Father was pleased. After I had eaten breakfast, I was called into his chambers. I informed him of my decision.
"Oh darling," he started out. I shuddered, while keeping a smile pasted on. "It will all turn out alright, you'll see. You'll like being queen. You'll get anything you want, I promise you."
OK, here is my chance. "Father, I do have a favor to ask of you. I will need new clothes for my trousseau."
"Of course! I will…."
"No, I want them specially made." I took a deep breath. "I would like three gowns, all silk and simply designed. I want one to be all the colors of the sea. All the greens, whites, grays, and blues. The next I want to be all the colors of the sky. All the whites, blues, blacks, and the occasional reds. The third I want to be all the colors of the snow. I also would like a fur coat made out of all the different furred animals in your kingdom."
He laughed, then tweaked my nose affectionately. UGHHH! "Of course dear. I will have your pretty gowns and coat made exactly to your requirements. Six months after they are all completed, we will have one of the grandest weddings ever to grace this kingdom, Melissa."
Wait a moment. Melissa? My name was Anna Maria. I stole a glance up at Father. He had a strange glazed look, like he had forgotten…
He had gone mad. Not a dangerous mad, he had simply deluded himself into believing that I was my mother. That is why I had been called by her name. That would make things a little easier on me. He dismissed me, and I went down to watch the cooks prepare a meal and take notes.
What next followed were the two busiest years of my life. In the mornings I would often spend time with Father where he continued to believe I was Mother. The afternoons were spent teaching myself to cook, clean, and sew. I became quite good at the first. It was a real pleasure to make something tasty out of plain old ingredients.
When I received the gowns, they were exactly as I had pictured them. Soft and delicate, the skirt draped becomingly without any help from petticoats or a crinoline. All three started with the lightest colors at the top, gradually graduating to the darkest colors of sky, sea, and snow. They were gorgeous.
What took a while was the coat. Many of the furs were easily obtained, but some were interesting. I believe His Majesty spent several hundred gold pieces on some of the rarer furs. But that came too. With a deep hood that hid my face, it was perfect for a cold winter day: or as a disguise. It would come in useful.
Eventually the time was up. It wasn't until the day of the ceremony that I took action. Early that morning, I took the pin money I had saved and packaged it with the three gowns, some rations, and the matching necklace and brooch. I slipped on a simple wool gown I had sewn together, and informed my father, through messenger, that I was going to take a bath. I tied two birds together and tied them to the washtub. Their flapping wings would sound like I was splashing the water as I bathed. It would be a while before they realized my absence. I had considered escaping the night before, but then the maid who slept in my room would have noticed my leaving. It was too risky.
I snuck out as a simple maid. Taking the most indirect routes, I only spotted three people, and none of them saw me. I hurried out of the castle and into my new life.
Living in a costal city has its advantages. After donning the cloak, I asked a sea captain where his passenger ship was headed. He named some place far off, I don't remember where. I had no wish to remember. I paid the fare and boarded as Anna, the girl who wore a cloak and who ate little, as she was seasick most of the trip.
When we reached the new place, I immediately got more rations and set out for a hike. My goal was to find a small manor near an isolated town that needed a new serving maid. However, I am now where we started this tale, burrowed by a tree in the middle of a snowy wood, with nowhere to go. I am too tired to go any farther, to even think any farther. The one good thing is my cloak. It is extremely warm, and is soft, even if it is a little smelly after so much wear. It hides my identity. I doze off.