The Princess's Secret

Chapter 5

Freen sat at the dinner table with one fist on her temple and the other poking at the unappetizing food on her plate. Her feet were swinging back and forth underneath the table as she daydreamed, picturing herself running outside on the field sides that surrounded the palace. She loved sneaking out at dusk sometimes on the outskirts of the palace walls to enjoy the nature around. She would pick the yellow daisies that grew by the nearby tree line and pretended to be a common girl without any royal responsibilities.

One day when Freen was 10 she was sitting at her bedroom desk busing herself with the studies of the day. Outside she could hear faint giggling coming from below her patio window. Curious, she walked out the patio door and could make out the figure of 3 young girls her age playing by the palace walls. They were gathered nearby picking daisies and frolicking in the fields. She watched them longing to join them and feel like an ordinary 10 year old girl.
In that moment, filled with deep yearning, she decided to go down the wood trellis that lined the wall next to her patio. She climbed down the wall until she reached the walls that surrounded the palace.

Climbing the tree nearby, she watched the girls nearby and filled with determination she jumped over the palace wall using the large vines as a rope to the bottom. She ran to the girls and introduced herself. Ever since then, Freen, Nam, Tee and Kade had become best friends. She would sneak out every chance she could for years to play with the girls nearby.

Over the years the visits became less frequent as the girls grew, all of them busy with their lives. Freen became even more busy with her studies as her 25th birthday neared. It had been a while since she had had any secret visits with any of her friends and she had given up on believing they would ever come back.
"Freen. The food is for eating not playing. And sit up properly, a queen to be never hunches!" the queen instructed looking over at Freen. Freen adjusted her posture as she sighed in response.

"Since your birthday is coming up, you will be needing a personal maiden to help assist you once you take over the reign. Your father and I will be sending word out tomorrow to begin the search for the best maiden to serve you. Please be ready by 3pm in the throne room to help with selections." The queen says, waiting for Freen's reply.

Freen was uninterested in spending her time picking servants when she would much rather be fulfilling one of her favorite hobbies. She knew she had no choice but to follow her mother's command.

"Yes mother, may I be excused? I'm not feeling puckish today." With a displeased look on her face the queen dismissed Freen to her room. "Great...! Now I will have someone shadowing me around this place. I hope this new maiden is bearable and leaves me alone." Freen mumbles to herself as she plops on her bed. She laid there thinking of an excuse to get out of assisting the maiden selection tomorrow.