The lights were out in the room.
Cassandra lay in bed in the dark. Thin shafts of moonlight floated in from the window above.
She bit her lip as she wondered what the next morning would be like.
A letter had to be written to her father of course. But she would have to ask Dame Agatha if she was allowed to do that first.
Cassandra realized how strict and serious she was going to have to be for the next ten days.
There were twenty girls lying in the beds beside hers in the long, elegant room.
Only seven women would be picked to be ladies-in-waiting and none of the noble women sleeping in this room would give that up without a fight.
Cassandra closed her eyes tight and willed herself to go to sleep before she started thinking and crowding her head with more thoughts filled with doubt and dread.
Cassandra would make it.
She was sure of it.
Cassandra would become a lady-in-waiting to the unyielding queen herself and finally give her father the power he so hungrily craved.
With a nervous smile slowly touching her lips, Cassandra drifted off to sleep.
"Time to wake up, ladies."
The sunlight drifting into the large, richly furnished room had the noble ladies confused for a minute before they sprang out of bed.
Cassandra rushed to her feet.
It had taken only a few seconds for the women to identify where they were and what was on the horizon. It was Day One of the testing period that Dame Agatha was conducting and the girls could not dismiss the sense of urgency and excitement in the air.
Cassandra glanced around quickly.
Her dark curls were sure to be knotted, and she regretted not bringing her comb and the many lotions and potions that her loyal maid usually catered to her with.
Dame Agatha stood at the door with a small smile. Behind her stood so many maids that it was hard to count.
"Ladies," she said and a quick silence fell on the room. The girls straightened to perfect posture and only turned their heads to the tall Dame Agatha, "please go with the maids behind me to get bathed and dressed. We have breakfast downstairs at a hall that her majesty has graciously allowed us to use. Please go along with the maids now in groups of five. I want to see you downstairs in an hour. Am I clear?"
"Yes, Dame Agatha," the women chorused.
Cassandra watched the older lady leave the room. One of the maids stepped forward.
"Will the first five noble ladies come with me, please?"
Before Cassandra could even think, five noble women had already stepped forward and were being escorted out.
"The next five should include us."
Cassandra heard Charlotte's strong voice. Her heart lifted at having her close companions near. Cassandra was almost relieved.
Coming to the palace on an invitation was one thing, living here to be judged every second for perfect manners and wit was entirely another.
She looked over to see the three she was closest to coming to stand with her.
There was the reliable and steady Charlotte, the naïve but loyal Elizabeth and the smart and dignified Phoebe.
"Ladies!"
"Good morning, Cassandra," Charlotte smiled, her head held high. Despite the mussing of her hair and the wrinkle of her nightgown, Charlotte still managed to look dignified and classy.
The same could not be said of Elizabeth, the newest in the nobility circle. She yawned loudly and stretched her arms above her head and wrung her body back and forth.
"Most unbecoming," Charlotte said with a pointed stare.
Elizabeth blushed, causing Phoebe and Cassandra to giggle.
"Well, it is only Day One!" Phoebe said. She huffed out some air nervously and removed the knot of her red hair. "I am quite anxious; I will tell you ladies."
The others nodded as they watched Phoebe's beautiful red locks spill around her shoulders.
"I suppose they will provide us with clothes, lotion, towels and so on here." Charlotte said. Her eyes had shifted to look on the door, waiting for the maids to return.
Cassandra agreed, "I am sure they will. I- I need to write home to father but- but I think it would be best to ask Dame Agatha first."
Elizabeth cocked her head to one side, "Ask Dame Agatha? Before writing a letter to your own father because he may be worried. Is that necessary?"
Before Cassandra could reply, Charlotte cut in, "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, Elizabeth."
Elizabeth's eyes widened, "I- I know that but-"
"And we just do not know what the rules are of this game," Charlotte said. She huffed in exasperation and Cassandra realized that this was the first time since they had arrived at the palace that Charlotte showed even a smidge of her irritation.
"She's right," Phoebe agreed.
Elizabeth looked surprised.
"Beth, we just do not know!" Cassandra said kindly. "We do not know what they expect or what they will take kindly to and what they will not. And as such, we have to be careful! Imagine getting sent home because- because of something as silly as writing a letter to the outside without asking for permission first to the Dame. What if they do not want details of this test to be known yet. What if they have not announced it as of yet?"
Elizabeth's eyes slowly showed light, "Y- You mean, we could get kicked out j- just for appearing to be out of line whether that was our intent or not?"
"Of course!" The other three said in unison.
The loudness of the response attracted a few ladies' attention but Cassandra did not care.
Elizabeth was the one who was the most loyal and upright of her friends and she did not want her to miss such an excellent opportunity just because she was slow to understand the gravity of it all.
"Furthermore-," Charlotte looked stunned as she was caught of from what she was starting to say by a chorus of squeals from the girls.
The group of four were surprised before turning their heads to see the rest of the ladies clustered around a large window and peering outside.
"Whatever are they looking at?" Charlotte asked with a frown.
"Let's go see!" Phoebe nudged Cassandra and Elizabeth.