Flanked by guards on horseback, the coach moved slowly, allowing all to appreciate the details of its ornate decoration. The top had been removed to provide maximum visibility of those riding inside. Its glossy, black surface had been polished to a flawless shine, and the crest of the royal family was emblazoned into its side. It was coming closer. I could see its passengers clearly now. It’s them…it’s her! It’s her!
It was them indeed. The monarch and his daughter sat facing each other at opposite ends of the coach, and luckily, Princess Liana was seated at the end that provided me a clear, frontal view of her. They were bedecked in fur-trimmed, purple velvet cloaks adorned with sapphires and emeralds, and their diamond-laden crowns dazzled in the brilliant sunshine. My jaw fell open and remained in that position.
The coach moved closer towards me. My eyes were glued to the princess. Her skin was almost as white as the dolls in the town’s storefronts, her cheeks just as rosy, and her golden hair fell long and straight below her shoulders. Her small, heart-shaped mouth turned upward in a half-smile as she raised a gloved hand, waving and nodding to each side of the crowd. She looked like an angel.
The coach was almost beneath me now, as I leaned forward to look directly inside as it passed, something slammed into me from behind!
Several boys stood under the tree as one had climbed up, crawled out onto my branch and shoved me full force.
“Aaahh!” I shrieked, losing my balance. I managed to hold onto the branch as my body dangled in the air. Oh, no, oh nooo! I inched my way back towards the trunk, desperately straining to keep my grip until the coach passed, but the branch broke, and I plummeted to the ground. Instinctively, I spread my arms and legs outward, hitting the ground in a thud, landing atop a mound of fresh horse droppings and missing the royal coach by inches!
Silence.
Then, the laughing started; first, from the pranksters under the tree then spreading to the onlookers. There I lay…in the middle of the Royal Procession, spread-eagled, skirt tucked into my waistband, underpants completely exposed, lying in the middle of a pile of horse manure!
The townspeople nudged each other, pointed at me and howled in laughter. The guards following the coach yanked their reins sharply to avoid trampling me, causing the horses to rear up and halt. I lifted my head and eased myself up onto my elbows; it was then that Princess Liana turned around in response to the commotion. She gazed down at me through clear, blue eyes, more puzzled than amused.
***
Suddenly, a strong hand grasped my arm, and I found myself under the stern glare of a large, uniformed guard, obviously the commanding officer. He looked at the king, who was gesturing impatiently.
The commander yanked me to my feet. “Get out of here, stupid girl!” he shouted, pushing me into the roadside throng. Thrown backwards into the crowd, I struggled to regain my balance. Remounting his stallion, he motioned for the procession to continue.
I stood there, dazed, my skirt and slip still tucked into my waistband, my arm tingling from his rough grasp. Moments later, an anxious voice called out to me. It was Mum, fighting through the crowd, frantically trying to reach me.
***
We finally retired for the night and shuffled back home. As my family prepared for bed, I lit a kerosene lamp and walked over to the washbasin. In the dim light, I stared hard at myself in the mirror, running my hands over my face. My skin was brown, not pink. No rosy flush separated the color of my cheeks from the rest of my face; my eyes were dark brown, not blue; my hair was coarse and black, not fine and golden.
***
I pressed my lips together, trying to get them to look as thin and small as hers, but their fullness burst forth again; there was no way of hiding them. Everything about me was too big, too long, too dark, too poor and too ugly.
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It was them indeed. The monarch and his daughter sat facing each other at opposite ends of the coach, and luckily, Princess Liana was seated at the end that provided me a clear, frontal view of her. They were bedecked in fur-trimmed, purple velvet cloaks adorned with sapphires and emeralds, and their diamond-laden crowns dazzled in the brilliant sunshine. My jaw fell open and remained in that position.
The coach moved closer towards me. My eyes were glued to the princess. Her skin was almost as white as the dolls in the town’s storefronts, her cheeks just as rosy, and her golden hair fell long and straight below her shoulders. Her small, heart-shaped mouth turned upward in a half-smile as she raised a gloved hand, waving and nodding to each side of the crowd. She looked like an angel.
The coach was almost beneath me now, as I leaned forward to look directly inside as it passed, something slammed into me from behind!
Several boys stood under the tree as one had climbed up, crawled out onto my branch and shoved me full force.
“Aaahh!” I shrieked, losing my balance. I managed to hold onto the branch as my body dangled in the air. Oh, no, oh nooo! I inched my way back towards the trunk, desperately straining to keep my grip until the coach passed, but the branch broke, and I plummeted to the ground. Instinctively, I spread my arms and legs outward, hitting the ground in a thud, landing atop a mound of fresh horse droppings and missing the royal coach by inches!
Silence.
Then, the laughing started; first, from the pranksters under the tree then spreading to the onlookers. There I lay…in the middle of the Royal Procession, spread-eagled, skirt tucked into my waistband, underpants completely exposed, lying in the middle of a pile of horse manure!
The townspeople nudged each other, pointed at me and howled in laughter. The guards following the coach yanked their reins sharply to avoid trampling me, causing the horses to rear up and halt. I lifted my head and eased myself up onto my elbows; it was then that Princess Liana turned around in response to the commotion. She gazed down at me through clear, blue eyes, more puzzled than amused.
***
Suddenly, a strong hand grasped my arm, and I found myself under the stern glare of a large, uniformed guard, obviously the commanding officer. He looked at the king, who was gesturing impatiently.
The commander yanked me to my feet. “Get out of here, stupid girl!” he shouted, pushing me into the roadside throng. Thrown backwards into the crowd, I struggled to regain my balance. Remounting his stallion, he motioned for the procession to continue.
I stood there, dazed, my skirt and slip still tucked into my waistband, my arm tingling from his rough grasp. Moments later, an anxious voice called out to me. It was Mum, fighting through the crowd, frantically trying to reach me.
***
We finally retired for the night and shuffled back home. As my family prepared for bed, I lit a kerosene lamp and walked over to the washbasin. In the dim light, I stared hard at myself in the mirror, running my hands over my face. My skin was brown, not pink. No rosy flush separated the color of my cheeks from the rest of my face; my eyes were dark brown, not blue; my hair was coarse and black, not fine and golden.
***
I pressed my lips together, trying to get them to look as thin and small as hers, but their fullness burst forth again; there was no way of hiding them. Everything about me was too big, too long, too dark, too poor and too ugly.
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