The Queen smiled. Young Amelia looked very at home with her sons. The Queen munched on a large sandwich, gulping down mouthfuls and punctuating them with long pulls of lemonade. She waved forward one of the servant-boys.

"Yes ma'am?" the young lad asked.

"Fetch me my maid", she said.

"Yes ma'am!"

The boy stepped down from the royal dais and approached a table where senior staff and courtiers ate their lunch. He tapped Laura on the shoulder.

"Yes?" Laura asked.

"Beg pardon, m'lady", said the boy, "But the Queen wishes to see you".

The queen's ladies' maid finished her lunch, wiped her mouth, got to her feet, straightened out her frock and approached the dais, coming to her queen's side.

"You called, ma'am?" she asked.

"Ah, Laura..." said the Queen. "...You see young Amelia there, sitting with the princes..."

"Yes ma'am".

"After lunch I will be spending time with the King. I probably shan't need you. At any rate, Harris can attend to me just as well as he can attend to His Majesty. I want you to take young Amelia aside and tell her what her duties will be".

"What post is she to fill, your Majesty?"

"She'll be one of the new Ladies' in Waiting".

"Oh I see. So such things as queenly pursuits, attendance on your Majesty, seeing to any of your needs and so-forth..."

"That's right".

"As you wish, ma'am".

"Thank you. You can return to your lunch".