Chapter 1

I awoke to the sound of Maria ringing the breakfast bell.

"Come in!" I answered to her.

"Good mornin' me lady. Poached egg on toast today. Orange juice with a side of cinnamon apples, just how you like it!"

"You are always the best! What are my royal duties today?"

"Your father says he'll talk to you 'bout them at the royal dining room table. He is preparin' for the feast tomorrow. The one for your…"

"My birthday!" I exclaimed, "Please leave me now so that I may change."

"Of course me lady." I suddenly had a thought that brightened my day. My birthday! Mother and father would release lanterns into the air for my 18th birthday! I felt better especially since I'd had that dream I always did the day before my birthday.

I wake up. I'm in the village, in a rickety carriage. A strange old hag comes into my room. She peers around the room before spotting me in the corner. She scoops me up and I begin to cry. She puts a gnarled finger to my lips, which makes me cry even harder. She rushes me out of the house and sneaks through the village. Suddenly she begins to climb a rope up to the palace. Surprisingly nimble for an old woman, she reaches the top of the rope and sneaks in through the balcony. There, laying perfectly still is another baby, that I'm pretty sure looks just like me. Except for our eyes. And our hair. Hers eyes are a stunning green. And yes, we are both blonde, but she's got one strand of hair that is brown and shorter. The old hag reaches in for that baby and puts me in. After she escapes through the door, I look around. This place is not familiar. It's luscious, but not familiar. I begin to cry. A strange woman and man rush in, I've never seen them before, but they pick me up and shush me and bring me to their bed to snuggle. This is home, I think.

It's a silly dream. I don't know what it means, and I've never told anyone else. It's best that I don't. I dress in my favorite purple gown. My mother doesn't like it because she says it's too peasant like, but I love it. I make my way down the grand staircase.