The Library

Content notes: toxic work environment, classism

Ella had heard stories about the fabled library at the castle. While she longed to see it, she knew it was not to happen. How would a scullery maid ever get into the castle? The last family that employed her had had a small daughter and Ella had spent a lot of time lurking around during the reading lessons. But the family moved and could not afford to take Ella along, and in her new position there was no reading for her.

One day Ella overheard the maids saying that there was going to be a ball at the castle, and she had an idea. She would disguise herself as a lady going to the ball, but instead of spending the night dancing, she would slip into the library.

Even if there was not enough time to read a single book, it would still be wonderful to just see the place, to be there, close enough to touch the covers.

It was not easy, fashioning a gown from scraps and discarded clothes, but Ella was determined. And so it happened that, when her chores were done on the big day, she dressed up in a pretty, though slightly outdated, gown and a pair of silk slippers that had been left after a house party. The slippers were a bit too big, but they would do. She did not plan to dance, anyway.

She made it to the castle and when there was a crush at the doors she stepped into the crowd, becoming one among many. But once inside she did not know where to go. As she could not very well ask, she tried the taller doors lining the hallway. One of the rooms that she peeked into was not empty, a small group of people was there, taking a break from the ball, it seemed. One of the men looked over to her and asked if she wanted to join the conversation. Ella did not dare say anything, as she had not the refined speech that would be expected of a lady, so she just turned and ran.

The young man, thinking she needed help, followed her at once. Ella ran as fast as she could, turning at this corner and that, and ran headlong into someone who could only be the prince. Out of breath, she just pointed behind her and said “Help?”, hoping that one word would not expose her. The prince quickly opened a door and pushed her inside, locking it behind her, staying outside to distract her pursuer.

Once inside the room, Ella realized that she had lost one of her silken slippers in her flight. The slipper was forgotten as soon as she saw where she was. She had found the library! The walls were lined with shelves that were filled with books upon books, more than anyone could read in a dozen lifetimes. Ella was so happy that she did a quick, quite unladylike dance, before she started exploring, reading this title, touching that tome, running her fingers over the pages of an open atlas.

The books called to her and she forgot that she did not really have the time to read.

How could she not want to read? She picked up one of the treasures, sat down in a comfortable chair by the fire and started reading. Ella had wanted to just skim over a couple of paragraphs, to find out what the book was about, but was soon so engrossed in it that the world around her seemed to not exist anymore.

When a key rattled in the door, it was as if she had been woken from a dream. She quickly opened a window and hid behind one of the shelves, cautiously watching who entered. It was the prince, who probably wanted to know who she was, and he had the young man in tow. Ella stayed very, very quiet. The two men looked around the room and gathered that she must have fled through the window. After closing it, they left the room.

Ella slowly counted to a hundred before carefully opening the door and, finding the hallway empty, left first the library and then the castle. Luckily it was summer, so walking with just one slipper was not too bad. Back in her chamber in the attic she was exhausted but too excited to sleep. She’d had such an adventure! And the library! It was a dream come true that she would treasure for as long as she lived.

A few weeks later the household was suddenly in turmoil. The prince was in the drawing room, demanding to see all women under that roof. There was quite a hullabaloo and a lot of shouting of orders until it became clear that “all women” also meant the servants, from the highest to the lowest. So Ella followed the other women, making sure to keep her head down.

When all were assembled, the prince came to stand before the group, holding up – Ella gasped – a silken slipper. And behind him was the young man who had chased after her. The prince said that they had identified the owner of the slipper, but she said she had not seen it since a house party at this place. He wanted to know who had worn it to the ball.

The daughters of the house sniffed at the idea of wearing other peoples’ shoes and were excused. A couple of others were discounted on grounds of height, or shape, or age, until only four were left. Ella could not well hide anymore and she was recognized. Ella produced the other slipper.

The prince said he was overjoyed to have found her, as he was forever in her debt. Due to her flight, the two men had met and introduced themselves to each other. At first the prince had just wanted to stall her pursuer, but upon learning that the young man had only wanted to help, he softened towards him and they started to walk and talk a bit. And after a short time they had fallen blissfully in love.

This was the only reason why the prince had taken so long to free Ella from the library, and he apologized for this. Ella assured him that she had not minded the wait, as the library had been just the place she had come to see anyway.

On hearing this the prince smiled and asked if there was anything he could do for her, as thanks for putting his true love in his way.

Ella took a deep breath. “I would like to get reading lessons – in my free time, and be allowed to visit the library again, without having to sneak in.” The prince gladly agreed. Ella quickly found ways to make herself useful at the library and the castle, as that was her way. She became a valued help and companion. The prince soon asked to employ her himself, and so they all lived happily ever after: the prince with his beloved and Ella with her great love, the library of the castle.