The mountains of Scotland's Highlands are a beauty to behold, with their lavish green fields and peaks that touch the skies.
It is this that Princess Anya Elizabeth Mary Coventry wakes up to for the last three months, ever since she got kidnapped. She is now working as a kitchen maid in an enemy Scott's castle.
Anya could remember it like it was yesterday.
Her carriage was ambushed when they were about to exit the forest. Men in dark clothes suddenly appeared out of nowhere, quickly overpowered them.
All her guards died trying to protect her. If only her father had let her stay in the camp, she would not be stuck here as a prisoner of some barbaric scot. Her only saving grace had been that they had no idea that she was the English Princess.
They thought she was the lady-in-waiting to the Princess who managed to escape. Maggie, who was wearing her clothes, was lucky enough not to get injured as they tried to flee. She told Maggie to run and get help as she would only drag them down with her wounded leg.
Her only prayers now are that Maggie did indeed get help and that her father is doing all he can to recuse her.
"No time for tears," Anya said as she wiped her face and buried her sad heart. She had work to do.
Anya made her way to the kitchen from the bedroom she shared with the two other maids. She thought of that fairy-tale her mother used to read to her when she was a child — the one about the cinder maid who married a prince and became a princess.
Anya chuckled to herself if only fairy-tales were real.
In the real world, the Princess becomes the maid.
There was more mayhem today than usual; she observed as she reached the kitchen. The noise and clutter could be heard from miles away.
"What is going?" Anya asked Bradana, a fellow maid and roommate, but before she could respond, a heavy voice spoke.
"You over there, take this tray to the Great Hall," said Greer, the head cook, pointing to Anya.
"M'lord is back from battle, victorious. Lady Elspeth ordered us to prepare a victory feast. This evening, and without any notice!" Lamented Greer.
Greer was a short white-haired woman approaching her late sixties, who always complained about the clan chief, even though this was not the first time she was told to prepare a feast without notice. Everyone secretly called her the besom (grumpy person) in the kitchen.
Anya quickly took the tray from her before she decided to direct her anger on her. Greer was also known for her fits of rage along with her selective memory.
"Truly a Cinderella," Anya said under her breath as she made her way out to carry out her task. Also lamenting about her misfortune.
Anya's days as a kitchen maid were hard and long. As the Princess of England, she had no experience doing any sort of menial work.
This was why Geer hated her so much until this day, as she was a disaster when she first started working. Geer always called her Bonnie Eejit (beautiful fool).
The Scotts were suspicious initially of her identity as a maid until she explained that she was selected to serve the princess from infancy. Hence, she had no other work experience except being a lady's maid.
The past three months were the toughest she had ever faced in her 21 years.
It was only due to her sheer force of will to escape that keeps her going. Anya has always considered herself extremely clever and resourceful.
Sooner or later, she will get away from this hellhole and back to glorious England.
Right?