The Dying Crown
"What is she thinking?" Margaret whispered in horror, her arms full of fresh linens as she hurried down the servants' corridor.
Elaine, the youngest chambermaid, clutched her dusting cloth tightly, glancing over her shoulder. "I know! The imperial wing has always belonged to the queen or the reigning monarch's consort. Now, with King Louis on his deathbed, it belongs to no one… until Seraphina decided otherwise."
The palace has been abuzz for more than three days over the prince's Fiance. From the maids' perspective, it was a quiet coup.
The older maids, who had served the late empress for decades were the most angry.
Under her order, they moved furniture and rolled up rugs under Seraphina's sharp orders. The late queen had been a lovely, gentle woman whose favorite flowers delicate white lilies had been kept fresh in her wing long after her passing.
