Lady-in-Waiting

Hello, little friend. No, I don’t mind – do you want to see what I am doing? It’s a tapestry for my lady. She wants it done by Easter, but it takes a long time, all these little flowers.

No, I'm not a servant! What an idea! I'm a lady-in-waiting – I help my lord’s wife, the countess, with everything – dressing, running the household, going to the toilet... a lady that high-born does nothing by herself! We ladies-in-waiting even sleep in her bedchamber just in case she needs something in the night.

Oh, it’s a great honour – only girls from the best noble families get the chance to serve an Earl’s wife. My father was related to Earl William de Valence and an important lord himself, so I'm quite senior here. But not as senior as Beatrice – she’s married to the Earl’s son, so she always takes precedence.

We’re constantly travelling from one place to another – the countess has so many estates, and we try to spend time at all of them, so they can feed our household in fair turn. The most exciting times are when we go somewhere for the big festivals like Easter. New clothes, big feasts, dancing. And I get the chance to be noticed by the right sort of man.

Well, of course I want to be married! I just hope my lord chooses someone who is just a little bit like the heroes in the tales, not some fat old man he owes a favour. Be off, child, if you please. I need to finish this flower while there is light.