Prologue:

Dear Reader,

The following story is as true as they come. And I am only telling you this for your own safety. My name is Marinette, I am fourteen years of age and live in Koraldren, kingdom of the elves. The account you are about to read may seem a bit... unbelievable. But have faith in my words; it happened. Though, I never asked for it. In order to make it through this story, you will need three things;

A large amount of faith,

A distaste for waking up somewhere you did not fall asleep,

And confusion as to why the person who is your closest friend is absolutely terrified of you… and she serves you breakfast when she is a princess, but that is beside the point.

My sanity may be in question by the time this is over, but hear me out. Read until the end, and everything will make perfect sense. Or not. If this ever happens to you, you have my sympathy as it is a terrible thing to go through. Although, the look upon my friend's face as I am reading this aloud to her is quite pleasing. She did not expect this, l assume? Of course she didn't. Ask me not of how l know of events l was not present for, for even l cannot answer you. Do not, and I repeat DO. NOT. Skip ahead, as this will only leave you more confused than when you started. I now almost laugh at some of the ordeals in my account, but l assure you they were no laughing matter at the time. Except perhaps for when Kristlen nearly fell off her horse... But I am getting ahead of myself.

I would like to thank you, dear reader, for choosing this account out of all the accounts in the grand library you have surely visited to attain it, and I pity the poor scribe who had the job to write everything down. But alas, as I see, I keep you with my idle chatter, so I now lay down my pen, and bid you luck upon your journey. You will need it.

With best wishes,

~ Marinette

The Lady Marinette and Princess Alya, the lady's oldest, dearest, and by far best friend were sitting together after a dinner that Marionette's parents had provided.

Alya was the equivalent of fourteen at the time, Marionette as well, but their ages never mattered to each other. They were practically sisters.

"The stars are pretty tonight, aren't they?" Marinette asked, snuggling deeper into her blankets.

"Yeah, they are." Alya smiled, she was always like that, always smiling.

"I'm glad you got to come over, my friend." Marionette continued, braiding a piece of her hair.

"Mmmhmm. Thanks to you and your parents for getting me and my brother away from the dreary castle for the weekend." Alya agreed. "Too bad l have to go back tomorrow."

The human groaned.

"Don't remind me! It's bad enough you live three day's ride from here."

Alya looked at her, eyes bright and inquisitive.

"We'll always be friends, right Mari?"

Marionette smiled. "Yes, of course! Why would you even ask that?"

Alya yawned.

"l don't know. Maybe just 'cause I'm an elf and you're a," she stopped herself.

"What? A human?" The dark haired girl asked with a slight smirk.

"Why should that change the fact that we're best friends? Not even best, we're more like sisters."

The Princess shrugged.

"Just makin' sure. You know, you and your family were the first humans l ever met…"

"Well considering we're the only human nobles in the whole of Koraldren, i'm not surprised. I've never even met any others aside from my family. But my father told me not all humans are good." Marinette replied.

The elf nodded at her, eyes solemn.

"Lord Thomas is a wise man."

A pause.

"But doesn't it ever get weird?" She asked.

Marinette smiled.

"You mean like that time l tried to point my ears and be an elf?" She laughed, remembering the ordeal it had caused.

Alya shook her head.

"All chaos broke free. NEVER do that again." the elf scolded.

"Don't worry, the look on your brother's face was enough to scare me into not doing it."

"Ok, my brother was scared out of his wits." Alya defended.

"He still didn't have to run down the hall screaming, 'we've been tricked! Marionette isn't a human! Call the guard! Aaahh!'" The other replied.

The elf shoved her in the arm. "You know he had not slept for a few days because of paperwork. How else could he have reacted?"

They looked at each other for a moment before cracking up, the idea of the crown prince of Koraldren running down the hall screaming like a maiden was just too much.

Marinette calmed herself and sighed.

"Well, l think it's time l get to bed." She yawned, rising from her chair and quickly grabbing my blanket, because it was cold.

"Excuse me?" Alya asked, standing as well.

"Did l say you could leave?"

"No, but I kinda am the host here." Marionette chided, tapping the elf on the nose.

Alya snorted.

"Aside from the fact l am your Princess."

Marinette held up her hands in defeat, once you begin an argument with Alya, there is no hope of winning. Ever.

"Fine. Your majesty, do l have your royal permission to leave and go to my bedroom?" She bowed in mock reverence.

Alya smiled in her triumph, as she always did.

"You may." She said simply before gliding past her to go to her own bedroom, which was on the other side of the wall from Marinette's.

"Princesses." She muttered as she too left to retire for the night.