Chapter One; Ayleth

Jasper had awaken Ayleth from pleasant dreams where she and Elliot sat by Bowerstone Lake in Millfields where they watched the sun set. He had done so by opening up the large window which over looked the back gardens of Bowerstone Castle. In her dream the sun had been setting not beaming down from mid-sky into her face. Now she had to deal with the trivial tasks such as dressing. With a sigh she took her elegant princess gown with her behind the screen at the back corner of her room and changed while Jasper told her how the day was certain to be a lovely one. As she stepped out from the screen Jasper was adjusting his white gloves. "How marvelously acceptable your attire is for this fine day. Master Elliot is sure to be pleased. Your brother as well I might add."

Ayleth pinched at the bridge of her nose. "Logan has no right to dictate my clothing! I am of age now. It is my birthday after all." She quickly crossed over to her vanity and began to do a quick brush up of make-up. The only thing she had wished for that night had been that she would have her first kiss. She had made the wish as she blew out the last candle in her room as soon as the clocks struck midnight.

Jasper nodded. "Your brother, His Highness, dictates many things. Why should clothing not be one of them?" The man said this in his usually cool tone, but Ayleth heard the humor behind his words and she did not mask the sudden giggles that came from such a witty remark. "All joking aside, I do believe Master Elliot has waited for quite some time now and-"

"Right! Thank you so kindly, Jasper!" Before fleeing, Ayleth gave the worn servant a warm hug and peck on the cheek before dashing out the door for the gardens.

Just as was promised Elliot was wandering about the flowers, bending down every few steps to take in the different aromas. His stay had allowed him the time to lap the gazebo more than twenty go-rounds. From the walkway over the back entrance Ayleth watched and her playful personality began to flare. Quickly she descended the stone steps and out into the open area just before the gardens. Several servants and guards approached her in the time it took for her to sneak behind a hedge, asking if she was feeling alright as she crouched and crawled, even while wearing a gown. She rolled her eyes and shooed them away.

Elliot had spent a great deal in waiting for Ayleth to come so that he might confess his feelings for her. His fingers twitched every time they got close to his breast pocket. "Maybe she's tired of you," he breathed dejectedly. Princesses seemed to be quite fickle, he thought.

From behind Ayleth shook her head at Elliot's observation. Slowly she wrapped her arms around his waist and placed her head in the area between his neck and shoulder. "Yes, I am tired of you... tired of you not being here nearly enough."

The poor young man had froze in terror when he first felt the presence of someone coming up behind. He had been almost certain that it was Natalie, one of the maids. Natalie had always had an eye for him, often getting close enough to pinch his cheeks and not those on his face either. He shuddered at the thought, but now he knew it was his Ayleth and he felt his body lose its rigidness. Ayleth let go of his midsection and Elliot turned around to face her. What he saw was a further surprise. He noticed she was not trying to dress like one of the servants. Her face was lightly dusted with white powder and her eyelids darkened by a few shades. Ayleth had never been the kind of girl who "prettied-up". If you can't accept me for how my face looks without make-up then you don't deserve me with make-up, he remembered her always saying.

"I was getting a little worried that you had forgotten me," Elliot stated. Then he took her hands in his and placed a kiss on top of both.

Ayleth turned red even though it could not be seen since she had decided on wearing the retched face-paint. "Not at all," she whispered. She wanted to prematurely reveal her secret. Oh how I want nothing more than true loves kiss.

Since the pair had both been very young everyone about the castle had cooed over them about what a cute couple they were. Whenever the boy would come over Ayleth made sure everyone knew that he was strictly hers. Her parents both had to make sure she knew that Elliot was not a toy, but the boy followed her like a lost duckling and played all of the games which she commanded. They would run about the halls holding hands and hiding from all of the adults.

Ayleth took his hands and began to pull him toward the back of the gardens. Elliot had gone limp like a ragdoll as she pulled him along. As they stopped and stood Ayleth did not fail to notice that for some reason the sky had become a lot darker. It should not have been this dark, not on her birthday.

She put the negative feeling aside, because she had Elliot beside her now. Down the hill below them the town looked bright and magnificent. The time has come, Elliot thought to himself. He inconspicuously reached into his pocket and held his surprise in a tightly clinched fist, certain that a ring shaped crevice would make a permanent feature in his palm. "Ayleth, I was thinking about how long we have known each other. We've sort of been together like a couple since I can remember. I thought now was a great time... I wanted to..."

Before he could show her anything she was already beaming at him. With a shriek she stated, "Yes!" He pursed his lips nervously. Suddenly her lips were pressing firmly against his. His eyes had widened in shock, but he found himself even more enamored with her than before.

Blushing, even through the pale make-up, Ayleth broke away. "Elliot," she said softly.

Elliot's face was even redder and he could feel the heat pulsing from his cheeks. Before he could take Ayleth's hand a servant came rushing toward them. He stopped just a few feet from them. "Miss... Miss..." he panted. "The servants are rioting in the kitchens."

Ayleth felt a little disheartened that she had to put on her authoritarian mask. "Why ever so?"

He gave a weak shrug "I believe your brother, His Highness, has riled them up."

As if Logan would even go down to the kitchens to rile the servants up, Ayleth sighed. For the past week even she had not seen her brother in the slightest, not even on her ventures through the castles, which did not fail to take her to some of his more guarded rooms. "Come now, Elliot. Let us see what the ruckus is."

Even though he was feeling a little put out about his inability to propose thus far, Elliot nodded a little stupidly as he had remained on his high from the kiss. Ayleth took a hold of his hand once more and dragged him after her up to the kitchens; it had its own entrance since The Help was not supposed to be as privileged as the castle dwellers. Ayleth could possibly see what the problem was now that she thought on it. Instantly upon arrival she saw one of the cooks, by the name of Thomas, was on the center table preaching. "We have been under paid and underappreciated for far too long," Thomas yelled. Several of the servants cried out in agreement.

"What is this fuss?" Ayleth demanded.

Everyone in the room instantaneously quieted. Thomas froze from his improvised platform. "M-M-M'lady!"

"Do you not cook on that table?" the princess asked sternly placing her free hand on her hip.

"We are... are striking until we are treated fairly!"

Elliot pressed his thumb into Ayleth's palm, to get her attention and calm her. "Everyone has been a little upset lately with your brother, His Highness... Maybe you should speak to your workers."

Ayleth nodded her concurrence. At first her voice was a little shaky, but she recovered fast enough. She did not suspect any of them took noticed. Now it was her time to show she was no longer Little Princess Ayleth... No she was Miss Ayleth the wise one of age and adult opinion! "You all may not get treated as fairly as you would like..." so far so good, "but you are employed! You do get paid more than those people working down in those filthy taverns! Just stay out of the line of fire and my bro-" she stopped herself. Stay professional! "King Logan would appreciate it if you stayed off his bad side. This would make him less likely to bring his wrath down upon you if you only just served him how he asked."

She could tell by the odd looks and sniffling from the maids that her speech may have actually caused more harm than good, but what did she know about speeches? She had never given one! The only talking she ever did with the servants was telling them not to follow her and ask what she wanted. She never desired anything and if she did she could get it perfectly fine herself! Or Jasper would get it. She had always thought of him as almost a grandfather and did not care to ask him for help either unless she had no other choice. However, what really set him apart was how he would do things without her asking. It was on several occasions that he did things she was sure she had made no hint to and no one would have guessed she'd wanted said things. She asked him sometimes, when it was just the two of them in the sitting room, if he wasn't a mind reader and he would give a faint chuckle and roll his head to the side like it was a preposterous notion. Ayleth did not fail to notice that he never said "No".