A Fairy Tale    

Chapter 2: Leila

    In the same castle, down in the cellar, Leila worked scrubbing floors. “All I am good for,” she grumbled, “is doing work. While the princess and her royal family prance around in their little dresses I am scrubbing floors. It just isn’t fair.” She glanced up. Sinai had fallen asleep in his chair. He was supposed to be watching her but had apparently fallen asleep.
    “I should be at that ball. I could sneak in. No one would notice me.” She would be punished if they noticed she was gone but Leila didn’t care. she wouldn’t mind  if it meant going to the ball. Quickly and silently she got up and snuck out of the room.
    About a half a year ago Leila had found a dress that had accidentally been dropped behind a laundry vat. She had washed it and had hidden it for later, if she ever needed it. She got it out and put it on. After scrubbing her hands and face and fixing her hair, she was ready to go.
    She snuck out the servants entrance and came in the front of the palace, where the ball was being held. She was awestruck when she first came in. Of course she had seen it before but it had only been a peek and it hadn’t been quite so decorated as it seemed to her. She was also seeing it now as a guest, not a scum-of-the-earth servant.
    Wooden benches with ornate cushions were placed around the room against the walls. Long tables were piled with delicious foods were set up at one end and romantic couples danced to classy music. Everyone was dressed beautifully. Leila hardly had time to take it all in when a girl about her age approached.
    “Hello. I haven’t seen you before. What’s your name?” The girl looked a little stuck up, but seemed nice enough.
    Leila considered her answer. “Lila,” she said. It was close enough and wouldn’t get her into any trouble if it was repeated.
    “I’m Ashanti, Princess of Vidalia.”
    Leila’s mouth opened wide. “A...a princess?” She tried to curtsy quickly but she didn’t quite know how and nearly fell.
    Ashanti laughed and Leila’s face grew warm. “You mean you didn’t recognize me?” The princess laughed again. After some time of awkward silence they got to talking and then Ashanti started pointing out different people at the party. Leila was just looking around, not really paying attention to what Ashanti was saying, when she noticed someone.
    “Who’s that?” Leila asked.
    Ashanti looked to see what Leila was looking at.
    “Oh, him,” Ashanti said. “You don’t want to meet him. He’s sour.”
    “Yes, I do. Who is he?” Leila kept insisting, so they went over.
    The boy was dressed in rich clothes and was very handsome. He stood up when they came up to him.
    “Lila this is Prince Shasta of Conga,” Ashanti said. “Shasta this is Lila.”
    Leila was star struck. “A prince, how exciting. I believe I’ve heard of you.” She felt completely at ease with him and soon completely forgot about the princess. She was delighted to talk to him and found everything he had to say wonderful and admirable. After a while music began to play and Shasta asked her to dance. Leila wanted to but hadn’t danced in the longest time. “I’m not a very good dancer,” she admitted.
    “Neither am I,” Shasta said. His eyes pleaded with her.
    She nodded and he led her to the dance floor. At first Leila was stiff and uncertain but after a song or two she relaxed and they danced alone, in their own world. She forgot about everything else. She was not Leila, servant girl; she was Lila, and she was dancing with the most wonderful boy she had ever met.
    Finally thy went to rest and as they spoke Leila remembered her duties. If Sinai woke up and found her gone...!
    “I’m really sorry,” Leila interrupted Shasta, “but I must go.”
    Shasta looked stunned. Leila turned to leave. “Wait! Lila!”
    She turned. “Yes?”
    “Will I...may I see you again?” Shasta asked.
    Her heart leapt in her chest. “Of course,” she replied, “but I really must go!”
    Leila didn’t get caught or get in trouble for going to the ball but she did get in trouble for daydreaming. She daydreamed about the ball, of course; about Shasta. She played their conversations over in her head and dreamed of dancing with him. But she thought a lot about the princess too. She wasn’t a normal princess, like a princess out of a fairy tale. She was pretty but not abnormally beautiful or anything. And she had seemed rather nice. So one day that Leila had off she decided to visit the princess. Leila knew she was taking a risk visiting Ashanti but she was curious to find out what would happen if she pursued friendship. So she visited. The princess seemed pleased to see her so she came again, and again. Soon they became wonderful friends. They never ran out of things to talk about. But there was one thing they hadn’t talked about that Leila knew had to be discussed. So Leila sent a note to Ashanti and decided to tell her the truth.
    She worried and fretted all day. She couldn’t keep her mind on her chores and her mother was sure she was sick. Her mind thought up awful things that could happen. But Leila was determined. She had heard the saying “The truth will set you free,” and hoped that this truth would not do the opposite.
    She prepared what she was going to say and was shaking as she knocked on the princess’s door. Leila was terrified and fell at the princess’s feet after being let in. Ashanti begged her to get up and tell her what was wrong. Leila poured out the whole story and begged Ashanti’s forgiveness.
    “Please forgive me, your majesty,” begged Leila in a whisper. “I did not mean to deceive you.”
    Ashanti could not utter a word but instead dropped onto the floor beside Leila and hugged her. “I value our friendship too much to let anything come between us. I have never had a more wonderful friend than you.” That was when then they heard a knock on the door.
    “Ashanti,” a familiar voice called, “it’s Shasta.”


Continue to Chapter 3: Shasta...