I climb up the stairs, I’m exhausted, and for nothing. I didn’t get my power, I’m still abnormal, strange, and my power didn’t come. What a waste of a birthday, one that’s supposed to be special when it turned out anything but.

I sit down on my bed, careful not to wrinkle the bedspread. I grab the book off my nightstand, a romance novel about a young human girl and a knight who comes to save her. Unfortunately, the elvin king also wants the girl’s love. When she chooses the knight over him then he kills her out of jealousy. There is more to the story but I have yet to finish it.

I open the book, right to my favorite part so far, the king has just realized his mistake and-

I wake up in a powder blue bedroom that is definitely not mine. The bed that surrounds me is soft and plush, with a soft white blanket covering it instead of my sage coverlet.

“Ms. Yuri,” some one calls. I wonder who she is. Who knows, this is a rather strange dream.

A maid bustles into the room carrying a rather large bundle of fabric. I watch her with curiosity. ”Yuriana, it is time to get up and get dressed. The Duke is coming over with his son and your parents expect you to be there.”

I look around to see who she’s talking to and realize there’s no one else in the room but us. “Excuse me, what is my name again?” I ask curiously.

“Why do you ask, young mistress?” The maid replies seemingly very puzzled.

“Oh, I just had a strange dream that’s all. I was hoping you could remind me that I don’t live in a fairytale.” I can see that my reply is acceptable and the maid visibly relaxes.

“Young Mistress, you are Lady Yuriana Ruli Zandra Eliardno, soon to be princess of Quora. If you marry the Duke’s son, of course!” She continues on and lays the fabric on the bed and I see it’s a dress.

It takes me a moment to process it but when I do I bolt up out of bed. I was in my book! I was the female protagonist in A Knightly Death! I get killed. Ok, so all I have to do is not die. That should be easy enough.

Then the maid, whose name I learnt was Haddie, comes over to me with the dress and starts to get me into it. The corset is probably the hardest part to get on. “Haddie, this is so bloody tight. Could you loosen it just a tad?”

“But, Miss, you usually have your corset much tighter than this. To lossen it any more would be an insult to your beauty. Just look how it accentuates your figure.” She smiles happily and I grimace.

Once the corset is on over my shift, Haddie pulls the gown’s inner layer over my head. The soft fabric feels like silk but it is more fitted to me than possible for silk in my world. The outer layer goes in top of it. Haddie guides me to the mirror and when I see my appearance I gasp. I have skin the color of pearls, my hair is the silver of stars and my eyes are the richest of amethysts. The gown does everything to complement my complexion. The inner layer is a soft silvery-blue color that hugs every curve of my bosom and flares out just slightly at my itty bitty waist. The over dress is the deep purple of twilight and it glimmers with little jewels, like stars. The dress ends just as it grazes the floor. Haddie pairs them with a pair of silver heels and then has me sit down so she can do my hair. I comply and she twists the long tresses into a complexly braided crown that has threads of amethyst twisted through. I look regal. Fit to be a princess or even a queen.

“Well,” Haddie starts, standing up, “my work here is done. You are gorgeous enough that you are fit to be the elven king’s queen! Now let’s get you to the room that you are to meet His Highness in.” I follow her down the twisting hallways and only end when she stops at an ornately carved pair of doors. “Through here, I am not allowed to enter so you will be on your own. Be brave. Good luck.” Just like that, the one person I knew in this place left me to a den of wolves.

I gesture at the guards and they open the doors. “Introducing Lady Yuriana.” The trumpet men call.

Then I walk inside. I curtsy to my mom and dad and then the Duke. Finally I curtsy to his son before taking my seat in the meeting room.

My father turns to address me. “Dear, darling daughter, you are to be married.”