Chapter six: A life of luxury

Ev's castle seemed to be the castle of a fairy tale. The princess and the governor, Langwidere, was the most beautiful woman Ev's habitants had never seen, and it is necessary to say Langwidere did everything she can to make it true. In fact, Langwiderer was neither a dictator nor a tyrant, as she spent as little time as possible taking care of the kingdom.

Princess Langwidere had, also, a pretty daughter. Her name was Evy, and she was eight years old. She was Langwidere's successor, but, oddly, Ev's people had only started to hear about her a few days ago.

Little Evy had long curled red hair, big brown eyes, round cheeks and cute freckle. Her mother loved her, but she never let her go in her "cabinet".

-You are too young, she had explained. "You will enter this room when you grow up…"

Instead of this, Princess Evy was daily given tons of dresses, shoes, tiaras, necklaces, bracelets, hats, shawls, belts encrusted with jewels… Her favorite game was to make "selections". It means Evy chose a dress, and then searched the shoes and accessories that would perfectly match with it. Her mother had told her the appearance was the most important thing for a princess.

-Ev's people need to dream. And their princess is the one who makes them dream. They don't want a serious princess, and they don't care about economic or politic. The only thing they want is to see their princess, wearing a brilliant dress and a sumptuous crown, says: "Everything is all right". And then, they know everything is all right, because such pretty princess can't lie. How could someone who gives so much attention to her physical cheat them? Do you understand what I mean?

Evy had nodded.

-You know, everybody can count or meet ambassadors. But beauty's a gift. You can't learn it, or buy it. It's why their princess is so important. She's above them. She had been gifted. She is special. And it why you have to prove you makes a good use of your gift. It's your duty, as Ev's successor. Will you obey me, Evy?

-Yes mum.

Princess Evy was a very happy princess. She was good in making her selections, and her mother was proud of her. Sometimes, Evy was allowed to take a walk outside of the castle, to meet her people. It was an occasion to pick up a selection and to show what a trustworthy princess she was. Her mother never came with her, as the sum was "dangerous" for her complexion. But princess Evy was escorted by the wheelers, strange men with wheels in place of hands and foot, but who were devoted to her mother. She was in safety with them.

One day, a wheeler who was rolling too close of her accidentally stepped on her dress and torn it. Evy had immediately started to cry and called him a fool. She demanded to go back to the castle as fast as possible because she was "ugly, because of this idiot!" When her mother asked her why she had shortened her walk, Evy said she had been humiliated in front of all her people by a careless guard who had torn her dress and made her look like a "slattern".

-Mum, I'm sure that naughty wheeler was jealous of me and was preparing a coup d'état to bring me into disrepute and take our place.

On the very evening, the clumsy wheeler was sentenced to death for "capital offense" and executed. The princess Evy was satisfied. She had proved she was a good princess.

The only cloud on the horizon was the fact Princess Evy used to have strange dreams. Every night, she dreamed of half a dozen of young girls of her age, who played with her and called her "Strawberry Shortcake". Those girls weren't princesses, like her. They were obviously peasants, as they lived in little cottages. All her dreams were different, but the girls were always here. One night, they were planning a sleepover. One another night, they were looking after strawberries patched. And, one another night, they were all in a boat during a storm. Every little girl had her own name, in Evy's dreams. One, with curled blond hair, was called Angel Cake. One other, a red-head baby, was called Apple Dumpling. One had pink hair had was a real tomboy. Her name was Raspberry Torte. The one with long red hair was simply called "Apricot". There was also Coco Calypso, a suntanned girl, and Seaberry Delight, a strange girl always dressed like a mermaid. One day, Princess Evy had described her dreams to her mother and asked her about their meaning.

-I have another question, mum: Why do I have so little memories with you?

And, for the first time, her mother, the beautiful princess Langwidere, seemed upset.

-Well, Evy… You hadn't been raised here, in the castle… When you were still a baby, I sent you in the country, on a farm, and your child minder took care of you during your early childhood... You used to play with the other little girls, in the village… They gave you this stupid nickname… Then, when you had been old enough to be introduced to the people, I made you come back. You are still dreaming of your playmates now… There's nothing to be worried of.

Apparently, her mother had said that more for reassure herself than to reassure Evy. And the little princess wondered if her mother was hiding something.

One night, princess Evy been woke up by knocks on her window. She first thought of calling a guard, but her curiousity was piqued, so she simply went out of her bed and opened the window. A little girl, who was apparently eight years old, like her, was standing outside, in front of her. The most noticeable thing with her was, except her purple hair, the fact she was standing in a little cloud.

-Strawberry Shortcake!

-No, said princess Evy with disdain. "I'm no longer the little Strawberry Shortcake, who used to play in a farmhouse. I'm now Princess Evy, the successor of Princess Langwidere, the Governor of the land of Ev."

-The other girl didn't seem to understand her.

-Strawberry Shortcake, it's me! Glinda! You must come with me.

-I had forbidden you to call me "Strawberry Shortcake", and you are on my estate. You must not give me orden! Evy curtly cried.

-You don't recognize me? Glinda sadly said.

-Not at all. Goodnight, Evy responded, making a move to close the window, but Glinda interrupted her.

-Well, princess Evy, I'm your cousin, the princess Glinda of Oz. I would like to invite you in my castle."

Evy hesitated. She had never met this strange girl before, and she wasn't allowed to leave the castle without inform her mother of her outing. But she hadn't had any playmates of her age since a so long time! A playmate of her social status, in top of that! And princess Glinda was surely a magician, and a magician couldn't be a liar, right? Evy smiled.

-Let me one or two hours to dress up and I'll go with you! She said joyfully.

Princess Glinda sighed.

To be continued…