Lexa had never had a maid before. In fact, she had been the maid. She remembered long days of washing and cleaning, so exhausting that her dreams had vanished along with her energy. But just like with everything, even the maids of the palace had a social hierarchy of their very own. Secrets and gossip could be exchanged as currency, and it wasn't long before Lexa had obtained much of it. All of a sudden, with a couple of whispers and a few false truths, Lexa had found that the life of a maid could be an easy one.

For instance, Lila Stamens had been the head of the pack before Lexa. That is, until Lexa found her in bed with a Lord's son. Lexa was doing her a favor by keeping such a terrible secret from her husband, it was only right that Lila would help out with some of her things. Lila had tried to turn the other maids against her, but by then it was already too late.

And now Lila was cleaning Lexa's feet.
The servant girl, with her dull brown hair pulled tightly into a bun, scrubbed Lexa's feet as she sat above her on a satin stool. Lexa found it exhilarating, to have people that were hers. That served her every will.

And right now, Lexa was bored, she hadn't been able to get in touch with Bennie for days. And on top of that, she had not spoken to William since the day after the attack. He was the largest part of Lexa's plans. That needed to change, and quick.

Everything for Lexa was starting to fail. And there was only way to fix it. someone that Lexa had hoped to avoid using until later.
Lexa's foot jerked upwards as if she had hit a reflex, kicking Lila square in the nose. The smack reverberated around Lexa's quarters, and the other maids sent pitying looks to Lila.
"Oops." Lexa spoke with a false cheer. "Sorry about that."

Blood trickled from Lila's nose, but she continued to scrub Lexa's feet, pained eyes focused on the task at hand.

A knock sounded at Lexa's door, and one of Lexa's other maids answered it.

"Lady Cleona wishes to see you, Lady Adelaide."

Right on time.

"Send her in, please."

Lila, blood now dripping like tears off of her chin, moves away from scrubbing her feet. "Did I say that you are done, servant?"

Lila's eyes cast downwards. "No, ma'am. I just..."

"Then why are you moving? Stay. My feet are not clean yet."

Lila scurried back to her job like a deer in the line of a bow. Just like the way she had scurried out of the bed of the lord. Lexa snickered.

"You are much kinder to your servants than I could ever be, Lady Adelaide. It is one of the attributes that my brother loves best of you, your kindness. I admire it." a feminine, cold voice soothed throughout the room.

Cleona, the illegitimate daughter of the king, stood stunningly in a ruby gown, fully aware of the way that it accentuated both her midnight black hair and her copper skin. It was truly her beauty and her wits that kept this girl alive or from being sold away. There had plenty of illegitimate sons and daughter to the king, yet she was the only one bright enough to find a place for herself in this castle.

Lexa found it hard not to at least respect her for that.

Adelaide smiled. "Yes, well, I find it quite hard to concentrate when I am being stared at. Every maid should be taught a lesson once or twice." By the way they both spoke, it was more like they were speaking of what to wear to a tea party. "Please, come join me."

Cleona accepted, letting one of Adelaide's servants pull out a stool and soaps for her as well.

Cleona sneered at Lila as she sat. "I do not know how you do it, Adelaide. I can't ever seem to find a loyal maid."

Lexa knew that wasn't because her maids were bad, but rather that Cleona was incredibly picky. They had to stop killing off the maids that she would get rid of simply because she went through so many of them.

Cleona also had a taste for cruelty, and loved more than anything for other to perform it. Lexa had known that Cleona would have gotten pleasure from seeing an injured maid, so that's what she received.

Not that Lexa didn't enjoy kicking the bitch in the face.

"I suppose that I have been fortunate." Adelaide commented.

Cleona nodded, and Lexa didn't fail to notice the slight twinkle in her eyes with mischievousness. "Though I don't understand how one could be so fortunate with maids after last week's ordeal. I'm glad to see that you have taken to teaching the lessons your servants deserve. We wouldn't want to see you hurt simply because some trash doesn't know its place."

Cleona's eyes locked fiercely with Adelaide's, a challenge carried with the gaze. Cleona expected Adelaide to be a weak, innocent little thing. Someone easy to manipulate.

In a way, it was almost a trap that Cleona didn't know she was setting. If Lexa was too fierce, she risked suspicions starting to be raised. But if she was too spineless, exactly how the real Adelaide probably would be, she risked losing the respect and position she needed with Cleona.

Adelaide smiled. "Yes, well, one can only help the mentally insane to a certain extent. I'm just glad that someone who would wish harm to me is out of my life now. I can finally focus on building a relationship with William, and of course, you Cleona."

By the slight smile playing at the edge of Cleona's lips, Lexa could tell that she had passed whatever test Cleona had laid in front of her.

"We are to be sisters in only a matter of weeks. Please, call me Cleo."

Lexa knew that Cleo was watching her. She was an intelligent girl for only fifteen. A nasty one as well. Cleo's eyes followed Adelaide from behind the tea cup daintily lifted to her lips.
There were few people that deserved Lexa's respect in this castle, and for Cleo's ability to manipulate, she was one of them.

Cleo had been smart to attempt to weave Adelaide into giving her the position as her first lady in waiting. It would solidify her position in this castle, make her more than just the illegitimate daughter of a whore. She had spent the entirety of their time in Adelaide's quarters weaving the conversation to her advantage in those attempts. Lexa saw right through it, but of course she had to act like she had not. The real Adelaide may have been sweet and beautiful, but she was also clueless to the dangerous politics of the Thortan castle. Lexa supposed that's what got her killed in the first place.

It was always good to be beautiful, sure. But one could only do so much with it if they did not have the intelligence to utilize its full potential.

Like Lexa, Cleo was one of these people. She wore a light pink gown to match Adelaide's own, using the color to pull position over the other girls sitting around Adelaide.

"I just adore your ring, Adelaide!" Lissa, the real Adelaide's best friend, cooed. She was a shoe in for the position as the first lady in waiting, but Lexa was starting to reconsider. Lissa, and the other girls that Adelaide had brought with her from her home kingdom, were just like her. Eye blindingly beautiful, but also spineless.

A coalition of about ten other girls who sat around the tea table agreed with coos and squeals of their own.

"Thank you, Lissa. I appreciate it."

Lissa smiled. "You are so lucky Adelaide to have..."

Cleo interrupted. "Adelaide?"

Interrupting someone was frowned upon among woman. But here, it was also a sign of dominance. Whoever Adelaide decided to respond to was an important decision to these girls.

Lexa found that people underestimated greatly the influence that the ladies in waiting could wield. And as with any position for influence, there were many places for a power struggle
"Yes, Cleo?"

"I was under the influence that we were all supposed to wear pink today. Was that correct?"

Lexa noticed the challenge that Cleo flicked at Lissa and her sapphire gown.

"I'm not sure, Cleo. I heard that you were going to see your brother tonight, though."

Cleo grinned, understanding immediately the real meaning behind Adelaide's words. Lexa had something she wanted, and Cleo had something that Lexa wanted.

"Oh yes, I had forgotten about the dinner I was going to spend with William tonight. Perhaps you should come? I'm sure that he would be greatly pleasured by seeing you in blue. It is his favorite color."

"I would love to attend!" Adelaide cheerfully replied, her tone darkening as she turned directly to Lissa. "Lissa, I'm disappointed that you didn't follow the memo I sent the rest of the girls. Cleo is right, you were supposed to wear pink."

"I never got any memo."

"That's odd." Adelaide directed her attention to all of the other girls, laden in pink. "Did you ladies not get one either?"

No one responded.

"Then that's settled then. Go to your rooms and have them send that dress to my quarters. It would look better on me."

"But my father gave me this dress before we left Wallachia." Panic struck Lissa's expression, as if she couldn't stand to be parted from it.

"Yes, exactly. I think that William would be pleased to see me in something from my home, don't you think Cleo?"

Now, Cleo was smiling like a feral cat. "As his sister, I reassure you that he would love that."

"See, Lissa? I need that dress."

"But..."

"But what?"

Lissa shaked her head, dismissing her thought. Lexa caught the sight of tears pooling up in the corners of her eyes. "Nothing, Adelaide. I..."
Lissa sniffled. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Lissa started to dart from the room.

Lexa stopped her. "Oh, and Lissa?"

Lissa stopped, but she did not respond. Pools of water were falling from her eyes now, and she kept trying to wipe them away, as if that would reverse the other girls seeing her weakness.

Lexa continued. "I was thinking, maybe it would be better for Cleo to be my first lady in waiting? I need to start getting to know my new family, and Cleo is my sister."

"You had told me that we were sisters, Adelaide! What ever happened to that? What about me?"

Apparently this girl did have a fire.

But Lexa had more.

"Duke Egrah is looking for a wife. Cleo was nice enough to suggest you to him, and since I'm your lady, I was able to agree. You'll make a good match for the Duke. Such a poor man, especially after losing his last wife."

Duke Egrah had lost his last wife mysteriously, a great scandal in the courts. No one dared to speak what they already knew, that Egrah had grown dissatisfied with his wife's age and her appearance, and simply desired a new one.

But that's not what mattered with this match. What mattered was that Duke Egrah lived far, far away. So far that he rarely ever visited the courts.

It hadn't occurred to Lexa before that Lissa might have been a liability. But the real Adelaide had known her too well for Lexa's liking.

Lissa ran off, leaving pools of tears in her wake.

Lexa turned back to the rest of her girls, who started after Lissa with mortified expressions. Except for Cleo. She sat in her chair as if it was her throne, and this was her birthday.

They locked eyes, conveying the same message.

Lexa hadn't sent out any memos to the girls, in fact, she had no idea that they existed. But Cleo had.

Eventually, this girl would become a problem. But for now...

She had a date with a prince tonight, and Cleo was going to help her.