At school, I was the smart kid. Not the pretty one. Definitely not the popular one. No one really took much notice of me, except to ask, “Dinah, can I copy your homework?” or “Dinah, what’s the answer to number 5?” The highlight of each school year was the annual prize giving ceremony, where I would go on stage again and again to receive copious amounts of academic medals, certificates and prizes.

That’s why it seems so strange to me to be here, now, dressed in a beautiful ball gown, with my brown curls pinned on top of my head, receiving attention from the royalty and nobility of Cordova, a small European state I’d never even heard of until a few months ago. The occasion? The prince’s coronation ball, where he will choose his bride.

Prince Caden walks up to me. “Dinah, may I have this dance?"

“Oh, Caden,” I reply, “I’m willing to do more than dance with you.”

The prince chuckles. “It’s the coronation ball, Dinah. I’m lucky to get even these few moments with you. Everyone is vying for my attention.”

He takes my hand and leads me out onto the dance floor, spinning me around in a graceful circle. The orchestra is playing a waltz, and my blue gown swishes and swirls as we glide through the steps together. 

“I almost can’t believe that only a few months ago, I wouldn’t have been able to dance like this if my life depended on it,” I murmur to Caden.

He smiles. “And now, nobody would ever be able to guess that you weren’t born into this life.”

I blush at his compliment and he looks at me with serious eyes. “Dinah. I hope you don’t ever have cause to regret coming here.”

“Why would you say that?” I ask with a frown.

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“Well,” he says hesitantly, “so much has happened, and…”

The song starts to draw to a close and Caden’s hands linger on my waist. He looks at me searchingly. “Dinah, we need to talk.”

“Is something wrong?”

“I haven’t been able to get a single moment alone with you these past few days. But I have to tell you — ”

Suddenly my eyes are blinded by a glitzy dress that’s reflecting the light from all the chandeliers. Those are real diamonds, which means the girl standing next to us can only be one person. Olivia. 

“Prince Caden,” she coos, “may I be so bold as to cut in?”

“Oh.. of course, Olivia,” the prince says. It’s not as if he could refuse. He’s not allowed to show special preference to any of the candidates until he announces his decision at midnight tonight. Showing favour to any of us would spark way too much jealousy and lead to unwanted conflict among us girls.

As he moves away with Olivia, he mouths to me, “We’ll talk later.”

Olivia and Caden float away across the dance floor, and I move back to the sidelines. I’m relieved to spot a familiar face.

Drake smiles at me. “Dinah.”

“I didn’t know you’d be here tonight, Drake.”

“I’m Caden’s best friend. He insisted,” he said with a wry grin. And then, “I suppose congratulations are in order.”

“What?”

“You look exactly like all the other nobillity. I mean, I guess you are one of them now, aren’t you? And, who knows, this time tomorrow, you might be our future queen. And then our lives are going to go in very different directions.”

“Drake, if Caden chooses me to be his bride, I’ll still be me. I won’t let my new status change me.”

“I’m not sure I believe that, Dinah. You’ve already changed so much. Then again, this place does tend to do that to people. Just remember that some of us liked the girl you used to be. You did… know that, right?”

“I promise I am still the same Dinah. Even in this gorgeous ballgown,” I reassure him. “And if I ever get too cocky, you have my permission to remind me that when we first met, I was emptying trashcans and waiting on tables of drunken, gropey men.”