Author's note: I'm terribly sorry to have skipped a whole five years in Hattie's life, but I was too excited to get into the whole Hattie and Ella dysfunctional relationship. So please stick with me for at least a little while. I would say Hattie is now a grey-hearted person. Not black but a slightly muted version of it because she still has a bit of the good heartiness of her childhood.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the names except the few I made up myself.

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Five years later...

The carriage ride was quite bumpy and uncomfortable especially with Olive's bony elbow wedged in my side.

I pulled back the green velvet curtains and peeked outside.

Amazing! I haven't been exactly keeping track of where we were and the complete change of scenery took me by surprise.

I saw lush green rolling hills and beautiful wildflowers in the fields with glimmering lakes and ponds.

This was Amonta, a most beautiful place. I am used to the dark and seductive forests of Liosa, but I must say that this isn't a bad change at all.

I sighed and leaned back. Olive, still wiggling, shoved me.

"Hattie, you're on my side! Move over there."

I contemplated arguing with her, but alas it wasn't worth the breath arguing with a girl as stubborn as a mule with the brain capacity of a worm.

Reluctantly, I moved over as much as I could.

"Darlings, you shouldn't quarrel so. I gives mama a headache," my mother, Dame Olga said in her musical voice.

"When's dinner time?" Olive whined. "I'm hungry."

"I'm sure we shall be stopping soon," Olive dear. "Driver! Driver! How far are we from the inn?"

"Just twenty minutes, madam," the coach driver said politely.

"Good."

The inn was a cozy type of place. Not fancy of course, but cozy. It had large stone bricks and a tiny herb garden out in the back. Our room was comfortable if a little cramped and sparse.

There was only one large bed in the middle of the room and a small bedside table with an old lamp. The floor was cold wood and there was only one faded violet rug to cover it.

A family that kept on jabbering in Ayorthaian to each other, to my great displeasure, owned the inn. There was only one young girl around my age whom I had hoped to converse with, but couldn't hardly understand her with her thick accent. She pronounced all her "l's" like a "y" and all I really understood was that her name was Arieda. Some company.

The meal tasted like a feast after all our time in the coach. It was simple enough, but wholesome. After I finished my gooseberry tart and left the table and went outside into the herb garden. Aromatic smells wafted around me and I inhaled deeply.

We were traveling to Frell, land of Kng Jerrold. What we were going to do when we got there, I had no idea. We had almost no money left and couldn't possible survive alone.

I went to sit on a small stone bench near the edge of the tiny pond. The full moon was beautiful tonight, casting an eerie sliver glow upon everything it touched. I looked into the pond at my own reflection. Even the slivery moonlight couldn't mask my ugliness. My hair was an ugly gray-brown color that hung in thin, limp curls. My face was long and thin with a jutting chin and bulging muddy brown eyes.

I slapped the water's surface, sending water flying and soaking the front of my dress.

Why was life like this? I dreamed of becoming a princess and living in a lovely castle far away. I would have a handsome prince that obeyed my every command and people would bow at my feet.

I stared into the inky night sky and laughed at my own foolishness. The world was not my oyster and I would never be a princess.

I caught sight of a large glittering star that shined like the brightest diamond on dark blue velvet.



"What do I have to lose?" I muttered under my breath and wished upon a star, I suppose. How silly of me.

Author's note: Yeah, it's a really puny chapter, but my mom is stressing me out with PSAT stuff that I "must" work on. Hope you liked the revelations on the mysteries of Hattie. Next chapter will reveal how she got wealthy and meets Ella's father. Probably will be up very soon.