The Dog Princess: A Tom Holland Fairy Tale

Keeping Secrets

The morning came way too quickly for Rosemary's liking. She didn't have the energy to pretend she wanted to be there anymore. Nonetheless the sun was shining, birds were chirping, and her curtains were pulled back all the way so it was all happening right in her face. The light danced over her drooping eyes, beckoning her to rise.

"Time to start another day...oh joy." She said sleepily to herself, sinking further into her bed. She stuck one foot out from under the covers, and that was good enough. She didn't have the capacity to get up, let alone comprehend the troubles from the day before. So many questions lingered over her, particularly how could everything she had planned go so horribly wrong? She hugged her pillow tight, smushing her face into it. She couldn't help but growl at how quickly she had mucked things up. Sure, on the outside things looked liked they were going in her favor, but her own heart betrayed her. How could she, of all people, enchant the impossible prince but have the rotten luck of loving another, equally impossible man? By now even she noticed how she had the prince wrapped around her finger, when the most anyone had ever hoped for was that the prince would settle on someone "just good enough". As she came terms with her feelings, funny enough, the prince was no longer good enough for her. She closed her eyes, daydreaming of the one she truly craved. She imagined his touch and remembered how he looked at her with such a tender gaze and the warmest smile. She got chills as her mind began to wander past the memory and into uncharted territory, but right as her imagination took flight Zendaya had entered the room.

"Rosemary?" Zendaya peered over the bed, unsure if Rosemary was awake or not. Rosemary managed a soft moan in response. "How are you feeling?"

Rosemary begrudgingly opened her eyes and began to sit up in bed. "I'm alright. I apologize for being so inconsolable."

"Don't apologize." Zendaya sat on the edge of the bed with a reassuring smile.

"I reckon I'd better get up. What's planned for today?"

Zendaya smirked and plopped next to her, causing them both to giggle like mischievous children. "Well for me it's look stunning, as always, pretend I fancy the prince, and fight off the hags down the hall. Oh, and there's also this 'exceptionally grand' picnic."

Rosemary snorted. "Sounds about right. Ugh, whoever heard of a 'grand' picnic? Picnics are supposed to be simple."

"If only. I heard there will be pies made of truffles. Can you imagine the cost of that dish alone?"

"My word, truffles? Whole pies of them? And the servants don't have clean sheets—" She stopped herself, but she could tell Zendaya was catching on. Zendaya looked at her quizzically, making her insides squirm.

"Rosemary, did you know him?" Zendaya questioned.

"Know who?" Rosemary played a little dumb. She didn't want to admit it.

"That boy."

"What boy?"

"From yesterday?"

"Yesterday?"

"Yes, yesterday!"

"The boy...from yesterday?"

"For heaven's sake! Are you hiding something?"

"Fine." Rosemary sighed in defeat. "Yes, I did know him. Well, sort of."

"Sort of? Why did you dance with him? You knew he was a servant—"

"I didn't think that mattered. I don't think it should matter." She turned away, playing with a lock of her hair nervously.

"Birth will always matter. Like you said, it's the difference between having truffle pie or dirty sheets at night." Zendaya saw the secrets behind Rosemary's eyes. She ached for her friend, as feelings such as those were the hardest to hide, but must never see the light of day."What's his name?"