Darelle

6

Rumpelstiltskin that was a name to be hushed from the presence of the princess and future queen to be of the Dolor Kingdom, very much interested her on rather the bargaining part of the devil's deal.

Darelle knew of the name as she had heard her mother told her a countless time of a love story so cruel yet wonderful, of her father and a peasant sacrificed by her father for his own life. Then the matter of the palace staffs spoke in hushed tone of a deal made by the devil, which was broken on the whim of a gamble.

A dark, twisted love story to her mother, and a haunting shadows casted on the kingdom because of her father's greed for material things and her mother's vanity to be his queen by all means as the story had showed in the third and largest room of all.

The devil, the poor maiden and the king. Of all, the devil seemed to have had the short end of the sticks. The devil, who the stories recount as an ugly, short blonde dwarf was nothing like she imagined a creature with a persuasive personality to have.

To her knowledge, there was tales going on around the towns that claimed for a man in a black suit had an old widow gamble her grandchildren over a piece of bread for a passage through a magic bridge. Many claimed the story to be ridiculous and the woman happened to be mad from grief and trying to raise her son, who ran away—children.

Why was she in her room, sulking and recounting tales worthless to her current life and situations. She had no idea, yet. But she needed to have the most efficient speech for the meeting she was called upon.

"My princess, the elders seek your presence in the dining hall." A maid who opened the door said.

As it was late in the evening, Marisa couldn't stay by her side and the normal staffs had to fill up the role of everything Marisa was to the best of their ability.

"Tell them I will be there, shortly." she said, with the mannerism of a mature lady of her time and high status.

"Yes, my lady." The maid said, before she went on her way down to the royal guest at the table.

After facing the mirror and realizing that there was no way to escape them. With a defeated sigh, she stood up from her vanity chair and make her way to the hall, ignoring the servants and lifting her head high even though she wanted to bow her head and run like a rat. Like the vermin she was to the family name instead of the lady of the hour.

The guards stood at the entrance to the hall, eyed her because they opened the twin doors and she walked to her fate as her presence, was made known in a rather loud announcement.

On the table of twelve, her eyes searched the table to see her uncles—her father's brothers were nowhere to be found.

Only the ones who liked her display of affectionate foolishness were found on the table. She moved to her seat at the first head of the table and smiled at them even though her vocal cords ached. "Good evening, elders, I greet you."

Darelle turned her head to the ground and bowed, before she looked up and slipped into her seat a servant had helped her with.

"Your highness, you know what brought us here." One of the men, more often the first to ruin her mood, worse it had been before he spoke up. An irritating talent of his, if he asked her.

"Pray, I don't know it. I'm rather in the blank." she said as she laid her face in her hand though a mischievous smile threatened to break through.

"In the blank, you say!" Bellowed another one, always raging like a bull. "You have lost two tutors in ten days. Ten good day . . . We know you attacked them."

She placed her hand on her chest and gasped before she reduced her voice to a whisper. "You believe I could do such a vile thing. I dare not. I want to bring the best for the kingdom."