//------------------------------//
// New Kingdom 
// Story: Marie's Story 
// by Musical Note 
//------------------------------//

Marie woke up in a room in a castle. She didn't recognize the castle, and it certainly wasn't Canterlot's. 

"Where am I?" Marie mumbled to herself, still a bit drowsy. She still had her necklace on, which she was happy about not loosing. She looked around the room she was in. "Whoa..." Marie said in awe.

In her room, there was a desk with quills and bottles of ink, along with paper in case she wanted to write a letter. There was also a bookshelf, a balcony outside her room, and a very comfortable, fluffy bed. She also found a dumb-waiter elevator, or a lift as some call it, for transporting food up and down from room-to-room. What amazed Marie the most was a lovely bouquet of daffodils on a nightstand. However, she saw a note attached to them, and out of her own curiosity, opened it up and read it. 

Marie read the note aloud, "My dearest Marie, I have had my eyes set on you for a long time. I may be twelve, and you nine, but I think you are the most beautiful mare in all of the land. I am also asking of you to join me for dinner. I can't wait to meet you face-to-face for the first time! If you should not wish to come and see me at dinner, I don't want to force you to, but if I must, I will. Sincerely yours, Prince Xavier of Meldania. P.S. If there is anything I or my servants could get for you, please let us know."

As touching and romantic as this letter was, Marie was frankly disgusted by it. "Ugh! I am not going to wait around for somepony I don't even know to have dinner with me! Especially if it means I have to be forced! Prince or not, I have a voice here!" Marie exclaimed.

Meanwhile, back in the woods of Meldania, Jill and Jimmy were stuck trying to find their way through the thick forest and brambles. "We need to help her!" Jill shouted.

Jimmy whispered, "Shh! Keep it down...I don't want a crocodile coming up at us in this swamp..."

They were both caught in a spider-web, and they both struggled. "Ugh! Things just can't get easier!" Jill complained.

"Oh, quit whining, at least there aren't any spiders!" Jimmy said.

Just then, three spiders came crawling out from the corners. Jill tried to slap him with her wing, "Would you just keep your big mouth shut for once?!"

Jimmy replied, "Just relax! I got this!" He used his beak to peck at the web, and they both were free. "Ha-ha! So long, you big, hairy-legged freaks!" Jimmy laughed.

Jill screamed as she was caught by one of their strands of web. The spider started pulling her towards itself. Jimmy whispered, then got louder, "Spoke too soon...hey! Leave my sister alone!" He flew in for a dive-bomb, cutting the web, and then they both flew off without any problems this time. 

Jill sighed with relief, "Okay, time to go and find Marie!"

Back at the castle, Marie had her own problems to worry about. She was trying to find a way out, first off, by trying to pull the door. It was locked, and then she tried her balcony doors. They opened, and she walked out onto her balcony. "Huh. I gotta say, a mare could get used to a view like this." She said.

"I wonder if I should try jumping down..." Marie pondered. She looked down, then gasped. Marie realized that if she jumped, she'd be landing in a moat of solid ice. "Yep, going back inside..." She walked back inside, shutting her doors. 

Somepony knocked at her door, and it was a guard. He didn't open up the door, but spoke from the other side, "Madam, Prince Xavier has requested I tell you to start getting ready for dinner, then escort you downstairs. I'll be waiting out here for you until you're ready."

Marie whispered to herself, "Well, if it's for a first impression...I guess I could gussy-up a little bit. What do they want from me? I'm only nine...ugh! This is so confusing and ridiculous!" Marie brushed out her mane to be straight, then put a head-band on. "It's not the best, but it's something...I'm not going out of my way for some stuck-up greedy prince." Marie finished.

The guard asked, "Are you ready?"

Marie sighed, "Unfortunately, yes. Lead the way." The guard began leading her down to the dining hall.

"The prince also requested to dine alone with you, I was only meant to bring you here. Enjoy your meal, m'lady." The guard said as he walked away to continue duties.

Marie sighed unsteadily, then walked inside. She saw the prince sitting up at the end of the table. 

Xavier smiled, "You must be Marie! Thank you so much for willingly joining me for supper. Might I say you look lovely this evening?" 

"Um...thanks." Marie said unhappily.

The chef's brought out salads, oats, mashed potatoes with gravy, biscuits, and tea. Marie only ate a biscuit and not even a quarter of her salad.

"Are you alright? You've hardly eaten or said a word." Xavier asked. He levitated his tea with his magic, and took a few sips of it.

Marie replied, "I-I'm fine, and I guess I'm just not all that talkative tonight. I...I'm having a lovely time, though."

Xavier grinned, "I'm so happy to hear that! There was actually something I wanted to ask you."

"Hmm?" Marie remarked.

"Would you marry me?" Xavier said, levitating a small diamond ring.

Marie looked at him like he was crazy. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"W...What's wrong? What's wrong?! Seriously?! I am nine, and you are twelve! You're asking me to marry you, also, I hardly even know you! Not to mention you kidnapped me, and forced me to join you for dinner! Want a reply to your question?! Well, I have one! Goodnight!" Marie started to walk out.

Xavier had a disappointed and angry expression on his face, he picked her up with his magic. "Put me down!" Marie exclaimed.

"You don't want to be my wife? Fine, you shall be my maid and work for me instead! The castle's always looking for new one's anyways...until you decide to change your mind, you can stay here for the rest of your life!" Xavier declared.

Marie asked, "Don't you have parents?! They can stop you!"

Xavier's eyes softened, remembering his parents. "That doesn't concern you! Even if they were here, then it wouldn't matter! We still need the assistance anyways!"

"What do you mean 'if they were here'?!" Marie questioned.

Xavier growled, "I said forget it!" He dropped her from his magic, placing her on the ground. "Goodnight! I've had it with you, your job starts in the morning." He remarked.

Marie started to walk out, when Xavier called out, "Oh, and if you even try to escape, I'd re-think that decision. I will have guards everywhere patrolling all night every night. Including during the day, and there will be no way out." 

She cried softly as she ran to her room and put her face in her pillow. Then, she heard tapping on her window. Marie opened it up, and saw Jill and Jimmy. "There you guys are! I was so worried!" Marie said happily.

Jimmy replied, "We're fine, but we've gotta get you outta here!"

Marie sighed, "About that...I can't...I'm stuck here."

"What do you mean, dear?" Jill asked.

Marie answered, "Well, the Prince of Meldania kind of asked me to a dinner-date, and then asked me to marry him. I didn't want to, and then...he got mad and is forcing me to be a maid, starting tomorrow." 

Jimmy exclaimed, "Whoa, whoa, whoa...whoa! Hold up, he asked you to marry him?! You're just a kid! How old is this 'prince' anyways?!"

"Twelve..." Marie responded.

Jill replied, "Yeah, that's not right. Young love is a beautiful thing, but not this early, and especially since you don't return his feelings." 

Marie said, "Exactly, but...I don't have a choice."

For the next nine years, Marie worked as a maid in the castle. She was now eighteen, and Xavier was twenty-one. Everyday during those long, nine years, she would mop the floors, serve food, clean up messes, wash windows, feed the animals, do the dishes, dust the castle, tend to the royal garden, and polish the throne. 

Marie sighed heavily, "It's been nine years...and still no help! What is it going to take for me to get out of this dumb castle?!"

Jill responded, "I'm not sure...me and Jimmy aren't as young as we used to be, but at least we've grown wiser..."

"Hey, check it out! I found a brown blade of grass!" Jimmy said.

Jill said unsteadily, "At least...I've grown wiser."

Marie responded, "Yeah, well, the Summer Gala is tomorrow night, and I still have a lot of things to get done. I need to do my chores, decorate the room, make the food, shop for an outfit, and make sure 'his highness' has the best party ever. I would add 'get a date' to my list, but no stallion will want to go out with a dirt-poor maid like me."

"Why don't we hit the village first to shop for a dress?" Jill suggested.

"Alright..." Marie said. She put her mane in a side-ponytail, and then began walking down to the village. Jill and Jimmy were flying from behind her. "The village looks so beautiful in the summer time! Everypony is out today!" She exclaimed.

Marie hadn't been paying attention to where she was going, and she ran into somepony. "Ow!" The pony said.