The attendants had all finished dining with the queen and returned to their rooms to rest. Though they were well aware the queen was deliberately delaying, they had no choice but to follow their host's lead.
A young servant, carrying a tray with drinks and pastries, walked along with a smile unique to the youth on his face. Oddly enough, as he walked on the smooth path, his legs suddenly gave way. The servant's face drained of color in fright, and, trying to steady himself while remembering his duty, he gripped the tray tightly, anxious not to drop it.
Seeing this, a man passing by quickly stepped forward to lend a helping hand, supporting the bottom of the tray with one hand and wrapping his other arm around the servant's soft waist, managing to steady the servant who was about to fall.
