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    Once Upon A Princess: Beauty & the Faun: Once Upon A Princess, #1
    Once Upon A Princess: Beauty & the Faun: Once Upon A Princess, #1
    Once Upon A Princess: Beauty & the Faun: Once Upon A Princess, #1
    Ebook122 pages2 hoursOnce Upon a Princess

    Once Upon A Princess: Beauty & the Faun: Once Upon A Princess, #1

    By Deborah A. Bailey

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    In order to settle their debts, Kayla's rich uncle and aunt arrange for her to marry an ill-reputed prince from another land.

    She and her mother were forced to live with these well-to-do relations after Kayla's father, a simple woodsman her mother gave up aristocratic life to marry, died.

    Favoring her own two daughters, Kayla's aunt fully intends to marry them off to the richest lords that will have them. She couldn't care less what happens to Kayla…so long as she doesn't run off with a penniless commoner. 

    The idea of marrying someone she's never even met holds no appeal for Kayla.  The foreign prince's standing in public opinion does nothing to convince her either. He refuses to attend the fancy balls, court the lovely and available young ladies of the land, and sometimes disappears for weeks at a time.

    Planning to hide in the Great Forest, she meets Del, a faun shifter who looks forward to teaching her a few things about life and love. If only all her problems could be solved magically by her fairy godmother.

    Even if she's fallen in love with Del, how can she hide from her duty to marry the prince when her own mother will suffer if she refuses?
     

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBright Street Books
    Release dateNov 18, 2017
    ISBN9781386158042
    Once Upon A Princess: Beauty & the Faun: Once Upon A Princess, #1
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    Author

    Deborah A. Bailey

    Deborah A. Bailey is an author of Romantic Fantasy, Science Fiction and Paranormal Romance. Her novels include suspense, a bit of mystery and a lot of romantic heat. Her short stories have won awards from the Philadelphia Writers' Conference and have been published in US1 Magazine and the Sun and are included in, Electric Dreams: Seven Futuristic Tales. She's also the author of non-fiction books, and articles for various online publications. Visit her site https://authordebbailey.com and subscribe to the newsletter so you'll be the first to find out about giveaways and upcoming book launches.

    Read more from Deborah A. Bailey

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    • 4/5

      Feb 9, 2024


      A fiction about a tray (t-ray for perfect ray) server and her job excellence at the bath)bar-t) which earn her the princess nomination by Agnes(Ag for silver or seal affair and NES pronounced ness)

      Okoko Ayezu Tamarapreye
      I read the preview on Everand.com
      Once Upon A Princess: Beauty & the Faun By Deborah Bailey

    Book preview

    Once Upon A Princess - Deborah A. Bailey

    Once Upon A Princess

    Beauty and the Faun

    Deborah A. Bailey

    Bright Street Books

    Piscataway, NJ

    Copyright © 2017 by Deborah A. Bailey

    All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed Attention: Permissions Coordinator, at the address below.

    Deborah A. Bailey/Bright Street Books

    Piscataway, New Jersey 08855

    www.BrightStreetBooks.com

    Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

    Book Layout ©2017 BookDesignTemplates.com

    Cover Design by Deborah A. Bailey

    Once Upon A Princess: Heart of Stone/ Deborah A. Bailey.—1st ed.

    Contents

    1 Once Upon A Time

    2 Betrothal Plans

    3 Flight

    4 Caught

    5 The Taste of Pomegranate

    6 The Great Forest

    7 The Choice

    9 Departure

    10 The Prince

    11 Forever Bound

    12 Epilogue

    Once Upon A Princess: Heart of Stone

    The Once Upon A Princess: Duet

    Other Books by Deborah A. Bailey

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    Thanks to Kelli A. Wilkins for her valuable feedback.

    And, as always, thank you to my mom,

    Ruth Bailey, who always believed in me.

    The only lasting beauty is the beauty of the heart

    ―RUMI

    1 Once Upon A Time

    "K ayla! Where are you ? We need your help in the kitchen

    Coming! Kayla tied the straps of her apron and rushed out of her room. That's what she got for taking extra time in the bath.

    She was going to be late for helping with the breakfast. At least it was only a few steps away from the back stairs of the house. So much easier for her to get to the kitchens and the garden – her favorite place.

    Not that she was unhappy with her quarters in her uncle's mansion. It could've been much worse. She and her mother were lucky to have relatives to take them in. Ashley Park was the largest mansion in the shire, and had once belonged to Kayla's grandparents.

    When she got to the kitchen, the head cook, Lucinda was busy kneading bread for the rolls. Behind her, the assistants were involved with the other fixings. Eggs and thick hunks of bacon and fish marinated in white wine. Then there were the marmalades and the sweetmeats and the special caviar that her uncle had paid a handsome price for. Her aunt liked to entertain her friends from the nobility for breakfast and everything had to be the best.

    All this rich food for breakfast. I don't understand how they don't all get gout. Jackon was griping again from his post near the oversized fireplaces. For the most part he was responsible for turning the spit over the fire and for making sure the loaves of bread were cooked properly. But he seemed to spend all of the time complaining about how much money her uncle was spending.

    Be quiet, Lucinda ordered, as she slapped the heavy dough on the long wooden table. If it wasn't for Sir Frederick's money you wouldn't have a job. A petite woman in her 60's, Lucinda had years of experience supervising the kitchen staff. She'd known Kayla's mother when she'd lived in the mansion as a girl.

    He's not doing me any favors. Jackon pointed his long, spindly finger at Kayla. Look at that young girl there, she shouldn't be working in a kitchen. He's her uncle and he works her and her mother like servants.

    I'm a woman, not a child, Kayla said. My uncle has been good to us. Sometimes she hated having to listen to Jackon go on and on. He never stopped trying to stir up trouble in the household.

    Don't listen to him, Lucinda said. Sir Frederick can be loose with his money, but he did a very good thing by taking care of his relations.

    Jackon snorted. Then why is he planning to marry her off to pay his debts? Answer me that, woman?

    What? Where you hear that? Kayla exclaimed. This was the first time anyone had mentioned her name and marriage in the same sentence. You don't know what you're talking about.

    I drive Sir Frederick to his gaming parlors where he loses all that money. Addicted to gambling, that one, Jackon said, wiping the sweat off his wrinkled brow. He said that to me just the other day. He said you turned into a very pretty lady and he was sure he could make you a very wealthy match.

    He made matches for his two daughters, Sarah, one of the young kitchen assistants, said. They both married rich.

    I'll say. A count and a baron. You'd have to marry a prince to go higher. Lucinda rolled the dough out with her rolling pin. I can't believe they pulled that off. Sir Frederick isn't that much of an aristocrat.

    Jackon laughed. It's his wife feeding all those rich friends of hers. That's how they did it. You wouldn't think she was born a seamstress' daughter the way she acts. Miss high and mighty. He spat into the fire.

    You talk too much around Kayla. Lucinda nodded to a basket that was sitting on the end of the table. We'll need some herbs for the cold soup, child. Go cut some.

    I'd be happy to. She'd rather be outside anyway. The servants felt comfortable enough to gossip around her, but it was awkward to hear what they really thought of her uncle and aunt.

    The gardens were her favorite place. It had been her father's as well. He'd been a woodsman and an expert in knowing the flowers and herbs for cures. Unfortunately his own illness had come so quickly, that nothing could help him. It was the year of the colder than normal winter, and an illness had gone around her village. He'd gone to help others, and had fallen ill himself.

    Kayla picked a few leaves off of the basil plant flowering near the stream that wound through the property. Perhaps some flowers for the table would be nice as well. The sound of horses passing by caught her attention. Looked like a carriage heading to the front entrance of the house.  Her aunt's breakfast guests were already arriving. Oh well, back to the kitchen so she could help prepare the meal.

    AN HOUR LATER LUCINDA and her helpers were putting the finishing touches on the first breakfast course. Three footmen watched from the doorway, waiting to take the trays up to the dining room.

    Kayla mixed a sprinkling of dried herbs into the spread for the rolls. She wasn't as skilled as the cooks were, but Lucinda let her help out. It was certainly better than polishing the silver utensils and serving pieces. She loved how they looked after she was done, but the work itself was so boring. And being stuck in the windowless room where all the silver was stored wasn't much fun either.

    But at least her aunt let her create floral arrangements to decorate the dining room. That was much more fun.

    Take this and this. Lucinda pointed to the trays. Oh, and come back for the wine. Lady Diane wants it in that crystal decanter.

    The footmen went about their business with quiet efficiency. After they left, Lucinda busied herself at the sink.

    Kayla. You should heed my advice. Jackon waved her over to the fireplace. I know what your uncle is planning. You don’t know who he might try to marry you off to. You need to think about your future.

    I don't believe you, Kayla said. "My uncle wouldn’t do that.

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