Yay, another chapter, aren't you all just jumping for joy?

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Peanut butter…that was the first thing I smelled when I regained consciousness.

How strange.

Considering that the royal chambers only smelled of the sweet candies and the occasional breezes from the Ice Cream Ponds, they never smelled like bitter peanut butter…

I opened my eyes cautiously, and discovered I was in a place quite different from my royal chamber.

I was in an old-fashioned room, antique furnishings and wallpaper confused me, making me wonder if I had gone back in time, but the modern lamp next to the bed told me that I was in present time, just…not at home…

I leapt out of bed, finding myself still in my riding habit; I opened the door and cautiously looked out into the parlor where a woman sat in a wing-backed chair, facing a fire blazing comfortably in the hearth.

"Good to see you up, dear." She said, and I jumped.

"How did you know I was up?" I asked shakily, afraid this woman was a witch.

She turned around to face me, the most un-witchlike face possible smiling kindly at me.

"Your reflection off the picture glass." She said, referring to the picture on the mantle of some elderly man.

"Oh…" I said sheepishly, flushing a light pink.

"Now, how about you come and sit here by the fire and tell why Jack had to bring you back to my house from finding you lying in the woods."

"Jack?" I asked, remaining where I stood, half hidden by the door.

"Jack Mint, he's Molly Mint's boy." She said "Now, come and sit; tell me your story."

I slid out from behind the door and gingerly sat in the armchair, as though it would collapse out from under me.

"I…I don't know what to tell." I said softly, looking away.

"Your name would be a might helpful." She said, smiling that awfully nice smile that just made you want to spill your guts out to her.

"I'm…embarrassed to say, really." I said, biting my lip.

"Well if I'm to help you get back home…" she began, but I cut her off sharply.

"I don't want to be going back home."

"Ah…well if I am to understand why you don't want to be going back home than a name would certainly be wise to know." She said, and I sighed.

"I'm…Lolly Amelia Geneva Kandy." I said quickly, expecting the woman to drop down to her knees or something, but she just sat there, nodding.

"Please to make your acquaintance, highness." She said, "I'm Hannah Jennet Doris Farthingale Nutt. Gramma, if you please. Now, why on Earth would a Princess be found out in the middle of the woods fainted?"

I hesitated, and answered to the fire "I had run away."

"Why, child; the Crown Princess duties too much?"

"You could say so…I've been informed I'm engaged to a man that I loathe: Lord Licorice."

"Oh my." Gramma said, putting a hand over her heart.

"So you see, I couldn't stay at the castle, because the King and Queen have already set a date for only three months from now."

"Well I can see why you wouldn't want to go back…but I must say that it will be terribly hard to hide from the Royals, but I'm up for the task."

There was a silence.

"What?" I asked stupidly, brow furrowed.

"You haven't a home to return to, Mistress Amelia Geneva, and seeking one out would be agonizing, and Lord knows I need the company, so I am taking you in."

"Gramma, I hardly know you, I can't…"

"Then allow me to fill you in on my life to this point: I was born the child of a farmer and a midwife, was sold to pay for a debt during the great famine of Hemm, ran away from my new owner, married at thirteen, had a stillborn child when I was sixteen, and three miscarriages. My husband was murdered when I was seventeen, and I was left penniless and alone. I worked long and hard in an orchard, and fell in love again, re-marrying when I was twenty-one. Yet another stillborn and more miscarriages, but a long happy life together, but him dying two years ago from that bad bout of pneumonia that went around. And there you have it, my life till now. Have I passed your test?"

"Yes you have, Gramma…yes you have…"

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Not exactly the way I planned it to work out, but I can't put the way I want it to work out into words, so whatever.

I didn't proofread because I'm lazy and un-cool like that.

Please review!