The lanterns were out in the cold dark tower and the girls were tucked into bed. For Myrielle it was a silence she didn't trust, and how could she? She'd just endured two straight days of mockery from Bella and her cronies, and only because she'd eaten that delectable pie. She peered through the darkness distrustfully, trying to see who might still be awake to assault her with fresh round of ridicule.

To her surprise...everyone around her seemed to be sleeping soundly. This could only mean they had gotten bored of making her the target of their insults. It was a welcome relief so she sighed and finally allowed herself to relax. My first good night's sleep, she thought. At last.

"Oink!" a voice said.

"Oink! Oink! Oink!"

Within seconds eleven girls were laughing and making pig sounds, as Myrielle groaned and pulled the blanket over top of her head...

***

The next day, the girls were brought back to the infamous scene of the pie gorge, only now the grassy area had been divided into twelve identical lanes.

Myrielle waffled around not caring about finding a lane and not caring about anything at all, since after a full sixty minutes of pig sounds she hadn't been able to sleep a wink. She longed for some motherly advice more than anything, but if anything was clear from that dark dormitory tower, it was the fact that she wouldn't see a glimpse of her family until this whole crazy thing was over.

"Myrielle," said Fredrick, standing behind her, "your lane is over there." He pointed to the seventh one over and she seemed confused.

"But I don't see our names written anywhere," she said.

"It was Gianni's request," he stated, getting more and more used to lying. "He wants you all in alphabetical order."

Myrielle shrugged and took her spot next to Helena, who already had her game face firmly on. "Prepare to be embarrassed," Helena threatened. "I will crush you."

Myrielle nodded carelessly, insomnia taking hold. "Yes, yes, crush away."

Fredrick approached the sidelines were Gianni and the judges shielded themselves under a canopy.

"They're ready for your instructions," said Fredrick.

Gianni poked his head out from under the canopy, squinting his eyes at the scorching sun. "Why don't you give the instructions this time," he said, handing him a scroll. "My stunning wool outfit isn't made for this heat."

Fredrick was surprised by the added responsibility, and on any other day he would've embraced it. But today? Today it was better for him to blend into the background and have nothing to do with anything.

"I'm really no expert," Fredrick stuttered.

"Of course you're no expert," said Gianni. "You barely know anything about anything, but that doesn't mean you won't do what is asked of you." He gave him a push. "Now go."

Fredrick obeyed but dragged his feet every step of the way. His ability to lie had improved somewhat of late, but the treachery he had planned was definitely next-level.

"Ladies!" he said, his voice cracking from nervousness. "Before we begin, allow me to lay out the rules." He pulled out a scroll and started reading. "When I blow the horn, you must run across the field as fast as you can, whilst keeping a book firmly balanced atop of your head."

Myrielle groaned as a second servant handed out the books. This latest test for etiquette made her nervous, especially after how she'd been humiliated in the pie debacle. Wasn't there more to being a princess? Like spouting off geography facts or taking a history test? And how was she supposed to demonstrate good balance when she hadn't slept? She was doomed.

As she rubbed her eyes to force herself awake, she noticed something strange when she peered out ahead of her. "Her section looks different than mine," she said, pointing to the far lane where Bella was positioned. "Doesn't it Fredrick?"

He avoided her eyes and kept reading from the scroll. "At no time may you touch the book."

"Almost all the lanes are grassy," she mused, "but hers look a bit more...brown in the middle." She looked to Fredrick for an explanation. All she got were completely out of character 'murder eyes.'

Once Myrielle was silenced he continued reading. "If the book falls," he read on, "you must..." He was confused. "What was it again? Oh right: return to the beginning and start again." He wrapped up the scroll. "And that's it!" One of the other servants handed him a horn. "On your mark, get set..."

He blew the horn and the girls were off, gingerly speed-walking their way down the course.

Myrielle's book fell first and she was forced to start again. "Whyyy..." she whined.

A few more girls experienced similar fates, while Bella cruised along with ease.

For her next attempt Myrielle kept it slow and steady, despite the fact that it left her in the back of the pack.

It seemed to be a lost cause for Myrielle, until Bella reached the strange brownish section of her lane. With one squishy step, Bella found herself deep in mud, and the forward momentum landed her flat on her face.

Fredrick discreetly pumped his fist in accomplishment, as his quest to keep Myrielle in the running was still alive. Despite his secret assistance she was still third last and moving rather slow. "Come on!" he whispered.

Bella managed to drag her head out of the mud, and in doing she was no longer recognizable, with her entire face and the front of her dress covered in a thick brown goo.

The prince was disgusted, Fairy Godmother found it hilarious, and the other girls burst into laughter once they saw her after crossing the finish line. Gianni took notes at a feverish pace, as this high-stakes drama was bestseller gold in the making.

As for Myrielle...she found herself ignoring the spectacle altogether. Her eyes followed Fredrick as he made his way back to the canopy; she was certain his muddy fingerprints were all over Bella's mishap, and she was determined to figure out what he'd done...

***

Following the intense competition, the girls made the trek to the tower on foot, as the anorexic horses were too weak to pull the wagon in the afternoon sun.

Fredrick led the way as the dutiful escort, making sure to keep a safe distance from Myrielle's probing stare.

Myrielle watched him power-walk up ahead and despite her fatigue was determined to catch up.

She started off looking casual and then her face contorted in fear. "Giant spider!" She leapt into the air and sprinted towards Fredrick.

"I have a phobia," she said as she tried to catch her breath.

"I don't think anyone believed that," Fredrick muttered.

She glanced back at the girls who were now examining every patch of dirt. "Sure they did." With the other girls distracted she leaned towards Fredrick. "You did that," she whispered. "You put the mud there."

"Quiet!" he whispered back.

Before she could question him on the circumstantial evidence, Bella raced towards them, crusty mud-face and all. "What are you two talking about?" she said. She narrowed her eyebrows in accusation but it was impossible to take her seriously.

"Different species of spiders," said Myrielle casually. "The ones with the red spots on their back are poisonous."

Bella knew better than to question a former professor when it came to things like the horrors of the arachnoid kingdom. Still she kept her pace alongside Fredrick and Myrielle, making for a brisk walk in awkward silence.

As soon as the group reached the tower Myrielle began to stumble around dizzily. "The sun..." she said listlessly. "It's making me light-headed." She shielded her eyes. "I need to rest in the shade before I tackle those stairs."

Bella's conspiracy signal switched back on immediately. "She's lying!"

"Am I lying Bella? When I couldn't sleep one wink after the constant late-night ridicule?"

Fredrick turned towards Bella. "What is she talking about?" He pulled out a scroll. "Do I need to file another report?" He narrowed his eyes. "In case there's been another infraction of contestant abuse?"

Bella picked some mud out of her eyes and shook her head. "No abuse and no report."

"Then all of you head upstairs and I'll escort Myrielle in a few minutes."

The girls marched upstairs in an orderly queue, as Fredrick marveled at his newfound authoritative presence.

As soon as the girls were out of sight Myrielle had miraculously recovered from her dizzy spell. "Did you do it then? The muddy sabotage?"

Fredrick avoided her eyes. "We mustn't talk about these things."

His words were practically a full question. "But why?"

He could tell that she had figured it out, so he decided to embrace this chance to be her knight in shining armor. Or servant in shining armor. Or something. He stepped towards her. "I wanted to make sure you would stay in the competition." He smiled. "I can't explain it but...I like it when you're here."

Based on the way she was frowning his romantic gesture had fallen flat on its face. "You wanted to make sure I'd still be here? Because I need someone to cheat for me to stay?" She looked away. "I could've done fine on my own."

Fredrick raised an eyebrow. "Fine? After the pie debacle?" She scoffed but he wasn't finished. "Even in this race you finished third from last. And that was with my help. This competition is more difficult than you think."

"But it's not just about the challenges, remember?" Excitement started building in her eyes. "Looks and personality and attracting the prince is important!"

He threw his hands up. "That's exactly why you need to excel in the challenges!"

Her jaw dropped as she translated his words into the shade he'd clearly thrown. "Excuse me?"

His face went beet-red. "That's not what I meant!"

She laughed bitterly. "Let me clear it up so you'll know what you meant: I need to do well in challenges, because I don't have the looks to succeed; is that it?"

"No!" he insisted. "It's not you, it's the prince! He's a god-awful pig! If you only knew!"

"That pig is the one I'm trying to marry," she said glaring. "Not you."

Fredrick shook his head furiously. "Me? Of course not! I would never dare to think that I might—"

She held up her hand to silence him. "I will always be grateful that you saved me from a charge of treason." He knew this wasn't going to end well but he nodded for more. "Your kindness will never be forgotten," she added, "but you need to stay out of my life."

She turned and disappeared up the tower stairs without a second look.

Fredrick stood still in shock, confused at how he'd damaged things when his plan had been a success. The only thing he could guess was that servants just weren't leading-man material...

[WRITER COMMENTARY: One of my favourite moments will probably always be dragging Bella through the mud, literally, haha. As for Fredrick, he definitely bit off more than he could chew, because my character Myrielle is NOT a damsel in distress. We'll just have to see if they find their way back to each other! ;-)]