AN: Hi, everyone! It's great to finally be back posting. I can't tell you how much I've missed it. Thank you to all my readers and don't forget to review. :)

Two Worlds

Chapter Two

She yawned as she stretched underneath her soft, fluffy coverlet. The sun was shining through the large, intricate glass windows in the east of her room, marking the beginning of the day that could very well end her happiness for the rest of her life. She wanted to hide under the sheets and not come out until her father had come to his senses. He expected her to find a husband at tonight's party, but the real question was whether or not they would find her to be a suitable wife.

She knew her duty and knew it was for the good of the kingdom, but she was different than other princesses. She wasn't normal by gentlemen's standards and she knew they would run as soon as they discovered her flaw. She was imperfect in nobility standards; it was almost like she wasn't whole, but her parents had given her the chance to live as much of a normal life as possible. In reality, they just wanted to hide who she really was so she could be accepted. Just once she would love to have a person look upon her as who she really was and not what she'd been built up to be.

She groaned as she pulled the quilt over her head. She was grateful for everything her mother and father had done to provide her with her "normal" life. She was a princess and that title meant that she would never need to rely on others. She was to be proud and independent. Her Majesty, Queen Carla might have pushed a great deal too far in that category, but her little girl would make a great queen one day and her pride and independence would be what would make their kingdom legendary.

The bed shifted as another weight was added and the quilt pulled from her grip with a single tug. She smiled at the soulful brown eyes staring at her, a smile on his face as he woke her up in his special way. "You know that's not how you're supposed to wake me up," she admonished, though she continued to smile as his tongue began placing wet kisses upon her chin. "Okay, okay," she caved. "I'll let it slide this time."

The dog snuggled down beside her as she ran her fingers through his soft coat. He was a true friend to her, the first to never judge her because she was different or because of her title. It was a simple relationship as long as he got a belly rub for his good deeds.

"It's the beginning of our new lives, Levi," she sighed. She felt him groan beside her and knew what he was feeling. "Don't worry, boy. You're part of the package. If he doesn't want you, he doesn't get me." Her smile widened as his head perked up and his tongue lolled out of his mouth. His energy always seemed to brighten her day.

When he heard the door begin to open, he gently pawed at her arm and turned is head toward the door. A woman dressed in a plain, servant's dress entered the room with a gleaming, silver tray in her arms. "Rise and shine, Mistress! It's a beautiful day," said the cheery, young woman as she set down the tray and walked over to the window to draw the curtains.

She groaned loudly as the sun filtered into the room. It would have to be so beautiful on a day she found to be the end of her reign as an independent woman.

Going back to the tray, the servant poured her mistress a cup of one of the finest teas in the castle; the perfect blend of herbs to prepare her for today's events. Not bothering to glance as the young woman in the bed, the young servant girl added two cubes of sugar and a dollop of heavy cream into the mixture, stirring it slowly for the right consistency.

She made sure to keep her lips in Princess Susan's line of sight as she did. "A young gentleman has inquired about the presence of your company on a ride through the royal gardens." Her smile was wide and her eyes bright. She found this all so romantic; soon Princess Susan would find her prince and live happily ever after. It was just like one of the stories her Granny used to tell her when she was a child.

Susan let out a heavy groan. Each of their visitors would have vied for the perfect opportunity to take her for a ride. This one had either been the first in line or made a grand impression on her father. Either way, she knew he would not be the one for her. She and her father had different opinions of suitable men; the more money he had, the greater the provider, he always said. But, not once in his grand old speech had he ever mentioned the word love. She swore it must have been missing from his vocabulary.

"And what has this one offered my father?" she asked dismally. What could he possibly bring to the palace and the rest of the kingdom to have earned himself the right to accompany her on a ride? Money? Jewels? The finest armed protection his parents could afford? She wasn't interested in any of it.

Shrugged, the girl handed over the hot cup of tea, her lips still curled into a smile. She let an uncertain laugh escape her as she nervously picked at her fingernails. "I couldn't say, Miss," was all she said before giving a small curtsy and hurrying out of the room.

Looking to Levi, whose ears were perked up and his head was cocked to the side, Sue shrugged her shoulders as she let the warm of the cup in her hand radiate its heat through her fingers all the way up to her elbows. She gently blew on the hot liquid before taking a sip. The finest tea in all the land made of the finest-chosen herbs and tea leaves. It was a tea fit for a princess, but right now, why did she feel more like a slave than a princess?