The new princess

Who’s this girl

The woman comes back over to the bed and folds the bed covers over towards the end of the bed. “Your breakfast is waiting for you in the dining room and the King and Queen have left for the day to visit Duke Welford and his family. Your brother is out on a ride with Mr Longley, he said to tell you that he will be back after lunch. Let’s get you dressed and downstairs, Miss Clayton will be here to see you soon.” I don’t have a clue who she is talking about. I can’t see my phone anywhere or my clothes or anything that’s actually mine. I look down at my hands, they’re perfectly manicured and flawless, as are my legs and toes. It looks like I’ve got some sort of baby blue night dress on. I’m obviously dreaming, I’ve pinched myself now multiple times on my arm but I’m not waking up and it’s starting to make a little red mark. I suppose I’ll just go with it and see what happens.

I get out of bed and follow her to the wardrobes at the other side of the room. They are full of the most beautiful regency era dresses in all different colours and all different shoes and coats - weirdly enough most of them are pastel, which is my favourite colour combination. It all feels familiar somehow. I pick out a long pale yellow dress with white flowers and a white ribbon around the centre. The lady gives me some pretty lace socks and white flat shoes to match. It all fits me perfectly and once she helps me get dressed, she takes me over to a large white dresser and asks me to pick some jewellery. It has eight drawers. She opens a couple of them and they’re full of necklaces, bracelets, rings and brooches, all of them different stones, diamonds, rubies, emeralds and pearls. Are these real? I’ve never seen jewellery like this before. I pick out a simple gold chained necklace with a blue stone in the shape of a heart and a bracelet to match. She then asks me to go and sit down at the dressing table so she can style my hair.

I look in to the mirror. Wait a minute… who on earth is that, that’s not me… looking back at the mirror I see the girl from the pictures on the walls. I put my hand to my face and feel it, it’s me but not me. I am a couple of years younger, around 18. I have long wavy golden blonde hair to my waist that has lighter bits, which shimmer in the light. I have a heart shaped face with natural plump pink lips. My eyes are big, round and bright blue like the ocean with thick, black eyelashes. I have a small button nose with pink rosy cheeks either side and sunkissed glowing skin, which looks flawless. I am definitely beautiful but definitely not me. This is all too much, how can I be someone else entirely?! My head feels cloudy and my vision starts to go dark. “Princess Amaya are you well....” “help someone get the doctor…” I hear someone open the door and can feel myself fading, hopefully I’ll be back to myself when I wake up. Then I black out.