That night Westan could hardly wait to hear what Mr. Jameson and Bartholomew thought about the events earlier that afternoon. He had only intended to scare those servant girls a little, just for a quick laugh. But how much more interesting the conversation turned out to be! He started discussing it as soon as supper was over.

"What are your thoughts on that servant girl today? Was she not interesting?" He asked curiously.

Mr. Jameson cleared his throat and replied first.

"Well, I was glad you were not displeased with her. She seems to be a good girl, but she gave me quite a fright." He said with a nervous laugh.

Westan frowned. It was not like he would actually have thrown the girls into prison for no good reason! He had merely been teasing them a bit, just for a little fun.

Bartholomew spoke up next.

"I think she was rather incredible! She spoke so boldly, although I think she did do so with respect and dignity. A fine example of outspokenness if I ever saw one." He said with a slight grin.

Westan's agitation quickly melted. Bartholomew always seemed to see the good in everyone, a trait he was coming to feel quite fond of. Just then he remembered the girl's humorous face, and he chuckled again. Honestly, would it kill her to try taming that hair? It looked like a brush had never touched it before! She looked so wild, and her personality seemed to fit.

"I must say that I have never seen hair so red or so many freckles on a person before. What an appearance she has!" Westan said with another laugh.

Bartholomew also chuckled. "Well, I do not think her looks are unbecoming. Rather, I think such features give Miss Lila a certain charm." He replied.

Westan nodded. "Indeed. How glad I am that the rain prevented us from using the garden today, else we would have missed the opportunity to meet such an amusing girl!"

Indeed, amusing certainly was the right word for her. He really thought that maid might gravel and beg for mercy like most people did, but instead she had stood her ground and even tried to reason with him! Normally he might have been offended by such actions, but her calm and almost brave manner truly intrigued him far more than. The way her eyebrows betrayed her feelings so easily, and how hard she clearly had to struggle to keep her words under control truly was too entertaining to pass up. Such a feisty temper only made Westan picture her as some kind of wild and proud horse. She just had her own thoughts about everything! He was not sure whether he had ever met anyone quite like her before.

By the end of the night, Westan was feeling quite jolly. He had not had so much fun in a long while! Ever since his new tutors had come everything had been getting more fun. He definitely hoped to see the spirited maiden and have some fun again. Perhaps he could even find a way to scare her!

******

Lila was relieved to say the least, when the next morning actually came as it did every day. She lay awake all last night wondering if guards really were going to barge in and arrest her. But thankfully nothing happened, and she felt even more relieved when Daphne finally spoke to her again. The two of them were dusting alone once again in the library, having let the group move ahead so they could talk. Lila even made sure to check all around the nearby bookshelves to ensure no one was eavesdropping, but she still felt the need to glance back over her shoulder a dozen times.

"I am sorry for being angry, but I was just so terrified yesterday! All I could think of was getting thrown into prison and leaving my brothers and sisters to fend for themselves!" Daphne whispered extra quietly.

"I am sorry too. I should not have been so bold and arrogant. I should have behaved better..." Lila replied as quietly as she could.

Daphne smiled. "I know Lila, and I forgive you. Just please, think next time you are in such a delicate situation!"

Lila nodded. “Indeed, I shall have to. I barely got any sleep last night, wondering if what I had said to the King had indeed been foolish."

Her friend gulped. "Me too. I feared greatly for our safety."

Lila just nodded again, and then the two of them hugged and were friends once more. The day progressed slowly after that, with the two of them going back to talking like normal as they cleaned. At about noon their group went to east end of the castle to sweep the large garden hallway. All the maids were chatting and enjoying the sunshine after the previous day's rainy weather.

"Ahhh! I sure do love summer, such lovely weather!" One of the girls said with a sigh.

"Indeed. Although, I think the best view today is of the stable boys." Another woman giggled as she pointed outside.

Everyone laughed as they went over to the window to gaze outside. Lila just rolled her eyes. She did not care to ogle unsuspecting men. Although, she would have liked to go and see how the flowers in the garden were blooming. This time of year was perfect to watch the plants. They were so lively and vibrant, so full of wonder and life. As soon as fall came they would wither away and die, retreating until the next rainy spring.

Lila sighed. She was missing her life on the farm right now. Every morning during the summer she would run down to the stream and take a short swim. Then she would go back home and water the plants, picking anything that was ripe along the way. Afterward, she would cook supper and jar fruits and vegetables to keep for the winter. When the day was done and the sun began to set, she would race back down to the stream for another dip in the nice cool water. Lila missed such fun activities back home, especially being able to go for a swim on a hot day like this. Honestly, these maid uniforms were positively suffocating and the halls held no breeze!

Just then, Lila heard some shouting coming from the end of the hallway where the garden was. Both Daphne and she looked around with worry. All the maids suddenly dropped what they were doing and rushed over to the wall and stood there nervously, so the two of them followed. Neither of them were really sure of what was going on, but there was no time to ask questions it seemed. Everyone fell silent, and the rustling leaves of trees outside could be heard throughout the echoing hall. It was then that Lila heard many footsteps coming. She carefully risked a peek, wondering what all the commotion could be for. To her surprise, she saw the King and his small entourage walking their way.

Lila's jaw dropped with disbelief. As the group came closer everyone bowed. She bent a little lower, trying to hide her face from the King in case she should catch his attention. Not that she thought he would actually speak to her a second time. Still, there was no harm in being extra careful!

Everyone stayed in their positions quietly, waiting for them to pass. Lila could hear that the footsteps were almost upon them. There were seven pairs of steps, which probably meant the same four guards and two tutors were in the group. She held her breath as the first pair of feet, which belonged to the King, advance towards her. Everyone near her was completely silent, and Daphne was nearly shaking again. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself.

Everything was going to be okay! There was no way the King would even remember a nobody like her! Just what were the odds that she would run into him two days in a row?!

Lila looked up just slightly to see as they came closer. The King's steps suddenly slowed down when he was just a few feet away from her, soon coming to a halt. She felt her breath catch as his entourage also stopped right in front of her. Then Lila watched with astonishment as the King's very expensive pair of leather boots came within her vision.

"Well, well, miss servant girl. Fancy seeing you again." She heard the young man say with a chuckle.