Private Change of Class

[The Butler]

​

The head butler stood in waiting, along with the rest of the newly appointed staff of the Estate that was set to be the home of House Arenais on Illyria. It was grand in size, yet needed some work to be brought back to speck. Each member of staff polished, scrubbed and shined for weeks before the arrival of the family. The grounds were freshly cut and manicured, the trees trimmed and shaped. It all had to be perfect. This was to be the residence of the parents of the Queen, afterall. It had to be perfect.

All staff stood in line, patiently waiting for their Lord and Lady to arrive. Each one checked and rechecked their uniforms to be sure that nothing was out of line. And it was the head butler's responsibility to be sure that it wasn't.

"They'll all be here soon, so keep your wits about you. Doors are to be opened for them and we'll all keep silent unless spoken to. If any of you break the rules, you'll be hearing from me. It's unknown whether or not the Lady will have her own attendant, and if not, then one of you will be assigned."

The Butler's eyes turned to the end of the grounds as a speeder's engines were heard.

"Here they come. Look sharp now."

 

[-Shelved-]

It took moments for the covered speeder to come into full view of those standing in wait. Only one passenger was on board, along with nearly a dozen suitcases and boxes that took up quite a bit of space. So it wasn't easy to make out whether or not there was an entire family on board.

Upon arrival it was Rowena that appeared in view once the footman opened the door. The woman was elegantly dressed, and conservatively so for right now she wasn't here to please the Courts, but to look upon the Estate and the staff. She stepped out of the speeder, taking in a breath of fresh air as she eyed the towering Estate. It seemed a little worse for wear in some parts, but that could all be fixed in time.

Her eyes then fell to the line of staff, and most especially to The Butler . His suit and stature made it quite clear that he was the Head of the household staff.

"Good afternoon. I am Lady Rowena and for a time this will be my primary residence. There will be important guests invited on occasion, so I expect that every room will be spotless, and every hall and stairwell." She held out a datapad for the Butler to take. "Here is the meal schedule, as well as a list of preferred foods. When everything is prepared and the schedule maintained, than others will join the residence as well. For now you all just have me to tend to.

Are there any questions?"

 

[The Butler]

The Butler stood straight like a soldier on parade as Rowena Arenais made her approach. He bowed his head to her and took the datapad that she had given him, taking nothing but a quick glance at it before focusing his attention on her. "Everything will be followed to the letter, My Lady. I think that the only question that we have is whether or not you have your own lady's maid to tend to you? If not, then I'm sure that we can find one suitable for you." Every Lady needed her own lady's maid to help her dress, help style her hair and apply her make up. Especially one of her status if the Estate was anything to go by.

 

[-Shelved-]

"I don't have one as of yet, but that will soon change once I'm settled in. And if you don't mind, I'll be handling the hiring on my own." Rowena couldn't let someone like The Butler hire someone that would be so close to her, or at the very least, someone that would be there while she'd be potentially be having private conversations.

She started for the door, with the footmen gathering her cases, as well as opening the door for her. She smiled as she saw the size of the foyer, grand in scale as she had hoped. A pleasant smile appeared as she judged the building in much the same way as though it was a sentient being of it's own. "I'd appreciate a small tour...Mister?" Rowena didn't want to call him anything else but by his surname. He was her head butler, yet outside of her Lady's maid, she'd be addressing him the most.

 

[The Butler]

"Crymble, my Lady. And I will gladly give you a tour." He gestured for Rowena Arenais to follow him further into the Estate.

Throughout the next hour, he showed her all of the rooms, minus the section reserved for the staff. He showed her the grounds, the gardens and the extent of the property, telling her about every little fact that he knew about the place. His knowledge wasn't all encompassing, but it was well enough to keep his new boss informed and even a little entertained.

Lastly he returned her inside to the drawing room. "I'll have some refreshments and drinks brought up for you. And if there's nothing else, I shall take my leave." He awaited her nod and then left to perform his tasks. Given that there was no Lady's maid as of yet, it gave him a bit of time to do a bit of snooping. And he was an expert at it.