Abigail joined her family for dinner. The excursion to the market had given her a much-needed break from the palace. However, she was tired and wondered how the maids managed to navigate the market daily without getting lost. She was glad that Alice decided to come along with them and that she knew the capital like the back of her hand. Abigail hardly left the palace. Due to the war, her childhood was spent indoors in the palace. Now that the fighting was mainly in the southern region of the empire, things in the capital appeared calm. She noticed many guards were stationed in the market, and private guards escorted many people. 

Her mother and father were seated at the table when she arrived at the dining room. The table was set with the usual fine china, but the napkins were not folded properly. The maids quickly left the room. Since it was a small detail, Abigail did not mention it to her parents or to the maids. 

When the maids left, their Mother inquired about Abigail’s dance lessons. 

Abigail informed her mother that there was a slight improvement in her dancing.

“A slight improvement?” said her mother. Her mother continued, “You haven’t improved at all. After dinner, you and I will go to the library. ” She said as she drank from a gold globe filled with wine.

“Yes, mother,” said Abigail.

Her brother, Alfonso, was taking a bit out of the dessert when he exclaimed, “This is horrible!”. 

Abigail saw her brother wipe his mouth with a napkin in disgust. She saw the remainder of a tres leches cake on his plate—the same type of cake on her plate. Abigail decided to taste the cake, and once she tasted it, she could understand her brother's reactions. The cake was bitter and dry. Usually, the tres leches cake was moist, and the whipped cream on top of the cake would be sweet. The cake looked amazing, but appearances can be deceiving. From the horrified looks of everyone at the table, she could tell that she was not the only one who noticed the difference in this cake from the others they had been served in the past.

Her father said, “That's it; I am going to meet with the head chef to see what happened to the food served today.” King Alberto left the dining room with determined steps. 

Her brothers left the room utterly unsatisfied with dinner. Abigail headed towards the library with her mother.

They both took their usual seats in the library. Her mother, as always, spoke first.

“Abigail, why do you always fail to tell me the truth about your dance lessons?” said Queen Isabella.

“I’m telling you the truth. I’m making progress,” said Abigail.

“Abigail, you are a disgrace as a Princess. The country is doubting the royal family and you, yet you do not act in accordance with your role,” said her mother.

“And what is my role?” asked Abigail.

“You are twenty-one; you must know your responsibilities,” said her mother. Abigail only stared at her mother with blazing eyes that hid anger. 

“You may do a lot of charity work and running around in your garden, but the people do not know who you are. They do not see you as a Princess but rather as a servant who helps meet their every need,” said Queen Isabella.

“Grandfather always said we must serve the public before anything else. I’m only helping those that need our assistance to survive,” said Abigail.

“Your grandfather was a fool. Only with the support of the nobles can you rule peacefully. Nobles only support us if we entertain them and make ourselves known,” said her mother. 

Abigail stood up and made her way to the door. She could not believe that her mother had insulted her grandfather. Her grandfather and her mother never got along for reasons she did not know, but to insult her grandfather was out of line. 

As Abigail opened the door, her mother said calmly, “Abigail, my daughter. I only tell you this because your father is reconsidering your place in line for the throne”.

Abigail removed her hands from the door to face her mother. She heard the door close with a loud whack that echoed the library.

“What do you mean?” said Abigail.

“Your Father and I discussed the possibility that your brothers should be considered for the throne,” said her mother.

“You’re lying; Father would never consider that possibility because he promised Grandfather.  I was there when he made his promise,” said Abigail passionately.

“Abigail, your Father shares his feelings about the subject with me. He knows you have been unwell and does not want to hurt you. I can tell you that he was deeply concerned about the next heir to the throne,” said her mother.

Abigail sat back down on the sofa. She was shocked that her Father had not spoken to her about this. He was worried for her. She knew that, but how could he have doubts?

Queen Isabella kneeled before her daughter and gently said, “Abigail, please listen to me. I can help you, but you must do as I say”. 

Abigail nodded, and her mother went into extraordinary detail about Abigail’s duties as the crown Princess and presumptive heir to the throne.

Abigail left the library with a heavy heart. It seemed as if she had been doing everything wrong. Her Father never shared any complaints with her. However, she knew that her Father was busy. Maybe he shared his honest thoughts with her mother. She wondered why her mother broke her father’s confidence. She was sure that he would have told her with time. She sighed and went outside to enjoy a walk in her garden.

Meanwhile, her mother was in the library. She smiled contently because Abigail was now in the palm of her hands. The girl was afraid of her own shadow. 

Alice wondered where Princess Abigail had wandered off to. Alice decided to climb to the fourth floor of the castle. There was a balcony area where the castle grounds were in view. Once she arrived at the balcony, she noticed Princess Abigail in the garden. Alice saw Princess Abigail lost in thought and would be lost in thought for several hours. Alice decided not to disturb Princess Abigail and headed toward the princess’s palace to prepare the princess’s bath.

As Princess Abigail headed towards the Princesses’ quarters, she met Clara, the head maid. Next to Clara was Naima. 

“There you are, Alice. Let me introduce you to the newest addition to your team, Naima,” said Clara.

“Pleasure to meet you, Naima.” Abigail extended her hand, and they shook her hands.

“Alice is one of the best workers. She has been here for nearly three years and will assist you in your new duties serving Princess Abigail,” said Clara.

After a brief introduction, Clara left to attend her other duties. Naima and Alice found themselves walking back to Princess Abigail’s wing.

“This area is much brighter than the kitchens,” said Naima with a laugh.

“Yes, the Princess’s side of the palace is much brighter. It was remodeled a few years ago, and the updates included increasing the number of windows,” said Alice.

“That’s wonderful! The kitchens are generally dark but well-ventilated. More than other kitchens I have worked in.” said Naima.

“What do you usually do in the kitchen?  I have worked solely for Princess Abigail since I entered the palace, and I am just curious about the other staff in the palace,” said Alice.

“Of course, I understand. I hardly ever left the kitchens except to bring the food to the dining room, so I’m not sure what the other palace staff members do as well. I was in charge of baking desserts. My favorite thing to bake was the tres leches cake. I learned this recipe from a neighbor when I was a child, and I have been perfecting the recipe for years now. It is a bit complicated, and there are a few tricks that you need to do to get the whipped cream correct. I’m sorry I may be rambling, but I enjoyed baking a lot,” said Naima. 

“I’m glad you enjoy baking if you don’t mind. Maybe one day I know that myself and the other maid would love to try anything you bake,” said Alice. 

Alice and Naima finally arrived at the maid’s quarters. There was a meeting room with a small table and a chalkboard. Naima saw that the room contained various chairs that were not in size and color. 

Alice rang a small bell in the middle of the table, and slowly, all the maids in the Princess’s chamber appeared.

“Everyone, please welcome Naima. She will be working with us from now on. Please introduce yourselves,” said Alice.

“Hello, Naima. My name is Mabel,” said a maid with brown eyes and pale blonde hair. She seemed much older than the other girls. Naima wondered why Alice seemed to be in command of the other maids rather than Mabel. She would need to watch and observe everyone a little more before drawing any conclusions about the group’s dynamic. 

“Hello, my name is Mary, and I’m glad you will be joining us,” said Mary with a slight wave directed towards Naima. She was the shortest maid in attendance but had a booming voice. 

"Nice to meet you, Naima. My name is Teresa," said a young woman with soft brown hair tied back with a large red ribbon. 

The last maid said her name was Justine. She seemed serious and had dark wavy hair.

“Please to meet all of you,” said Naima.