Mary Beth Ella Gertrude Tremaine,

oh such a long name.

I leaned my head against the wall and gazed at the picturesque view outside the intricately designed window.

"Princess Consort, it's time for breakfast."

A voice heard from a distance faraway. I could hear the voice from up close but it felt like there was a huge distance between us. It was unclear whether I was seriously looking out or dazing off to a daydream. Perhaps both?

I slowly stretched my limbs that had turned numb after sitting for so long then turned to the lady-in-waiting with a smile.

How strange.

I find myself missing my days living in servitude.

As I quietly made my way to the dining room with the long train of servants and ladies-in-waiting behind myself, I happened to bump into someone. I smiled warmly and greeted with much courtesy.

"Greetings to the Crown Prince."

My smile, neither too warm nor cold, just about right. I noticed that there was no one waiting upon him but heard the heavy clicking of heels. I blinked my eyes in surprise and distantly stared at him. Smiling even more warmly, I bobbed a polite gesture and strotted off first with my people.

I had no need to care about what he was up to. He was the Crowned Prince. He knew his own responsibilities.

I stopped at the entrance of the dining room with my back straight. The people on my side got into their own positions according to procedure with only a few of my high-ranking trustable ladies remaining behind me. Within the seconds all these were done, the royal guards standing by the door pushed open the doors.

As soon as my eyes got into contact with the King hinself, I lifted up my heavy gown and hasteningly ran to him.

"King Father!"

I remembered protocols I could not break and stood a number of steps away from King Father sullenly. I bobbed a lame curtsy and saluted dully, "Greetings to King Father."

Seeing his intention wanting to laugh, I turned my head to the side. He really did laugh though. I ended up laughing together with him.

A woman's chiming laughter and a man's voice exchanging flirtatious words creeped the both of us into hearing such a scandal. It even broke the warm atomsphere so immediately where it all turned cold and dark.

I looked down with little hope that the Prince would not bring anyone into the room today. Obviously, from this setting it was a table for a meal only for members that were personally in the family.

My hopes vanished thinly into the air when the doors opened to reveal the two newcomers.

The life of misery and abuse had to certainly be better than this life of troubles, schemes and drama. Politics was even more tiring than making money.

Yes, I do make money from my life working as a 'servant'.

I quickly finished my meal. The portion was not even worth mentioning. The food given was so little and bland that my taste buds had gotten all numbed from it.

The merrily happy mood from before turned into a glum one with the extra additions. I could see King Father stirring up uncomfortably in anger but kept it hidden vastly away from the eyes.

How did I notice that then?

Well, who knows.

I pretended the other two did not exist and only conversed with King Father throughout the entire process. Even after I was done with my meal, I dragged breakfast on with a desert added on to my plate— mango pudding.

Slowly, the chilly room warmed up a little more to our small efforts placed in unknowingly and unconsiously. It was as if I were the child rather him here. The father-daughter pair instead of father and son.

How unfortunate. Despite our intentions to continue conversing on, King Father had to resume attending to his duties as King. Us both stood up and left the room without any care for the other two sitting down quietly at the same time and went seperate ways from there on.

Actually, I had pretty much actually nothing to do here in the royal castle despite being the titled Princess Consort of the Crowned Prince. Even if my named husband was someone whom fooled around he was still someone that knew of his responsibilities and duties as the Crown Prince. Him fooling around was not that often either and only on occasional times would he get started on with flirtatious banters with women. He could balance between work, duty and private life so well that I could just live my days freely.

I'm just waiting for that one day to come. I'm counting. It has been two years since our marriage. I wonder how much longer will this thin piece of string we hold on for it to break.

The fairytale of Cinderella only lasted for so much. Happiness? It only existed at right from the start. That was the beginning with the characters not a single clue about what held in store for them afterwards.

Cinderella's story ended in a tragedy.

But her end was only the opening introduction to mine.

I will protect and cherish my life from the obstacles I would face on.

I will prove that I am not just a Cinderella but something more than that.

I will live well.

Not one shall be able to make me yield and surrender to the situation.

No one.