Chapter 1 A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes (But Sometimes Your Heart is Stupid)

Amelia slept peacefully in her bed in the attic. The attic was an octagonal room at the top of the turret of the house, with a pile of old furniture covering three walls. A large window with a seat covered almost another whole wall. Across from the window was a broken vanity the table of it littered with knick knacks Amelia refused to part with ever. One was a cuckoo clock that didn't work anymore made in Germany, another a paper butterfly from France, her beaded necklace was draped over a sketchbook from Italy.

Mice scampered around the room all in little outfits. Well they weren't normal mice. They were magical. They had human behaviors and had even developed speech almost like English. A bird fluttered into the room through the open window. It started to chirp in Amelia's ear. "Ugh. I don't wanna get up." She muttered half awake. "I'm hibernating."

The bells chimed in the castle a couple miles away and she scrambled to get out of bed. "I'm up I'm up." She yelled throwing her blanket and jumped out of bed. She rubbed her eyes trying to get rid of sleep that had gathered in them. "Fine order me around to ya stupid clock. Get up get up you say. No rest for the little servant girl in this house." She got dressed quickly pulling on a simple dress of blue and a white apron.

She was about to leave when the little albino mouse she had named Gilbert came up to her. "Amelia." He squeaked out in a high pitched voice.

"Yes Gilbert? What's wrong?"

"A new mouse."

"A new mouse! Is it a he or a she?" She asked not wanting to make that mistake again.

"He. And he's stuck in the trap."

"Oh that poor thing. Lead the way sir mouse." Gilbert lead her to the mouse trap on the steps. Inside was a small black mouse. "Oh hello." Amelia said opening the trap and looking inside. The mouse pressed up against the wall of the cage like trap. Amelia set the trap down and looked at Gilbert. "He's scared. Try getting him to understand for me please."

"Okay." The white mouse said happily. He waltzed into the trap and started to explain. "Hi I'm Gilbert what's your name?" The mouse remained scared looking at Amelia with fright. "Don't worry about Amelia. She's nice she isn't gonna hurt you. She makes us clothes and gives us food. You can come out if you want."

The black mouse slowly came out of the trap. Amelia picked him up in her hands petting him. At first he backed away from her touch but as he got used to it he let her touch him. "What's your name little black mouse?" Amelia asked.

Slowly the mouse said in a squeak "Kiku."

She laughed and said "That's a nice name." Their conversation was interrupted by her stepmother yelling for Amelia to come down and make breakfast. "Ugh. I'm sorry but I have to go. I'll be back hopefully." She started down the stairs before turning around and saying to Gilbert "Make sure Kiku knows how things work around here. And don't forget the cat." She ran down the stairs answering the calls of her stepsisters.

"Cat?" Kiku asked.

"Yep cat. Lucifer. Black, big, and mean. He isn't nice." Gilbert explained as a smaller brown female mouse came out of a hole in the wall.

She stood up on her hind legs and looked at both of the other mice. "Hello new friend. I'm Elizabeta." She said with a wave. Kiku waved back copying her. "Come on it's almost time for Amelia to feed the chickens." She said scampering down the stairs the two other mice following her.


Amelia threw the corn to the chickens while she waited for the tea pots to boil. She let the dried vegetables fall through her fingers onto the ground. Once she was done she went back inside and finished making her step family's breakfast.

She petted the head of the dog, Libby, and balanced the three trays, one on her head and in each arm. She didn't see Kiku sneak under one of the tea cups. As she walked up the stairs carefully not wanting to scald herself by dropping the hot tea she felt her shoe slip off. "Dang it." Amelia cursed softly and slipped it back off with measured movements. She continued up the stairs. She pushed open the door to Amy's room and said softly. "Time to get up Amy. It's almost nine."

The brown haired girl just pulled her pillow over her head and muttered a curse. "I'm not getting up until mum says I have to."

Amelia put Amy's plate down and said "Well she said last night that you and Mariette have to get up when it was almost nine or you'll be wasting the day and you'll never get to your exercise and be fat. I don't think you want to be fat do you Amy?" That got to the brunette up. She jumped out of bed and shooed away Amelia as she got dressed.

When Amelia came into Mariette's room the blond was already up. She was sitting at her window staring off into space. "Here you are Mariette." Amelia said giving the girl the tray off the top of her head. Mariette nodded acknowledging that she had heard Amelia and Amelia closed the door softly behind her.

Amelia made her way to her stepmother's room. She breathed to get rid of the bad memories associated with that room and pushed open the door. "Stepmother?" She called softly into the room.

"Amelia how many time do I have to tell you to call me ma'am, poppet, not that horrid title." Olivia said from under her canopy.

Amelia set down the breakfast tray down on the nightstand. "Sorry ma'am I'm just so used to calling you that. It's hard to break a habit."

The woman put a hand on Amelia's shoulder causing the girl to flinch. "I know it can be hard." Olivia looked at the door as Amy screamed.

Amy ran out of the her room fully dressed screaming about a mouse. Amelia ran out to meet her and grabbed Kiku as he ran out of the Amy's room. She placed Kiku in one of the pockets of her apron. Amy glared at Amelia and yelled "This is all your fault! You with your saving of those disgusting creatures! Look where your kindness got you!"

Amy slapped Amelia. Amelia growled back at her stepsister. "You little!" Amelia didn't even finish the sentence before grabbing Amy's hair at the roots scratching the other girl's scalp with her fingernails. Amy yowled like cat and started scratching at Amelia.

Olivia pulled the two girls apart. "Behave yourselves. I expect better of you Amelia."

"But I-" Olivia's glare cut her off. Amelia spun around and ran out of the house. Once she was outside she climbed onto the back of the black mare as she felt tears start to well up in her eyes.


Arthur half ran down the steps to the palace trying to lose the castle guard. He pulled himself around the corner and watched as the men following him around ran past him. He sighed in relief. He knew he would get in trouble when he got back, but he would take the punishment if it meant he could get a few hours of alone time. He hopped up onto his horse's back and galloped towards the forest.

Arthur pulled his horse to a trot when he got deep enough into the woods. He saw another horse galloping towards his, but before he could move, the horse crashed into his. He and the other horse's rider were thrown off the other rider landing on top of him. "Oh I'm so sorry sir. I didn't mean to hit you." The other rider said. She climbed off him shakily. For the first time he got a good look at her. She had short blond hair and bright blue eyes like the sky on a clear day. She looked like she had been crying.

"It's fine miss. No need to apologize." He said sitting up. He was glad he had changed before sneaking away. In his clothes right now he could pass as a wealthy merchant's son.

"Thank you, sir. I am sorry though."

"It's alright love really." He got up and brushed himself off and held out a hand to help her up. She grabbed his hand and he pulled her up until both of them were standing. "Um… and love you don't need to call me sir." He grabbed the reins of both the horse who were standing there dazed by their sudden lack of riders.

"The what should I call you?" She asked a smile on her face.

"Well my family calls me Artie so you can call me that."

"I'm guessing that's not your real name."

"No my mum would kill me if I gave my name to a random girl in the forest no matter how nice she is or how pretty." The words came out before he could stop them and he saw the blush coloring the girl's cheeks. "What's your name? Or nickname as it will since I don't expect you to give me your full name."

"Lia. And no that is not my full name my stepmother would kill me if I gave my name out to a strange man in the woods no matter how charming or polite he was."

"Well I think Lia is a splendid nickname. And it's not really my place love but have you been crying?" She looked down and started to cry her head in her hands. He felt awkward but pulled her into a hug anyways. "Please don't cry love. I didn't mean to make you upset." He said petting her hair.

She wiped her eyes and pulled away from him. "I'm sorry for that Artie. I just…"

"Again it's fine. I don't fault anyone for crying. No one can keep it together forever." She cracked a smile and he said in jest "But a girl I just met crying on me is a little surprising. Not really used to that one."

She laughed. "So what do you do for a job Artie?" She asked.

Arthur panicked for a second before coming up with a partial lie. "I work at the castle as well… I guess you can say I'm a jack of all trades. Except if that trade is cooking. I'm not allowed in the kitchens for many reasons." Lia laughed. "I do help the stable boys when they need it and I help the castle guards train sometimes. I'm a pretty brilliant swordsman if I do say so myself."

She laughed again. "I'm sure you are."

"Well I've told you what I do why don't you tell me. From your dress I'm guessing you're a serving girl, don't know exactly where you are a servant though that is still a mystery."

"Okay mister detective. Have you figured my name yet with your mind reader like powers?" She wiggled her fingers in his face.

"Please don't do that." He said pushing her hands away from his face. "And no I haven't figured out your name yet. There are quite a few names that have Lia at the beginning middle or end. For all I know you could be named Lilac and someone just gave you that nickname so they didn't have to say two more letters." She laughed.

"Well anyways about my job. Yes I am a servant. Well more of a slave. My father was a merchant and he used to bring me home gifts from all over the world. Well that was until he died. Then my stepmother took over. She spent most of the money he had left to her on silly things for herself and my two stepsisters and then made me replace the house staff after she had to dismiss them. She the most horrible woman I've ever met." He could see the tears forming again in her eyes.

"Well then I think with all that practice you'll make a great wife for whichever man is lucky enough to win your heart." He said trying to lighten her mood. "Kind of a tangent but do you have a boy who's courting you?"

Amelia let out a bark of harsh laughter. "I wish. I'm old enough to get married but I never go out enough for any man to even know I exist. Do you have a girl you're courting?"

He coughed awkwardly. "Well that's complicated. There's this girl that everyone expects me to get married to but I don't particularly fancy her…"

"Don't particularly fancy her huh?"

Arthur sighed. "No it's not like she's horrible it's just she's French." Lia started to laugh. "No no no listen to me. I mean I'm usually okay with French people but she's not just French she's stereotypically French. She is absolutely beautiful but very vain. So much so that I can't stand it. She flirts with everyone and when I say everyone I mean the pages, the head of the guards, the cook, and the older stable boys." Lia laughed at this. "It's just I don't think I could spend my entire life with someone like that."

"I can see your dilemma." She said with a chuckle. She grabbed her horse's reins and said politely. "Well Artie I have enjoyed our conversation but I must get home before my stepfamily dies because I'm not there."

She started to climb up onto to her horse but Arthur grabbed her arm. "Um… perhaps we can meet again tomorrow at the edge of the woods by the castle. Maybe at about an hour before sunset. You should be done with your work by then." She smiled and nodded.

"I will try to be there." Where the last words he got out of her before she disappeared into the trees. He couldn't help but stare at where she left for a while before riding off towards the castle.


"Amelia that was very disobedient of you to run off like that poppet." Olivia said as she paced in front of the girl.

"Yes I know ma'am." She said tears in her eyes as she tried to not think of what might happen.

"I'm glad you see the error of your ways. Now for punishment you will do the dishes, dust the draperies, do the laundry, sweep the halls, dust your father's old office and give Lucifer a bath."

"What?!"

"You heard me right. Once you have done all those things you can have dinner but no sooner." Olivia sat down at her vanity and waved a hand absently for Amelia to leave. "Now off you pop darling. You need to get your chores done."

As Amelia worked the only thing that kept her from punching something or crying was the fact that she was going to have a lovely conversation the next with Artie in the woods and she couldn't wait.