Princess to Pauper

A letter from a young Princess Valiana, at ten years old, to Ana - her handmaiden, cousin, and body double.
At the time of this letter, Ana had been sent away to a nunnery for a short time. The official 'line' given to the two young girls was that Ana was too slow to pick up what was needed from her to act as Valiana's double, and she was required to undergo some additional training. Not quite true, even at such a young age, Ana was a quick study, and she was raised to stand in Valiana's place. Out-of-wedlock pairings of individuals had been part of the Royal Family's process for a long time. Her parents had been sure to raise her with an extensive understanding of the social norms and rules of civilised society.
Another factor that was kept far more quiet, included the Princess Valiana's need to develop friendships and connections beyond her 'common' cousin. With the recent death of Queen Consort Amatta, Valiana became the first and only heir to the rulership of the Unition of Almusia. Showing that the royal family was allowing their daughter to connect with the other eligible Lords of the Unition would go a long way to securing quiet faith in King Alsaran's current rule. Any family with children within a decade or so of Valiana's age was invited to the The King's County for a ball.

Dearest A,
I know I shouldn't be writing this, but father had the mirror taken away from me and I can't help myself.
Its weird to not have you here. Not that I need you (how Father got that into his head I have no idea) but I do miss you. There's a young Lordlng here who is quite annoying, though, so probably best that I deal with him. Teodan. Ugh. When you come back, hope you never have to meet him as me. Thinks he's all that.
I hope your having fun in the nunnery or whatever. Learn quickly and come back soon. The Palace is boring and the people are annoying.
Love V
PS tutor didn't read this and your not here so any mistakes aren't my fault
PPS probably burn this now

As Ana's existence is one of the best-kept secrets in the Unition, having an account, with hints of her purpose and presence written down on paper, was a very foolhardy move. This letter never made it to Ana in the nunnery, and events subsequent to the writing of this letter were sufficiently distracting to the young Princess that she never remembered to ask.

Type

Text, Letter