Fairytale chosen by Maya Shepherd

At the same time she was not allowed to leave the castle. She felt like being in a prison. She almost envied Erina and was looking for an opportunity to do something else.
    Lean was waiting in a horse-drawn carriage for Erina. He had to admit himself that he was really nervous. It was not only the first day, he would spend time with one of the candidates alone, but also the first day ever to be spent with any girl. If he could choose, he would probably have chosen someone other than Erina. She was secretive and shy, so that it would be difficult to have a conversation with her, but she was still a preference for him better than Agnes,  whose presence he almost feared. It was still a mystery how she could just find the strawberries.
    Startled, he looked up when a person left the castle, but it was not Erina, but his mother, who came running up the steps to the coach. Indignantly she opened the door and got inside. She was out of breath and apparently in custody, but Lean could not explain what might be the reason itself.
    "Did you want to accompany us about?" He pulled his mother on insolent as ever. But she was in no mood for jokes and glared at him. "Did you think I would not find out?" She snapped angrily.
    "What are you talking?"
    "You were last night with this horrible girl. Alone! "She cried out reproachfully.
    "Heera?" Lean asked with a laugh. He was in a mystery, where she was going. "So what? What might have happened already8
    As Heera entered the breakfast room next morning, the other girls responded in a more hostile manner to her than the previous day. She quickly glanced at the wall on which the ranking of the candidates had been displayed previously, but so far there was no new list published.
    Feeling insecured she sat on the last table next to Erina  and gave her a shy smile. As Heera’s uncertainty endured no longer she bent to her and whispered, "Do you know what I have done?"
    Erina made an apologetic face and muttered "You had a visit from the Prince right?"
    Heera felt her cheeks began to glow. She had hoped that no one had seen him, but it seemed there were spies everywhere that were watching everything in the castle. Everything that happened was known to everyone the next day.
    "I wanted to give up voluntarily and he just wanted to know why?" Heera said blankly. As she was the last one on the list, why these girls were seeing her as their competitor? She wondered. Really there was no need to be envied of.
    "I believe you," said Erina empathetically. "But others think that you are playing tricks to make you more interesting."
    Heera snapped indignantly for breath and looked at her sister's face. But Medea turned  her back, as if Heera was not there. Did she believe that too? After all they should know that Heera had no interest in Lean yet.
    Erina noticed how upset and hurt Heera was and responded and smiled shyly. "I think you're the only one who does not play to the prince something. The others pretend it all, just to please him. "
    "Pretending you're well?"
    She shook her head sadly. "No, but I'm so shy that if I say a word in his presence, he will never fall in love with me.”
    As the day began entered the prince as a complete surprise to the hall and bowed in greeting "Good morning, ladies."
    "Good morning, Prince Lean" all responded back in a choir. As he walked without hesitation to the end of the table, Heera’s heart began to knock.  Will he send them home now? But instead , he held out his hand to Erina inviting.
    "Erina, I keep my promises, so I would be glad if you would do me the honor to spend this day with me."
    Erina blushed  so much that her face took on almost the same color as her hair. She quickly nodded and put her little hand in the Prince’s. From her throat came only a faint beeping that was not interpretable. But the radiance in her eyes showed a thousand words. When she left the room with him and  the abuses were heard  from Heera who was no shaken and thought  that