The King's Unbreakable Wife-Chapter 133: Respect (1)

"Speak," Tabitha ordered the maid she had instructed to follow Helena.

"The two went off to speak on the balcony and closed the door so nothing was heard, but the maids spoke of the two seemingly arguing and crying. Helena stormed out and went right to her carriage while Hazel stood out on the balcony crying. She is now back to her lessons."

"Good job. Instruct the maids to come to me should the girl look to be in distress. We cannot tell what she would do next in her current state. See to it that the tutor reports whatever she did wrong during the lessons," said Tabitha.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

It was evident to Tabitha that Hazel was putting on an act. The way she spoke this morning came off as a joke now so she had no reason to be upset over it. Still, she had to properly deal with Hazel speaking to her with such disrespect.

Tabitha already had to put up with some of the men in the palace undermining her position so she could not allow Hazel to join them. While there were tough battles she could not win against men, she was in complete control of the women. There was a line Hazel was to fall in and listen.

"Why couldn’t he have kept his sights on Helena?" Tabitha sighed.

It would make this all easier to have a follower like Helena as the next queen. Had Tobias fallen in love with her, she would have the perfect way of getting him to listen. She could never move on from this.

"I must get the two a gift," Tabitha decided. "Jane," she called to the maid she trusted most.

Jane stepped forward for the group of maids. "Yes, Your Majesty."

"Have it be added quickly that I want there to be embroidery at the party I am hosting. Something can be prepared beforehand to display. Relay that what is made will be put on sale and the money will be a donation to help the church or an orphanage," Tabitha said, turning her entertainment into a good cause. "Inform Hazel that she should have something made by then."

Tabitha didn’t need the maids to watch over Hazel to make sure she wouldn’t have someone else do it for her and lie about it. The maids were under her command, so should Hazel ask one for help, it would get back to her.

Tabitha stood from her seat as there was much to do. The day was finally off to a good start. "Before you go, have they gotten rid of the extra dresses and shoes Hazel has?"

"Yes, with her out of the room, the maids were able to dispose of anything she was not meant to bring to the palace. She will be wearing what you prepare for her tomorrow unless she wishes to be absent from her duties," Jane mused.

Jane was loyal to Tabitha so any enemy of Tabitha became her own. Thanks to her position and the queen’s love for her being displayed numerous times, she had a bit of control over some of the maids as they wanted to please her.

To get a reward from Tabitha, Jane would gladly have the maids around Hazel mess with her so the queen wouldn’t have to stoop low or be bothered by Hazel.

"Come now, Jane. We mustn’t enjoy her having to do that," Tabitha said, playfully tapping Jane’s arm.

"We must help the poor child. I don’t want her lashing out at me again."

"If I may speak freely," Jane requested.

"You may," Tabitha allowed. She was always open to hearing what Jane had to say.

"You should not let her get away with speaking to you as if you were a simple person. I see it happen sometimes with new maids who do not obey the head maid and if you don’t correct it now, she will continue to disrespect you," said Jane.

"I thank you for being so concerned, but I want to let the matter go. There is nothing that I can do," Tabitha replied.

"There is something we, your loyal subjects can do to show her that there is a cost to being disrespectful. Please allow us to teach her how to behave," Jane requested. Hazel could not go on with her antics toward a kind woman.

"I wanted to let it go, but if you have a solution, then go ahead. It seems the head maid and the tutor need help with getting Hazel to learn the ropes of the palace. I shall leave it to you, but please, don’t do something that will get too far out of hand," said Tabitha.

Tabitha knew Jane’s ways and needed the woman to be discreet so Jeffrey nor Tobias could point to her as the reason behind whatever happens.

"Don’t worry, Your Majesty. I will pass the order off to someone else who will keep their mouth shut. Please turn to us when you need help. We shall get our hands dirty for you," Jane said as she owed the queen more than she could afford for how much she was helped.

"I will always be grateful for your loyalty. All of you," Tabitha added, looking around at the other five maids. They had all been useful throughout the years. More useful than the ladies sometimes by her side. "Come now. You have something you must do urgently and I have duties to get back to."

Tabitha led the way out of the private room she had settled in after Helena left her side.

Jane slipped away from the queen to find the man who was to send out the invitations to the women meant to come to the palace. ’I need to get my hands on what Hazel makes before it is displayed,’ she planned.

Jane wished to know like everyone else around the queen how Hazel was picked when there were better young ladies present. She liked Helena since the girl respected Tabitha, but Jane would prefer that Tabitha not let Hazel’s replacement come from the Wallace family.

Jane walked briskly so she could make it back to Tabitha’s side soon. As she neared where she was meant to deliver the queen’s message she slowed down after spotting the weird doctor coming from the direction she was meant to go.

She was ready to find a hiding spot, but then something came to mind. "Berkeley!" Jane called the doctor. Jane closed the space between them and whispered, "I once helped you cover up something and now it is time for you to repay me."