Happily Ever After

Part 1

Have you ever had to face that one moment where everything changes? Where you know nothing will ever be the same again? I had to face that moment when my parents died. It was a cold night when our house caught on fire. My father found me under my bed and ran me outside. He told me that I had to stay put and that he would be right back. He was going back in to find my mother. While he was in there, the King’s knights showed up and tried to get the fire out. Some of the men went in to help my parents, but none of them ever came back. My parents and those men were killed in the fire that night. After that, the queen and king took me in. See my family was noble, so we were really close to the royals. I was actually betrothed to the prince at the time. 1After my parents died though, the betrothal was ended.

The prince, James, was my best friend growing up. We would play together every day and he would always walk me home no matter what. One time it was raining, so my parents didn’t want me to leave the house. He walked all the way over without so much as an umbrella just to see me. We slowing fell in love with each other. I was fifteen when my parents died, and he was seventeen. James tried to comfort me, but I knew the queen and king’s plan, so I pushed him away. I could see what I was doing to him, but I had no choice.

I should probably explain the plan. The queen and king thought it would be best if I disappeared for some time, for my protection of course. I agreed, except they couldn’t agree with where to put me. They queen though it would be best if I stayed and worked in the castle under disguise while the king wanted to send me away to a different kingdom. He wasn’t my biggest fan, I’ll tell you that. He thought it would be best to just marry me off to someone else, but the queen disagreed. See, in this kingdom, the queen and king has to agree before something’s written in stone. So they asked me. I told them that I would rather stay here, where at least I knew some people that cared about me. The king only agreed if the prince didn’t know I was still alive. We came up with a plan that made it look like I was taken by some robbers, then those robbers would sell me off to someone else. That way I was untraceable.

 Of course James did not take my disappearance very well. It broke my heart to watch him crumble and fall apart. But I had no choice, the king made sure there was no way that my path would run into James. I had bodyguard at first following me from room to room, but then later the queen insisted that I only need one personal one and that he could pretend to be a servant along with me. But that wasn’t all they did. The king was paranoid, so he had my long brown hair cut. Before it would reach my waist, now it reached my shoulders. He also had me dye my hair black. I was told I had to always have it up and have a bonnet on. I was given maid clothes and a room in the service hall. They changed my name from Vanessa, to my middle name Rose. They even told me that I had to talk like a commoner, so posh or anything. It took awhile, but I eventually grew into my role and it became my life.

3 Years Later

Dear Diary,

Tomorrow is the three year anniversary of my parent’s death. I miss them so much. But not only am I saddened, I am also distressed. I know my parents would be very disappointed in me for agreeing to be a servant so fast. But I was in grief; I was not thinking correctly, I just knew I did not want to leave the only place and people I had left. I know my decision has destroyed James and I feel guilt for that every day. It is so painful to see him falling into the person he swore to me he would never be. He sleeps with all of the servants, he never visits his people anymore, he does not even try to help when two servant are fighting. He has not talked to his best friend, Robin, in over a year. He refuses to let anyone get close to him, and I know that it is my fault. It is killing me inside to know that I destroyed him and that I cannot do anything to help. What was so wrong with me that I could not see what would happen if I agreed with his parent’s demands? My only wish is that he will find someone to move on with and that he will forget all about me. I know that will break my heart even more than it already is, but I would rather see him happy with someone else than to see him as this miserable, horrible person.