After a storm of desserts Jade started to feel her corset tighten up beyond the demands of her stomach. Overindulgence was quite the folly in her restrictive attire and the girl arched her neck in order to gaze at other diners' meals with a solid hope they were finished so she could look forward to a lie down.

The crown Prince much to her agitation began his concluding speech as soon as the plates were cleared up by silent servants. He nattered on about one thing or the other Jade couldn't care less about. Mercifully his attention was diverted by the sycophants surrounding him allowing her to safely look at her hands and pretend her ears were doing their work.

The room's occupants were swift in their departure as soon as the Princes vacated the dining room. Jade was forced to accompany her fellow roommates out of the doors with a quick wave at Emma's pale face. The group of young men lost their cohesiveness as soon as they were away from prying eyes and Jade lingered behind still cursing her random bout of gluttony.

She was startled when a firm hand gripped her arm and pulled her towards a nook underneath the main straircase. Prince Luke's grey eyes met her dark brown ones and the girl stared back not understanding why he had accosted her so.

The urge to scream was an instinct that bubbled within her along with the urge to slam a fist into his face but she waited for him to reveal his intentions. The sharp sliver of panic in anticipation of something untoward occurring melted away as she remembered she was not a woman at all. Not in his eyes anyway. If he had a propensity for men then she would soon find out.

"I would wish to know what your intentions are for young Emma?" Luke asked with a tilted head as if they often conversed about the mundaneness of the weather underneath staircases.

"My intentions?" The girl nearly laughed. Of course she was being interrogated. Her friend had shown their relationship was far from superficial and their camaraderie must have caught the man's attention at the dinner.

"Yes?" The Prince waited for an answer as if he possessed the ability to wait forever.

"I have no intentions towards her or any women for that matter. I have nothing to my name to make any foolish declarations. Emma is a friend and just that. We are both aware of the lack of attraction between us," Jade said with a hint of a smile. Being in such tight quarters with the Prince gave her the opportunity to note the features upon his handsome face. She could not find any obvious flaws much to her chagrin. His nose was narrow, his teeth were straight, his dark hair showed no sign of thining.

"That is advisable for the future," The man answered lightly as if his words were not a threat. His grey eyes were the only indication how seriously he took their interaction.

"And may I ask what the crown Prince's intentions are for my friend?" Jade reciprocated. She knew there was something brewing in the background she was not privy to and she would not take kindly for anyone to disturbing her friend's peace.

Luke's eyebrows rose in surprise. Perhaps Jade should have kept their social positions in mind before opening her mouth but she had never been a wallflower afraid of social ruin.

"Why don't you ask him if you are so bold?" The man said with a hint of a challenge. He folded his arms across his well formed chest.

"If he esclates his attentions I will have no qualms doing so. I do not take it kindly to my friends being preyed upon," Jade unconsciously mimicked the taller man's stance. Her companion could no longer doubt that she meant to follow through with what she said.

"Preyed upon?" The man repeated with short bark of a laugh. His hand went through his dark hair undoing whatever his valet had done to tame it.

"Is that not what rich men do with women of no social standing?" Jade made a distasteful face.

"My brother is many things but victimising women is not his forte. He has never forced his attentions on any woman in his life since they all seem to gravitate towards him anyway," The man answered with a thoughtful look. Jade nodded and held out her hand.

"We have not been introduced," The girl uttered with brief hint of an impertinent smile. Luke gave the extended hand a brief stare before giving his companion the honour. They shook hands firmly.

"I assume you've understood who I am by now?" The Prince's dimple made a brief appearance.

"I would be quite addled in the head if I had not," Jade replied with a shrug.

"Applying for a job without knowing who you would work for was an unnecessary risk," Luke pressed the matter as if trying to discern whether she was a fool or not.

"I owe a very good man both a moral and monetary debt. He is the one who suggested I apply here," The tall girl shrugged before bending down into a bow. She had nearly curtsied but changed her stance mid motion.

Jade escaped from the nook after being dismissed and ran up the stairs two steps at a time, all previous uncomfortableness forgotten, while Luke watched her retreating back before disappearing into one of the many hallways of the summer palace.

.....

The next day the men competing for the role of Prince Luke's secretary were ordered out quite early in the afternoon into a dining room far less grand than the previous night's. Master Elliot sat at the head of table waiting for their arrival. He stood as the young men filed in to give the new arrivals a pinched glare.

"After last night's performance I felt it would not go remiss if we went through the basics of dining on a royal table," The man spoke sternely. He gestured for the men to sit down, "If one of you is chosen then you must know Prince Luke will dine among royalty, nobility and ambassadors. It will not do to have an uncouth companion by his side."

Those that had performed miserably last night were suitably chastised. Even Jade was ashamed at her conduct of eating more than she should have. Her greed of a fine meal after so long must have shown.

Servants clad in red brought out the meal courses one by one and with constant comments by the Prince's current secretary the men continued their generous meal.

"Not that spoon!" Master Elliot scolded Paul who thought the salad spoon was appropriate for soup. With a grimace that seemed to be caused by a blooming headache the older man sat down at his own place at the head of the table.

"As you must know Prince Luke has a very important task he feels it necessary to accomplish soon. What do you know of the events of the previous ball?" The toupeed man asked with a lingering look over the silent table. Harry was the first to volunteer what he knew of the matter.

"Prince Luke encountered an ethereal vision of heavenly beauty that overtook his soft, vulnerable heart and left him tragically distraught when midnight struck leaving him with one sign of her existence: a glass slipper," Harry's version of events was rather theatrical.

"An interesting take," Elliot coughed into his water.

"I've heard he's bewitched," Robert responding flatly as he diced his meal with precision. For a rowdy sort of man he was more accomplished at finer tasks then Jade had expected.

"Anyone else? Mr. Slate? Mr. Ward?" The older man asked around but found no takers. A servant dribbled a bit of wine on his gloved hand and that set him off.

"My stepmother did not have anything complimentary to say about women who stole the Prince for the evening," Jade snorted with her words. Permelia had been furious the Prince had not given her the attentions she thought due upon her.

"Your stepmother saw the girl?" Francis asked curiously. Others at the table took an interest in Jade's words.

"Hadn't everybody?" Jade was suddenly reminded the men at her table were from all walks of life. Not everyone had the privilege of her upbringing. Perhaps the Ball was not as inclusive as was claimed on the invitation.

"We were invited of course but beyond the brief appearance of the royal family we were not privy to how the nobility fared. Far too many people so there were multiple ball rooms," Harry hissed at her from the left although the table could hear his comments. Jade suddenly realised her blunder since the last thing she wished to do was invite scrutiny over her falsified background.

"At least your family was invited. Mine didn't merit an invite," Paul grumbled to his plate of food.

"More likely you've got no sisters," Francis shook his head as if surrounded by dunderheads, "On my street it was all the girl's families and that got their royal invite."

"Somebody's royal mum was playing matchmaker," Jacob sung to himself.

"My stepmother associates with Lord George of Marckley. I think we all know how she got her Invitation into the Royal ballrooms," Jade uttered with her eyes on her gold cutlery deciding it was best to put the matter to rest.

The room winced in unison. Lord George's reputation preceded itself. Even commoners knew how ill reputed the man was. What they did not know her step mother was not the kept woman they assumed upon Jade's words. George was utterly broke. It was her stepmother who funded his desolate lifestyle these days.

The dinner discussion dissolved into other topics of conversation which Elliot encouraged. He informed them that it was his job to ensure there was no awkward lull during the meal and to manipulate the conversation away from controversial topics. They wined and dined freely till Elliot set them free.

"Mr. Ward, a word please?" Master Elliot ushered the girl forward with a wave of the hand. The other candidates tried to linger at the door to eavesdrop but Elliot waited impatiently with pursed lips until the doors firmly closed upon them.

"Do you know what is it that gives us pause when we consider your case? Your reference was impeccable but your family remains a mystery. It will not do," The elderly man explained with an uncomfortable shrug.

"I have no family. None any longer at least. My stepmother took great pains to remind me as such. My father passed away leaving me penniless and adrift in the world," Jade tried to keep herself from tripping over her words but failed. The knot in her stomach twisted and turned as she realised that Elliot was conducting an exit interview as he did with all the candidates that were being let go. Her time at the summer palace was over.

"The safety of Prince Luke is paramount. You must understand our hands are tied," Elliot's gloved hands gripped his stained notebook and pen as he stood from the table. The guard behind them opened the door for him.

"I understand. It is to be expected," The girl tried to showcase her rejection gracefully. The older man walked out with a parting nod while Jade made way down to the dormitory which were mercifully devoid of occupants. Their group had been given the day off to do as they pleased.

The tall girl pulled the worn luggage bag from beneath her bed but froze at the thought of arranging her clothing back in there. There could be no point in delaying the inevitable but Jade felt so wretched she loathed to begin the task. She instead threw the bag back where she retrieved it from and landed face first on the bed with a miserable groan. She soon dozed off.

.....

Jade tossed and turned that night when sleep eluded her completely. It was her last night at the palace and it felt like a waste to spend it among the snoring populace. The girl slipped out of bed and gently tiptoed towards the gilded main door. She blindly snatched fruit from the platter displayed at the entrance and tossed it in her satchel for a makeshift picnic.

She eased out of the room still dressed in her nightclothes. A gentleman's daughter or even the son would not have dared step out in just breeches and a long night shirt in daylight but social decorum was not a concern in the middle of the night. It was her last night at the palace and she no longer cared what an errant guard thought of her lack of propriety.

Munching on an apple the curious girl wandered the hallways for a while. She peered at the historical paintings and found the company wanting. Not content to just wander in the confines of the white walls she slid through the large glass doors guarded by a red uniformed soldier who was slumbering quite peacefully.

The brown haired girl wondered what her next move should be regarding her faltering job prospects as she walked down the palace gardens that led to the lake. She could not provide her real name or family to master Elliot. It was foolish to hope they would allow her to continue if she revealed herself to be a girl. It would in fact only make matters worse.

With a grimace Jade found herself perfectly situated at the edge of the pristine lake. She took off her slippers, threw them on the damp, grass and allowed her feet to dip inside the moonkissed water. The tranquility of the lake did nothing for her restless soul. Her only consolation was that she had passed the ultimate test for her disguise.

She could apply for any job as a man since none at the palace and beyond had suspected her true nature. A job as a clerk at a solicitor's office would not require such rigourous scrutiny as she was for a Royal occupation. If all went well she could further her studies and focus on a profession of her own choosing. It was such a blow to her ego to lower her own social status from landowner to a professional but it must be done to survive. She had no choice.

Feeling cheered at the thought of a happily ever after she impulsively decided to remove the appendages off her head and stuffed them in her satchel. Her brown hair ran down her shoulders in unkept clumps. It had been such frustratingly futile exercise to bind herself in a corset and stuff her hair in a wig day in day out just to be rejected for reasons beyond her control. She enjoyed a lot of masculine pursuits but that in no way implied she regretted being born female. She just wished society could give her a chance to prove everyone wrong. That being female and relishing ones femininity did not mean she was weak.

Jade was deep in thought when suddenly the dark water moved imperceptibly. She would have missed the movement if not for the stillness of the night. She leaned forward and a form leaped out of the water giving the girl's heart a thorough exercise. The funny tale Emma had related about a supposed monster in the lake didn't seem as amusing any more and Jade screamed loud and high pitched. The girl scrambled away from the water over the slippery grass without a single glance backwards. It was only when her damp, grimy feet sunk into the plush carpet she realised that she had left her shoes behind.