Painting. How I love it. It takes skill to paint like this. Gwendolen thought as she finished one of her sisters lock of hair on the portrait of Alice. Alice yelled while trying not to move he mouth "Are you done yet." "Nearly... nearly... now." Gwendolen replied concentrating very hard. "This had BETTER be good you have no idea how hard it is to stay still that long." She moved round to look at the canvas "HOW are you such a good painter ?" Gwendolen blushed she didn't get compliments often as a daughter of royalty and being the only girls in their small Kingdom. Alice and Gwendolen were sisters there ashy, coal dark hair and deep ocean blue eyes were rare, wonderful and identical. They were always quite lonely especially since they have 20 brothers, but it made their bond stronger than sisters. Their mother was the only woman in the kingdom so the wanted to make sure she had girls. To keep females in the kingdom "Girls dinner is ready." their butler blane called

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They walked down the stairs and got to the dining room. I was massive and ornate with gold carving looking like plants. It had a gigantic wooden table with a massive red table cloth that was already set with a buffet fit for royalty, because they were, but if you weren't, you would be in aww. Meats of all kinds had been drizzled in gravy and vegetables cut thinly had been set at the side of the plates, and many other delicious foods were set out across the table. The girls ate on one end of the table talking quietly and politely. But the boys talked and roughly fought for the one plate of food that all of them seemed to want to eat. "Boys." tutted their mother.

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"Right calm down." the father ordered taping on a glass. "As you all should know Wednesday is the day you girls will meet your future husbands." "WHAT I thought girls weren't allowed to get married at 14 here and when did you tell us this." Pipped up Alice. We gave one day until we meet our furture husbands one day thought Gwendolen. "I'm sure we can make an exception for the princesses." the girls continued sitting in shock, the boys made ohhhhing sounds at them from the other end of the table "And you boys will meet your future wife's." The boys just gasped and looked at each other as the girls broke into hysteria. "Now if everyone is ready we can have dessert." said the father. "I'm not." said their 8-year-old brother Joseph inaudiblely as he began stuffing the rest of his food into his mouth. The girls rolled Their eyes "boys" tutted there mother again. Their mother had been born a poor farmer's daughter but was married to the king as soon as she was old enough. Another one of the cons of being the only women in their kingdom. Here they treated women like precious gemstones. When the girls had finished dessert, they went back to their room. "This is soo unfair." groaned Alice "I DON'T WANT TO GET MARRIED TO SOME DUMB MAN!" "Calm down we've never met them, they might be nice." said Gwendolen yoused to her sisters rage.

"NICE STUPID PRINCES ARE EVER NICE!" yelled Alice. "WE'VE NEVER MET THEM OR ANY OTHER QUOTE ON QUOTE STUPID PRINCES!" replied Gwendolen, angry now. Alice gasped and sat back down. Gwendolen was never angry, she was usually the calm and sensible sister, this was unusual. "Sorry Gwendolen, I'll try to like him." said Alice meekly. "It's okay, you just get on my nerves sometimes." replied Gwendolen."I'm going on a walk." stated Gwendolen. "I'm going to bed." yawned Alice. "That's okay just be safe." "I will."

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their garden was very pretty bushes of flowers everywhere, but between them was a path. She walked slowly, passing bushes of lilies, roses, bluebells, violets and buttercups. She always did this when she was upset, it was a means of letting it out usually before she let it out at her sister. But today she just blew a fuse. She had arrived at the end of the garden, and looked at her watch it had a little gold strap and tiny bronze handle, it said 9:30 pm. She should be in bed by now she quickly ran through the garden back to the house.

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One of the maid spotted her on the way in and said "why are you here outside you should be in bed little princess." "Yes I'm going now." She ran up the many flights of stairs. "WHY WHERE YOU GONE SOO LONG?!" yelled Alice "I didn't check the time." "Well just get to bed." "That's what I'm doing." The night was peaceful and quiet but you could still hear birds chirping and leaves rustling.

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When they woke up they had breakfast and went to their tutor. "I today we will be learning about how some poorer people live." droned the teacher. "There are four classes of people. The royalty they live in castles. Next is the rich they live in mansions. Then there's the moderates they are reasonably poor, they live in the cottage they are the middle class and then there are the poor people. They don't really have a proper class name. They live in holes in the ground, and they live outside the kingdom walls." The girls were never really taught about the world around them so this was very interesting Gwendolen was especially interested she wondered what it would be like to be in another class of people especially the poor people.

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Nothing else of note happened that day they went to bed and slept. But in the middle of the night Alice woke pulled on her rosy red coat, she tried to climb out the widow but fell back on to the carpet. It made a loud sound. "What was that sound?" yawned Gwendolen. "I'm so sorry I was trying to escape." admitted Alice "Well why didn't you tell me I don't want to lose my sister?" demanded Gwendolen. "You... you... would come with me?" "Yes." said Gwendolen exasperated "I can still go if you want." "Yes I do want please come with me." Said Alice almost crying. "I'll come but what's your plan?"

"My plan my... my plan." said Alice nervously "Yes your plan." said Gwendolen suspicious now. "I... I... don't really have a plan." "What do you mean you don't have a plan !" "Well I was going to try to figure out. You're still coming right?" "Yes of course. But where are you going to sleep?" "I'm going to bring duvets with me and sleep on the ground."suggested Alice "And then we can figure out what we're doing next." "Okay that doesn't sound like the best plan, but it's okay I guess." said Gwendolen.

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"Let's go then." "But we need to bring food and supplies." "Oh yeah I forgot about that." "Well I'll get food you get clothes and duvets." "Okay see you soon." Gwendolen quietly snuck down the many flights of mahogany stairs. After climbing down all the stairs she heard the sounds from the kitchen. And she hid round the corner because, she heard heavy footsteps she thought they must be from the cooks big sturdy boots. Then she heard the footsteps walking round the other corner and then she tip toed across into the kitchen. Bella one of the cooks was cleaning pots and pans then Yong cook asked "Why are you little princess hear in this dungeon of a kitchen?" "I'm so sorry to disturb you I would just like some bread cheese and meat." Gwendolen mumbled quietly. "It's okay I'll get you sorted but can I ask why you want this?" asked Bella "Oh I just wanted... Can you keep a secret?" "Yes of course." Bella replied quickly. "Well me and my sister got into an argument with my dad and he said that I was to go to bed without any supper. I was just feeling so hungry and I thought you might let me have some food." This trick worked no cook would ever let the royal family go hungry.She went into the food storage room and returned with a massive slice of ham, a whole loaf of bread and a wheel of cheese. "Now don't be telling anyone that I got you this, or it'll be of with my head." chuckled Bella. "Hurry back to your room and if you or your sister ever want a snack you can always come down here to me. Enjoy." She said with another chuckle. Gwendolen rushed back up to her room. She felt sad the cook was really excited to see her and she was going to leave she felt like a robber, getting what she wanted and then leaving. A robber in her own home. Well I wouldn't be my

home for long she thought. "Thank goodness you're back I thought you were going to be gone forever." "Sorry go being so long Bella was in the kitchen, so I had to make up an excuse." "And did your excuse work." Then Gwendolen showed her the things she had got from the kitchen and for a moment Alice just looked mouth open and then said "I knew the cooks liked you better."