It's been almost three years since moving to North Carolina. I've come far from the person I

used to be. Almost forty years old, I've finally got my own place and obtained both my driver's

license and my complete independence, but not without extreme struggle. I had my own car,

but that was taken from me after someone ran a red light smashing into me. Their insurance

refused to pay for the damage claiming it was cheaper to just total it out as a loss and would

only pay for my first 5 days in a rental car. Unable to afford a new car, I've been struggling to pay all my bills plus three hundred dollars a week to keep the rental. I've now been stuck in it

for almost a year. I've kept busy finding work where I can. Doing babysitting through online

care sites and delivering food through two different apps on my phone when not babysitting has kept my head just above water, but just barely. I haven't even been able to afford to take many days off which was greatly stressing me further and burning me out.

"Turn left at next intersection, then turn right on Powell Street." The navigation sounded and I

continued following where it said to go. Despite my stress and burnout here I was, still hard at

work making seemingly endless food deliveries. Today was a long day, I had to get up early to

do my half day of Insta and second half of Eats. After running all over stores to shop and

deliver groceries for Insta, simply picking up made food from restaurants and just delivering it was a nice change to end my nights. I had actually turned off the app and was heading home when my current order popped up. Sometimes the app turned itself back on if I turned it off in an area with bad cell service. Normally I would have just declined the order and turned the app back off, but this particular order was high paying and I just couldn't afford to decline it. One hundred dollars would typically be half a day of work and all I had to do was pick up a bunch of pizza and deliver it to a house along a river in the middle of nowhere. But it was on my way home anyways, so it worked out. I passed fewer and fewer houses and found myself driving through windier tree lined roads.

"Hello Betsy, thank you for accepting our order, we will be sure to tip you well for coming so far

out so late. Are you getting close?" I liked how the app would read text messages from

customers, it made it so much more safer while driving. I glanced at the time until I arrived on

the dash and hit the microphone in the app to reply.

"Good evening Michael, you are very welcome, I've always preferred driving at night and this

delivery was on my way home to Rocky Mount anyways. I'm about 7 minutes away. I'm doing

my best to get there as fast as I can while driving safely. These winding roads are slowing me

down a bit, but I have your food in insulated bags and the heater at full blast so it should still be at least warm when I get it to you " I do what I can... I made another turn and glanced at the

water as I passed over a bridge. I blinked noticing a huge lit up house in the distance. "Wow..." I sighed wondering what it was like to live there then shook my head turning my attention back to the road.

"I see you, after the next right you'll notice brick pillars with lights on top down the street. Turn

in there and follow the dirt road up to the house. Please don't park in front, pull up on the side and park in the brick carport. I will be outside waiting to help you carry everything in." As I followed Micheal's instructions I realized I was getting close to the huge house I saw on the bridge. I stopped as I pulled up to the brick pillars with the lights. I double checked the address and the map to make sure I was in the right place. There were hanging lights along the trees and oil lanterns lighting the path to the house.

"Huh... nice... Just how I would have lit it..." I turned in and slowly followed the path up to the

house, when I cleared the trees I saw a bunch of cars parked out front and I turned down my

own music hearing the music from inside. "Must be having a party..." I looked down at the

pizza then back at the house. "Why pizza?" I backed into the carport on the side of the house

seeing the entrance was on the left so we wouldn't have to walk around the car to move the food inside. As I looked at the review camera on the dash I heard a tap on the passenger

window. I stopped and looked over to see an older gray haired man in a tuxedo, I rolled down

the window. "Hello, Micheal?" He grinned and nodded.

"Yes. Thank you again for taking our order. You can go ahead and turn off your car." I nodded

a little confused but turned off the car rolling up the window and quickly got out moving around

to the passenger side. I looked him up and down then looked at the door.

"I'm pretty under dressed, will it be okay that I go inside like this?" I looked down at myself then

back at him, he chuckled.

"That's the door to the kitchen, only staff will see you."

"Oh, okay." I opened the passenger door and pulled out the first bag, Micheal took it from me

so I grabbed the other two. I went to close the door with my hip but Michael closed it for me

then held the kitchen door open for me. "Oh, thank you." I walked in ignoring the servers and

black marble counters looking for a place to put the pizza down. "Where would you like me to

put it?" I asked looking back and seemed to catch him looking me over, I ignored it.

"This counter over here." I followed him to another counter that was open looking into the

house. The people were all dressed elegantly and wearing masks, this wasn't just a party. I set

my first bag down and opened the second pulling out the four boxes of pizza onto the counter.

"PIZZA?!" I looked up to see a younger guy wearing an intricately beaded old style blazer and matching mask with long brown hair glaring at us.

"My apologies Sir, the caterer we ordered crashed on the way and pizza was the only thing I could get delivered so late."

"It was either that, Taco Bell, Wendy's or Cook Out Burger... Sir." The guy looked at me and I

bowed my head respectfully. "However, Lilly's Pizza has the best pizza that I've tried in North

Carolina so far. It is quite good." He sighed moving his eyes from me to the pizza I had set

down and turned it to open the top one and look it over. I grinned as I saw steam come out of the box and glanced at Michael, he glanced at me and gave a nod of approval. I looked back

at the masked man and watched him take a bite of the pizza, he looked at me again and

stared at me while he chewed, I held his gaze confidently.

"Where did you say this was from?"

"Lilly's Pizza, in Raleigh." He let the lid to the box fall closed.

"Raleigh? How did you keep it so hot?"

"Insulated bags, a heater full blast and fast driving... Sir." He took another bite as he continued looking me over then sighed.

"What is your name?"

"Betsy, Sir." He looked at Michael and nodded.

"It'll do. Set this up with plates so people can come get some as they want it..." He glanced

back at me. "...and get her properly dressed, I want her to join me." I started to object as the

masked man turned to walk away but Michael stopped me and leaned in to whisper.

"Do you have another delivery to make after this?" I looked at Michael ans shook my head.

"No, this was my last, I was heading home when it popped up." He gently took my arm.

"Come with me, we need to be quick." He looked at the servers as he led me out of the kitchen. "Get some plates and napkins over here and start serving!" He led me out of the kitchen.

"Hey, um... Michael. This place is gorgeous but I can't stay, I'm completely exhausted and all I

want to do right now is to get home and go to sleep." He continued leading me down a hall

then through a door which he quickly closed then turned to me.

"Miss Betsy, I'm sorry about your exhaustion but I'm afraid you'll have to stay. My master is

used to getting what he wants."

"Well he won't with me, nobody demands anything of me. If he can't ASK nicely I want nothing to do with him." I reached for the door but Michael blocked me.

"Nobody knows this here, but he is a Prince, you MUST do as he wishes."

"I don't care who he is, ANYBODY can be connected to Royalty these days, even I come from a line of Irish Royalty." He raised an eyebrow at me.

"Really? What is your last name?"

"The Royal blood comes from my birthfather's side, his name was Daughtrey. But what does

that matter, I'm like two thousandth in line or something. I'm goin-" He slammed his hand on

the door slamming it shut as I tried to open it.

"That's why..." I blink at him.

"Why what?"

"Lady Betsy, I've NEVER seen anyone talk to him like that and get away with it. He must be

able to see your attitude as confidence rather than defiance. That is a Noble trait My Lady. This

must be why he's so taken with you."

"Wow, from Miss to My Lady in a matter of moments, must be a new record." He hid his smile with a heavy sigh then looked me dead in the eye.

"Please My Lady, if you go he will unleash his rath on me and just demand you be found first

thing tomorrow anyway. Just tolerate him for tonight and I will tip you handsomely through the Eats app after." I stopped fighting him.

"What kind of rath are we talking here?"

"The bad kind My Lady." I sigh heavily.

"I'll need a Diet Coke pronto." He sighed.

"My deepest thanks, My Lady. Please choose one of these gowns and get changed, I will send

in someone to do your hair and makeup." He quickly walked out and I turned to look over the

costumes. None of them really seemed my style but one hidden on a mannequin caught my

eye. It was purple velvet with crystal beads and golden accents all over it and had beautiful

golden wings and mask to match. I undressed and put it on as best I could on my own. I folded

my regular clothes and hid them up inside the mannequin standing quickly as the door opened and two young ladies walked in. They dressed plainly but were clearly a part of the staff. One stepped forward holding out a glass, I could tell it was my Diet Coke.

"I believe this is for you My Lady." I took it and gulped it down.

"Thank you, I needed that to help me stay awake and get through this."

"Let me help you fix your gown My Lady, then we'll do your hair and makeup, the Prince is

already growing impatient."

"Oh really... well take your time then. From the sound of it, it's about time someone knocked

him off his high horse." They exchanged glances and adjusted my costume.

"Come sit My Lady." I sat down carefully so I didn't messed the costume up and I felt one of

the girls pull the band holding my ponytail up.

"I like my makeup dark and hair down unless I'm working. I never really liked the whole girly

girl look."

"Not to worry My Lady, we'll make you look like a beautiful dark fairy princess." The other girl

giggled as she started my makeup.

"Which is actually quite fitting considering the Prince's costume."

"Oh great... and what is that?"

"Couldn't you tell My Lady? He is dark Prince of the Underworld."

"God, how arrogant can you get...? A Prince dressing up as a Prince at a masque... What an

asshole."

"I haven't been here long, but perhaps there is a reason for the way he acts."

"He seems to actually LIKE you My Lady, perhaps you can figure him out."

"If I wanted too I'm sure I could, I have a way of getting people to like and trust me without

trying." They were just finishing up when the door opened and Michael walked in holding two

boxes.

"Well lets hope for everyone's sake you want to then. He is particularly hardest on the staff."

He closed the door and looked at the girls.

"Are you finished?" The one working on my hair stepped back and the girl doing my makeup

grabbed the red lipstick but I held my hand up to stop her.

"Lighter, and the red won't work with this. Go gold on the outside and fade to purple going

towards the inside of the lips."

"Very creative and elegant." Michael moved in front of me and set down the smaller of the

boxes then opened the larger one. It revealed a golden tiara and jewelry to match the costume.

"I will take care of that..." The girl doing my hair pick out the tiara and went to work attaching it

to my hair. Michael stood back and stared at me sadly.

"What? Do I look that ridiculous?" He smiled shaking his head.

"No My Lady, on the contrary, you look absolutely stunning... Just like it's previous owner..."

"Who was that, a old lover of yours?" His smile fell.

"The Prince's late mother My Lady. She and Michael were quite close friends."

"...were... Michael, I'm sorry." I thought for a second. "Was the Prince like this before she

passed?"

"Only when his father wasn't around."

"Oh, is he gone too?"

"He... disappeared. Shortly after the the Prince's mother passed... You'd do well not to talk about it to his the Prince, it always turns his mood fowl."

"Hm... unless I can coax him into bringing it up himself..."

"All done!" The girls had already put the jewelry on me while we were talking.

"Not quite... I have one more thing for you." He retrieved the other box and opened it revealing

gold velvet boots. He took them out and the girls helped me stand as Michael slid them onto

my feet.

"Wow, you got the right size..." Michael slowly stood and stared at me baffled.

"What?"

"Never mind that, the Prince has been kept waiting long enough."