Tsk! Honestly get a grip.” It seemed her behaviour caught the ire of the other maid candidates and brought the girl back to her senses.

The door of the room swung open and walked in a young man in his late teens with long white-blond hair. His angelic face cast a spell upon the girls who saw him watching his entrance with a timid obsession only to shyly look away once they met his piercing blue eyes.

The candidates without question knew the young man and pinched the end of their dresses as they fell into a curtsy. This was his highness the Imperial Prince and elder brother to Princess Alexandra.

Philippa copied the other candidates, her attention less on the prince and more on the girl aside from her, the girl double-checked her own footwork by watching another’s.

“Arise fair ladies along with your heads. You are making me feel anxious.” The heir to an enormous empire chuckled and he leant against the bedpost making himself comfortable.

“My apologies for making you feel so. Your highness.” The first girl to stand spoke confidently to the prince. She kept his gaze and his attention.

The other candidates including Philippa copied the girl’s example and apologized. None matching the girl's confidence.

Philippa looked at the girl with envy and awe.

“So humble how lucky my adorable little sister is to have you all as candidates!” The prince said with an ecstatic breath almost creeping into a gleeful cheer the moment he mentioned his sister.

He continued. “Speaking of my clever sister, she has advised a number of trials to help in choosing her maid.” The prince removed a piece of parchment from his shirt sleeve as if he was performing a magicians trick. “Which leads to the reason why I am here.”

He opened the parchment and read through the messages. “Oh, what fun! Yes, yes excuse me.” He coughed. “The princess’ first trial is that honestly you’ll be expected to go to the stables.”

After the prince left the room was abuzz with the chatter of the girls. “Gods! He is just as handsome in person!”

“He called me a fair lady!”

“No! He clearly was talking to me!”

Philippa’s voice broke through the bickering. “But what about the princess?” She asked weakly.

“Forget about the princess, we just were in the presence of the prince, the next emperor!” Philippa’s question was battered away.

She turned away from the other maid candidates and found the girl from earlier holding their chin and appeared to be in deep thought until she finally spoke. “Why the stables?”

“Huh?” The question silenced the other candidates and got them thinking.

“She is right and these trials, why would the princess make up this nonsense about trials shouldn’t our qualifications be enough?”

“Isn’t the princess our age? That means she is still just a child; she could just be bored; making us run around for her amusement.”

The confident girl scoffed at the suggestion. “You really think you can compare yourself to royalty? Don’t make me laugh, you're not even nobility. Besides, that’s not the point of the trials.”

“Oh really? Then please, please share your wisdom with us.” They mocked the confident girl who took the childish reply without pause.

“Fine since you need all the help you can get. The princess is clearly using these trials to see what each of us is capable of.”

The palace stables housed the finest breed of horses the empire had to offer and even a selection of mares from lands far beyond its borders.

The maid candidates had gathered at the stables entrance and were greeted by a stable boy whose daily routine was interrupted. The boy had taken to being surrounded by a gang of girls in frilly maid dresses more comfortable than one would've expected from a boy of his age.

“Gods! Even the stable boys are adorable here!” One of the candidates shouted as they hovered around him.

“Enough of that! You! Tell us what the princess’ trial is!”

The boy held the brim of his cap down and spoke in a thick country accent. “Well I can’t just come out and tell yer, that would be too darn easy. Yer just has to work it out yerselves. But I’m sure some sharp-looking lasses like yerselves will have no problem with that.”

The confident girl turned their attention to the horse. “The princess adores horses. I assume the trial of honesty is to display a noble dignity by riding one of these beasts.”

“You really think so?” Another candidate asked before returning to the stable boy who shrugged and gave no real answer.

“We have to ride one of these things…?” Philippa looked at a beautiful black stallion that eyed the girl in return its dark hide gave the horse the appearance of a monster from a fable.

Terrified she stepped backwards into the stable boy’s embrace who caught and held her steady. “Whoa there. Easy lass, easy. The horse can sense yer fear.”

“Em…” Held in the boy’s arms the girl who’d never known kindness from anyone of the opposite sex froze still. Philippa looked up at the boy in disbelief; she was so used to the torment of her bullies that this was an entirely new experience.

“Not used to horses?”

“No… I’m sorry.” Reactionary, the girl apologized. Apologized to the boy, the horse she even apologized to the miracle that brought her here in the first place and the only reply she got for all her apologizing was a soft-spoken voice.

“What are you apologizing for, it's just a horse.” The stable boy’s voice brought the girl back. “Listen he may look like a devil but he's a big softy once you give him an apple or two. Three and he’ll downright fall in love with you.”

“In love!” The stable boy’s voice slithered into the girl’s ear and made her jump.

“Would you like to pet him?” The boy asked the girl as they caught the girl’s hand and drew it closer to the horse.

Philippa gave a nod despite her fear she felt safe enough to do anything as long as this strange boy led her. Once her hand was placed on the soft coat of the horse for the first time the girl smiled. The horse was calm as she was in the moment but as her eyes looked to her hand she noticed the stable boy’s own hand had laid itself on top of hers provoking a blush from her. Was this love?

“He likes you, do you know how to ride?”

“No.” Before she could finish the stable boy already had a reply of their own.

“Well, I can teach you when you become the princess' new maid.”

“If I become the princess’ new maid…” Philippa corrected the boy as her hope was shattered on the rocks of reality.

“You’re not confident that the princess will choose you?” Before she could answer the other candidates interrupted the two of them the girls already mounted on their horses.

“Hey what yer think yer are doing?!” The stable boy shouted.

“We’re completing the princess’ trial.” The maid candidates nodded along with the one who spoke as if they truly believed that this was a part of the trial.

“But who's gonna help me shovel the shit?!”

“Excuse me?”

“The horse dung needs shovelling.”

The confident girl from before came up alongside the stable boy upon her horse. “Tsk! She can do it.” She nodded over to Philippa who averted their eyes.

“You can’t just throw the work onto her!” The boy argued.

“No… It’s fine. I’ll do it.” Once more her words were whispers and her eyes drew back to the ground.

The pair cleaned the stables shortly after the maid candidates had left on horseback. Philippa didn’t complain; she knew what happened to girls who complained. However, despite the task being gruelling, it was nothing she wasn’t used to and the company wasn't bad as the girl kept eyeballing the stable boy. He was nothing like any boy she had seen before despite spying the prince from before this simple servant was beautiful to her, she enjoyed watching his blue eyes grow with anger whenever he watched a horse relieved itself in the stall he had just cleaned. She spied golden curls of hair poking out from under his hat. She even loved how the sweat raced down his neck like rain on glass.

Before not long, she grew comfortable to ask. “Your voice changed whenever you spoke to me and then to the others.”

The stable boy halted in his duty and took the brim of his cap, lowering it slightly before facing his back to the girl. “I’ll finish here up so you can go back to the princess chambers.”

Philippa panicked and feared that she said something to upset the boy she kept a tight hold on her shovel. “No! We’re not done please! I’ll keep cleaning! Let me keep cleaning! Please let me keep cleaning with you!”

“Is that your desire?” The stable boy held the girl for a breath. “Well if you want to keep cleaning with me then make sure you win the princess trials.”

Back again in the princess’ chambers, Philippia was now a good distance away from the other maid candidates who pinched their noses from the stench the girl had brought back with them.

The prince greeted them all once more. He was fighting his laughter back; why was a mystery from everyone but him.

The prince walked down the selection of girl’s and spoke slowly. “Welcome back, yet I am sad that my sister has decided that you have failed the trial of honesty.”

“Excuse me?!” The confident girl shouted in disbelief before the prince finished.

“Everyone but one.” The prince walked to the end of the row and stopped in front of Philippa. “Congratulations.”

The girl, her eyes still on the floor, was greeted by the prince’s boots. She raised her head and met the prince's smiling face. The young man was not bothered by the smell.

“Her? But she didn’t ride a horse.”

“Yes the horses were a part of the trial but their purpose wasn't what you assumed.” The prince looked to the now not so confident girl.

“No. How can the princess judge what happened when she wasn’t even there!”

Finally, the prince couldn’t help but let his laughter loose and the princess’ chamber door burst wide open. Who walked into the room was the simple stable boy. “Did you enjoy yourself my sunny little dragon?”

The prince walked up to the ‘boy’ and went in for a hug which they instinctively dodged. “How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?” The country accent was lost entirely.

Afterwards, they pulled off their cap and out came a long golden ponytail hidden away under the simple hat. The maid candidates were left speechless most of all was Philippa.

The boy that held them in his arms, the boy that guided their hand, the boy whose voice whispered into their ear was that of a girl, Princess Alexandra. “This is when you all kneel.”

Phillipa’s heart was a war drum inside her chest. She struggled to remain upright as she was struck by brand new and confusing emotions all at once. She drew the eyes of both royalty and servants alike as she was the only one of the candidates not to follow the princess’ command and fall to their knees.

The questions that raced through the young girl’s head crippled her, she recalled what occurred in the stables with the boy. Her memories morphed the boy into the princess after the truth was revealed.

“You were a boy…” She desperately called out to make it true.

“And you’re supposed to be on your knees, don’t make me repeat myself.” The princess’ response was cold as the marble that lined the walls. However, their words reached deaf ears.

“You're not supposed to be a girl… it’s not fair…” Phillipa felt as if her heart was pierced and then shattered on the realisation. Some longing part of herself fell for the simple stable boy while another part thought it was wrong to have feelings for a girl. Unable to convince herself of either, she spewed her thoughts for all to hear.

“My dear, sister, it seems you took your game a little too far this time.” The prince cut his sibling off before she couldn’t reply to the girl’s complaints. He already understood what the girl was going through as he himself had been through the trials of first love and he caught the signs instantly. “But colour me impressed. To manage to capture a maiden’s heart with nothing but a cap and your charms you’re truly something else.”

The princess turning to her brother crossed her arms and resisted the urge to kick him. “Start making sense, your humour is lost on me.”

“If only it was a joke.” The prince replied to his sister’s obliviousness with a seriousness that he had not shown up until now.

Alexandra refusing to give her brother any more attention she looked at Philippa who gave her a nervous glare of their own, their legs wobbling. She didn’t return it; in fact, her face remained stony. And there was reason to be willing to bet that the expression held long after the girl fainted in front of the imperial princess.