The Princess Switch

In the Orchard

Hey, this is where it is about to get interesting..... please vote and comment!  This chapter is dedicated to jazz1999 because she really encouraged me when I needed encouragement.

Chapter 3 

      The early morning was quiet and serene.  After I woke up from a terrible nightmare, I had risen from my bed and gone to roam the castle aimlessly as I often did when I was bored.  There were no sounds except for the sound of a bird or two chirping their chipper song from somewhere in the rafters above me.  

Everyone was sleeping after another long night of partying, so I was free to do as I pleased without my usual supervision. I decided to go explore the gardens in the crisp morning air, because the trees had just started blooming.  

I was shocked at how beautiful everything was as I sat down on a bench near my own plot or garden.  Ever since I was young, I had been in love with plants, and the gardener had gifted me with my own space to grow little flowers on my tenth birthday.  

Almost every day since then I had visited the garden to check on the area.  Everywhere I turned there were flowers, of course, but also some kind of decoration. From fountains to statues, this garden had it all.   My plot was the smallest, and most of the flowers were dead, but I still loved to walk past and grow a feeling of accomplishment inside of myself.  

Before I knew it, three hours had passed.  I was skipping past a corner with my head high in the clouds when someone ran into me.  “Ouch!  What’s your problem, you puny freak!  And to think that the morning began so well.  I am going to tell your mother!”  I screamed angrily as I fell to the floor in pain.  I turned on the person, expecting him to be one of the servants’ rascally kids, but to my surprise, it was Harold, my father’s butler.  

My cheeks turned a dark shade of red as I realized what I had just told one of the highest ranking servants in the castle.

He stood up and offered me a hand up.  Even though he was only one and twenty years, he held a high position.  Also, the fact that he was also handsome did not hurt my opinion of him.  

“Oh.  Um, princess, I am so sorry.  I was actually on my way to wake you.  Your parents are asking for you in the throne room.  By the way, please do not tell my mother, that would not make her very happy.”  

I sighed as my cheeks turned red for the second time in utter embarrassment.  

To get my mind away from what I just told the man, I turned my mind to my parents.  They were always asking for me in the throne room.  

“What do they want this time?”  I asked, sounding very bored, hoping this was not about another foreign dignitary visiting, begging in their heir’s behalf  that I marry them.

He leaned in closer.  “Something to do with last night’s.... activities.”  At this he raised an eyebrow, as if wondering if I understood.  I jumped up from my chair.  “Well, let us be on our way, then.  Come on, you won’t be young forever!

(several moments later.)       

“Hurry up, Harold!  We are almost there!”  I had practically ran all the way to the throne room once I heard why my parents wanted me.  I could hear him panting behind me, but that was typical of Harold, since he was not a very sporting type.  

Soon(to Harold’s delight), we had reached the huge throne room doors carved with flowers, crowns, and other things that supposedly represented all things royalty.  

Harold, chuckling, finally caught up with me, and, bowing slightly, opened the throne room doors with a dramatic flourish.  As I walked in, I saw my parents both staring at me with horrified faces.  It was as if I had grown a second head!  My parents were sitting in their thrones, with Jean sitting in a chair that someone must have pulled up for him.  I walked in slowly, wondering what was wrong (after making sure that I had not grown a second head).