REJECTED

Disclaimer:- Since this is an original piece of writing, plagiarism won’t be tolerated.  "Emily Adkins, are you going to wake, or I shall come upstairs to straighten you up?" asked the headmistress. Emily wrinkled her nose when another roar came to her ears. The most radical among all the girls, Emily was usually perceived as sluggish in the morning. After turning her head inside the comforter, she tried to get some more sleep. While the other girls used to go to bed on time, Emily invested in crossing riddles and reading books until late in the night. Emily's curiosity lay more in the fictional triumphs that took over in the realm of literature, rather than sewing and tapestry. Since the young woman failed to respond to the headmistress's calls, she was bound to land in an immense amount of trouble. Followed by Emily's contemporaries, the headmistress made her way towards the sleeping belle. After clearing her throat, the headmistress implied, "Emily Adkins, pardon me for my rudeness, but I would like to remind you that you're no princess." The headmistress's words were like a breeze. It did not affect Emily, who was immersed in her sweet slumber. For Emily, it was a part of her routine. She was habitual of receiving a scolding from the headmistress and getting ridiculed by the girls. One of the girls, Margerie spoke, "She believes that she'll be a rich heiress one day. That's why she spends all of her time knitting dreams rather than skills. It is all because of your fondness towards her that she has turned this way." Every day Headmistress Gwen got pestered by the girls to check up on Emily's manners that threatened the very foundation of feminity. Instead of working with the tapestry and sewing needles, Emily wracked her brain into the library. After all the gossip and commotion, Emily finally opened her bright blue eyes. Followed by a yawn, an apology came from Emily’s side accompanied by a smirk, "It seems that I was ineffectual in waking up on time again." The headmistress pinched her ear as she spoke, "From the dishes to the clothes, you will do everything. That too, without any assistance." With a bummed out face, the young woman asked, "Why do you insist on that? I am merely fifteen minutes late." "This is not how women should act. You must understand that you're not a child anymore. You will turn twenty-one in the upcoming month. This crude behaviour isn't going to take you far, dear," advised the headmistress. Emily finally got up from her bed, fixed her bedding and moved towards the bathroom to freshen up. While she sauntered away, she endowed a despicable stare to her fellow girls and announced, "Writing love letters and engaging in ridiculous discussions regarding boys is just as futile. Don't you think so, headmistress?" While Emily was gone after making the childlike declaration, the headmistress confronted the other girls for their misdeed. Upon making them confess about the vague activities that they did during the evening, the headmistress decided that all the girls will aid Emily in her chores since they actively stayed up all night as well. As for the headmistress, she will attend to the younger members of the orphanage. As the headmistress was about to leave the girls’ dorm, they stopped her with their complaints. Meanwhile, Emily took a bath,  did her chores and then managed to get her offenders’ assistance as well. That’s what was fascinating about Emily.  She usually received the admiration of the headmistress and the teaching staff for her witty remarks and sharp intellect. More than the enchanting beauty that she possessed, people inclined towards her ability to speak the truth even in the direst moments. Till that day, Emily had managed to live her life through the fixed set of morals that she followed which was to remain as truthful as possible. Furthermore, she had always believed that everything in her life would remain the same.  Little to her awareness, it was the day that everything was going to change for her. After the girls finished their chores, they used to attend their classes and then got assembled for lunch. It was precisely in the afternoon when the headmistress Gwen made a declaration. The declaration had a startling effect on all the girls, but Emily. The elderly woman rose from her chair, cleared her throat as she spoke, "Today, the prince Ferdinand Gregory of the neighbouring kingdom will be visiting in search of a handmaiden for the Queen Medaline Shillingford. One of you will get the golden chance to live in the palace and accompany the queen." "But, Queen Medaline Shillingford rules our kingdom. She could call any one of us to the palace if she wanted a handmaiden. Why would she bother sending the prince from a different state to court the handmaiden?" asked Margerie, incorporating the curiosity of all the girls. The handmaiden smacked her head as she spoke, "That's why you must be acquainted with the happening of the present world. Queen Madeline got betrothed to Prince Ferdinand. Therefore, he is choosing a handmaiden as one of the souvenirs for his fiancée." "That's a strange gift," mumbled Margerie. Further, she declared, "Although we might not know if anyone among us would get chosen, I can clearly see that he will not fancy the one having the lips that tell no lies. Nobody fancies a killjoy." All the girls peered at Emily, who was engaged in gobbling down the steak down her throat. Before Emily could defend herself, the headmistress eyed the young lady and declared, "She's the youngest among you all. It’s a given that she wouldn’t get chosen." Emily stood up after having the unch and spoke, "Yes, the youngest and the smartest." Margerie rolled her eyes at Emily. On the contrary, the other girls giggled to express their zest, for they were to get acquainted with the prince in the evening.  Eventually, the evening came. It was precisely around five o'clock that the prince made his arrival with his subjects. Though Emily usually spent her evenings reading or venturing through the woods, that day she was inclined to stay in the hallway to greet the prince. It was mandated by the headmistress. As prince Ferdinand walked through the hallway, a huge gasp followed him. The girls admired the well-mannered prince and his masculine subordinates. Since the young girls received instructions from an early age to stay away from the male company, they were elated to see the visitors. Emily, on the other hand, observed them from a distance. She had received the assurance that she won't have to leave. After examining the curriculum taught to the young women of the orphanage, the prince declared, "These young women are well-cultivated within your guidance, Miss Gwen." The headmistress bowed her head to acknowledge his remark and showcased her gratitude. Then the prince Ferdinand abruptly mentioned, "On our way to the orphanage, I heard about this young woman known for having the lips that tell no lies. Do you perhaps know anything about her? Everyone kept saying she resided here only." While the headmistress maintained her silence, the girls giggled and peered at the indifferent Emily. The prince trailed the girls' gaze back to Emily and further suggested, "Queen Madeline isn't easy to please. I would need someone who could strike her curiosity. Perhaps she'd prefer a voracious one!" The constant rave about Emily from the moment the Prince entered the town, caught his fancy, and he decided to pursue Emily for the job of becoming the handmaiden. The prince stood right before Emily and further clarified his intentions to the young woman, "I’ve heard that you're known for your wit and intellect. I believe that you might be the person I might need." While the headmistress looked at Emily with a perplexed face, the other girls wished she'd deny the offer. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ AUTHOR’S NOTE ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Being able to love shouldn't be a privilege reserved only for some. This is my first queer story. I hope you'd love this story just like you have loved the previous ones.  Stay blessed!