For Her They'd Do Anything

Chapter 1: Constance's POV I stubbed my toe on the banister as I ran down the grand stair. It wasn't pleasant, but I needed to get away from Rose, my caretaker. She wants me to put on this ugly, frilly, orange dress for a dinner I don't want to attend. My father, King Avery Brocksby, insists on having me attend these things to appease our subjects. My mother, Mabel, insists on the frilliest outfits she can find for my brother and me. Rose has my poor little brother, Giles, dressed in a frilly frock, that is somehow more feminine than my gown. I'd take him with me if I could run with him safely. He's only one, so it isn't like he really cares what he wears, he'd sooner go buck naked to the dinner than anything.  I run past the baker, grabbing some bread from the counter as I pass, and head through the entranceway to the kitchen, it's the fastest route to the garden. As soon as I get to the garden, I duck behind a giant, overgrown bush. Right when my feet land behind the bush, Rose comes through the kitchen door. She searches frantically for me, but doesn't see me and heads back inside. I overhear her tell the baker that if she sees me, she had better send me her way. When the coast is clear, Amy, the baker, lets me know with a quick, "she's gone, dear." Amy is a lovely woman, she lets me get away with practically anything. She has always been this way with me, she cares for me like I'm one of her children. Honestly, she is one of the few people I like to be around. We often play in the kitchens and she always makes sure I have bread around for the ducks and swans in the pond. I head towards the pond to feed the ducks and swans. I like playing with them, mainly because the only thing they really expect from me is bread crumbs. Mostly everyone else is always telling me to "do this and that," and "you can't run through the halls in your petticoat." They expect me to do everything I'm told, with a smile on my face, and no words from my mouth. I have to learn my studies, listen to what I'm told, and perform my duties without nary an argument, or even an eyeroll. It's like they think I am a machine or something. I am a living, breathing human being. I have my own thoughts, pleasures, hell even my own wants and desires. I do not wish to be taught the proper way to curtsey to the court. Or which papers go to which account. While, I do understand that the paperwork is important, there is much more to life. I am only 8 years old, I should be having fun and making friends. I don't even have any friends, other than Amy and the animals around the castle. Instead, I spend my time learning or dressing up for some stupid dinner. I suppose I will still go to the dinner, but I am going to take my time getting ready for it, who knows how long I will be stuck in that godawful dress for this time. Last time, I wasn't allowed to excuse myself until well past midnight. I grab some of the bread I snatched and start breaking off little pieces in my hand. Unfortunately, I wasn't watching where I was going. I walk straight into a wall. Well, I thought it was a wall, until I looked up from where I landed in the grass. Its a boy around my age.  "I am so, so very sorry! I didn't see you there, I was looking for pebbles." The boy with bright green eyes said as he helps me up off the ground.  "It's ok, I wasn't watching where I was going either. I was breaking bread apart for the swans and ducks. I should have been paying attention to where I was going, but I honestly wasn't expecting anyone to be out here right now," I said, dusting my dress off and glancing around for the bread. I found the bread, it landed about two feet away from us.  "Let me introduce myself," he said with a bow. "My name is Adrian, and I am 9 years old. I am General Lacy's son, here with my dad, visiting the king." "Oh, that's what the dinner is for, I bet. My name is Constance Grace Brocksby, and I am 8. I am King Avery's daughter. I am currently hiding from my caretaker, she wants to put the most awful gown on me for dinner. It looks like a frilly orange tent." "Ah, I see. Well, can I help you feed the bread to the birds? I think it sounds like fun. Then maybe we can skip some stones together?" Adrian looks at me hopefully. "Yes, I'd very much like you to join me."  We get closer to the pond. I hand Adrian some of the bread and then start feeding the birds. As I am taking apart more crumbs, I see Adrian slip on a rock out of the corner of my eye. He falls right into the pond, the bread flying everywhere. Then he is attacked by the birds trying to get to the bread crumbs. One huge duck takes the big piece that hasn't been broken up yet and starts swimming towards land. Adrian takes off after the bird, chasing him through some bushes that line the pond. Just as he is about to reach the duck, he slips again and slides about 3 feet because he is soaked, landing with his face in the mud about half a foot in front of the duck. The duck drops his bread, and promptly attaches his beak to Adrian's nose, refusing to let go. Adrian hollers. I am laughing hysterically as I head over to detach the bird from poor Adrian.  "It isn't funny, not funny at all, Constance," Adrian says with a pouty face as I take the beak off of his nose. "I beg to differ, it was quite comical. You fell not once, but twice, and landed with your nose in a beak! Hahahaha." I am laughing so hard, I have to hold my sides. "It didn't land in the beak, the dang duck bit me! I just wanted it to share the bread, not hog it all up!" "He's a duck, he doesn't know better. I have never seen someone slide like that, right on your face. You should probably go back in the pond, and get all that mud off of you!" I do feel a little guilty for laughing, but had it been me, I'd probably be laughing just as hard. "You have to learn how to laugh at yourself. There's no possible way to do everything absolutely perfect. Yeah, you are going to fall, slip, and slide sometimes. The point is to brush yourself back off and not give up. And laugh at yourself when it's funny, because laughter makes everything better." I grab his hand and finish helping him up, still chuckling. "If it makes you feel better, I will jump into the pond with you. It's kind of hot out anyway." "Ok, let's go swimming then!" He says, as he swipes some of the mud from his face.  "Let's finish feeding the birds first," I split the rest of the bread with him, "Here, don't drop it this time. Then we can go swimming, and you can get all of that mud off of you. Honestly, I'd have been laughing just as hard if it was me who fell into the pond and then got bit by a bird. Some things are just funny." We spend about 2 hours swimming, skipping stones, and just having fun together. Unknown to us, there was someone watching for a good bit of time from a window overlooking the garden.