PRINCESS CARMELITA
(Adapted from the movie “El Laberinto Del Fauno” or “Pan’s Labyrinth”)
“Maya dear, time for your bath.”
Maya came at the call of Pedro. So far, only the Count and Countess and Pedro had the privilege to call her by name. The rest of the household servants, despite her insistence, continued to call her ‘Miss Andre’. She knew sooner or later, she was going to be called ‘Young Mistress’ and that she had to get used to being called by title, but she didn’t want instill fear on anybody. She just wanted to be their friend.
“Take a look and see what Master has bought you, Maya.”
Maya looked at the dress that Pedro helped take out from a silver box. It was slightly darker silver than the box itself and was embroidered with precious diamonds with white mesh underneath it. Beautiful frills covered the collar, the end of the sleeves and the end of the dress and at the end of those frills were laces of grey. There was even a darker silver hair ribbon and black shoes to match.
“There will be a pre-engagement party tonight thrown by Master where everyone in his community would be able to witness his baby son’s bride-to-be. Of course, Madame Adrianna would be there to gloat on the credits she would receive later from the guests. The Mistress requested that Master buy this dress to be worn for tonight. She thought it fit you, because you’re from the moon. Isn’t it beautiful?”
“Yes,” Maya replied half-heartedly. “Yes, it is.”
“Why, you don’t seem happy, Maya dear,” Pedro noted, concerned. “Don’t you like it?”
“Of course I like it,” Maya replied hurriedly, not wanting to upset her friend. “It’s really beautiful. Really.”
“Oh well, I suppose you’re just getting the jitters then. I would be if I were in your shoes: meeting dozens upon dozens of strangers who are going to judge you and consider your position as the future Young Mistress Garcia. Off to bath now, Maya, before the water gets cold.”
With that, Maya was ushered to the bathroom and the door was closed behind her. When she made sure no one was outside the door, she quietly walked over to the bathroom cabinet where she kept the book hidden behind the gap. She opened the book to a particular page and waited. A few moments later, the page began to fill up by itself, like there was invisible drawing and writing the contents out. First it was a picture of a tree, then words that spelled ‘tree’, ‘toad’, ‘stones’ and ‘fig’. One by one they appeared to make up a story.
“Maya? Maya dear.”
Before she could read the words, there were knockings on the door. It was Pedro, calling for her to hurry up.
“Do hasten, Maya dear. You don’t want to become a prune now, do you? The Mistress wants to see you in your new dress. I’ll bet you’re going to look like a princess in it.”
Princess… Maya was reminded of Faun’s words of her being the Princess her grandmother had been telling her in her tales. She went over to the mirror to look at her reflection. Faun was right; there was a birthmark just right on top of the back of her left shoulder that was the shape of a crescent moon. There were small tiny full stop-sized moles that surrounded the birthmark, like stars surrounding the moon. She had always dreamed of being a Princess like the fairy tales in her story books, but now that she was one, she didn’t know what else to think of.
“Princess, huh…?”
*
“Oh, Maya, look at you. You are so beautiful.”Maya, after her bath, put on the dress and came into the Countess’ room as requested, and as expected, the Countess was thrilled to see Maya looking the way she imagined she would look. Pedro and a couple of maids were tending to her and she looked impressed as well.
“My, my, Maya dear. Aren’t you the most gorgeous little girl I’ve ever seen! I just love that dress!” Pedro exclaimed.
“You agree too? Isn’t she a beauty?”
“What I’d give to have a dress like that when I was a little girl, Mistress. She looks positively like an angel,” one of the maids complimented, staring at the dress in eagerness.
“A future Countess is more like it,” the Countess smiled and gestured Maya towards her. “Come here, child. Let me see you up close.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Maya came closer to her. The Countess fingered the frills and diamonds on her dress and stroke her hair, smiling weakly at her while rubbing her protruding belly with her other hand.
“Look, my son, your beautiful fiancé is all dressed up for you. You are going to have the most beautiful wife you’ve ever seen. Maya dear?”
“Yes, ma’am?”
“You know sooner or later I’m going to be your mother-in-law now, right? Almost like a new mother?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Maya nodded. As much as she liked the Countess better than the Count, she didn’t really relinquish the idea of having her as a new mother since she already had a real one.
“How about getting a head-start by calling me ‘Mother’ then? Hmm? Is it alright with you?”
Mother? That’s how I call my mother, Maya thought, but she didn’t want to offend the Countess, so she said timidly, “Can I call you…Mother Garcia instead?”
The Countess considered for a while, then replied, “I understand, dear. Sure, you can call me that. Pedro, would you get some milk with honey for Maya? Just a little starter before tonight’s dinner party. Make sure you don’t get your clothes dirty, Maya dear.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
Pedro excused himself and took Maya’s hand, leading her down to the kitchen—earning a lot of praises by the servants in the process—and to the cattle ranch, carrying a jar of honey in the process. Taking a bucket, he sat down and milked one of the cows grazing at hay on the manger. He knew Maya liked her milk fresh since she tasted it on her first day in the manor, and he wanted to give her the best of what he can offer as an errand boy. To him, Maya was more than just a future Young Mistress, she was like the sister he never had.
“Here you go, Maya. Don’t spill,” Pedro said as he mixed a tablespoon of honey with the milk he scooped in a bowl and handed it to Maya.
“Thank you,” Maya said, then asked, “Pedro, do you believe in fairies?”
“Fairies?” Pedro echoed, chuckling. “Not anymore. I’ve sort of stopped believing things that I used to believe when I was a child. Like I said, life is not all about fairy tales and story books.”
“I saw a fairy last night, and I met a Faun too.”
“A Faun? What does he look like?”
“He’s tall and gangly, covered in moss, and he smelled of earth.”
“You know, my grandfather used to warn me about Fauns being tricksters and stuff…”
“Pedro! Pedro! We need you at the warehouse!” another errand boy suddenly called out from afar.
“I’ll be there! Gotta go, Maya dear. Don’t ruin your dress.”
Pedro made a dash off before Maya could promise to him not to ruin the dress. She took a look at the sky and decided that there was still more time before the pre-engagement dinner party.
It’s time to complete her first task.
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