1 Memories of a Lost Child

DEAR READER:

This novel is currently undergoing major revisions. Updated version will be available August 1, 2023. I'm so sorry for the delay.

Adeline's eyes filled with sorrow as she kept watch of her sleeping daughter. Any moment now, their peace would be shattered. As they waited to be found, Adeline began to reflect on her life.

"This one is going to be nobility!" Shouted one of the orphan keepers as she looked on admiring the little girl's features "Look how beautiful her hair is!" She examined every inch of the girl's face before turning her focus to her lips. She excitedly commanded, "Girl! Smile!" The orphan keeper's face lit up even more seeing the little girl slowly force a smile. "You really will be nobility with those beautiful teeth!"

Another keeper approached the over-excited keeper. She exclaimed, "She's not going to be anything if we don't train her properly! We only have a few weeks to turn this ghastly beast into something worth showing to anybody, let alone royalty."

The little girl was still trying to process everything that was happening. Just a week before, she was celebrating her 6th birthday with her parents at home. Living in a poor neighborhood on the outskirts of the city, they didn't have much, but her parents always made sure to let her know she was loved.

Her mother had been doing odd jobs for money lately, while her father picked up extra shifts at work so they could afford a new dress for her birthday. She was so excited when she found out why they had been working so much and even more excited to know they would be going back to their normal routine soon. While she loved her new dress, she loved spending time with her parents even more and was looking forward to being with them again. That day, she was the happiest little girl in the world.

The day after her birthday, her parents left to the city to run a few errands. They said they would be back shortly. She waited and waited, but they didn't come back at all that day. They didn't come home the next day either. Or the day after that.

The morning she was brought into the orphanage, a guard and her aunt Evelyn walked into the house. They found her crying in her room, wearing her new dress.

At first, she was excited to see Evelyn, "Auntie!" She ran up to her and tried to give her a hug before Evelyn stopped her.

Holding her hand out to keep the child at arms length, Evelyn spoke softly, "Amie, there is something I need to tell you."

Amie, just now realizing the man next to Evelyn was a guard, backed away. "Where's Mommy and Daddy?"

Holding her voice as steady as she could, Evelyn responded, "There was a carriage accident in the city." She pulled a necklace with a heart-shaped pendant from her pocket and handed it to Amie.

Gently taking it into her hands, Amie noticed the inscription on the back: 'Amie, our beloved daughter. You are always in our hearts and we will always be in yours. Love, Mom and Dad.'

Amie, still confused after reading the inscription, asked again, "Where are they? Where's Mommy and Daddy?"

Evelyn didn't say anything else to her. She exchanged looks with the guard standing next to her, "You can take her now."

The guard ushered little Amie out of the house and into a carriage while Evelyn stood in the house entrance, watching her be taken away. Amie was too young to realise that would be the last time she would ever see her aunt, or any family member, ever again.

Amie didn't like the place she was brought to. It was cold and unwelcoming, the orphan keepers around her made her feel uneasy. She didn't quite understand what they were talking about. She had no concept of nobility or royalty, all she knew was they used the word 'beast' to describe her. In a quiet, timid voice she looked at the orphan keeper "I'm not a beast. I'm Amie. Mommy says-"

"Your mother is dead." Snapped the orphan keeper who called her a ghastly beast. She looked on with disdain at the poor little girl on the verge of tears. "And your name is not Amie anymore. It will be... Adeline. Too noble of a name for such a wretch like you. But the Royal Family wishes to adopt a child for reasons I cannot fathom. They already have multiple potential heirs. Why do they need a sewer rat?"

Amie couldn't hold back the tears any longer and began sobbing uncontrollably. Her cries were met with a slap across the face. "Stop it! You will act like a lady at ALL times!" The abusive woman turned to the other orphan keeper, who just moments ago was gushing over Amie's features. "Heidi! Take this piece of trash to her room, she will be going to bed now."

Heidi looked stunned, "But Helen, it's early in the afternoon."

Helen's eyes shot daggers at Heidi, "And?" As Heidi turned to escort Amie to her new room, Helen added, "Just a reminder, early bed means no food. Unless you would like to suffer the consequences of disobedience again, Heidi."

Heidi winced at the thought. "Right, follow me, Adeline."

Helen spoke one more time, "And Heidi?"

Heidi replied through gritted teeth, "Yes, Helen?"

"Get rid of that atrocious-looking dress she's wearing and put her into some nice work clothes. She won't need anything else while she's here."

When they got to Amie's new room, Heidi motioned for Amie to go ahead of her, looked both ways to make sure nobody was nearby, entered the room and closed the door. Turning to Amie, she said, "Listen, I know you miss your family and you're sad, but you have to listen to me really carefully ok? I don't have much time to explain."

Amie still had tears running down her face and was still distraught from earlier, but she nodded her head to show she was listening. Heidi continued, "The Royal Family is looking to adopt a child. This has never happened before. This is your only chance of leaving here and you'll get to become a princess too. If you mess up though, you won't get to leave. Helen will keep hurting you or make me hurt you until you either join your parents or turn 18."

Amie perked up at the thought of seeing her parents, "I'll get to see Mommy and Daddy again?"

Heidi's heart sunk. While she usually did what her sister Helen told her to do, she was always filled with guilt and remorse about it. Seeing the little girl in front of her miss her family forced her to hold back tears as she spoke, "No sweetie, not like that. They're gone from this world. They're dead. Helen will kill you too if you stay here. She'll hurt you and hurt you until you can't stand the pain anymore and then that will be it for you. You're never going to see your parents again. Never."

Heidi was getting nervous, she didn't have much time left to explain and she wasn't sure this little girl was going to understand. "You need to listen, ok? You have to be really good, on your best behaviour. You're the only one here that even looks like you could become royalty. All the other kids are really sick or are too bruised up from Helen beating them. She'll punish you too if you misbehave, she doesn't care that you're the only real choice we got. Just listen to what she says and agree with her on everything. Don't talk back to her and work really hard on the lessons she gives you. Don't talk to the other kids, you'll get in trouble for that too. Remember, if you get in trouble, then you're stuck here being beaten by Helen, so you need to be adopted, ok? And you have to go by Adeline now, ok? What did you call yourself before?"

The necklace Amie's aunt gave her was still clutched in her hand. She held it to her heart. "Amie."

Heidi noticed the necklace, "you need to give that to me, you'll get in trouble for having that."

Amie held it tighter and shook her head.

Heidi was getting more nervous. She needed to hide that necklace. Then an idea struck her, "Ok, this is what we'll do. Give me the necklace and I'll give it back to you when you get adopted. That way it's safe and you won't get in trouble."

Amie was hesitant at first, but she decided she could trust Heidi, and cautiously handed it to her.

Heidi felt a sense of relief. This girl might understand. She started helping Amie into her new work uniform as she asked, "Ok, now what's your name?"

Amie didn't want to call herself it, but she knew she had to. "Adeline." She secretely hoped that she could call herself Amie again once she was adopted. Her name and her necklace was all that she had left to remind her of her parents. She did the best she could to hide her sorrow as she watched Heidi stuff her birthday dress into a trash bag.

Sneaking a piece of bread to 'Adeline' from her pocket, Heidi replied, "I think you'll make an excellent princess."