DAMSEL IN DISTRESS (Posh and Poor, royalty and servant, love and heartbreak)

Chapter 3

"You didn't!" Tess gasps as she hands me a simple, emerald gown with puffy sleeves. Well, it might be simple for me but to Tess it's like a wonder. "C'mon he deserved it." Tess giggles, "Well he did look pretty up-himself." I let my hair loose and pin back a tiny section with a comb. "Plus he didn't get me a present." Tess throws a cushion at me, "Is that all you ever think of? If I didn't know you I'd think you were poor." "In my defence, everyone likes presents." A fat, bulging servant with piggy eyes barges into my room. "Have you ever learned to knock?" I sniff at her. Miss.Piggy hastily apologizes and bows down. "I'm so sorry your highness, please forgive my naïve actions." Boredly, I wave my hand at her to get up. "What do you want?" "A great bowl of soup." I turn to look at the fat lady in surprise. "Sorry, pardon me, the king want's you downstairs for supper." She scurries out the room and me and Tess roll about in fit's of laughter. "A great bowl of soup?"

*At supper*

I sit down primly on the marble stool. My eyes wander over the steamy poached salmon placed on top of buttery, soft bread- The piles of ripe grapes and croissants and stew and rabbit leg on top of steamy, pearly rice.  Tess would love this, I must remember to slip some into a napkin for her to eat later. I grab my plate and shove a pile of stew and rabbit leg onto it. "Clara, how unlady like!" Rolling my eyes, I turn to stare at my mother the queen. I inherited her beautiful skin and my father's eyes, but my red hair comes from my distant Aunt Mirabella. "We need to talk." I snort, gesturing towards the long table that stretches 10 metres apart with them on one side and me on the other.

Clarks, my father the king, clears his throat and taps on his wine glass. "Clara, pay attention." Luckily, my parents are mostly really laid-back for king's and queen's, and I'm happy to see they don't have a cane anywhere. I mean, I threw the Duke in a lake. The look on his face makes me want to laugh and I bite hardly on my cheeks to supress the laughter. "What on earth were you thinking? Throwing the duke into the lake!" "I wouldn't exactly say throwing, more like pushing-" "ENOUGH! THIS IS THE MAN YOUR ABOUT TO MARRY." "Who said anything about marrying him?" I tuck into soft rabbit leg and a groan escapes my mouth. Clarity, the queen/my mum, shakes her head, "We thank the lord the duke Charles is a kind lad and offered to give you another chance! Do you know how many princesses from all over the world are begging to marry him, and he's giving you a second shot?" WHY? WHY DID THIS ARROGANT, SILLY DUKE HAVE TO GIVE ME A SECOND SHOT? "Well, maybe I don't want him to! He's 20 and I'm 16! He's an arrogant, cocky, stereotype, airhead-" "DON'T YOU DARE DESRESPECT THE DUKE!" My father bangs his fist on the table. "Such language on the table, it's shameful!" "WHEN WILL YOU LEARN TO STOP CONTROLLING MY LIFE?" I rush out the room in tears and run slap-bang into another servant. A dish full of cheesecake clatters to the floor.

Feeling bad, I help him pick up the splattered remains of cheesecake. "Why the tears?" Normally, I'd just ignore a servant (minus Tess)- But this one, he looks kind and his words are warm. My eyes get lost in his beautiful, midnight blue eyes and his overgrown, light brown hair keeps on falling in his mesmerising eyes in a cute manner. "I threw the duke Charles in a lake." The servant gives a low whistle before chuckling. "Aint you a badass." For some weird reason, I feel proud. "Yeh, well he deserved it." He gives me a wink and tweaks his cap, "My my, wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of you Princess." I love the way he says princess, and my heart suddenly feels glowing as I watch him saunter towards the king with a pile of splattered cheesecake.

Buzzing with excitement, I skip towards my room. Maybe Tess might know him, I'll ask her.