There was once a young orphan girl who’s name was Ellastasia. Ellastasia had beautiful red hair that waved down her back like a waterfall, and glistened in the radiant sun like treasured gold. Her eyes were shiny blue like precious diamonds lost in the humble deep sea, and her lips were pink as cherry blossoms. Inside and out, Ellastasia was beautiful.
Nobody knew where Ellastasia was from, for the only thing that was left with her as an infant was a piece of parchment, torn in two, pleading the orphan home to take her in. As far as anyone knew, a doorstep is where she began her life. As she arrived towards her sixteenth year Ellastasia was brought into a new home, and sent away from the orphanage with her new parents. These foster parents were foul, and did not care for Ellastasia. They locker her in the stables, seldom paying her any attention. Adopting her only for the pay, these parents were evil.
Though Ellastasia was bound to this burdened life she took the deepest of breaths, and spoke the sweetest of words. She was friends with all the horses of the stables, particularly with a black stallion named Sherlock.
“This is unfair treatment my lady, such a beautiful girl locked away as a sad soul. You deserve better.” Sherlock would say, as he said this every day. Though today, as Ellastasia was cleaning the stables, the stallion had something else to allege. “My lady! The father, the mother, they plan to sell you to an evil man whose on his way this moment! You must flee!” And with that, the stallion heaved her to his back and started out the stables as if they were flying.
But the father had seen them scrambling and started to chase them. As it seemed there was no hope, Sherlock leapt out the front gate, returning Ellastasia to freedom. The unfatherly man cursed to the wind and shouted out to his prized sell.

“ You are worthless! You will always be nothing more than a runaway peasant orphan!” A tear flew down Ellastasia’s cheek as they fled to safety. Not from pride nor feelings, yet as from what she had never had. They ran to the streets of the city, blindly searching for a way out. Ellastasia desperately turned to a middle aged beggar woman, hoping for an answer.
“Madame!” She pleaded. “Madame please! I need to find a way out, a way to flee before they catch me!”
The beggar looked up at Ellastasia’s face and immediately nodded. She wordlessly grabbed Sherlock’s reins and hurriedly led them out of the city. They came to an abandoned bridge many hours later and the beggar released her grip.

“This is as far as I can take you. In a few miles you shall touch the barren soil of Spain. You will be safe child; I wish you the best of luck.” She grabbed Ellastasia’s hand and held it, lost in the essence of time as her thoughts trailed far away to bitter-sweet moments of long ago. And with that, she disappeared in to the dense blanket of trees and brush. Sherlock and Ellastasia walked together to their new profound home of freedom. With their hearts in sync, Ellastasia felt free, and sure as she was there would be another tomorrow, she took another step.
THREE YEARS LATER…

Queen Ellastasia of Spain sat on her throne alongside her loving king, and her best stallion Sherlock. Of that day, she thought of the beggar woman whom she owed her life to, and wondered where she was of that moment. Far, far, away a now elderly woman sat on the corner of a busied street weaving a half torn piece of parchment through her fingers. And as her thoughts yet again trailed away, a tear rolled down her cheek out of her shiny blue eyes which also resembled precious diamonds. For all along, Ellastasia had known what she thought she never had.







Never underestimate the best in others.