Once Upon A Princess

3: A Friend and a Stranger

The next day was like most summer days: sunny, hot, and bright. The garden was the ideal place to be to play with her new toy, and Amelia was going to take full advantage of the space. It was full of color and life; the flowers still in bloom and the bees humming as they passed. There were lots of trees surrounding the pond; they would provide ample shade as she played. There was a peaceful atmosphere about, and Amelia was going to take full advantage of it.

It proved difficult to play with a ball while in a long dress, and Amelia found herself hiking up her skirts to kick it around. It was a little heavier than other balls that Amelia had played with, and she wondered if it was really made of gold. That seemed extravagant, and not at all like it should be a children's toy. She was jogging back and forth by herself, and in time it got boring. There was a guard that she knew named Jackson watching her as he walked the grounds, and she contemplated whether she should ask him to play with her. He told dumb jokes that she liked and was usually up for playing when she asked.

She didn't have to take him out of his work, however. Her friend Camil had come outside. Camil was a kitchen maid, and at fourteen, two years older than Amelia. She was about the same height, with blonde hair and pretty brown eyes. Camil occasionally played with Amelia when she wasn't working. She greeted the princess in her formal manner.

"Hello, Princess Amelia," she said, walking to her, hands in her apron. She had a small smile on her face.

"Camil! You're just in time. I was getting bored on my own. Play catch with me."

Camil agreed with a nod of her head, and Amelia passed the ball to her, which she caught. She grunted at the surprising weight, and then assessed the ball with a strange look on her face.

"Is this new?" she asked. She passed it back.

Amelia caught it and nodded. "Just got it yesterday."

Camil scrunched her face and missed the catch, and the ball rolled away from her. She went to pick it up. "Is it... real?" she ventured to ask.

Amelia grinned. "Real gold? I don't know," she answered honestly. "But it's certainly heavier than you'd think it'd be."

Camil just nodded every so slightly, almost hesitantly as she passed it back. There was an odd look to her face now, and Amelia wondered what had happened. She changed the subject quickly.

"How do you like the new cook?"

Camil caught the ball and let out another noise of surprise; halfway between a squeal and an exhale. "She's very nice so far. She's a bit strict, though. I only just barely could come out here."

"At least you're here now—" she started, but didn't get to finish. The ball was thrown wide, and Amelia went to catch it. Her dress caught on her foot, however, and instead she tripped and fell. The ball landed and rolled, just enough for it to land into the pond. Amelia heard the plunk. She stood up then, scrambling up to her knees as she crawled to the pond's edge. She looked down, only to see that it had sunk quickly and now sat in the mud at the bottom.

Camil let out a gasp, running to Amelia quickly, the grass crunching under her feet. If the guard was still around, he might've run to her too. It looked like a nasty fall.

"Are you alright, princess?" she asked, kneeling down and putting a hand on Amelia's back. The princess was silent, staring into the water.

"My ball..." she whispered, a horrified note in her hoarse voice. She knew it was lost there now, and even if she could get it back, it wouldn't be nice anymore. She'd ruined her new present.

She stood up, slowly, helped by Camil who seemed visibly worried.

"Are you injured?" she whispered, horrified she'd say yes.

Amelia shook her head, and Camil let out a long breath.

"Oh, my, princess. You really scared me."

Amelia heard her heartbeat in her ears. Her stomach felt as if it was in her throat. "My ball," she finally croaked out. She pointed a shaking finger to the water, a sudden gasp escaping her.

Camil let go of her, the pupils in her eyes going wide. "You're worried about your ball?"

Amelia looked at her then, registering her tone as incredulous. "Yes, of course I am. How are we going to get it back?"

Camil just stared in wonderment. Finally she shook her head. "I don't think we can. It's a long drop. I think that's its new home now."

It felt silly to cry, though Amelia wanted to. "It was my new present," she said because she was thinking it. Would her father be angry at her for losing it? And so quickly too! No doubt it had been specially made for her, and now it lived in the bottom of the pond, sitting with the collected scum and dirt at the bottom.

Camil's eyebrows drew together, her mouth forming a tight line. "You have other balls," she said, almost exasperated.

"None as beautiful as that one," Amelia said with a sigh.

Camil clicked her tongue loudly against the roof of her mouth, her hands going to her hips.

"Princess, forgive me for being so blunt, but I have to say this. I know you're used to getting lots of new toys, but you should feel lucky. I mean, any kid in a normal village would die for just one toy, let alone a pile of them like you have. A golden ball! I mean, what a silly thing to give to a child. It's just an object, Amelia. And you have plenty more just like it. You could even get more if you wanted. I don't think you need to be sad about losing this one."

Her speech ended, and Camil didn't even stay to see how it played out. She just turned around and walked away angrily, leaving Amelia alone at the edge of the pond. She felt her stomach drop suddenly, a painful feeling in her gut. She'd made Camil angry. But then she looked down again, into the mud where the gleam of the ball could be seen.

Would her father be angry with her for dropping it? Likely not, but it still made Amelia sad. It had already lost some of its sheen in the few moments it had been in there.

Worry about punishment assuaged, the princess pondered Camil's words. She did have a lot of toys, she thought. That was true. Did other children really only get one? It seemed strange to her that she did not know this information. Without realizing it, she had sunk down to her knees, her head still perched over the water. Her hands were splayed in the grass now, right at the edge of the water. It was easy to spot the golden glimmer of the ball; it changed shape with the ripples in the water, looking almost like it was dancing.

She sighed, defeated, and sat up on her knees. Maybe there really was no way to retrieve it. She felt the scrape on her knees from where she'd fallen, the painful sting only a reminder of what had just happened. She felt silly, being so sad over an object.

"I can help you get your ball back," a voice said. Amelia jumped, startled at the sudden noise. She had been sure no one else was around. Had Camil come back?

She turned her head from side to side, trying to find the source of the voice. It had been so clear, there was no way she imagined it.

"Excuse me, I'm down here," the voice said. Amelia followed it, looking down into the water. All she saw was a little frog, its round eyes looking right at her. Then she realized with a shiver that it was the frog who had been speaking to her.