The Goose Girl

The Great and Powerful Maverick

"Lottie! You won't believe what happened!" I know I promised that guy I wouldn't tell anyone about what happened between us, but it's not like I know his name. And besides, Lottie is my best friend and best friends don't count in that scenario. Not telling her something so important would be a sin.
"Aurelie! Where have you been all day? Why do you look so...?" She lingers, thinking of a word that wouldn't anger me.
I sit down on my bed and begin to kick my feet. I giggle so she knows it is nothing serious. "I was you-know-where," only Lottie knows about my hideaway, "and someone was walking. I was curious, so I called him, and he fell on me and started flirting with me. Anyways, I bit and punched him. Then we started to cry in remorse together."
I do not want to tell her the details, not now at least. I want to, but I know that I would ramble on and that we would run out of time. Mother would expect to see me soon, and that is a priority.
"Such haughty behavior for the future queen. You tell noble stories of how the land will prosper when you're queen, but never take anything seriously." She shakes her head and comes toward me with a brush. Now it is my turn to gasp.
"Lottie! You know I am serious about the queendom!" I stand up, but only for her to push me back on the bed so she can brush my hair.
I always felt as if Lottie was so much older than me, like she was mother's age. But really, she is only six months my elder. She is my best friend and  I admire her for taking her job seriously, but it sometimes scares me how intimidating she is about it. She acts like my personal body guard, like my life is in peril, even though the most danger I have ever come upon is a bumble bee. However, I don't know what I would do without her overprotectiveness.
We have known each other since we were little girls, and we have been best friends since. The court children were too prissy and rude for my liking. And even though I was the heir to the throne, they treated me with disrespect and as if I did not exist. Lottie was the first friend I had. She stood up to the bullies for me, and eventually taught me how to stand up to demons. She will always be a sister to me, even though we share no blood.
"Forgive me, Aurelie, but I worry about you." She yanks a wicked knot I didn't know I had unknotted and I writhe in blistering agony. She knows that I have a sensitive scalp, yet she always insists on being rude to it.
However, I believe that no one around here believes that I can do simple things, like brushing my hair or putting on clothing. I may be young, but I am not a small child any more.
"There is nothing to worry about. I am safe and well, and as are you and mother and the kingdom." I shake my head, then realize that Lottie is still brushing it. She is the only person I can act silly and lighthearted around.
She doesn't reply in words. Instead she hums a song. I don't know the words, for Lottie never sings the words, only the rhythms and pitches. It's a lovely, dynamic tune and I've only heard it from Lottie. Whenever I ask her about it, she always says it is just a little thing close to her heart. I do theorize that she created it and she herself is a musical prodigy, but is too shy too perform anything.
There is a knock at the door. I sigh and Lottie stops brushing my already silk hair and says, "Who is it?"
"Prime Minister Maverick." It isn't the Prime Minister's voice, but the voice of his right-hand servant. The Prime Minister has always harassed me and I have always loathed him. He's sort of like an overprotective grandma mixed with a bullying older brother, except without the blood and emotional ties. An unwanted taste forms in my mouth; a taste of disgust and pure revolt. Maverick never fails to give off the impression that he chokes on a rat with every word he speaks, yet he is always unaware of the giant monstrosity falling it's way to its death in his stomach.
Lottie opens the door and bows her head at the sight of him. I do not know if I should stand or stay where I am in his presence. So instead I straighten my back and hold my chin up high. He barely glances at Lottie and then he glares at me.
"Princess, where were you?" He demands an answer so calmly yet I feel his anger choking me. Blithe, like always, I see.
        I shrug, not wanting him to learn of my hideaway and ban me from ever going again. "I was in the library for a while this morning."
He raises an eyebrow. But where were you the rest of the day."
"Oh, you know, here and there." I say and I simply tap my fingers on my knee, pretending that my day wasn't of importance.
        "You are too irresponsible for a princess. You have dirt on your trousers-you are supposed to be wearing fine dresses made by the best dressmakers in the world-and your face is smudged with something ghastly. My job is to assist your mother in ruling this country, yet I am stuck babysitting you. You're too immature; you're of age to marry yet you still behave as a child. I have to put up with your constant mood-swings and hormones. You will lead a miserable country if you do not turn your act around." He sighs and rubs his temples.
        "How dare you!" I shout and my anger propels me up to my feet. "How dare you insult me. You do not know my capabilities. No one has even bothered to listen to my solution on distributing water to the desert people or on managing the fruit crisis in the west. Or what to do in case more fires burn down our cities and towns. Whenever I offer my opinion, you men of the court look directly above me-not even at me-and leave the conversation midriff. You people look for an excuse to mock and ridicule me, creating excuses why I will be a horrible queen. I am through with that. I will sit in on the next counsel meeting, no matter what you say!"
         I expect him to raise his voice at me and summon demons to kill me off, but instead he nods. There is some sort of anticipation in his eyes, yet no disbelief. He actually wants me to succeed, even if he won't say it aloud.
"And who am I to deny the crown princess of that?" By then, I am not listening to him. Instead, my gaze focuses on his servant, who could not be older than twelve.
         He looks at me in awe, for no one dares to raise their voice at the Prime Minister Maverick, yet he hides behind his master, petrified that he would be yelled at next. I feel bad for scaring the poor kid, it is bad enough that he has to run errands for Maverick all day, but for me to scar him is like committing a crime. I peak my head around Maverick so the kid knows I am looking at him. I smile and stick my tongue out at Maverick. The servant silently laughs. I know that the Prime Minister is glaring at me, but I can't help but mock him. I imitate the faces he does, the weird eccentric things he does with his hands, and the way he walks. Just before I can get to his speech, Maverick puts a hand on my head. I instantly freeze and pray that I get out of this alive.
        "Princess, you can continue this charade after you tidy up and greet your mother. However, if you do, I will pry out all of your finger nails and toe nails one by one and force you to eat them all." His voice is not the monotone voice it is in front of mother and other nobles, but a shrewd, vicious that would do anything to make his enemies suffer. He squeezes my head as a warning and then dismisses himself without saying a word.
        His servant starts to follow him, but turns around once he reaches the door. He smiles, and I can see the tears sparkling in his eyes. The boy bows his head and before I can wipe off the water falling from his eyes, he runs after Maverick.  
"You are far too rude to him, you know." Lottie's scolding tone makes me sit down on my bed again. I hang my head like a child, and hope that she'll go easy on me. "And you shouldn't mock him like that."
"Well the boy was petrified. I didn't want him to be scared of me."  I sigh and decide that I am not in the mood for Lottie to preach about proper etiquette and that nonsense.
      I walk over to the silver-wood wardrobe I had gotten as a birthday gift one year. A part of me wants to wear pants, but mother and the court would surely dismiss me before I could even say a word. So instead, I pick a gown closest to me inside the wardrobe and start to change into it.
"Aurelie," Lottie glares at me. I slide the gown on and quizzically look at her back.
"Yes?" It takes me a moment to realize why she is silently scolding me. "Did I need to take a bath first?"
She turns to leave my bed chambers and once her hand touches the door, I gasp a little. "Don't leave! I'm sorry I'm so rude to the Prime Minister, but I can't help it. He brings out the worst in me. He always mocks and criticizes me, and it makes me feel so belittled. I hate it. But I will not change my behavior towards him unless he has earned it."
"Aurelie, you are too foolish for a princess." And with the shake of her head, Lottie leaves me alone.