Everyone knows the story by now of how Queen Ella of Frell broke a curse of obedience, saved the kingdom of Kyrria, and stopped the fairy Lucinda from giving out any more curses. The story's sweet and charming and all that, but there's one problem- when Lucinda made the curse, she didn't want to be broken. So she put in a little twist- if Ella ever managed to break it, the curse would go to a baby that was being born at that very minute.

I was just lucky enough to be born exactly seventeen seconds after Ella broke her curse.

I didn't, and still don't, see why I had to get the curse. There was someone born ten seconds before Ella broke the curse, and there was another baby born four seconds after me, and another one eleven seconds after that. But no, of course I had to get the curse.

Lucinda was at my birth, just like every other birth in the kingdom of Kyrria. My mother told me the story countless times- though how she knew what happened, I didn't know, because her eyes were closed most of the story. Lucinda had arrived in the form of a midwife.

"Here's your baby, ma'am, and she's sure a beauty," Lucinda said, handing me to Mother.

"Is she?" Mother murmured, her eyes still closed in pain.

"I don't think so," Father mumbled under his breath, so that Mother could barely hear him. Father had been a king in his former life, or so he liked to tell me, and he proceeded to order and act like his kitchen chair was the Royal Throne and his torn, dusty cloak was the Imperial Robe. Nothing either Mother or I could do pleased him, and likewise, Mother had displeased him again here by producing a girl instead of a boy.

"What will you name her?" Lucinda asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"Lily, after the spring flowers," my mother immediately replied, her eyes still closed. "And like spring, I hope she brings refreshment."

Lucinda laughed a high, tinkling laugh. "Now, go to sleep, Lily," she cooed, still rocking me in her arms.

Immediately, my eyes shut and I was sound asleep. Lucinda's face went ghost white. "No!" she shrilled. "It can't be! What have I done?"

Mother's eyes popped open and she sat up so fast the pillow came up with her. "What? What happened to Lily?"

"She- she's cursed," Lucinda couldn't take her stone gaze of me. "Obedience- Ella must have broken the spell- oh, how could I do that?"

"What are you talking about?" Father snapped irritably.

"See, when this girl named Ella was born, I cast a spell to make her obedient, and I made it that if another baby was born within the minute of her breaking the curse- because I never expected her to want to break it- would recieve the curse as well. Oh, how could I be so stupid? Now Lily has to do whatever she's told!"

"WHAT?" Mother was almost shouting.

"I'm so sorry," Lucinda practically dropped me into a cradle. "But I think I can change the spell a little bit… let me think… oh, yes, I know, it's brilliant! Whenever Lily gets an order, she still has to obey, but- let me think- when she turns eighteen years old, she'll have an opportunity to break the curse!"

"Can't you just take the curse away?" Mother asked.

"I'm so sorry!" Lucinda almost sobbed. "We're not allowed! I must be going."

"Wait- how can she break the curse- can she break it sooner- don't leave!" But Lucinda left with Mother's questions still hanging in the air, and Father wouldn't summon her back.

"It's just as well. At least now it will be easier to keep tabs on her," he shrugged, and left my mother alone with me.

If the curse made Queen Ella a rebel, it made me five revolts packed into one. I would simply refuse to do anything that I wasn't ordered to do, and the things I was ordered to do, I always managed to find a way to mess up. If Mother ordered me to wash the dishes, I would wash them while reading a book and they always came out of the washing as dirty as when I had started. The stains in the laundry became worse and worse, and eventually, I couldn't be trusted with even the most basic chores- not that it bothered me.

My mother had three more daughters before she produced a boy child.

My brother, Edward, would turn out to be the worst thing that happened to me since the idea of spankings.