Artemis (previously The Lady Lockhart)

Chapter Eight - Part One

Surprise thank-you update! #251 in Historical Fiction (on 5/10/16)?! This is nuts! Thank you thank you thank you a million times over! :DD Enjoy this half of the chapter!

* Update: We've dropped back to #325 as of today (7/10/16), but that's okay! It's so humbling to even be on the What's Hot list, and it's all because of every single one of you who reads this. Thank you!

"WELCOME TO ST JAMES'S PALACE, LADY EMMELINE," THE FOOTMAN WHO helped her off the carriage greeted stonily. "Her Majesty is waiting for you in one of the drawing rooms...Greta here will take you there."

"Thank you, sir," Emmeline responded with a smile. The impassive footman offered a curt nod, and a slightly aged female servant standing by him bobbed a small curtsy. After nodding smilingly in return, Emmeline followed her into the palace with Penny right beside her, and Greta led her expertly through the halls. Each step they took provided them with a spectacular new view, and Emmeline walked through the corridors marvelling over the splendour and grandiose of the architecture and décor.

"The palace is breathtaking, Madam Greta," Emmeline remarked about halfway through the journey.

"Oh, yes, it is indeed," Greta replied with a kind smile cast briefly towards her before she focused on weaving through the twisting hallways again. "Although I must correct you, my lady – I am no Madam, only Greta."

"Well, Greta, you must feel wonderfully blessed to live here, surrounded by such beauty every day."

The servant grinned, her eyes crinkling as she turned to look briefly at Emmeline. "Aye, my lady, that I do. I have lived here for nearly forty years now, and the palace still takes my breath away every day."

"Oh, you are lucky then! I live in Portsmouth with my brother, you see, and I have only ever been to the palace once before now," she said. "I quite envy you."

"You say you envy me, my lady?" Greta chuckled. "I am but a lowly servant."

"Oh, Greta, pray do not say so!" Emmeline exclaimed, her eyes growing wide with horror at her statement. "You are hardly lowly. I admire you so! I could never know the halls of this gargantuan palace, and yet you have them memorised. You serve His Majesty, serve your country every day of your life, while I can serve no one but myself cooped up in Lockhart Manor! Between you and I, I consider you the greater nobility!"

"Yes – you must know that my mistress is so respectful of those who serve, Madam Greta," Penny quipped, her words tumbling out of her mouth faster than her feet struck the marble flooring with every step she took. "Our chef Adalberto is family to her and she treats me so wonderfully... You must never feel lowly in her presence!"

"Well... Thank you then, my lady," Greta responded, before slowing to a stop before a large door. "I have learnt much from our conversation. Her Majesty Queen Sarah is in this room." She sunk into the lowest curtsy she could manage. "Till we meet again."

Regardless of what the others in the corridor might think about her gesture, Emmeline decided to curtsy in return. As she lifted her skirts and sank low, Penny hurriedly dropped a curtsy as well. The trio rose together, and Greta beamed at the young lady before disappearing down the hall.

"What a lovely woman," Emmeline observed with a light sigh once she was gone from their line of sight. "Truly, Penelope, it pained me to hear her speak ill of herself so."

Penny giggled. "Perhaps now you know how I feel about you, my lady?"

Emmeline beheld her maid in waiting for a moment with eyebrows furrowed in thought; but then she said nothing, instead raising her fist, drawing a long calming breath, and rapping on the drawing room door.

"Come in." The voice that called out in response was warmer than Emmeline had imagined.

Emmeline pushed the door open and entered, Penny close on her heels. Then they beheld the Queen herself, seated, in the flesh, on a royal blue sofa. Emmeline felt the blood drain from her face at the sight as if she suddenly realised that she was face to face with the monarch, and both she and her maid in waiting dropped to the lowest curtsies they had ever managed in their lives. Emmeline was so close to the floor that she could almost feel the cool marble against her skin. Her muscles screamed in protest, but she only held her position firmly, as if she was clinging on for dear life itself, and prayed that Queen Sarah could not see her shaking.

"Rise," the Queen said, and the two straightened. "Lady Emmeline Lockhart of Portsmouth, I have heard much about you."

"Your Majesty...it is a great honour to meet you." She struggled to keep the tremor out of her voice.

Queen Sarah smiled, and her eyes held only benevolence. "Come, Lady Emmeline, have a seat."

"Th-Thank you, Your Majesty." Emmeline complied and took a seat upon a sofa opposite the Queen.

"Oh, you are incredibly well-mannered, but pray do not call me that, my dear; it makes feel so terribly old!" Queen Sarah laughed good-naturedly. "You may call me Sarah. I like to think the crown atop my head does not render me above being addressed by the name I was born with. Do you not agree?"

"Oh, yes, I do agree with you," Emmeline replied with an enthusiastic nod, feeling her anxiety slowly begin to melt away at the monarch's friendliness. "I have always wondered if I—you see, Your Majesty, I do not know if it would be appropriate for me to—How do I explain this? People would talk, and—"

The queen only laughed again. "Truly, Lady Emmeline, you are every bit as endearing as your aunt said you to be. But you may address me as Sarah, and if you would be so inclined, I would like to call you Emmeline in return."

"Of course, Your—Sarah," Emmeline responded. "May I ask a question?"

"Yes, my dear?"

"Do your servants address you as Sarah also?"

"Well," Sarah sighed, "no. As you rightly pointed out yourself, people would talk if I let them address me only by Sarah. I do, after all, live a lot of my life in public scrutiny. Only my maids in waiting call me Sarah, and only in the privacy of my chambers. Otherwise, the palace staff call me Madam."

"I see," Emmeline responded. "I was asking because it's been a question I've been ruminating for a while now. I attempted to persuade my wait staff to address me just as Emmeline when I was a child, but my governess was quick to rid me of that notion claiming it was improper. Sarah, I—I would be greatly obliged if you would enlighten me as to how improper you think such an act would truly be. I do not see any error in it, but..."

Sarah smiled at the wide-eyed young lady. "Well, Emmeline... I suppose we must begin by discussing what you would consider to be 'improper' to begin with." She gestured towards the plate of pastries on the table between them. "Before that, however, would you fancy a crumpet?"

A/N Hola everyone!

1: Technicalities - Some of you may have noticed the torrent of updates to old chapters. The edits mostly involve an error on my part regarding forms of address - I've altered the story to be more historically accurate, although I still cannot guarantee complete accuracy or credibility. Emmett, for example, should not be addressed as Lord Lockhart; his actual title ought to be Lord Portsmouth, after the territory he is earl to (Portsmouth). Similarly, William should be called Duke Mayfair / Lord Mayfair. Emmeline on the other hand does not have any title of her own but should not go by Lady Lockhart, but by Lady Emmeline.

2: Title - In view of the discovery of the abovementioned inaccuracy, a change to the title is now necessary. So that'll be happening together with this update, and as a kind of remembrance, the old cover is in the Media section if you (or I) ever want to look at it, haha. XD

3: Comment - Tell me which hemisphere you hail from! :) I live under the equator... If only it lent me some southern charm.

That's all for this update. Thanks for reading, voting and commenting, and the second half of this chapter will be up next Friday!

x Leanne