As Arianna entered the village, she looked around. Peasants in rough-spun clothes which looked no better than hers were meandering about, between houses and what appeared to be a central marketplace. The air was filled with the din of random everyday conversations and the smells of both animals and unwashed people. Honestly, Arianna was disgusted having to be this close to common people, the entire setting living up to every stereotype she'd ever envisioned whenever she'd bothered to even think about the lower classes.
And, she noted with annoyance, why wasn't anyone stopping to acknowledge the presence of their princess? They were all ignoring her, like she wasn't even there! Well, she'd fix that. She'd just...
A rumbling from her stomach interrupted her thoughts, reminding Arianna that she hadn't eaten since yesterday. Frowning, she looked around and, spotting a nearby cart in the market selling fresh-baked bread, she walked over to it. Not bothering to even look at the man operating the cart, she grabbed a loaf. She lifted it up to her mouth, but before she could take a bite, a hand suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled it, and the bread, away.
"'ey now, whatda think yer doing?", the cart man asked, "Ya gotta pay fer that first, missy."
Arianna stared at the man, incredulous both that he'd dare touch her and at his statement.
"You actually expect me to pay?" she demanded, "Do you know who I am? I'm the crown princess Arianna!"
"Sure ya are," the man laughed, "And I'm the King of the Moon. Yer gonna halfta tell better lies than that to avoid paying me my due."
"You dare accuse me of lying?" Arianna asked, as a small crowd gathered to watch the exchange.
"Girl, I don't know much of nothing about them nobles and royalty," the man said, "But I do know they like to dress up all fancy and hate getting dirty, cause they think they're too good fer it or something. And you? Ya ain't dressed no better than the rest of us, ya look like you sleep in a ditch, and ya smell like me when I skip me monthly bath. So no, ya ain't no princess."
Arianna paled as she took in what the man said. Looking at herself and then at the watching crowd, she realized to her horror that he was right - between the dress she'd been left with no choice but to wear, the dirt-covered skin and ratty hair from spending a full day and night in the woods, and the stink of having gone without a bath in that whole time, she was indistinguishable from any of them. She didn't look like a princess, she looked like just another peasant!
"So, are ye gonna pay fer that bread, or are we gonna have a problem?" the man asked Arianna, who was too stunned to answer. And then...