Page 230 of Naughty Nelle

BOOK 2

“Beauty is as Beauty does.”

—Anonymous

CHAPTER 20

One minute, I’m in Shrink’s office; the next, I’m standing at the entrance of an imposing castle. Unfortunately, it’s not mine.

I’m surprised when a little a girl wearing a red velvet bow opens the oak door. She is, in a word, exquisite. Her skin is as white as lilies, her lips as red as rosebuds, and her hair as golden as a harvest moon. She can’t be more than seven. The age Snow White was when my mirror first betrayed me. Sheesh! I’ve hardly stepped foot in Lalaland, and I’ve already got Snow White on my brain.

Her chocolate brown eyes twinkle with a hint of mischief. “You must be Marcella’s latest assistant.”

I’m not sure what she means by that.

“I’m Calla Rose. What’s your name?”

“Jane.” Plain Jane, I say to myself, glancing down at my simple servant’s uniform. I have no idea where it came from or how it got on me. Probably more of Shrink’s magic. At least it’s black, my favorite color, and I’m still wearing her mirrored locket and Rump’s name-bracelet.

“Marcella asked me to give you this.” The little girl hands me an envelope.

I tear it open. Inside is a note with instructions scribbled in red ink.

TO-DO LIST FOR THE BALL

1.   TOP PRIORITY! Arrange for the delivery of all 2,552 invitations. Make sure you handwrite a little note from me on each one: “Can’t wait to see you there~xoxo Marcella”

2.   IMPORTANT! Find out what every princess is wearing. I don’t want to be caught dead wearing the same thing. BTW, I haven’t gotten a new gown yet. HINT! HINT! Please handle.

3.   SHH! Set up private dancing lessons for me. Find out where those twelve dancing princesses go. Keep your mouth shut about this. I want to surprise The Prince. SCRATCH THAT! He won’t be surprised when he gets the bill.

4.   DO ASAP! Contact the Fairytale Tattler. Make sure they cover the ball. Tell them I want a front page story about me soon, or I’ll cancel my subscription.

5.   EXTREMELY URGENT! Research the latest diet fads. I need to lose five pounds FAST! A liquid diet potion would be best.

6.   DON’T FORGET! Set up a spa appointment on the day of the ball. Be sure to include the following: mani-pedi, facial, massage, and makeup. And don’t forget excess hair removal. Convince them to throw that in free.

7.   REMINDER: Tell The Prince to pick out my engagement ring. It had better be at least ten carats. P.S. Make sure it’s flawless.

8.   MANDATORY! Find a babysitter for Calla on the night of the ball. On second thought, don’t bother. That’s YOUR job.

Whoa! I’ve barely set two feet into this house, and I’ve got all this to do? Damn Shrink for sending me here.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t bother doing any of this stuff,” says Calla. “You’ll probably be fired by tomorrow.”

Good. I’m already packed to leave.

Calla flashes me a dimpled smile. “I like your hair.”

I run my fingertips through my scalp to see if it’s magically grown back. It hasn’t.

The little girl skips away, leaving me alone to explore the castle.

The interior is nothing like my dark, drafty castle. Bathed in sunlight, it’s a vision of blissful domesticity—in fact, it feels more like a cottage than a castle despite its grandness. Brightly colored floral fabrics cover the seating and drape the windows. The furnishings, though formal, look lived-in and comfortable. Vases of white roses and lilies are everywhere and fragrantly scent the air. I stop to smell a bouquet sitting on the fireplace mantle.

“Hello. You must be my fiancée’s new assistant,” comes a voice from behind me.

Startled, I swivel around and see a tall, strikingly handsome man, about my age with a short flaxen ponytail, descending the sweeping staircase. He looks a lot like Calla except his skin is bronzed and his eyes are blue. He must be the child’s father. The Prince. Marcella’s husband-to-be.

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