"Expect nothing, live frugally on surprise." - Alice Walker

Thayet slipped out of the worn down manor in major need of repair. Tar and roofing was long past being salvagable along with the once grand wooden doors at the front of the tattered manor. Silently closing the large wooden door the blonde girl quietly dashed from the steps leading up to the doors and out into the suprisingly well-kept garden. Bending amongst the leaves of green allowing the rich smell of dirt and greenery to comfort her Thayet picked strawberries from a bush. Placing the little red berries in a over-used woven basket the girl moved with a graceful edge, picking the ripest strawberries ones that would no doubt taste the best.

Pushing back her blonde locks Thayet gazed through sky-blue eyes at a bush that appeared to be wilting. It stuck out like a sore thumb amongst all the other healthy plants producing vegetables and berries. Shaking her head at the site she scooped up a water pail nearby and moved to a well. Bringing up the water as silently as possible Thayet winced as it squeaked and squealed on the way up. Her step mother would surely wake if she was any louder along with the spoiled twins. Then Thayet would be in for a good thrashing with the piece of birch bark Step mother prefered.

Thayet was an orphan, at least that's what Step mother told her. Thayet's mother had been a lady of the court, a beauty according to what the other servants of the manor told her. A woman so gentle birds would sing to her on her window sill as she readied in the morning. And her father had been a handsome man, with a gentle hand and kind words for everyone. She'd been told her lovely mother had died giving birth to her and her father had remarried soon after to provide his little baby with a motherly figure. He had not married for love, and Step mother had never been able to get him to love her. He was too devoted to Thayet's mother. A few years later Thay was told he passed, most likely due to extreme heartbreak.

And now Thayet found herself in the position she'd been in since she was only five. A servant. In her own fathers home. Of course no one had ever actually named her a servant, but Thayet surmised she might as well be! Everyday she woke to pick berries for her Step mother and her nasty twin daughters breakfast then followed that up with a list of endless chores that left her fingers bleeding and her muscles aching. Thayet couldn't even remember the last time she'd been able to enjoy life for herself.

Shaking her beautiful head from those thoughts Thayet grabbed the now full bucket and moved to water the wilting bush. To her the bush reminded her of herself, she stuck out like a sore thumb, never quite belonging in the manor though the servants where always kind to her. Pouring the water onto the strawberry ush Thayet smiled and set the pail aside to gently touch the leaves of the bush. Eventually the bush would be green again, and fit in with the rest. Maybe one day she could possibly fit -- "THAYET!!!!"

Thayet winced as the hoarse voice of her step mother reached her ears. She was in for it now, the woman had been awoken from her slumber surely because of the creaking well and if not she'd find a way to blame it on her. Sighing no longer caring to remain silent Thay grabbed up her semi-full basket of strawberries and jogged to the side of the manor where she entered through the side door. A loud booming and crashing noise was echoing through the halls from the top floor and Thayet again winced. When Step mother began tossing things around she was certainly in for it!

"Thayet! Get up here this instant you pig!" Step mothers' voice again disturbed the manor as she yelled for Thay. Picking up her tattered and worn shirts of her servants dress Thayet bounded up the steps, her graceful ankles picking up speed as she reached the end of the stairs and headed down a light lit corridor. Coming to Step mothers door Thayet drew in a breath. Hopefully the manors' servant girl, Mary, would be able to cover Thay's chores for the day because once Step mother was finished with lashing Thayet she certainly would be in no shape to work.

"Goodmorning Step mother, I have fresh berries for you this morning!" Thayet willed her voice to come out stronger then a squeak and was suprised when she sounded confident.

"Oh you insolent girl, we've no time for breakfast this morn'!! The prince, the prince I say is coming this evenin' to give us a personal invitation to the kings ball!" Step mother was standing in her bedchamber, her deep black ravens hair being pulled up into a frantic bun by a frightened Mary. Thayet offered the younger girl a kind smile then almost rolled her eyes at her step mothers words.

The prince was a figure adored by all young women, and all had their sights set on marrying him. Thayet herself had once taken a second look at a sketching of the man but then turned away. She was but a servant in her own house, and the prince was bound to choose someone more like Larissa and Bianca, Step mothers nasty twin daughters who thought way to high of themselves.

"Very well Step Mother, what shall you have me do?" Thayet could already see the long list of chores forming in her mind, scrub the banister, clean the fire place, wash the floors, prepare dinner, clean the drapery and rugs along wi--

"I want you to go and make my dear Larissa and.. special Bianca ready, in a few hours he should be here and I want them looking stunning! Stunning you hear? Mary and the others will prepare the house."

A groan stopped short in Thays throat as she heard her duties. She'd rather clean the entire manor and do the repairs then deal with the nast twits. They were insufferable. Turning on her heel Thayet moved out of the bed chamber stopping only to pick up her basket of berries. Step mother may have no time to eat but the twins certainly found there appetites high in the mornings, and Thay was called the pig! Snorting in an unladylike manner Thayet exited the room and headed towards Larissa and Bianca's adjoining chambers.

"My day just gets better and better.."