Dominic brought out the plan for the domestic staff they would need at the manor, the one that he had made for the courtship trials, and showed it to the Royal Guard.
"These are what we will eventually need.
But there are only a few that will be needed immediately. The head maid, the scullery maids, the cook, and the groom or farrier for the horses.
Unless we’re going to be taking a whole set of mechanical horses to the estate, we will definitely need someone to work with the horses. That is probably someone that we should try to find in the Capital, though.
Unfortunately, we only have one night’s time to search. That does not make it easy to find a qualified person." He explained.
Colonel Wilkes patted him on the shoulder. "Fear not. I can find you a qualified cook and a farrier tonight, who will be ready to go in the morning."
Alexis gave him a dubious look, and the Guard shrugged. "I may have been sleeping with that girl Jasmine from the farrier’s forge. Plus, you know that Cook Beth has always had a soft spot for you.
If we ask her to come along, she will certainly resign her spot in the kitchens to join the Duchy as its head chef."
Alexis smiled. Beth had been passed over for a kitchen management position every year for the last fifteen years, but she had stayed in the kitchen, working the Royal Wing faithfully anyhow.
Most chefs would have left the second or third time they were passed over like that.
But she still made the twin Princesses favourite snacks every day, just in case they wanted some.
"Alright, I will write up an invitation letter to show their managers so that they’re not marked as having quit without a guarantee of new work by their managers. It won’t be the first time a Noble house stole away good staff, and it won’t be the last." Alexis agreed.
A few moments later, Wilkes left with the letters of employment, and a maid who had been at the door entered.
"Your Highness. I have the caravan contents list for you." She explained.
The Princess’ eyebrows lifted with every line. Was she starting a new estate, or relocating her own?
There were the expected dried provisions, a full set of kitchenware, of the sort that a military camp kitchen would have for feeding a regiment, then multiple beds, carpets, tables, chairs, even books.
Not as many books as she would have hoped, but they were noted as a wedding gift from the local publishing houses.
Then there was dishware, silverware, crystal glasses, and all of the sorts of domestic gifts that would be expected at the wedding of a lower Noble, who would also have to start his own estate from scratch.
"It appears that the Nobles of Cygnia have taken good care of us." Dominic noted.
"They even d all three trucks that it will take to move the goods. Those will be very useful in the future." Alexis agreed.
Three magitech powered steam trucks were a huge gift, even from a Ranking Noble to a Princess. So, they might have come from a group, or have been arranged by the King’s assistants using coin gifts sent by Nobles who were unable to attend the Capital for the wedding.
A wedding that never happened in the Capital. But it was still the appropriate place to send the gifts, given the circumstances.
"Well, it looks like we don’t need to do any housewares shopping. We’ve got everything that we should need to get started in the Manor." Dominic noted as he finished reading the list and comparing it to what they had come up with for the marriage trial.
It was possible that the results of the trials had been used as a wedding registry so that the Princess would have all that she needed when she departed with her new husband. That would have let the Nobles pick the gifts long before the final decision was made, and they would have been suitable for any of the grooms.
"We should rest early. Here is some coin for the new hires, so they can get what they need to leave in the morning. Tell them that we will provide everything that they need, in case they’re leaving with nothing but a change of clothes." Alexis instructed.
"We will send in the ladies’ maids," one of the guards agreed.
Dominic winked at him. "Don’t worry about it. I can draw the bath and get the Princess ready for bed."
The Royal Guard chuckled. "I will ensure that the soundproofing is active. Don’t forget to close the door."
Alexis rolled her eyes. "They already filled the bath and set it to warm. But you are not keeping me up all night when we’ve got a long day ahead."
Dominic made a kissing face at her, but the Princess just laughed as she went to bathe.
"Well, a man can try." He whispered to the guards with a shrug.
"You’re a brave man. You do remember that you’re going to be sleeping beside her, right?" Ella, the lone woman in the Princess’ Royal Guard team, asked.
"Don’t worry, if there are serious injuries, I’m sure that I can convince her to heal me."
Dominic went to the ensuite to shower and change for bed, then waited for Alexis to be ready.
It didn’t take long for the Princess to arrive with her hair in a loose braid and still damp from the bath.
Dominic stepped up behind her and slid the dressing gown off her shoulder, then kissed his way up her neck, from the collarbone to the earlobe.
"You’re not playing fair." Alexis complained.
"That is true. But I only promised that I would let you sleep at a reasonable hour, not that I would keep my hands to myself."
The Princess giggled, then turned and pushed him backward onto the bed.
"Well, if that is the case, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to delay for just a little bit longer."