Her appointment as Princess Emilia’s lady-in-waiting had been the best present ever.

Hebe assumed that her parents had known before her thirteenth birthday, but they waited until she had received the rest of her gifts to tell her. She had been … and still was … more excited than ever. How had she obtained the position? Had her father put her name forward or was it the princess’ idea? They had spent some time with each other at various festivities and had always gotten along quite well. The two girls had much in common, including their love of clothes and jewelry.

Maybe her name had just been pulled out of a hat. It didn’t really matter how she had been chosen, only that she was. Later that day, her parents had explained that she would spend two weeks of every month at the palati serving Emilia and the other two weeks at home where she could continue her education. Hebe hated studying and wished she could live at the palati all the time, though she would miss her sisters. It was possible that one of her duties would be to attend lessons with the princess, but that would be fun. Emilia wasn’t a know-it-all like Marietta and Evi.

The two weeks she had to prepare for her new appointment seemed to crawl by as slowly as a snail, which was probably an insult to the snail, for it most likely moved faster. There were boring fittings for a new wardrobe, though she liked to pick out the jewelry to go with each chiton. She was also given infinitely more etiquette lessons and taught how to react to various situations she might find herself in. Her legs hurt every evening from so much curtsying.

Today Hebe would finally begin her new duties. Chests of clothing and other things she would need had already been sent to the palati. She had selected the outfit she wanted to wear before her possessions had been packed. Her servants dressed her in white chiton embroidered all over with tiny flowers in myriad shades of blue. Around her waist she wore a silver belt set with sapphires, which matched her fibulae, necklace, earrings and arm bands. The sides of her chestnut hair were braided to keep it out of her face, then pulled to the back of her head and tied with a simple ribbon. A silver and sapphire brooch was placed over the ribbon. The rest of her long thick locks were left loose.

Hebe wished she could walk to the palati and burn off some of her energy, but she had to ride with her parents in their carriage. The young brunette marveled at the size of it, as she always did, and when she stepped inside, she could hardly believe that this would be her home for two weeks of every month. They briefly met with the King, which gave her the opportunity to perform the new curtsy she had learned, and then Hebe was led to a room where Emilia would meet her.

The servant opened the door. Was the princess already waiting for her or would she be the one waiting? For the first time since learning of her new position, Hebe felt a bit nervous. What if this didn’t work out and she was sent home in favor of one of her older sisters? Taking a deep breath to ease her sudden and uncharacteristic anxiety, she stepped through the doorway.