Princess Alice walked into the Infirmary as the sun slowly rose into the sky. It had only been a year since she found the little baby she had named Stella. Now Stella was a year old. Alice had been engaged and preparing for her great wedding. She had only just turned 18. A week after her birthday a young man, Prince Jonathan, asked for her hand. She said yes, knowing her father would want her to. And she seemed to like Jonathan. It had taken longer than expected for her to be engaged. She was supposed to get married after around a week of the day she found Stella. But, now, finally it was the day of their wedding. Alice was now wearing her wedding dress. She stood in her room looking out the window. The door had been open just enough for Stella to crawl in. Alice turned around and looked down at her, smiling. Crouching down, she held Stella's hands in her own and looked into her eyes. Stella's bright little eyes stared back.
"Hey Stella. Today is a very special day. Do you want to know what today is?" She asked, expecting no reply from the small girl. "Today is my wedding day. That's why I'm wearing this lovely dress. Isn't it pretty Stella?" Stella made a little gurgle sound as she ran her little hand against the silky, white fabric. "The man that I am going to marry. His name is Jonathan." Alice gently let her sit on the ground before standing up. "He and I will be your parents." No one at the castle had really wanted to care for little Stella. Only Alice was up to it, and Jonathan thought it was a great idea. She did already act as a mother to Stella. Now they would actually be parents really. One who was abandoned was now a princess. She would grow up learning things that princesses did. She would someday become the queen of a kingdom. Alice didn't want her to grow up though. No mother would have.
**
I opened my eyes to see light flooding in through the clear curtains. I could feel a small weight on the end of the bed by my feet. Peeking over my covers, I could see Hunter curled up and asleep. The sight of the little pup made me smile. Blinking a few times, I threw back the covers and jumped out of bed. I looked at the large clock mounted on my wall. It was 8:30. Hunter jumped off the bed, surprised.
"Sorry little guy. Time to wake up." I said stretching. I slid the curtain to the side. A bird fluttered by my window as I stood. Like every morning, I was to go to the dining hall for breakfast. I quickly changed into a simple dress. It was a light, lavender purple color that only hung inches from the floor. The edges were covered in silver shimmer. I didn't bother to brush my hair, just pulled it back with a ribbon. I looked back down at Hunter. Ellasandra had just walked into the room with fresh towels for the bathroom.
"Hey Ella? Could you find something for Hunter to eat?" She looked at me like I was crazy for a second.
"I will do my best."
"Thanks." I smiled before looking back at Hunter. "I will be back soon. Stay out of trouble." He barked and ran over to my bed, jumping up on it.
I hurried down the stairs to the dining room where I pictured my father sitting at the head of the table. Before I entered, I slowed down and took a deep breath. The guards opened the door for me. Just as I thought, he was sitting there when I entered. As he noticed me, he smiled. "Good morning Stella. How did you sleep?" I returned the smile.
"Good morning father. I slept pretty well."
"That's good," he said gently. I looked at the table. There was an array of different breakfast foods. Fruits were spread out upon the table along with croissants and other tasty pastries. I sat down at my place and was quickly brought a silver platter. On it was an omelet and a crepe. Powdered sugar dappled the top of the crepe along with the traces of berry juice. When I cut my fork into it, I could see the strawberries and blackberries that were neatly folded in. Taking a bite, I let the sweetness seep onto my tongue.
