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Chapter One

Whitney

My life is a fairytale Or rather…it takes place inside of one Sest thehway, they drive beneath a colorful two-story welcoes of the outside world behind theh patchy pine forests and sprawling grasslands Long ly endless Children grow restless in the back seat of a rented minivan Tiny shoes and crackers start to fly The leader in the driver’s seat fears he took a wrong turn and wonders to hioing

This is all intentional

That drive is a black hole, transporting the theic and wonder

At the precise ht appears on the horizon: atoward the sky, so large and i, there’s no way to miss it

The driver is unsure if his vision is failing hiht up until his children start to screalee “We’re here! We’re here!”

Both parents wipe beads of sweat froh, that he was near tears there for a second

Welcodom

I work inside that castle on the horizon, on the bottoreat hall It has stone floors and tapestry-covered walls A spiral staircase leads guests up to a restaurant that requires reservations one year in advance I stand across fro a pale green iridescent gown Soft music plays from a harp in the corner and several hundred children stand in line waiting for their turn to meet me

“IT’S HER! MOM! IT’S THE REAL PRINCESS ELENA!”

A toddler stares at lance in her direction then she quickly shoves her face into her racefully and continue to act my part

All the while, security tries to extricate a little boy who has wiggled his way up underneath my dress

It’s not the first time this has happened

My tulle skirt is a sparkling poof of te spot I knew the little boy was trouble as soon as I laid eyes on him He wiped snot from his nose with the back of his hand while he scanned ht with possibilities Beside hiraph book clutched to her chest, shaking with excitement When it was finally her turn to meet me, her brother didn’t miss a beat He bypassed her and nosedived for rab

Now I laugh lightheartedly, all the while trying to signal to Ryan to hurry it up down there Underand shifts ht For the first ti down In a second, I’ll be lying face down in a heap of fabric and this carefully constructed idyllic scene inside Elena’s Castle will be ruined as paramedics rush in to tend to my broken nose Hundreds of children will be scarred for life by the iown

There’s protocol for this situation Under no circumstances should I break character Under no circumstances should I put htley Co on the internet of one of their princessesa little boy That’s Ryan’s job

Ryan is the hness, Princess Elena’s love interest On top of playing his part, he’s supposed to function as a form of first-level security He should have this situation under control, but he doesn’t He’s too gallant and sweet He kneels down and tries to goad the boy out from under my dress with promises of candy—“You like Skittles? Yeah? How ’bout I buy you a pack? Ten packs?”—but the boy just giggles with glee and clings toRyan’s

“Please hurry!” I whisper

With gathered courage, Ryan flips up the bottom of rab ahold of the little boy Oh dear god Ryan’s hand accidentally glides against —and the boy wiggles away like a little snake My face turns the sa red