The first "mission" that I had was at the Remington ball that Rosa had, ah, "wittingly convinced" Sir Benedict Remington to cooperate with for her plan. I was supposed to oversee the transaction that was to take place at that ball, between two other "persuaded" parties that Rosa had "friended" over the past month.

This was how I imagined the operation would go.

I sneak in, laying low in the crowd of unsuspecting nobles. They do not take any notice of me, as I am in a servant's garb that I'd filched from someone I'd knocked down just five minutes ago, with an expertly aimed chop at the neck. I melt into the stream of maids. Nobody notices the absence of these clothes' original owner, nor my sudden appearance.

I float around, my hooded, seemingly bored eyes taking in everything that I need for a successful mission. I scour the place for details as I do the work-- the fastest way to escape, the biggest potential threats, and any suspicious presences. Some eye me with curiosity, but I elegantly avoid their sight behind the masses and leave them behind.

I do not fail to stay conscious of my knife, its sheath pressing into my thigh where it is tucked, always ready to pull it out at any given time.

When the clock rings eight, I gracefully move away from the crowd. My boots-- for even in fantasy, I must have my boots-- make no sound in the deserted halls, and I become an invisible eye on the balcony, watching silently as the promised transaction happens in the promised location.

The moment I see the task's completion, I disappear without a trace, as if I had been nothing but a fading wisp under the moonlight.

Yes, this was how Mother Lily's high society novels that had spy heroines in them acted. Graceful. Beautiful. Elegant. Mysterious. Smooth. Super cool.

And super unrealistic.

"Behind!" bellowed a lady behind me. I quickly leaned forward, the tray in my hand balancing precariously as I waited for her to pass. Before another maid could catch me unaware, I followed right behind her, hot on her heels, after double-checking that the little sweet-smelling treats on my tray hadn't tipped over.

"Coming through!" I yelled, weaving my way out the confusing, moving crowd. I gritted my teeth. "'Scuse me, behind!"

It was hot. And humid. And there were way too many bodies in way too small a space, squeezing in and out of the servants' staircases. And none of this was any of what Mother Lily's novels made it look like!!!

Never again, I swore to myself, as I pivoted on my heels to avoid crashing into another rushing servant. Never again, Rosa Chesterfield. Never. Again.

"This isn't going to be dangerous at all," Rosa had promised. "You're just going to go there to check on them. You'll practically be doing nothing!"

Nothing? Nothing?! Was serving out heavy trays of buffet food for an hour nothing? Or what about how I scrubbed the stairway with the other maids? Or sweeping the ballroom which, may I add, was at least four times as big as the town plaza??!???!

Three hours of hard work and minimum three more hours to go. (When did balls even end??) And you say I'd be doing nothing. Nothing!! You're nothing, Rosa Chesterfield!!!!

This is so unfair, I thought, lips pressed into a thin line. The anger brought a new wave of energy to my limbs, which at least was helpful-- unlike a certain light-brown-haired noble I knew. Had I once told her she was the noblest of nobles, or whatever? I took that back. I took that right back.

And the worst part was, I couldn't even complain that this was all for her plan, because I'd made sure to tell her that we were both in it for the prize now. So it was, technically, our plan, though she'd come up with the entire thing. Ugh.

I began muttering under my breath as we scurried back down to the hot kitchen, having delivered those who-knew-what-treat-that-was to the buffet table. "May a certain girl by the name of Rosa Chesterfield stub her toe on her fancy schmancy sofa. May she scratch her forehead and accidentally pop a pimple painf--" Right, she didn't even get pimples. "Ugh! At least let me curse you, you sparkly demon!!"

And so, angry and busy like that, the next hour passed.

Once the initial preparation was over and the ball began, things weren't as chaotic as before-- still hectic, but not to the point of, well, burning a hole in my boots. 

"Be careful of that noble with the purple feather hat, too," whispered Brie, the maid that I'd befriended in the last thirty minutes. We were both now positioned 'on the floor,' as the maids here seemed to call it, which meant that we were assigned to be the standby maids in the actual ballroom. The short, freckled maid stationed nearest to me, was now kindly pointing out all the rudest nobles to me so that I could avoid them. She tossed one of her braids behind her shoulder as she moved her gaze to the right. "And that lady with the gold fan sometimes knocks over the servers on purpose so she has an excuse to, like, hit them or something. I don't know, but don't go too near her either."

I nodded, noting those nobles in my head. "Purple feather gentleman, and the gold fan lady. Thanks, Brie."

"No problem." She flashed me a small grin, and then we moved to our actual spots before any of the other maids (or heavens forbid, a noble!) noticed us whispering. After all, we weren't supposed to act like we existed until someone needed us-- and talking to each other? Invisible servants couldn't do that!

The clock rang eight just then, thirty minutes into the start of the ball. I began looking around surreptitiously at all the beautifully adorned nobles. In thirty minutes, the 'transaction' would take place-- and I would need to see it happen.

All these flashy colors-- even flashier and shinier than Rosa's room had been-- may have been blinding if it had been me of four hours ago, but alas, exhaustion took quite a toll on your appreciation of the pretty. That embroidered pink dress was beautiful, that top hat definitely exquisite-- but my feet ached and my shoulders hurt and I just wanted to go home now, thank you very much.

I found who I was looking for in a second-- a fresh, blue-eyed lady in light green, laced up in white, carried the fan Rosa had showed me at our last meeting a week ago. That had been our second meeting, and where I had finally agreed to take on this task. She was why I was here today: I just needed to make sure I saw her leave the room in the next thirty minutes and come back without the fan.

"Oh my!" came a sharp gasp near me, and I snapped to attention. A couple confections were rolling on the ground, knocked off from a plate, probably. Welp, better than a spill! Brie and I stepped forward.

As I did, I felt a gaze from my right, and I instinctively turned to see where it was coming from.

"Focus!" whispered Brie, and I quickly turned back to sweeping up the crumbs, mind whirring. I must have imagined that, right? I must have. Praying that it had been nothing but at most a passing glance from some inquisitive noble, I returned to my spot, heart racing.

Not that my heart raced for long-- boredom set in real quick again as I watched the lady in green chatter with a bunch of other ladies, who all looked about as young as she did. Maybe they were all Academy students? That would be cool.

As I cleaned up a couple other messes, the green lady left, stayed outside for a couple minutes, then came back, but with another fan in hand. (Which-- where did that come from? Had she hid it up her sleeve like Rosa liked to do? Strapped to her thigh like she was the real spy in this ballroom? Though, all things considered, she was the real spy in this ballroom, wasn't she? Gah.)

That meant, mission success! Hurray!

Can I go home now!

I suppressed a sigh in case some noble might take issue with a 'mere servant sighing' (you never knew! And I never knew! I've heard all these stories, and I personally haven't been this close to more than one noble at a time, and even then that was mostly Lady Mildred!¹Rosa didn't count, of course.). I mean, I know I said I didn't want to do anything dangerous, and this wasn't dangerous at all! I knew that! But, but, but...!

But Mother Lily's high society spy novels!! Where was my elegance! Where was my grace!! Give me back my super secret spy scene!!!

And I couldn't even make a run for it now that the deed was done. I'd gotten this position because Miss Bina's sister's friend's cousin or someone had vouched for me, and I couldn't just stomp all over their reputation like that.

Easing out another sigh, I stared at my scuffed up boots under my borrowed maid skirts with misery.

Brie had said that balls sometimes lasted into dawn. That meant I might have to be here until dawn.

Thus, the very first thing I did as Rosa's official partner in her ridiculously complex plan was to suffer.

That was it.

That was all.