Sunny dispositions are encouraged at the Palace. The Queen loathes squabbling (especially when sprites are involved as they usually are) and long faces (reminds her too much of Eileen’s grumpiness prior to her defection). The Household have developed the perfect expression for every occasion - the polite smile, which is allowed to become a polite grin if the circumstances are appropriate. Eileen feels this polite expression is nothing more but starch as a facial gesture but the Queen appreciates it. Eileen dislikes the artificial aspect of it, which is something the Queen welcomes. She has no problem with faking things should the need arise. Those Household members with good cause to be sad (family illness or death) are given extended generous leave of absence, fully paid, until they are fully recovered (sadness of this ilk is considered a minor, recoverable illness. The idea of prolonged grief seems strange to the magical world. Even the Queen recovered from her mother’s murder, though it is telling the monarch loathes any mention of it so people take the hint).
Naturally between them the Household knows everything that goes on in the Palace and there is a close bond between them and the Queen. The Queen considers them as her family almost and certainly they rallied round with much needed support and encouragement in the immediate aftermath of Eileen’s defection. The Council worries from time to time as to how much the monarch confides in her Household but, in fairness, the only leaks have come from Her Majesty directly, something the Council is aware of. The Household are the ones the Queen has to convince most of all and it wasn’t before she was able to do that she went ahead with her idea of kidnapping Eddie and Jenny, figuring Eileen would be bound to follow.
The Palace cellars, containing certain perishable foods and drinks, extend for miles in all directions. The cellars are cold, dark and dusty though the Lord Chamberlain and Head Housekeeper jointly keep records of what they know to be down there. There have been persistent rumours of a monster living down there but nothing has ever been proved. Monster and Oakstaff have carried out works in the cellars, both unaware there seemed to be something watching them. Not that either would have been perturbed - little frightens Monster and Oakstaff, with the exception of Wes, has not met a problem a decent bout of magic can’t deal with. It is also believed, especially by the Council, that the cellars contain a great deal of embarrassing material to the royals they don’t dare get rid of or which might still prove useful.
Naturally between them the Household knows everything that goes on in the Palace and there is a close bond between them and the Queen. The Queen considers them as her family almost and certainly they rallied round with much needed support and encouragement in the immediate aftermath of Eileen’s defection. The Council worries from time to time as to how much the monarch confides in her Household but, in fairness, the only leaks have come from Her Majesty directly, something the Council is aware of. The Household are the ones the Queen has to convince most of all and it wasn’t before she was able to do that she went ahead with her idea of kidnapping Eddie and Jenny, figuring Eileen would be bound to follow.
The Palace cellars, containing certain perishable foods and drinks, extend for miles in all directions. The cellars are cold, dark and dusty though the Lord Chamberlain and Head Housekeeper jointly keep records of what they know to be down there. There have been persistent rumours of a monster living down there but nothing has ever been proved. Monster and Oakstaff have carried out works in the cellars, both unaware there seemed to be something watching them. Not that either would have been perturbed - little frightens Monster and Oakstaff, with the exception of Wes, has not met a problem a decent bout of magic can’t deal with. It is also believed, especially by the Council, that the cellars contain a great deal of embarrassing material to the royals they don’t dare get rid of or which might still prove useful.
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