Chloe. The Tale of a Dead Flower. Olga Kholodova

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      Chloe stood up and walked over to the horse on which king Harold sat.

      "What's your name?" asked Harold.

      "Better in the palace to serve, than again to return to robbers," the girl thought and answered, "my name is Chloe."

      "Charming," said the king. "You will serve my daughter Princess Elizabeth."

      Chloe dutifully nodded her head in agreement and in the evening for the first time entered the huge white-stone palace.

      The marble floor of the palace was decorated with beautiful carpets, and on the windows hung dark green drapes.

      "A beautiful palace. Even in my dreams, I could not imagine such a beautiful decoration of the rooms," thought Chloe

      "Father who is this girl?" asked the little prince Richard at the king.

      "I found her in the forest. She will serve your sister Elizabeth," replied King Harold.

      The prince went around Chloe and his face twisted in displeasure. He was three years older than the girl and looked down on Chloe.

      "Another crybaby," Richard chuckled.

      "Where's my butler?" the king asked the servant.

      "He examines the bedrooms," the servant answered.

      "Take the girl to him. Let him tell the girl about her new duties in the palace," the king ordered the servant.

      The servant took Chloe's hand and led him up the stairs to the second floor of the palace. A huge picture depicting King Harold hung at the door of one of the bedrooms. She caught the girl's attention. Chloe stopped and looked at the picture.

      "What's your name?" the princess has asked.  She approached Chloe and looked at her.

      "My name is Chloe," the girl answered.

      The princess took the tip of her snow-white curly locks in her hand and smiled sweetly. Princess Elizabeth was older than Chloe for one year, despite the fact that the height was slightly lower than the girl.

      "Who is this young assistant?"  Eric asked the servant. Eric served as a butler for more than one year and perfectly performed all the assignments of the royal family.

      "Yes. The king told me to bring her to you. She will serve as an assistant to the princess," the servant replied.

      "Again a new maid? Our king has a kind heart," Eric said, and smiled.

      "Follow me, little girl. I'll show you and tell you what you'll do in the palace," Eric said, and began to descend quickly down the stairs. Chloe hurried after him.

      Butler told Chloe in detail that she would have to help the princess every day to wash, dress and fulfill all her orders. Then Eric showed the girl a small room in which she would live, and left.

      Chloe inspected the room and went to the window. She looked through the window at a piece of blue sky and whispered, "How to proceed? Escape or stay?"

      Chloe has got clean clothes of the servant from a case and began to change clothes. The old bolt of the door creaked and Richard looked into the room.

      "Shut the door," Chloe said.

      "The coward," the prince laughed.

      "The prince was lucky that I had time to change. Otherwise, I would," Chloe threatened.

      "You would cry," laughed Richard.

      "An ill-mannered boy," Chloe muttered and left the room.

      From this moment, a child feud began between her and the prince. At the slightest convenient opportunity, Richard ridiculed Chloe's behavior. She, in response to the Prince's carping, was adjusted to him by petty mischief. Secretly poured he in the water or tea salt and even occasionally accidentally tipped his favorite cake on his shoes. Elizabeth was delighted with the new assistant and day by day became more attached to her.

      Chloe no longer bothered with the question: to escape or stay. The answer was obvious – the palace and the royal family liked Chloe no less than the life in the palace itself.

      Chloe learned everything that Princess Elizabeth learned from, which made him an interesting conversationalist and friend.