CHAPTER TWO

Before Anton Bauer started out for Krnov to report that Her Royal Highness, Princess Zoleka, would be most delighted to be Lady-in-Waiting to Princess Udele, Zoleka had a long talk with him.

Her father was back working on his book, so there was no interruption.

She was quite determined to find out as much as she could about the Palace in Krnov.

“Tell me all about it,” she urged him coaxingly.

He seemed more relaxed than he had been with her father.

“As a matter of fact, Your Royal Highness, I have brought with me a plan of the Palace, thinking I might be asked for it.”

“That was most thoughtful of you,” she remarked to him flatteringly. “Please let me see it.”

He took it out of his pocket and proudly showed her the entrance, which seemed impressive, and the reception rooms on the ground floor.

There was a staircase going up to the next floor.

“Is that where the State rooms are?” she asked.

Anton nodded.

“That is right, Your Royal Highness, although I am afraid they are usually empty as we do not entertain very often these days.”

“That must be very boring for the Princess now she is eighteen,” replied Zoleka.

There was no answer to her remark from Anton, so she next looked carefully at the plan of the State rooms.

“You have quite a number of them. Tell me which is the prettiest.”

“They are all named after flowers,” Anton replied, “and everyone admires the one which is called ‘Roses’.”

“I suppose it is decorated in pink!”

She looked at the wings of the Palace and asked,

“Now where does Her Royal Highness sleep?”

“The schoolroom and the Princess’s bedroom are located on the second floor of the East Wing,”

“And she has not moved out now she is grown up?”

“Oh, no!”

Zoleka said no more about the Palace, but enquired about her arrival.

“Your Royal Highness will be greeted at the border of our two countries,” Anton told her, “and, as I have had the privilege of meeting you, I expect I shall be sent with a carriage to convey you to the Palace.”

He thought that Princess Zoleka was looking a little disappointed as if she expected a more formal welcome.

He added quickly,

“There is a good Posting inn just inside the border and I thought you would like to stop there for luncheon.”

“That is a good idea,” agreed Zoleka. “I expect you have already been told that I shall have anaide-de-camp with me, as well as my lady’s maid who will travel with the luggage.”

“I will make all the necessary arrangements, Your Royal Highness,” he promised.

When he had left, Zoleka thought over what he had told her.

She decided that she must, as her father had urged, wake up the Palace at Krnov with a bang.

She did not, however, say anything to her father, but made plans