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alpindale

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Pulling herself together, she forced herself to follow Rishe’s directions. She thought back and finally alighted on a response. “I…I didn’t know how to do the job. Before, when my family was still prominent, I’d washed shirts and bedsheets. Never gowns or military uniforms.”

“Perfectly reasonable,” Rishe said. “Only natural for someone just starting out.”

“The older girls were so busy, they told me to just watch them since they didn’t have time to teach me. When I had questions…well, there was nobody to ask.”

“I bet. And did you have any other problems?”

“Well, yes. There was a lot to learn. Different kinds of soap and washboards depending on the cloth. You use different tools for different materials. I had to learn how they worked and how to put them away. I was…punished if I didn’t get it right the first time.”

The newcomers were exchanging surprised looks. Rishe understood why.

Everything Diana said was familiar to them. They spent valuable time searching for their materials and the proper ways to use them, but they shrank from asking for help. Everyone always looked so busy. This was a universal problem.

“Despite all that, I got better!” Diana protested. “I only needed to be taught once. Unlike them! They’re useless!”

“Yes, well. There’s a difference between you and them,” Rishe told Diana. “You can read and write.”

“Oh!” Diana started in surprise. Elsie looked at the floor.

The literacy rate among commoners was low no matter where you went. Very few families had the means to afford an education, especially for daughters. Diana had been born to a merchant’s family—she’d received formal schooling. The maids she was close friends with were likely from similar backgrounds. The majority of those in service were not so fortunate.

“What if you only received instructions on how to do a job once and weren’t able to write it down to remind yourself later?” Rishe asked. “Would you be so confident?”

“I-I don’t—” Diana reflexively thrust a hand into her apron pocket, where she had a list of daily tasks recorded in her neat handwriting to reference throughout the day. Hopefully now she would understand how much of an edge her privileged literacy gave her over the other maids.

“Everyone else works as hard as they can, just like you do,” Rishe said. “Remember how it was for you at first? They all have to start somewhere. I hope you’ll keep that in mind.”

“They’re no different from me,” Diana mumbled begrudgingly, glancing around the room, looking at the less experienced maids. As if coming to a decision, she said, “I’m sorry.”

“Diana?”

Like a child enumerating her regrets, Diana went on, “I’ve done you wrong, all of you. It’s just, I had nothing. Or so it felt like. No money, no title. I thought I had to make my way in the world on my own. That I had to start from zero.” Her shoulders trembled as she buried her face in her hands. “But I was wrong! I wasn’t starting from zero. I had everything that I learned growing up. I didn’t realize how fortunate I was. I let it all go to my head.” Her voice rose to a wail. “How could I have said all of those terrible things?! Even though you were all working so hard—trying your best even while feeling as helpless as I did all those years ago. I should have understood what you were going through. A-and I failed you.”

“Oh, Diana…”

“I’m sorry,” Diana sobbed. “I’m so, so sorry.”

The new maids stared at her, stunned. But then they clustered around her.

“It’s okay, Diana. We’re sorry for not being faster learners.”

“My lady, please reconsider! Diana scared us, but she’s always flawless with her work. And that goes for the other maids with more experience than us too.”

“It’s fine.” Diana scrubbed at her eyes. “It makes sense she wants nothing to do with us. Don’t beg—”

“Diana.” Rishe smiled and held out her hand. “Didn’t I say that I had a request?”

“Huh?”

“I don’t want you as a maid. I want you as an instructor.”

A murmur rose among the maids. Even Oliver looked surprised.

“I want the inexperienced maids to come to this palace to learn. And not just by observation alone—with thorough demonstrations and explanations. Come up with a system to allow girls to ask their questions, to perform the tasks again and again until they learn them. And once they have all they need, they’ll be promoted to work in the main palace for the royal family.”

Rishe recognized these problems—they were rampant the world over. Those with work didn’t have the time to train those who were new to the same work, rendering the amateurs stranded at sea, forced to learn on their own or quit before they even had a chance. If only someone had sat them down to teach them what they needed to know. When you learned from observation rather than foundational skills, mistakes were more far more likely.

If the palace couldn’t afford the staff or the time to train its servants properly, Rishe would take it upon herself.

“You can’t lose a skill once you’ve acquired it, whether that be reading and writing, how to do a job, or how to teach a job. Knowledge is a weapon you can wield wherever you go, not just here. You can apply your new skills elsewhere—wherever you want.”

The maids listened to Rishe, wonder in their eyes.

“That’s why I’ll be taking the twenty newcomers as my maids. Diana, you and your friends shall teach them. You’ll be their tutors.”

“Their tutors, my lady?”

“I would like all my maids to be able to read and write. One hour of study a day should be sufficient. You and your friends will be their teachers. I expect you to come up with materials for them as well as a handbook for new maids.”

Diana was utterly stunned. “You want us to teach reading and writing? And…and write a book?”

She could never have imagined this sort of opportunity. Rishe drew something from her breast pocket. It was one of Diana’s pages of notes. “I took a look at this.”

“Where did you get that?”

Rishe ignored the question. She didn’t want to say she’d specifically joined the maids this morning to swipe it. “Your handwriting is neat, and your steps are logical and succinct. You have a gift for transcription. I believe you’ll make an excellent teacher.”

Diana’s cheeks flushed. “You would praise me so? After all of those rude things I said to you?”

“Hah! I have no idea what you mean.”

Diana bit her lip and took Rishe’s outstretched hand, then bowed deeply. “I will do my utmost to live up to your faith in me. Thank you.”

“Excellent.” Rishe turned to Elsie and the other new maids. “As for the rest of you, you’ll have your hands full with your new duties. Let me know if you have any problems or find the workload too taxing.”

“Yes, my lady!”

And thus came about the formation of Lady Rishe’s School for Wayward Maids.

***

Upon his return to the main palace, Oliver made straight for his master’s office.

Arnold was sitting at his desk. Without looking up, he asked, “Has Rishe decided on her maids?”

“About that…” Oliver hesitated. “Were you aware we had a retention problem? Our turnover is so high, we’re chronically understaffed.”

“Yes. We raised their wages, if I recall.” He tapped his pen to his mouth. “I think it’s been better than it was.”

“Well, Lady Rishe may have fixed it altogether.”

Arnold raised his head.

“She’s picked out literate women and asked them to draft teaching materials. She declared a brand-new system for training maids.” He gave a little amazed shake of the head. “On top of that, she managed to endear every one of those girls to her, while at the same time figuring out exactly how each one could be best utilized.”

Silence.

“The maids are all excited to begin. There’s always been a huge social divide between old and new workers, but Rishe dispensed with it. They’re allies now.”

“I see.” Arnold’s mouth twitched, and he went back to writing.

“Did you predict this, Your Highness? You don’t seem very surprised.”

Arnold snorted. “How could I predict something like this? Well, I knew she would do something odd.”

“Using your future wife’s eccentricities as entertainment is unbecoming, you know,” Oliver chided. Then he grinned. “I honestly can’t wait to see what she’ll do next.”

“Oliver.” Arnold cast his eyes down, voice dropping as he said, “I did not choose Rishe for the benefit of the country or for my family.”

Oliver paused. “My apologies, Your Highness.” He then sat down to see what work needed to be done.

***

Flower petals danced in the wind. Dressed in a linen gown, Rishe hacked away at the soil with a hand hoe. “Take that!”

She’d spent the last few days tilling her future garden, a small corner of a courtyard granted to her by Arnold at her request.

This should be enough space for the meantime. Rishe surveyed her tilled land with satisfaction. Buckets of mulch sat nearby, fertile soil she’d collected from a deciduous tree in the garden.

With an enormous heave, she picked up a bucket and began scattering soil over the tilled ground. By the time she was finished, her arms were numb.

I need to start working out.

This body had belonged to a sedentary noblewoman until recently, with no muscle density or stamina to speak of. She found it far inferior to the forms she’d cultivated as a knight or an apothecary tending her garden. Her mind knew the motions, but her conditioning couldn’t stand up to it.

Still, she wanted to get more work done before her aching body forced her to pack it in. Taking a break from the bucket, she began hacking away with her hoe, aerating the soil by mixing it together with the mulch. She took care to remove any roots she came across, but she wasn’t as thorough as she could have been. She was curious to see what unfamiliar flowers might bud between her rows of plants.

Her knights, standing guard a little ways away, watched Rishe curiously. Diana soon joined them, her eyes going round as saucers. “My lady, what are you doing?”

“Oh, this? I’m tilling a field.”

“A field? But you’re the future empress!”

When Rishe finished mixing the dirt, she formed the soil into soft ridges. It was ready for planting, but Rishe decided it would be best to let it sit and acclimate to the sunlight for the time being. She wiped the sweat from her brow, grinning at the flabbergasted Diana. “Sorry to keep you waiting. Are you ready to show me what you’ve come up with?”

“Oh, yes!” Diana nervously presented Rishe the document. The paper had neat lines of handwriting and charming little doodles of brooms and dust cloths. “I was thinking that the first words the newcomers should learn how to read are the words for cleaning equipment.”

Diana was still clad in the maids’ dress, though she had removed her apron. She plucked at her skirts anxiously. “These are words they use daily in their work,” she added. “I thought it would be helpful.”

“Good thinking,” Rishe said. “I agree.”

Diana’s expression momentarily brightened before fading back into gloom. Maybe she didn’t feel as confident as she’d first appeared. “To be honest…I wonder if they wouldn’t be happier learning how to read and write their own names first.”

“True. It’s certainly good to consider the likes and dislikes of your students.”

Rishe recalled the life she’d spent as a maid and the son of the manor who had been taught to read by a private tutor. He’d practice with such concentration and then run over to show her.

Tapping her chin, she said, “But with the names…they wouldn’t be able to review together, nor could they help each other out if someone forgets. And you’d have to teach them one by one instead of all together—does that make sense?”

“Yes, I see.” Diana breathed a sigh of relief.

“I think teaching them how to read and write the words that they can immediately use for work is a wonderful idea. I’d be thrilled if I were your student.”

“You’re too kind.” Diana glowed, hugging the paper to herself. “I actually quite enjoy this work, my lady. It’s even more fun than coming up with insults.”

Rishe laughed. “I’m glad to hear that.”

“But if you don’t mind me asking, my lady… Why bother with this? Why are you offering us so much help?”

“Well…”

Rishe hesitated long enough that they were interrupted by Elsie, who sidled up meekly.

“My lady, it’s about time to get ready.”

Rishe nodded. “Excuse me, Diana. I have an appointment. Keep up the good work!”

“Of course!”

“Oh, Diana!” Elsie smiled shyly. “Can we do another review after dinner tonight?”

Diana lit up. “Of course! Make sure you’re prepared because none of you are going to bed until you get every answer right!”

Elsie giggled, waving as she and Rishe returned to the detached wing. “The bath is ready, my lady.”

“Perfect. I need to wash off all of this sweat and dirt. I’ll need to wash my hair too. Elsie, will you lay out my finest gown and help me with my hair?” Rishe almost skipped in excitement at who she was going to see afterward.

Elsie trotted behind her, puzzled. “I heard that gentleman is a merchant. Do you really need to wear your best gown?”

“Hmm, I guess you have a point. But trust me on this, it’ll all work out.”