Unfortunately, life has a way of keeping people from their happy endings. We had been planning the most magnificent wedding—the biggest the kingdom had ever seen—but two weeks before the date, tragedy struck.
Phillip had gone on a hunting trip. One of his men mistook him for a buck and shot him. I was devastated. Sadly, Mother didn’t allow me time to grieve. We paid our respects to Phillip’s family, and then she acted like he never existed. “I’m sorry, dear, but now we have to make up for lost time.” The parade of haughty, snobbish princes began again. This time it was even more difficult because no one came close to Phillip. Prince Alexander was amongst the worst, but for some reason my mother was fond of him.
After Prince Alexander left, she didn’t speak to me for three days. The last thing she said had been, “A prince travels for days and then he doesn’t even get to lay eyes on you.”
I didn’t feel guilty about that at all. I hoped Alexander was thoroughly agitated.
The next time she spoke to me, it was to announce that I had received an invitation to visit Prince Tyre in Greece. She came into my bedroom waving the invitation all giddy like a schoolgirl. I was just glad to see her happy again.
Whether I wanted to marry the prince or not, I knew I couldn’t mess things up again. I spent two days in preparation. I took long baths in warm milk. My hair was conditioned and curled while my nails were trimmed perfectly. My eyebrows were painfully plucked, and gorgeous dresses in a variety of colors had been made by the best seamstresses in the kingdom and sent to the palace. Shoemakers fashioned footwear to go with each dress. Mother gave me a case filled with several jeweled necklaces and bracelets.
The day came for me to begin my journey to Greece. The royal carriage was stocked with food, books, pillows, blankets, and other things to make my trip comfortable. Mother, Father, and most of the palace servants stood in the courtyard ready to send me off.
Although Father smiled, his eyes couldn’t hide his sadness. I knew he was afraid of losing his little girl and having to send me off to another kingdom. It was early morning before we began our journey to Greece, which was to last for two days.
Of course I wasn’t traveling alone. Aside from the coachmen, there were two guards, Milda, my lady-in-waiting, and a servant boy named Ebold accompanying me. After hugging my parents one last time, we headed off. I peered at the palace through the back window of the carriage, watching my home grow smaller and smaller. I’d spent most of my life in the palace. I hardly ever left the grounds, but if everything went well with the prince, I wouldn’t see it again for a very long time.
The ride was long and rocky. I passed the time by reading and sleeping. Milda and I spent a great deal of time telling each other riddles, but after several hours, the two of us got tired of talking and thinking. We rode along in silence for a while.
Even though the carriage was equipped with cushioned seating and everything had been made as comfy as possible, my back and bottom were killing me after the first day. There were only so many stops we could make to stretch our legs and take a rest because we had to remain on schedule.
The second day, despite my discomfort, I managed to fall into a deep sleep. I was glad for it. Sleeping made the time pass much faster. Unfortunately, my peaceful slumber didn’t last long. I was awakened by a loud boom of thunder that rocked the entire carriage. Milda screamed and clutched onto my arm.
I wasn’t the type to be afraid of a storm—even one as fierce as this. I found them to be exciting. There were books in my library that explained what caused the sound of thunder and flashes of lightning. Peering through the purple curtains, I lifted my gaze to the dark sky. A bright bolt of lightning shrieked across it, making it purple. As rain pounded heavily against the carriage, I heard the faint voice of the coachman. It sounded like he was saying we were nearing the castle.
Peeking through the curtains again. I spotted the castle in the distance. It wasn’t like anything that I was expecting. While it was something to look at, made with stately turrets and ramparts, it was an eerie figure looming in the darkness. The closer we got, the more I realized that it looked like it had been built decades ago and not cared for. If I hadn’t known any better, I would have thought the castle was abandoned. It was much smaller than our castle. Just by judging it from the outside, I couldn’t imagine living there for the rest of my life. Mother certainly wouldn’t have been impressed. Father would tell me to wait and see. For all I knew, the inside may be magnificent.
As the carriage came to a stop, Milda and Ebold gathered a large sheet they planned to cover me with so that I may reach the castle without getting soaked.
Milda breathed heavily, pushing her white-blond hair behind her ears, as the two of them unrolled the material. “Your mother will murder us if we let you meet the royal family looking like a wet dog. All of our preparation would have gone to waste.”
Milda was right about that. The sheet kept most of me dry, but there was nothing to be done about the mud on my beautiful new shoes. I tried to get as much mud off as possible as we ascended the stairs to the castle.
Raphael, the head guard, used the huge metal knocker to bang on the door to make our presence known. The clanging sound of metal on metal echoed throughout the house. Milda fussed over me, making sure every hair was in place and that my clothes were sitting properly. The freezing wind caused me to shiver. At that moment, I didn’t really care what I looked like. I just wanted to come in from the cold and warm up before a fire.
It took a long time for someone to come to the door, and Raphael kept sighing, shifting his weight from foot to foot. At last, the door crept open slowly and a small, thin woman with dark hair poked her head around it. “Hello. You must be Princess Drusilla. We have been expecting you.”
I nodded and stepped inside. Actually, I had to squeeze my way in since the servant woman had only opened the door halfway. The whole maneuver was quite awkward. It was as if she didn’t want me to come in.
“Hello, my name is Esther,” she said once we were all inside. She looked outside for a moment before closing the door. It was strange, like she was waiting for something—or someone.
She laughed nervously. “Oh, where’s my head,” she said as she bowed. “Please forgive my lack of manners. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Princess.”
“Thank you,” I replied. My nose twitched as I held in a sneeze. The foyer of the castle reeked of mildew. The walls were made of a dismal gray stone. There wasn’t much furniture that I could see. Tiny flames danced on the silver candelabras attached to the walls. In the center of the room, resting on a podium, was a bust of who I assumed was the king. Two beautiful sofas trimmed in gold looked lonely and out of place in the large space. No curtains hung from the window, giving me a great view of the storm outside.
Esther called for a boy named Paul. There was a loud banging sound, and he came running. “Yes, Esther. I’m here, Esther.”
“Paul, this is Princess Drusilla and her help. Please carry their things to their rooms” Esther turned to my guards and servants. “Paul will take you to where you will be staying while I take the princess upstairs to her room.”
I glanced at Milda, who looked as unsure as I felt. This castle felt cold and creepy—not inviting at all. I wanted her or Raphael to stay with me. Esther seemed to read my thoughts. “It’s okay,” she told Milda. “We will take very good care of her.”
Milda took my hand and squeezed it. “Okay. Good night, Princess Drusilla.” Then she turned to Esther. “Do let me know if she needs me.”
Esther nodded but repeated, “We will take good care of her.” She waved her hand toward the staircase. I reluctantly turned to follow her, giving Milda a glance over my shoulder. She, Ebold, and Raphael waited there, watching as we ascended the staircase.
Something about the castle felt off. It had a dark and eerie feeling that no home should have, and it wasn’t just the weather outside that was making me feel that way. The whole place felt sad, like something bad
had happened there.
“The king is away on business,” Esther said as we walked. “It was a last-minute thing. I know he would have really wanted to meet you. You will meet the queen and prince tomorrow at breakfast, though.”
Esther was explaining the history of the castle and when it was built. I probably should have been paying attention, but I wasn’t. Instead I was focused on the shadows that danced through the hallways thanks to the lit candles hoisted on the walls. Oil paintings with haughty-looking people stared down at me. I noticed several places where paintings were obviously missing by the faded rectangular shapes on the walls.
“What happened to the pictures that were hanging here?” I asked. It was probably a silly question and a bad time to ask, but I wanted to know. Mother had always said that I asked too many questions and that I was too curious for my own good.
Esther stopped walking for a few seconds and sighed. “The queen wanted to have some new ones done. It’s good to switch things up from time to time.”
That made sense to me.
We came to a stop at the end of the dreary hallway. Esther removed a long skeleton key from the pocket of her apron. She stuck it into the keyhole and then paused to smile at me before turning the key. It was a smile that was hiding a secret, but I returned the gesture nonetheless.
I followed her into the room. Immediately I was struck by this stench of must and dankness. It smelled even worse than the foyer. Clearly the room hadn’t been aired out in a long time. I coughed and covered my nose.
Esther hurried to light the several lanterns in the room as I stood beside the door, taking everything in. Once there was enough light, I saw that the room looked beautiful enough, but the smell was overpowering. These were not appropriate accommodations for any guest, but especially not a princess. Hadn’t they been expecting me? Why hadn’t they prepared better? I tried to push my concerns away and look at the positive aspects. The room was indeed pretty—not as beautiful as my own bedroom but close.
The windows were decorated with royal-blue curtains covered with golden embroidery. The ceiling was high and painted in gold. The dresser, wardrobe, and bed frame were made of a beautiful dark wood. The bed, covered with gold sheets, was wide enough to fit five people, and I couldn’t wait to dive into it.
As Esther lit the fireplace, Paul hurried in carrying my luggage. Esther moved around doing little things here and there to ready the room for me, I floated over to the window. It was hard to see out through the heavy sheets of rain, but I could make out a dark sky and an enormous forest stretching far beyond the castle.
Pressing my hand against the cold glass, I wondered what my parents were doing. I wished to be home with them—in my home that always smelled like lemons and pine, but I shook my head, trying to snap myself out of it. I wasn’t a little girl anymore. I was a woman about to be married off. It was past time for me to get used to not living with my mother and father.
Esther’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. “I’ll run you a warm bath in the morning, but for now you should get some rest.”
I turned to see her pulling back the fluffy covers of the bed. They did look mighty comfortable, and I was exhausted. Esther opened the large oak wardrobe where several garments hung. “We have beautiful nightdresses made out of the finest satins.”
“Oh, I’ve brought my own.”
Esther clasped her hands together. “Please, they’re a gift from the royal family made especially for you. Which would you like to wear?”
I shrugged. It never mattered much to me what I slept in. No one would be seeing it but me. “You choose.” I left the window and climbed the tiny step stool and sat on the edge of the bed. I watched the back of Esther’s head as she stared into the wardrobe.
“Hmmmmm,” she said. “I think this lavender one will look splendid against your skin.” She laid it on the bed. “Don’t you think?”
I gave her a small smile. “Certainly.” It was a beautiful nightdress—floor length with flowy sleeves and little bows sewn around the collar.
Another girl entered the room and set a tray on the dresser. The tray held a pitcher of water, a glass, and a small plate of biscuits. She turned to me and bowed her head. “Just in case you’d like something to nibble on. We will have a lovely breakfast prepared for you and your people in the morning. Is there anything else, your Royal Highness?”
I was tempted to ask her to fetch Milda to sleep with me, but I decided against it. “No. I have everything I need. Thank you.”
Esther closed the doors of the wardrobe and filled the glass with water before heading to the door. “I’ll leave you to get some rest then. I’m sure your journey has been tiring.”
“Yes, it has.”
Esther paused in the doorway. I was about to ask her what was wrong when she shut the bedroom door abruptly and rushed over to me. She clasped my hands in hers. Her hands were so cold they almost stung. I wanted to tell her to warm them by the fire.
I frowned. “Esther, what is it?”
She squeezed my hands harder, closing her eyes and biting her bottom lip. “You seem like a nice girl. You shouldn’t be here. You should leave tonight. Leave tonight and pretend you never came here.”
“What? Why?”
Before she could answer, there was a knock on the door—swift and hard. Esther pulled away from me, smoothing out her apron. She rushed over to the door and pulled it open. A tall, gaunt man who looked like the male version of Esther but a little older stood there. “You need to come now. Be quick.”
Esther nodded, following him through the door. I didn’t want her to go. I needed her to stay and tell me what she was talking about. “Sweet dreams, Princess,” she said before shutting the door behind her.
Esther had obviously been trying to warn me of something, but I had no idea of what. Should I go wake the others and tell them that we needed to head home on the word of a nervous servant girl? No. I had made a two-day journey to meet a prince, and that was what I was going to do. I was done disappointing my mother. I couldn’t leave that castle without a proposal.
Sighing, I removed my clothing and changed into the lavender night dress. The satin felt cool and smooth against my skin. I crawled into bed and pulled the heavy covers over me. Despite the bed being extremely comfortable, I couldn’t fall asleep. There was too much on my mind. I was thinking of home, worried about meeting the royal family the next morning (What if they hated me?), and I was disturbed by Esther’s warning. Why would she tell me to leave?
She, along with the rest of the help, all had an anxious demeanor which made me uneasy. Were they afraid of something? If so, what? This was the last thing I wondered about before drifting off to sleep.
The following morning, I yawned and stretched. It took me a few seconds to remember where I was. Judging by the amount of light pouring into the bedroom window, I had slept too late and probably missed breakfast. Where was Milda? She should have woken me. She should have been there to help me dress for my first meeting with the queen and prince. Moving slowly, I made my way to the bathroom and washed my face with cold water.
Since I hadn’t thought to pull my dresses from my luggage so that they could hang, I knew they would be too wrinkled to wear. Flinging open the doors of the wardrobe, I pawed through the beautiful garments that hung there. A beautiful sky-blue dress caught my eye. I pulled it out to take a closer look at it. It had a scoop neck and puffy sleeves. There was a sparkling, silver belt that tied around the waist. It was just my style—simple, yet elegant. I hoped it would fit.
I pulled off my nightdress and slipped into the blue gown. Taking my favorite golden brush from my bag, I ran it through my dark curls and added a silver hair comb that my grandmother had given me. I took a look at myself in the mirror. I didn’t think my mother would approve because the look probably didn’t make enough of a statement for her, but it worked for me.
Since neither Milda nor my mother were there, I could get away with not painting my face. After givin
g myself one last look, I headed to the door. I gasped when I opened it. A beautiful woman stood there holding a tray with a silver dome. Queen Rhea.
She was stunning. Her hair was as dark as raven’s feathers and pinned up into a sleek bun. Her face was made up, and the blush she wore accentuated her high cheekbones. The woman wore a deep-plum-colored gown that flowed around her feet like a purple pool. Her dress had a high collar that accentuated a long, graceful neck. A golden crown sat perfectly around her bun.
I took a dainty step backwards and curtsied. “Your Majesty. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Princess Drusilla.”
Queen Rhea flashed me a striking smile and nodded. “It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Princess Drusilla. I must admit, you are even more beautiful than the people say.”
My cheeks warmed. “Thank you. That means a lot coming from someone as gorgeous as yourself.”
She chuckled as she breezed past me. “Well, aren’t you a charming one?” She set the tray on the nightstand. “I brought you breakfast.”
“I’m so sorry. Did I miss it? I overslept.”
Queen Rhea smiled as she looked around the room. “No, dear. I wanted to meet you first before you were formally introduced to the prince.” She settled down into a high-backed chair sitting in the corner. “How was your trip? I was worried with that dreadful storm we had last night, but I was happy to hear that you made it in safely.”
I lowered myself into a seat across from her. “It was fine. Even with the rain.”
“That’s good. Tell me about yourself, dear.”
“I love to read and go horseback riding. I speak ten languages, and I am well versed in politics and government.”
Queen Rhea folded her hands on her lap. “Wonderful. You’re lovely and educated—how come you are not married yet?”
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