Nila makes an ally

Nila realized that she was shivering in the cold, and this girl seemed friendly enough. ”I suppose not,” she sighed, ”Lead the way.”

Raina smiled, ”Excellent, Your Highness, follow me.” She led Nila back into the main building and through a series of halls and flights of winding stairs. Nila wasn't very impressed with what she saw. The citadel was massive, but it felt dark and dreary compared to the bright halls and open colonnades of the Lydian royal palace where she had spent most of her life.

”Your apartments are in the eastern tower,” Raina explained, ”The bed is very comfy, and the rooms come with an excellent view of Oldtown and the sea. You'll be very comfortable”, she chirped. The handmaiden babbled on and pointed out the different parts of the castle that they passed and the princess listened with half an ear. This girl was very talkative for a servant, and Nila found that cocky demeanour of hers curious. The slaves at the royal palace did not speak unless spoken to. Not that Nila minded. It felt nice to have someone talking to her like a real person for once.

After another series of tiresome stairs, they reached their destination in the eastern tower. Raina opened a creaking oak door and invited her mistress to enter, ”Well, here we are. Welcome to your new home, Your Majesty”, she said with a curtsy. The bedchamber was quite large and luxurious, at least compared to what else Nila had seen of this country. The room was pleasantly furnished too and had a large hearth and a canopy bed. She also had her own bath and a fully stocked wardrobe. But the princess looked around her new dwellings with a deep sigh nonetheless. It still felt more like a cell than a home.

Raina pulled back the curtains and the pale light of the cloudy day flooded the room. Nila walked up to the windows and let out a gasp. Raina had been right. The view was quite spectacular. The city stretched out beneath her until it met the infinite mass of dark sea to the east. Nila could see ships arriving and departing from the city, and she remained there for a while, longingly following a tiny sail with her eyes as it disappeared on the horizon.

Raina pointed to an adjacent door, ”My quarters are right over there,” she said, ”So I'm right next door whenever Your Grace needs me.”

”So I take it you are are a **** of the palace?” Nila finally asked.

Raina let out an amused laugh. ”Well, compared to a princess perhaps, but to people around here, I am Raina Brask, second daughter of Lord Dorren Brask. My family's lands are in the western Riverlands, near the Wildwoods. We may not be big or powerful, but we have ruled our fief and castle for hundreds of years.”

Nila blushed and stammered at her own terrible transgression, ”Oh no, how tactless of me! I beg your pardon, Lady Raina!”

”Oh that is quite alright,” Raina smiled and put a hand on Nila's shoulder, ”And just call me Raina, Your Highness”

To touch a member of the royal family unasked was a serious offence where Nila came from. Her touch felt strange, but also reassuring. ”I understand that our ways must be confusing to you, but allow me to explain,” Raina said, ”Here, it is considered an honour for the young women of vassal houses to serve as maidens and companions to nobler ladies. My father placed me here at court in the hopes that it would increase the influence of your house.”

She added, ”You and I have at least that in common, don't you think?”

Nila pushed her handmaiden's hand away as her words sank in, ”What do you mean?” she asked with rising indignation, ”I was not placed here by my father. I was taken hostage by that horrible man! My father would never do something like that! And I think you are forgetting just who you are speaking to!”

Raina didn't fall to her knees and tremble as Nila had anticipated. She just smiled and inclined her head, ”Is that so, Your Highness? Then tell me, if Your Highness is so precious to his Majesty the king, why did he take Your Highness with him on a trip to the enemy? Alrik is no fool, but he often acts on a whim and his appetite for women is well-known. Could it have been Your Highness' presence that finally swayed him to take the deal, just as the king had anticipated?”

”N-no, it's wasn't like that,” Nila stammered. The room was spinning, and she sat down on the bed, ”Not like that at all. Why are you telling me this?” She began sobbing softly. Deep down she knew that Raina's words might have some truth and she buried her face in her hands.

Raina sat down next to Nila and very inappropriately wrapped an arm around her royal mistress' shoulders, ”There there, Your Grace, that's just the way it is. We might be ladies and princesses, but at the end of the day, we are just pawns in the hands of our fathers and husbands. We just have to make the best of it”, Raina said and gently took the princess' head in her hands, brushed a tear off Nila's cheek and looked into her eyes, ”And that is why I propose an alliance.”

Nila looked at her with a puzzled expression, ”Alliance?”

”Yes, or a pact if you will. Besides undressing you and brushing your hair, I will help you and give you guidance and honest council during your stay here. In return, you will use your influence to help my family when the time comes.”

Nila was already **** from loneliness and in dire need of some someone to confide in. She jumped at the chance to make a friend, in spite of the fact that this brazen girl had just made her so upset, ”Yes!” she blurted out, ”Ahem... I mean... that sounds mutually beneficial. As long as you remain by my side, Lady Raina, I swear that will do what I can to help.”

Raina grinned, ”Excellent, then let us have some wine to mark this historic occasion.” She fetched a flagon from a cupboard, filled two silver cups and handed one to Nila, ”To our alliance,” Raina said and raised her cup. The princess was not a drinker, but she didn't have the heart to tell her handmaiden and newfound ally, so she raised her own cup and drank, ”To our alliance,” she replied.

Raina joined the princess on the bed again, ”So, for our first lesson,” she paused for a sip of wine before she continued, ”Don't trust anyone. Not your father, not Alrik, not even me. This city is a viper's nest of schemes and intrigue, and if you want to survive, you'd better keep your cards close and learn how to play the game. Never let anyone see your weaknesses and remember that everybody in the citadel has a hidden agenda, even the lowest kitchen boy.”

Nila nodded earnestly.

”Second lesson, you need to make allies, and quick. Sure, you have me, but a chambermaid from an insignificant house will only get you so far.”

”But how will I do that?” Nila asked, ”I wield no power, I don't command any armies. My father might even have disowned me, and I have no assets to speak of.”

”Good. You are realistic, and that counts for something”, Raina commented, ”But I fail to see what you mean by no assets?” she asked and made a gesture towards Nila's buxom figure. ”Haven't you noticed that you look like a goddess? ”With tits and arse like that, believe me, your allies will find you.”

Nila had never been spoken to like that before, and her cheeks burned intensely.

”Yes, they will circle you like a pack of wolves, and not only from lust but also from ambition and thirst for glory. You are a princess which means that you are as much of a conquest as you are a woman. Charm and tease and learn to use that and they will eat out of your hand. But never forget what they are after. And watch out for your reputation. You don't want to become a fallen lady in the eyes of the court or the people. Then you are fair game as far as everyone is concerned. And remember that romours travel fast, even outside the citadel and the city gates.”

Nila was horrified. Was Raina talking about... sex? The princess hadn't even kissed a man yet, ”B-but... what if...” she stammered.

Raina interrupted, ”And yes, Lord Alrik may have set his eyes on you, but he can be very unpredictable, and he has many bitter enemies that might become yours too. Not to mention that you stand in the way of a legion of deceitful bitches seeking to curry favour with him. I wouldn't put all my eggs in that basket.”

Nila just nodded sheepishly. She was lost for words.

”And the third lesson... learn to like it.”

Nila looked at her, perplexed, ”How? It all sounds awful!” she exclaimed.

”Oh lighten up, Your Grace. You are a young, rich and beautiful princess, right in the heart of a rising empire, finally free of the crushing yoke of your father. Meanwhile, you have caught the eye of a handsome lord who may be the most powerful and coveted man in the world. Most girls would kill to be in your sandals”, she said and added, ”I know I might. That is an exquisite pair you are wearing.”

Nila gave her noble handmaiden a wide-eyed look, and Raina laughed, ”I'm just joking, princess, I won't kill anyone, least of all my newfound ally. But what was the first lesson again?”

”Never trust anyone,” Nila said.

”Correct,” Raina smiled and refilled their cups, ”Well, I think that might be enough counselling for today. Now, tell me everything about the horses in your homelands.”

The two newfound allies soon discovered that they had more in common than just being pawns in the schemes of their fathers. In-depth, they discussed horses, clothes, poetry and many other things. They drank, talked and laughed for hours and the princess almost forgot about her troubles. They sat there until darkness fell over Nila's new home city and it was time for bed.