"I am sorry," Elizabeth apologized with a meek expression as the girls regained their composure.
"You were just being honest, Beth," Cassandra said softly as she rubbed at a tear from her eye.
"But no more of that," Charlotte chided earning quiet giggles from Cassandra and Phoebe.
"Well," Charlotte turned to Cassandra, "we have been speaking about it for some time. What do you think we have been summoned here for? Is this to become a new party of ladies-in-waiting for her majesty the queen? Is that possible?"
Cassandra's eyes widened. She had taken that as the only other option. What else could be the reason for the young maidens from the highest-ranking nobles in the kingdom to be gathered so suddenly by royal invitation.
"I- I assume so," Cassandra said, taken aback when she saw the three faces of her friends looking at her expectantly.
Their expressions slowly turned disappointed.
"The queen has been ruling for some time now. I would say a good ten years so far… but she has had no actual ladies-in-waiting. Only the maids to take care of her daily activities," Charlotte said slowly. "Therefore, the natural conclusion is that the palace is finally getting round to employing her new entourage but-."
Cassandra looked around at their faces, "B- But, what?"
"But there were no announcements or word for this and," Phoebe hesitated as more red strands of hair left her bun and formed ringlets around her face.
"And?" Cassandra could not understand what her friends were getting at. She also understood that the invitation was sudden, but this was not unlike their queen. Her majesty was sudden and unprompted and expected the best treatment within the least amount of time. It was normal behavior to be expected of her but even if it was not, why would her friends ask Cassandra herself what she thought of it or how she interpreted it?
Cassandra was no one important.
She was the daughter of the grand duke but all three of her friends knew of how she was treated at home by her father.
Cassandra's father valued only one thing and that one thing was power. To make him proud or to even catch a glimpse of a smile on his face, one had to overperform and reach the stars.
Cassandra was a diligent student and always excelled at her studies but that had not been enough. Especially not when her brother and her half-sister had reached for the stars and brought them home.
"And we were wondering," Elizabeth said, hesitating as well as her other two friends watched Cassandra slowly with eager expressions and sad eyes, "if you had- you know, received any additional news? We are all quite nervous here and we would love some more information… you know?"
Cassandra wondered how she would know anything more than they would?
Did they think her father would have pulled some strings within the castle? It was a known fact that her father had no influence within the court as much as he craved it and wanted it more than anything else.
Did they think her brother knew some secrets he could share?
But he was a warrior and stationed outside the castle's walls. There was nothing he could help with when it came to the queen's inner thoughts and intentions. No one could help with that.
Or was it… no. There was no way they could mean it.
But it was clear from their pleading eyes that they were all looking expectantly at her for information they thought she could get from someone in her family who now had one of the most powerful positions in the future of the kingdom. Someone who made sure Cassandra felt the sting of failure every time her father compared the two of them and their recent accomplishments.
Of course, even her friends seemed to look up to the person who made Cassandra feel worthless and incompetent at any given chance.
Her friends looked at her now with interest and hope not because of what Cassandra herself could bring to the group but what her younger, half-sister could bring.
This was no fault of theirs of course.
Cassandra's younger half-sister Vella was born with a stunning face, a voluptuous body and the brains needed to use it to her advantage. Vella was now the mistress of the crown prince who would one day rule over the kingdom.
"V- Vella did not write to me about, well, a- about any of this."
Her friends seemed to deflate.
"Ah boo!" Elizabeth said with a very disappointed expression, "I really thought your sister might write ahead to you with some tips and tricks on how to behave here."
Cassandra smiled tightly, hoping her cheerful expression would not falter.
Charlotte sighed, "This is such a huge honour, Cassandra. None of us wield any powers or run any businesses without some kind of male help. But we still have such a golden opportunity to get our families political power. All if we can gain and keep the queen's favour."
"Which is no easy task," Phoebe whispered fiercely.
Charlotte agreed, "which is why it would be such a huge help if your sister could give us all some advice, you understand?"
Cassandra willed herself to nod.
"You would not be keeping her advice to yourself and leaving us all out in the cold, would you?" Elizabeth asked, her expression suddenly turning fearful.
Cassandra felt a stab in her chest emotionally at how her closest friends thought of her, "Of course not. You would be the first ones I share the news with."
She smiled again as widely as she could but inside, Cassandra felt herself shrinking and the room suddenly grew bigger.
Could it be true? Could Cassandra struggle here without the viles she had seen her half-sister Vella use?
Cassandra shuddered within.
No, she could never do the things Vella could do with ease. Thinking about it made Cassandra want to run away from the room.
Cassandra could never circle a man like a hawk, slowly luring him in and tantalizing him. It went against her morals. It went against her character.
It brought up terrible memories of her mother crying alone in her bed whilst her father was away with Vella's mother, his mistress.