I sit at the window in the palace attic, dreaming silently. If you think that this is a story about a lonely princess, then you are wrong. If you think that this is a story about a heartbroken servant, then you are wrong. My best friends are a servant and a princess, but neither are heartbroken or lonely. I am a girl who lives in the castle. My mother, a grand sorceress, my father… A hard subject. He left us five years ago but now I am ten and over it.

As a girl in the castle, I have no chores, no royal duties like the others. Only lessons on how to use my magical gift. My mother knows as well as anyone that I can turn into whatever animal I choose, but she knows me so well that she knows what animal I like to turn into. Most would think one of the mystical animals, long gone. Dragon, unicorn, giant, or a creature of wings. They all have their own lands now, the dragons in the caves and under the earth, the mermaids in the water in their cities, the unicorns in the mystical forests, the ones that change shape and grow. And then the creatures of wings, the Aura Caelum with their magical pets. They took to the sky and have not been seen since. They are not free. They are lonely, quiet, and separated. No, none of those are me. I’m free. I’m a bird. A hawk, who takes to the sky’s. I fly where no one else goes, I go where nobody else else tries. My mother says that that's unusual because most who can change tend to turn into something magical. Something out there. She personally likes the mermaids. My mother was born to swim. She used to know the princess of the wing people. The Aura Caelum. But that was long ago. Or at least that’s what she says. I asked mother once about what the princess was like. She said that the princess reminded her of me. Then she told me to go see the royal princess of this castle, Reyna She was a bit full of herself but in spite of it all she did have a kind heart. That’s why I’m friends with her. That’s why I help her when she needs me. And at that time, I was needed.

The princess and I are friends because the only people she was brought up to believe are nice is royals or people of high positions. She looks down upon the servants, says that they live to serve her. I disagree but because she is the princess I dare not say a world. Some days I wish that the princess would listen to me. For just once.

I hear someone coming up the steps and I straighten up, hoping that it is not the King, who comes up here as well. When he comes he brings his three knights with him. Then the peace is disturbed and I leave. The trapdoor creaked open and the servant girl, Adelina came up.

She is my other best friend. She was brought to the castle with her mother and father who were both hired as servants. Her mother fell sick one day and needed help. My mother wanted to go help her but the princess had caught a cold and needed to be better because of the ball that night and because it was a “life threatening situation.” Adelina’s mother died that night because my mother couldn’t make it there in time. The princess got to go to the ball but in turn someone died. Later that week Adelina’s father took his own life out of sadness and misery, forgetting about Adelina. I spent the next few days comforting her, as she wept. I knew the feeling. That was three years ago. She’s gotten better about forgetting it but she still blames the royals. She has nowhere else to go so she stays and serves them. Once I caught her about to poison the King water but then she stopped. She sat down and she cried. She missed them every day. Her parents. The king almost lost his life because of it. I could have reported her. I should have. But I didn’t. Because I don’t believe in another life for a life. It’s not the right way.

I was interrupted from my thinking by Adelina who everyone just calls Adey. She gave me a small smile and said, “You know I have no idea how you survive those rotten royals every day of being near them. I gave her a small smile. There’s a reason the princess and Adey don’t get along. Neither want to even try. I was snapped back to reality by a thought. “Come on!” I said. “We're going to be late for the grand feast! Sure there's going to be royals but you can’t avoid them forever and there’s going to be your favorite food… Custard!” She laughed and smiled. “Okay, okay, I’ll go.” She said. We both left the attic with the sun going down in the distance.

Me and Adey sat at two different tables. She sat with the servants and I sat with my mother over by the royals. Adey looked kind of sad about it. We glanced at each and then turned our eyes to the entrance door. The king was already in his seat but the princess was missing. The heralds began to announce something and I turned my attention over to them. Of course! The princess likes to have a big entrance and the seamstress were heading over to her room this morning. She must have gotten a new dress and wants to show it off. I rolled my eyes and smirked. “Announcing her royal highness, Princess Reyna!” Declared the heralds. Reyna entered the room with her head held high and a brilliant smile on her face. She was wearing a long turquoise blue dress fit for a queen, with jewels embroidered all over. She wore her crown and lots of jewelry all over her wrists, fingers, neck, and ears. Her smile was one that showed how proud she was of her outfit. I gave a sigh. She really was something. At least she thought that. As Reyna came over to the table she gently sat down, folding her skirt under her and taking off her lace gloves. She set her gloves in her lap as the King started talking. “Now that my precious daughter and jewel is here, let the feast, begin!”

After the feast I started to weave my way through the crowd. I readed Adey and grabbed her hand. “So, what did you think of the custard?” I asked. She replied in an exciting tone, “well, it was… perfect, delicious, and, like all custard, My FAVORITE!” We both burst into giggles, laughing hysterically. Then a turquoise blue blue lace glove closed over my arm and pulled me suddenly away from Adey. I turned around to face Reyna. “You are aware of the fact that you don’t have to talk to her, right?” said Reyna. “I know,” I replied. “She’s just good company and my friend.” Ryena scoffed quietly. I knew that she would never understand. Adey walked over and said in a sarcastic voice, “you are aware of the fact that you don’t have to talk to her, right?” Adey laughed. “She’s just a jealous little brat, that’s all.” I gave a sigh and Adey looked at me strangely. “She may be a little selfish sometimes, but her heart's in the right place and she is my friend,” I said, trying to explain to Adey how she really did try sometimes. Adey just turned around, frustrated, and stalked off into the crowd. I just stood there as people weaved by me, as I thought about how much they really did hate each other. I took of running. I took off running to the attic. It was time to do some thinking.

As I sat in the attic I thought about what Adey and Reyna had said. Selfish little brat, you are aware of the fact that you don’t have to talk to her, right? I could see both sides of the argument. Sometimes Reyna was full of herself, and sometimes Adey didn't deserve to be talked to. But both girls were  wrong. They were both special and smart, both amazing, and both sweet. And neither perfect. None of us are perfect, I realized. I sat there, quietly and thought. Both girls are so different, opposites practically. But if they’re both so different, how are they both so much the same. I don’t think that I’ll ever find out. And there’s no way that I could think that they could ever be friends. But I do think that there’s a way they couldn’t be enemies. They just need to talk. See both sides. Because people surprise each other. And I think that they could surprise each other. But they have to try.