Chanceux Chateau was even more beautiful than Ariane expected. The grounds teemed with flowers and buds arranged in painstakingly-cared-for beds, bushes, and pots, and the air was fragrant with their scent. Ariane had never seen so much color, even in the royal gardens!
Inside there were meticulously polished suits of armor and vases upon vases of flowers. The flooring was marble tediously cut and arranged in diamond patterns; it was all very tasteful and pleasantly clean. (There were also quite a few paintings of black cats, which Ariane thought was a little odd, but assumed it had something to do with Prince Severin’s stint as a beast.)
Ariane eyed a cobweb in a high corner of the hallway as she and the other temporary maids followed a Chanceux footman down a hallway. They soon entered a splendid dining room with an immense fireplace Ariane just itched to clean.
A tall, stork-like woman stood next to the gigantic wooden table that claimed most of the floorspace. She had papers and charts spread across its smooth surface, and she looked up from them only when the other maids fell silent.
“Welcome to Chanceux Chateau,” she said in a wry voice. “I am the housekeeper, Heloise, and for the duration of the Summit, you are all members of my staff. You will abide by Chanceux rules—though they are not dissimilar to the conduct expected by all palace staff. However, allow me to be clear. This is not a holiday. You will work hard to make this event as smooth and pleasant as possible. Much rides on this Summit and the alliances that will be created here, so it is your job to make it so the visiting nobility and representatives can focus solely on their work.” Heloise glanced down at her papers.
Madame Heloise seems to be more informed on the particulars of the Summit…I wonder if that means the rest of the household does as well? Perhaps I’ll learn more about the state of things while I work. Ariane kept her hands folded in front of her as she listened.
“Your main duties,” Heloise continued, “will be to clean a set of rooms we will assign to you momentarily. After you finish cleaning those rooms each day, you are to report to Chanceux staff for additional duties—which may vary from serving food to straightening salons and other meeting rooms. Now, for your assignments…” She motioned for Ariane—who stood at the front of the flock of maids—to step forward.
“Your name?” Heloise asked.
“Ariane.”
“Ariane, you’ll oversee Crown Prince Lucien’s and Princess Sylvie’s rooms. Good luck—you’ll need it. One of the other maids will show you to the rooms.”
Ariane took her assignment with a curtsey, though she wanted to make a face. Princess Sylvie—the youngest child of the King and Queen of Loire—was fine. On the other hand… Prince Lucien—of course I would get the slob. Ariane loved cleaning. What she did not love was cleaning the same thing over and over again because some stupid sod kept messing it up. Unfortunately, Lucien was infamous for his disorder.
A Chanceux Chateau maid who lingered behind Heloise smiled widely at Ariane and motioned for her to step aside so Heloise could speak to the next girl. “Hello, Ariane, was it? I’m Marcelle. Heloise said you’re to see to Prince Lucien’s and Princess Sylvie’s rooms, yes? This way!” Marcelle was older than Ariane—who had just turned nineteen that winter—but she moved quickly and kept up a steady flow of chatter and smiles as she led Ariane out of the dining room and into the main entrance hall.
“I’m so glad you and the other maids have come.” Marcelle started up a set of stairs. “We are already up to our eyebrows in work, and the representatives haven’t even arrived! But of course Prince Severin and Princess Elle would be aware of that and arrange for additional help.”
“You enjoy working for the prince and princess?” Ariane asked.
“Oh, yes,” Marcelle said. “All of us here in Chanceux adore them. This way.”
As Marcelle led Ariane up a hallway, Ariane was split between trying to record a mental map of the chateau and glancing discreetly at Marcelle.
When Prince Severin had been cursed a number of years ago—the curse Princess Elle broke—rumor had it that his staff had been cursed as well. Supposedly they had all been forced to wear masks, and their voices were stolen from them for the duration of the curse.
Was Marcelle on staff when this happened?
“Your assignment is a little trickier, I’m afraid,” Marcelle said, “for Prince Lucien and Princess Sylvie are both staying in the family wing where Prince Severin and Princess Elle live. All other nobles are being housed in guest rooms.”
“In that case, is there anything I need to be aware of? Any special precautions I should take?” Ariane asked.
Marcelle shook her head. “The main hitch is that Princess Sylvie won’t be attending the summit—she’s too young, but she pleaded with Prince Severin and Princess Elle until they let her come. You will need to be cautious about timing your cleaning around her lessons. The princess’s schedule aside, the chateau regular staff will keep this wing in order. Though you will have to walk farther than your coworkers, and you’ll be the only palace maid in the wing.”
Dealing with her unusual schedule shouldn’t be too bad. I’ll make certain I clean her room first, when everyone has gone down to break their fast.
“I must admit I’m surprised,” Marcelle said, jarring Ariane from her thoughts. “Originally we Chanceux maids were assigned to clean Prince Lucien’s and Princess Sylvie’s rooms. Something must have come up.”
Ariane, thinking of Princess Elle’s personal visit and request, raised an eyebrow. “Yes…something.”
“This door leads into Prince Lucien’s rooms—it’s the same room he stays in whenever he visits—and these are Princess Sylvie’s rooms.” Marcelle pointed to two large doors that were positioned across the hall from each other. “Prince Lucien’s room has already been cleaned for the day, but Princess Sylvie’s still needs to be seen to. Normally, you’ll have to carry the linens and cleaning supplies yourself, but I took the liberty and left everything in Sylvie’s room. When you’re done, return to the dining room. Heloise has some last-minute projects we must tackle. Can you find your way back?”
Ariane mentally retraced their route and nodded. “I believe so.”