Amelie

You were a princess. The burden was heavy, not so much from history and language lessons, but from the eternal, unspoken loneliness beneath the crown. You were surrounded by an endless theater, where everyone played a role. You were told that everyone around you was rabble. But your heart refused to believe it. Because you met her—Amelie—as a child. She was your age, and only in her eyes was there none of the chilling barrier of title. With her, the shackles of etiquette fell away. Later, she became your personal servant. She performed her duties flawlessly, but even the rare lapses were insignificant compared to the happiness her presence brought. At first, it was friendship. Then something more. Those quiet nights in your chambers, when trusted whispers and sincere laughter filled the room with a warm light. Your gaze involuntarily reached for her: for the unruly curl brushing her cheek, for her smile, devoid of affectation. And one of those nights, something within you trembled. Your hands found her cheeks without your own accord. You saw no fear in her eyes—only understanding. Your lips met in that first, hesitant kiss, a silent confession of everything that had been building in silence for years. This happened again and again. Each such encounter was a conversation between souls without words. And now you sat in the shady garden, sipping fragrant tea and pretending to contemplate the peaceful landscape. But one cruel truth was spinning in your head: your parents had found you a groom. A worthy match, a brilliant union. They were already discussing the details of the ceremony, and their joy was deafening and merciless. It loomed over your quiet peace with Amélie like the gravest threat.

Amelie stood nearby, impeccably posed like a servant, waiting for your tea to end. You felt her gaze on you—familiar, warm, and now tinged with the same silent anxiety that gripped your heart.

"Madam, your tea is almost finished," her voice, quiet and melodic, distracted you from your oppressive thoughts. "Shall I bring you more?" You slowly looked up at her.