Adrienne curled up tighter, shivering. It was only September (the fifth, to be exact), but it was bitterly cold. Soon she heard Justine's demanding voice.

"Sooty! Get up! Breakfast needs cooking and the floors need scrubbing!" the woman yelled, causing a quiet groan from Adrienne.

She rose, slipped a dress over her thin figure, then tied on an apron. Running her fingers through her long hair, she looked for eggs. Just my luck, she thought when she found none. So she went outside to gather the eggs from her chickens. The feathered beasts milled about her feet as she walked, making her giggle softly. A small one tried to get in her apron. "Rosie, no," she whispered sternly, placing the chicken on the ground. She gathered the eggs, pausing when she heard a commotion in the town square.

"Attention, everyone! On September 6, there shall be a ball where the prince shall choose a bride!" the town crier called. Adrienne's heart fluttered. She had met the prince once before. He was handsome, kind, and respectful. She wished she could marry him, but knew she had no chance with him. Sighing, she went back inside to cook.

Justine stood impatiently inside the house. "What's taking so long?" she demanded.

"There was news of a ball this September," Adrienne said quickly.

Justine smirked. "What day?" she asked. Adrienne told her what she had heard.

Justine left the house with Mary and Jane. "We'll be back, these two need new dresses," Justine called as she left. "Scrub the floors by the time we return!"

Adrienne filled a bucket with soap and water, then started scrubbing. As she cleaned, she sang the song she and her father shared.

"A dream is a wish your heart makes
When you're fast asleep
In dreams you will lose your heartache
Whatever you wish for, you keep--"

Her song was interrupted by the clink of gold coins hitting one another near her. Confused but grateful, she dropped them in her apron. Then she remembered a certain person who robbed the rich to feed the poor. This notorious bandit had been nicknamed Robin Hood by many, no one knowing this individual's true identity.

Adrienne soon finished her chore, then wiped her now sweaty brow. She climbed the narrow stairs leading to the attic, where she had a trunk of her mother's old things. She opened the trunk and pulled out an old dress. It was baby blue with darker trim. The sleeves stopped at her elbows, and the skirt came all the way to the floor. She slipped into it, marvelling at its beauty. She recalled her mother wearing this dress at a social event when Adrienne was seven.

"Mama!" Adrienne had giggled, tugging on the skirt of the dress. "You look so pretty!"

Henriette picked up her daughter. "As do you," she whispered, poking Adrienne's nose. The young girl giggled then embraced her mother.

She hadn't realized she was crying when she heard the front door open. Wiping her eyes, she put the dress back in the trunk and raced downstairs. Justine was waiting for her. "Where have you been?" she asked.

Adrienne tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I was cleaning upstairs," she lied carefully.

Justine rolled her eyes. "Whatever. You're dismissed," she snapped, turning and walking away.

Mary snickered at Adrienne. "She's so stupid if she thinks mother will believe her story," she whispered to Jane.

Jane nodded. "Oh yes! She's incredibly stupid!" she agreed. Adrienne rolled her eyes and left the house to go to the market.

When she arrived at her destination, she saw a good friend of hers. "Hazelle!" she said cheerfully.

"How's my favorite customer?" the woman asked. Hazelle was an old woman who ran a broth booth at the market. Everyone for miles around came for Hazelle's broth. Even the King himself ate it-- and he was the pickiest eater anyone knew.

Adrienne grinned, pressing a few coins into Hazelle's hand. "Amazing," she whispered, answering the woman's question.

"Thank you," Hazelle whispered back, as Adrienne went along on her way.

She was at the baker's cart when the butcher's son hugged her from behind. "Hiya Ad!" he squeaked. She turned and ruffled his hair.

"Hello Peter," she said softly. He laughed, making her chuckle as well. "I have a present for you and your family," she told him, giving him a few coins. He hugged her again.

"Thanks Ad!" he exclaimed, running off to find his mother. She smiled fondly at him, paying for the bread from the baker.

She put the bread in her basket and set off for home on a path through the woods. She sang as she walked, the words just coming to her.

"Deep in the meadow, under the willow
A bed of grass, a soft green pillow
Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes
And when again they open, the sun will rise

"Here it's safe, here it's warm
Here the daisies guard you from every harm
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you

"Deep in the meadow, hidden far away
A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray
Forget your woes and let your troubles lay
And when it's morning they'll wash away

"Here it's safe, here it's warm
Here the daisies guard you from every harm
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you..."

Adrienne sang like a songbird, her voice clear and beautiful. It was what had charmed many, and changed her father's life for the better.