Sorry for the confusion with the chapters, I'm not really sure what happened. Anyway, it erased the whole story and I had to rewrite them. There not as good as they were. Hope you like and review. Love, Curly Q

Chapter 2: 12 Long Years with Madame

Over the next 12 years, the country was swarming with guards. Everyone was affected by the search for the young Princess Lucille. There was one household, however that was not affected.

Deep in the forests of Kyrria, was a tiny 3 room cottage. There, lived a mean fairy, called Mirella, and one very ignorant young girl. This little girl, Lucy, knew very little about anything. Mirella, whom Lucy knew only by 'Madame', barely taught the child to read and write.

Lucy's life was pretty miserable, though for the majority of the years she did not know it. Ever since she could remember, her bedroom had been a small high fenced yard off the cottage's kitchen. The bedroom could hardly be called a bedroom, though, for it had no bed, and would not have been able to fit ever a baby's cradle in it. It was not really a room either, for it had no roof, just a high fence. It was, however, the place were Lucy slept, whatever the weather.

She never talked to anyone other than Madame. She simply wasn't allowed. Madame always locked her in a cramped cupboard whenever company came (which was often.) In the small space, Lucy could barely breathe, but she could see out a tiny crack and hear the conversation.

Once when she was 7, Lucy remembered, a lady who came often named Hattie came to visit. In a rush, Madame had forgotten to lock the cupboard door.

Curious, Lucy had come out. Upon seeing her, Madame had immediately grabbed the thick wooden cane she always carried and struck the child with it. Lucy had burst into loud, uncontrollable sobs and Madame told her to shut up and get back in the cupboard. Hattie was surprised when Lucy did it right away, without even a sniffle.

"Amazing," Hattie remarked.

"Yes," Madame started, "The girl may be worthless, but she has always been very obedient."

Immediately having an idea, Hattie asked Madame what she knew about curses.

"Quite a lot really," she replied.

Hattie excitedly asked, "Can they be passed down generations?"

"Not often, but occasionally."

"Wonderful."

Hattie went on to tell about Queen Ella's curse. Madame agreed with her that Ella had passed the curse to Princess Lucille, Lucy.

"My precious daughter, Juliet, is now 8 years old, you know. In just 5 years she will be in need of a handmaiden. I think," she gestured to the cupboard, "That- that- that thing will do perfectly. Until then, do what you want with her. Just don't come even close to spoiling her." And Hattie was gone.

But Hattie didn't need to worry about Madame spoiling poor Lucy.

For the next 5 years, Lucy kept a very strict and pitiful schedule. Every morning, she awoke at exactly 4:45 a.m. She worked hard all day, under Madame's cold eye. At 11 o'clock sharp Lucy was sent to sleep.

Not a day went by when Madame did not give Lucy a few very hard hits with the thick wooden cane. The cane was very rough, except a heavy silver handle. This mixture of materials resulted in a very splintered and severely bruised backside. Lucy had never seen sunlight, and her unearthly pale skin showed huge bright red welts.

Then, a day came when her terrible life at Madame's ended, though she knew not what was waiting her elsewhere.