"Rise and shine!" Queen Elinor of DunBroch shouted cheerfully to her daughter, throwing open the pale yellow curtains decorating the window. Merida groaned, pulling her blanket up over her head, trying to block out the sun. Of core, it didn't last for long, seeing as it was quite stuffy underneath the thick wool.
"Mum!" the princess whined, curling hereof into a ball as her mother pulled the blanket away, letting patches of light fall on the bed. Elinor rolled her eyes- Merida was always such a stubborn girl!
"Come on now, dear," Elinor shook her gently, "a princess always rises early!"
"Not this princess," Merida mumbled into her pillow as she turned facedown on her bed. She felt her body sink into the mattress as elinor sat next to her, picking at strands of her unruly curls.
"Come on now, Merida!" Elinor said, shaking her roughly, "I need you to git up! Your father and bothers are waiting downstairs!"
"They can wait longer!" Merida shot back. Elinor furrowed her brow- she had dealt with this attitude many times before- Of course, I turned into a bear last time, she thought, but that was the past. This is today! Getting up, she smoothed the skirt of her forest green dress, gold detailing decorating the neckline and hem of her sleeves. Two long brown braid hung down her back, tied with thick gold bands. On her head was a golden circlet.
"Alright, then I guess we'll just have to cancel your lessons…." Elinor trailed off, straightening her back, head held high. Almost immediately, Merida jolted out of bed, a wide grin stretching from ear to ear. Slippers sliding across the polished floor, Merida almost and sit to the door when she felt a sudden tug on the back of her nightdress.
"Aw, Mum!" Merida groaned as Elinor pulled her back into the room.
"Now get dressed, dear," Elinor said, patting her daughter's cheek affectionately, "because we need to go very soon!" Merida raised an eyebrow, pushing her red curls out of her face.
"What are you talking about?" she asked. Elinor gave her a vague smile as she opened the door, slipping out into the hall. Once the door was sit, Merida reluctantly ambled over the the screen by the wall, and slipped behind it to get dressed for the day. But she knew that she was definitely not going to like her mother's surprise- whatever it was.