Ten Years Later

"Anna!" my mother screeched. "Where are you? Are you getting ready for my party?"

"I'm in the kitchen!" I hollered. "I'm getting everything ready right now!"

I sighed. I sorely wished the lord was still around. Nine years ago, he died after falling on a riding trip with me. My mother blamed me for his death and I was forced to live the rest of my life in the attic and working for her and my two "sisters."

Soon I heard a knock on the door. "Anna!" my mother screeched once again.

"I will get it!" I called before she could yell any further.

I dashed to the front door and opened it. "May I help you?" I asked of the man standing on my front steps. He held an envelope in his hand and wore official looking clothes that led me to believe it was a uniform.

He cleared his throat and recited in a bored tone, "By decree of His Majesty, King Rupert II, all girls between the ages of seventeen and twenty-five shall go to the royal ball in two months. At this ball, Crown Prince Dominic shall choose his bride and queen," he recited. He handed me the envelope. "Give this to whomever is in charge of this household," he instructed, looking like he thought himself far too superior to be speaking to me. "We shall know if a maiden is not there."

Of course you will, I thought.

"Thank you," I said politely. "I'll see to it that the lady of the house receives this." I shut the door and went upstairs. I knocked on my mother's door. "Madam?" I called. Ever since she disowned me, I was no longer allowed to call her my mother, for I was just a mere servant; no servant was her kin.

"What do you want?" she snapped from behind the door. "I thought I told you to get the tea ready!"

"A decree from the king came." The door flew open and my mother appeared. I held out the envelope and said, "All girls must go to-"

"I can read just fine!" she growled. "Go back to the kitchen!"

"I'm hoping, dear girls, that one of you two shall win our fair prince's heart," said Miss Blackstone, who came over to help with the girls' dresses. I was supposed to help too, since I was not going to the ball, despite the order from the king and my imploring requests.

"Of course one of us will win!" Ella said, making it sound like a contest. "Who wouldn't love us?"

Me, I thought.

"I agree!" Mala said. "Don't you, Anna?"

"Why yes, my dear ladies," I expertly lied. "I know one of you two will definitely get the crown, but I am only hoping you could have pity on me and hire me as a royal servant. I would be devastated if I were separated from my mistresses." I bowed my head to add to the effect.

"You want to continue serving us, how thoughtful!" Mother said, walking into the room. "Of course they would hire you."

I knew from the look in her eyes that she would rather have the household mice live with them in the castle instead. "You are too kind, milady," I said in a grateful tone, knowing she expected it.

"Come, girls," Mother said, "I think Miss Blackstone can finish the dresses without you two. Come, let's get ready for dinner."

The day of the ball was hectic. Everyone was running to and fro, trying to get the girls' needs met.

"Mother!" cried Mala. "I'm hungry! I haven't eaten a thing all day!"

"You can't eat now!" Mother cried in return. "We have to make sure the dresses are perfect!"

Of course they are! I thought. I spent all night perfecting those dresses! Miss Blackstone was the one who did most of the work, but the task of alterations fell to me in the final days before the ball.

"The carriage is here!" Mother cried several hours later. I stared out the parlor window. Sure enough, a cloud of dust was rising at the end of the drive.

"Now Anna," Mother said. "You know the rules while we are gone. No eating from the pantry, no going into our rooms."

Me? Go into their rooms? Why on earth? They have nothing of value. Everything they own is too gaudy!

"Yes, madam," I murmured.

"Good," she said coldly. "Come along, girls." My sisters, dressed in their gaudy dresses, followed her out the door and into the carriage.

I stared after them sadly. When the lord was alive, he promised me I would one day go to a ball. He's not here, though, I reminded myself.

"Anna, dear!" the head cook, Ginger, called. "Come here! Quickly!"

I dashed to the kitchen, worried that something was on fire. "What is it, Ginger?"

She looked at me, as if deciding something. Finally she seemed to come to a conclusion. "Yes," she mumbled to herself. Then louder, she said, "Well, Anna, I have a proposition for you. I'm awfully sure you wanted to go to that ball, right?"

"Yes," I replied forlornly.

"Come." She gestured for me to follow her and got up from her stool. She strode out of the kitchen and headed to her room. "I've got a present for you, dear," she said, stopping at her door. "When I was younger, I attended the same ball when the king was Crown Prince. The lady of the house I worked in was kind and generous. She allowed me to attend and gave me this dress for me to keep." She opened her bedroom door. "She was hoping I could pass it on to a daughter of my own one day, but although I have no daughter, I have a special young woman to whom I can pass it on. Master Dullen promised you that you would go to a ball, so here is your chance."

Laying on Ginger's bed was a beautiful dress, with a mask and long gloves. The dress was a teal color and the most amazing gown I had ever seen, more beautiful of a dress than Mala or Ella would ever have. Despite its age, it was a gorgeous dress. It was incredibly elegant. "Ginger," I gasped, "I couldn't!"

Ginger laid a hand on my arm. "You must," she said firmly, "for I have no one to give this dress to. If you do not go, the mistress wins. I cannot see that woman win. You may not win the heart of the prince, but you deserve a night to shine."

"Thank you." It was all I could say.

She grinned at me. "Now go change! Don't worry about anything else, I'll get everything in order. Shoo!"

One hour later, I was standing on the front steps. "Thank you, Ginger, I don't know how to repay you for this!"

"There is no need to repay me! Just get in that carriage and go to that ball!"

I laughed, hugged her, and climbed into the carriage. "Don't forget, the dragon lady will be home at two o'clock sharp. You must leave the ball at midnight to make it on time," Ginger called.

"I won't forget!" I called back.

"Good luck!" I heard her call as the carriage pulled away and down the lane, taking me away to the most magical night of my life.