Paige the Great
This is the story of my extensive, drown out, doom; the art of becoming a princess. No joke. See my life was never perfect but I found my place. My place is dangerous, dodgy, and never eventless. I'm a spy, living in the 15th century. I work for a man named Shore and his firm. My agent Mary and I are but one of the teams that make up our secret family. We fix and protect the lovely nation of Kurt. Shore's 16 are invincible. Well it was until we got this mission.
It was sunny as I'll get out when I walked into Mary's office. The name plate on her desk read Loretta Lindsay Doirt, but I called her Mary because she was a saint. She was sitting behind her desk reading the daily news when I walked in.
"Does the marvelous Mary have an assignment for me?" I asked smiling. She huffed put down the paper and turned to look at me with a weary, but somewhat excited expression on her face.
"Have you seen the paper?" she replied.
"I stopped reading the paper when I was twelve." That was four years ago when I learned what the obituary was.
"Well you know of the Kurt-Ishmire feud. Ishmire has designed a new military. The raiders are a high strung, small, largely discipline group of fighters. As you can imagine, the Royal family is very worried and frankly I don't blame them. We are one step away from war and with the addition of the Raiders," she sighs "The country is on edge. I mean its scary and I-"
"Mary," I cut off "What does this have to do with me?"
"Right the point. The King and Queen have requested our help for the protection and security of themselves and their people. They need an inside man for their parties and balls and whatnot; someone undercover to catch rumors and protect their people- not to mention their kids."
"So you want me to baby-sit?" Ugh, that is not my forté.
"No. Paige, you will become a debutante. Duchess Elizabeth Amelia Vandiver Clark, the King's cousin's daughter from the country Elivin. Well go on say something!"
I didn't say anything. I stood there with my mouth wide open, deer in the headlight eyes.
"You're joking," I hoped.
"Oh come on Paige it's not that hard of believe-"
"Mary! I lived in an orphanage for half my life and the other half was spent in a shop! I don't know how to dress, or dance, or use manners-"
"Honey, we'll teach you all of that. And why should your past matter?"
I was pacing now, fretting and picking my finger nails. "Why me?" I whined.
"You're the youngest and the fastest leaner. You'll be an amazing young lady."
We look at each other and broke out laughing. Since I was little I had a fear of being a princess. You may think that's odd, but if you heard the stories I heard you would think twice about being royal. All the lessons, not being able to eat what you want (which isn't really my problem. I don't know how they are going to fatten me up. I'm too thin to be a debutante) and they don't allow you to learn how to fight! I mean no girl really is allowed to learn but my case is an exception. Sailors would tell me stories of how princesses were locked in towers with dragons and would wait there for ever. It scared the hell out of me!
Plus, I'm not really royalty material. I was born into an orphanage because my parents couldn't support me. I was released when I was eight to settle my parent's debt. I worked on a harbor for a blacksmith. That's were I first fell in love with swordsman's ship. Not only did I learn how to make them, I learned how to handle a sword. When I was fifteen the blacksmith released me and I stumbled into one of Shore's missions by accident. He was impressed with my knowledge of how to fight and talent, and I've been here ever since. It's been a year now that I've been with the company. They're the only family I ever knew. I've never met my parents. I have picture of them and have heard stories of them. According to the people who knew them, they were poor. That's about all I know.
Doesn't get much deeper than that.
So a lady I am not. I'm too small to be a princess. I'm barely big enough to be a spy! I'm 5'4" and thin. Thinner than anyone I've met. It's not like I watch what I eat. It's just that I can't really keep weight on. I have a fast metabolism, not to mention all that running and fighting. My straight red hair is always unkept, blowing in my face or full of knots. Light freckles cover my face and contrast with my deep sea foam eyes. My lips were a deep red almost like a beauty, but they are chapped and peeling. My hands are rough from my work as a blacksmith and my skin is tanned from sitting out to long on the pier.
That's another one of my problems, I day dream way to much. When I'm bored, that's all I do, so I try to keep myself as busy as possible because if I didn't I probably spend ours in a closet or a roof or somewhere else where no one could find me and think. I like to be alone when I think. When I'm not zoning out I am always in the company of people. That can get annoying. Don't get me wrong I love the bureau like my family. Ugh I'll have to deal with snooty nobles and be nice, listen to them brag and gossip and make bets of who can get into the prince's panties first.
Kill me now.