Myrielle was a new woman.

Motivated, laser-focused, and ready to become the prince's wife if it killed her. Or him. Although neither of those scenarios would prove to be helpful given the end goal in mind.

In addition to the motivation of knowing her family had work and a proper home for as long as she competed, she was reminded of the personal goal she'd started to give up on: to earn the crown, redistribute food to the village, and eventually re-open the academy. This goal was non-negotiable if she joined the royal family, as she refused to co-rule in a confederacy of dunces.

But the first matter at hand was to actually become a princess.

She considered her plan of action that morning over breakfast, between spoonfuls of lukewarm porridge. She was sharing a table with the rest of the contestants in a room that was somehow even drearier than the dorm. This 'dining hall' was the deep and depressing underbelly of the tower; windowless, damp, and as miserable as the food.

In-between the clanging spoons and whispered excitement for the upcoming challenge, Myrielle heard laughter of the cruelest kind, coming from Bella and her cronies Helena and Josselyn.

Myrielle set her spoon down and channeled her focus into world-class, Olympic-caliber eavesdropping. And it worked.

"And then what'll happen?" Josselyn asked, still recovering from her latest heartless laugh.

"And then," said Bella sneakily, "she'll enter the ballroom, you'll pull the rope, and the bucket of pig's blood will spill all over her head!"

Bella laughed mercilessly, reveling in her plot to reenact the plot of 'Carrie' before the book had even been written.

Myrielle held her breath as she absorbed all the gory details. She knew Bella was convinced that she'd been sabotaged in her muddy lane, but did she truly intend to enact a revenge so humiliating? And bloody?

Josselyn scratched her head as she considered her role in the plan. "I'm confused," she said. "Where'll the bucket sit?"

Bella shrugged. "It can rest on a wooden archway of some sort. With a piece of wood lodged into the ceiling to hold it."

Helena seemed worried now. "And who has to build this contraption?"

Josselyn frowned as she examined her juicy man-hands. "These soft hands ain't done a lotta laborin'."

Bella swallowed down her annoyance. "We have plenty of time to sort out the details."

"I'm not so sure about anything involving wood," said Helena. "My cousin once had a splinter and eventually lost his hand."

Josselyn broke into a sob. "I can't lose my hand!"

The whispered plotting had turned into a spectacle and everyone was listening and it was driving Bella insane. She slammed her spoon on the table. "Just leave the details to me! " She regained her composure and cast her evil eye on Myrielle. "And yes, you're the one we were discussing."

Myrielle found herself speechless, finally realizing the scope of the bully in her midst.

The only way to handle a bully so bold was to be the one to make the first strike, but she just had to figure out the best and meanest way to do it...

***

That night in the wee hours when the girls were fast asleep, Myrielle disappeared for a lavatory break or so it was to be believed...

In reality she was wandering outside in the darkened field, rushing to pick out wildflowers by the light of the full moon. Her plan had come to her earlier in the evening, when she'd been thinking about the herb tea she'd normally be having back at home. Her mother had a penchant for tea-based concoctions, and in watching her try out different combinations, Myrielle had learned a lot about plants and their various effects. Her current plan had nothing to do with making tea, but it was certainly inspired by those herb-mixing moments.

Myrielle's mother would be mortified by the way she was abusing her knowledge on this night, but with Bella on the war path she didn't really have a choice.

She tucked the wildflowers into the folds of her dress and hurried back inside the tower. She would still need a few ingredients to execute her plan, but for that she would go to the one and only person she could trust...

***

Fredrick arrived early the next morning to escort the girls to the castle. He checked each name off the attendance list as they settled into wagon, but lost his focus when he felt a brisk tap on his shoulder. He turned to find Myrielle bent down beside him, trying to look casual as she laced up her boot.

"Look in the other direction," she whispered.

He was too intrigued to question the command so he shifted his gaze away from her. He hadn't seen her since he'd treated her to his grandmother's special biscuits the day before, but the brief encounter kept playing in his mind. He couldn't help but think of how much more they could've enjoyed that afternoon if Fairy Godmother hadn't sent him away.

"Why am I staring at the field?" he asked.

"Because I need your help and no one can know this is happening."

He nodded. "I will do my best to help you however I can," he said assuredly, relishing the chance to be her dashing savior.

"I need you to leave a few items under my bed."

His face began to redden at the mention of 'bed.' He pulled at his collar nervously. "That could be...uhh...arranged," he stuttered.

"Then please memorize this list," she said, still busy fake-tying her shoe. "Crushed pepper, a small jar of whale oil, and a single piece of coal."

He seemed confused by the random shopping list. "Are you sure that's what you need?"

"Trust me," she said.

He nodded. "Then you can trust that I have memorized all three."

She finished fake-tying her laces and stood, staring straight ahead like he wasn't even there. "Thank you."

He made his way to the wagon and she casually followed. "Dare I ask what these items are for?" he said.

"Best not to," she warned, before taking a seat far away from him. Fredrick had already risked himself to help Myrielle, and while she now understood and appreciated his efforts, she couldn't risk his safety when it came to the madness she had planned...

***

The next contest challenge would take place in the castle, and since Fredrick's instructions detailed that the challenge would be a feminine affair, he left the girls outside the guest chamber and promptly ran away.

A few moments later Queen Enevere made her approach, her icy stare sending chills down every girl's back. She said nothing and stood frozen staring ahead, for at least a full minute of excruciating silence. Once the minute was up she cleared her throat and tapped her foot three times.

The source of her annoyance was soon revealed when Fairy Godmother waddled towards them, her balance slightly askew from her latest alcohol binge. She smiled. "Shall we?"

"Yes, " said the queen, blatantly eye-rolling right in her face as only a queen could do. "We finally shall."

Fairy Godmother led the girls into the chamber, where three handmaids stood waiting with a pile of corsets.

Myrielle instinctively clutched her chest, suddenly feeling very exposed. Had the time now come for the superficial contest challenges? The 'size of heaving bosom' type of feats?

Fairy Godmother clapped her hands. "Alright girls focus!" None of the girls knew what she meant so they just stood there motionless. "Right...good. Now change into the cotton underdresses that you'll find on the...where are they?!" She glanced around wildly until she spotted them. "The table. Yes, the table. Once you've finished with that...the handmaids will outfit each of you in the tightest corset."

Helena scrunched her nose. "I don't really do corsets, ma'am." She had a point, as it was hard to picture the street-fighting ruffian in a rib-crushing sexy contraption.

"That's fine," Fairy Godmother said. "Because the trick isn't putting it on, it's how fast you can take it off!"

Confusion permeated the chamber, but no explanation was given.

It took some time, but eventually the top ten girls were saddled up in the tightest corsets. Most of them had never worn one before, so they found themselves struggling to breathe. Myrielle and Bella were the two exceptions, as both of them seemed to handle the discomfort with ease.

"Ready girls?" Fairy Godmother teased. They nodded and she took out her wand. "Now when I wave my magic wand and say 'go,' you will attempt to untie the corset as quickly as possible. And the one who finishes fastest...wins!"

Myrielle found herself wondering why Fairy Godmother was using her magic wand when all she was doing was saying "go!" Before she could figure out the missing link she heard a whispered voice in her ear. "Prepare to meet your end!" Bella hissed.

Myrielle smiled, calmly reflecting on the special ingredient she'd taken from the field. "The only thing I'm prepared to do is crush you."

As Myrielle and Bella inched closer and closer to a brawl, the queen found herself feeling increasingly annoyed. "How does removing one's corset make the measure of a princess?" She gestured to the handmaids. "That's what they're for."

The queen was right, but what she didn't know was how important it was for this contest to be a spectacle.

Fairy Godmother distracted the queen by waving her wand to and fro. "Imagine removing a man's trousers with a simple flick of the wand..." she said hypnotically.

The distraction worked like magic on the queen, as the thought of any trouser-less man besides her husband was the source of the ultimate fantasy.

The queen reached out for the wand. "Do you think I might...borrow it one day?"

Fairy Godmother froze, cursing herself for being so amazing at lying. Now she was stuck needing a second lie to cover up the first one. In a matter of moments a light bulb went off in her drunken head and she smiled. "I truly wish I could lend out the wand but you see...this wand was forged in a magical forest, and only its true owner can conjure up its powers."

The queen nodded in acceptance of this apparently logical excuse.

With sweat now trickling down Fairy Godmother's forehead, she turned towards the girls and raised her wand. "Ready...set...go!"

The girls put their arms behind their backs and got to work. For most it was a pointless struggle in bendy-arm acrobatics, but not for Myrielle. She undid her corset in twenty seconds flat and raised her arm. "Done!"

Bella glared in disbelief, not understanding how this wench could have beaten her so handily.

It took the rest of the girls twenty times longer to do the same job as Myrielle, and none of them understood why. Myrielle felt no need to explain that their results might've been better if they'd grown up in a tailor shop too, where much of her childhood had been spent playing "escape artist" with corsets.

"Congratulations!" Fairy Godmother exclaimed, wishing she could hug her bonus-coin-giving protégé. "This victory will give you an advantage before part two takes place tomorrow night."

Myrielle turned back and saw Bella seething with rage. Despite Myrielle's first legitimate success, Bella the bully was her biggest obstacle, and she would need to be neutralized soon...

[WRITER'S COMMENTARY: Myrielle is definitely in the driver's seat now. She's leading the princess contest, she has a plan to deal with her bully, and Fredrick is happily eating out of her peasant hand. What could go wrong? --->This is the part where I laugh because there's so much drama to come---hahhaahha ;-). Thanks for reading, more to come soon!]