The Princess Experience

By eleven o’clock Saturday morning, Willow House was already transformed.

Delivery trucks moved through the service entrance. Florists carried arrangements into the main hall. Caterers rolled carts through the corridors while volunteers adjusted decorations, tested lights, arranged tables, and attempted to keep dozens of excited children away from anything fragile.

One of the activity rooms had been converted into a preparation suite. Temporary partitions divided the space into four stations, one for each adult princess.

Jenna occupied the first, laughing nervously while a stylist pinned curls into place. The other two selected volunteers sat nearby in various stages of makeup and hairstyling.

The fourth station was considerably more crowded.

Emily stood at its center like the conductor of a particularly chaotic orchestra.

“Not too much pressure on the left hand,” she instructed. “Natalie, blend upward. Maddie, stop making her laugh while Riley is painting.”

“I’m not doing anything,” Maddie protested.

“You’re breathing mischievously.”

Samuel sat in a satin robe while Riley painted the nails on his left hand and Lily worked on the right. They had chosen a pale icy-blue polish with a fine silver shimmer, elegant enough for the gown without competing with it.

Natalie assisted Emily with the heavy stage makeup, following every instruction with unusual seriousness. Maddie prepared the wig nearby, separating the long light-brown hair into sections for curling.

Lily understood that she could not displace the three girls who had originally created Samantha. Natalie, Maddie, and Riley had taught Samuel how to dress, move, speak, and survive at St. Catherine’s.

The girls, in turn, understood how excited Lily was to participate.

They had reached an unspoken agreement.

There was room for all four of them.

Lily examined Samuel’s newly painted nails.

“You never wanted to play with dolls when we were children,” she said. “And now you’re my doll.”

Everyone laughed.

Samuel made an exaggerated expression of disgust, which made Riley nearly ruin one nail.

“Stop moving,” she said.

“Tell my sister to stop insulting me.”

“It was a compliment,” Lily replied.

Emily stepped closer and tilted Samuel’s face toward the light.

“Eyes closed.”

He obeyed.

The makeup was heavier than anything she had applied before. A luminous foundation created a flawless base beneath the bright event lighting. Emily sculpted the face more dramatically, softened the jaw, and added a rosy flush high on the cheeks. Silver and pale blue shadow extended across the eyelids, deepened at the outer corners by charcoal liner. False lashes created a sweeping frame around the eyes, while a subtle shimmer beneath them made the his eyes appear brighter.

The lips were outlined, shaped, and filled with a rich rose-pink gloss.

“This is a lot of makeup,” Samuel said without opening his eyes.

“This is a lot of dress,” Emily replied. “The face has to survive it.”

“That is not reassuring.”

“It wasn’t meant to be.”

Once his nails were dry, Maddie and Natalie began styling the wig under Emily’s supervision. They created large, polished waves, pulling the upper sections back from the face so the crown could be secured while leaving the rest to fall over Samantha’s shoulders.

When the hair and makeup were finished, Lily studied him.

For a moment, she said nothing.

Samuel became nervous.

“What?”

“You’re beautiful.”

He looked away.

“Don’t get emotional yet,” Emily warned. “We still have lashes to protect.”

A volunteer appeared beside the partition carrying a rectangular gift box wrapped in pale blue paper.

“This was left for Samantha.”

Lily accepted it and carried it behind the improvised dressing screen, where Samuel had gone to prepare for the gown.

A card rested beneath the ribbon.

He opened it.

For the best sister and friend, who will also be the best princess.
With love,
Maddie, Natalie, Riley, and Lily

Samuel looked toward Lily.

“You were standing beside me when someone delivered this.”

“I’m capable of planning ahead.”

He lifted the lid.

Inside was a coordinated pale-blue set of undergarments trimmed with delicate lace: a structured longline bra, high-waisted briefs, a garter belt, and sheer stockings.

Samuel stared into the box.

“Thank you,” he said flatly. “Very funny, all of you.”

Lily grinned.

“This is the full sister experience.”

“This is psychological warfare.”

“And thank you for being such a good sport.”

“I haven’t agreed to wear it.”

“The costume instructions require stockings.”

“Not the rest of it.”

“The rest coordinates.”

“No one will see it.”

“We’ll know.”

“That is not an argument.”

Lily handed him the box.

“Get dressed, Princess.”

Samuel pointed toward the partition.

“Out.”

Still laughing, Lily stepped outside.

Behind the screen, Samuel removed the satin robe.

He changed into the undergarments without ceremony, treating each piece as another necessary layer of the costume. The longline bra provided a smooth foundation beneath the structured bodice. The high-waisted briefs prevented lines beneath the fitted waist, while the garter belt held the sheer stockings securely enough that he would not have to adjust them during the event.

When he finished, he wrapped the robe around himself again.

“Lily?”

She entered carrying the first crinoline.

Samuel looked at it.

Then at the second one waiting outside.

“How many are there?”

“Three.”

“That cannot be necessary.”

“It is extremely necessary.”

The first layer fastened around his waist and immediately expanded the robe outward. The second added more volume. By the time Lily secured the third, Samuel occupied most of the dressing space.

He attempted to turn.

The crinolines struck the partition.

“Excellent,” he said. “I’m now a piece of furniture.”

Lily stepped back.

“You’re not even wearing the skirt yet.”

“That sentence has destroyed what remained of my confidence.”

Samuel gathered the robe closed and carefully stepped from behind the screen.

The room went silent.

Then Maddie clapped.

“The princess has a foundation.”

“Do not call it that,” Samuel said.

The gown waited nearby on a padded hanger.

Its color was a luminous blue somewhere between cornflower and clear winter sky. Under the lights, different layers shifted from pale blue to silver-blue, giving the fabric the illusion of movement even while still.

The bodice was structured around an integrated corset. A gently curved neckline framed the collarbones, supported by wide straps placed near the edges of the shoulders so that the silhouette appeared almost off-the-shoulder without risking movement during the parade. Silver embroidery spread across the bodice like frost, with small crystals concentrated at the waist.

Below it waited an immense ball-gown skirt formed from layers of satin, organza, and soft tulle. The outer layer fell in broad, weightless folds over the crinolines, ending in a dramatic border of gathered blue tulle. A short train extended behind it, large enough to appear regal but short enough to be secured for walking.

Samuel stared.

“That is more dress than I expected.”

“It’s more dress than anyone expects,” Emily said.

Maddie and Riley lifted the gown. Natalie guided Samuel’s arms upward.

The bodice descended over his head first, followed by what felt like several miles of fabric. The skirt settled over the crinolines, transforming them from an awkward metal-and-tulle structure into an enormous, perfectly rounded silhouette.

Lily moved behind him and began closing the back.

The integrated corset used a combination of hooks and lacing. Once the hooks were secured, Riley and Maddie helped tighten the ribbons gradually.

“Can you breathe?” Emily asked.

“Yes.”

“Comfortably?”

“Define comfortably.”

They loosened the lacing slightly.

“Better?”

“Yes.”

The corset created a sharply defined waist beneath the vast skirt, while the structured bodice and padding completed Samantha’s feminine proportions.

Lily tied the final ribbon and hid it beneath the back panel.

“Done.”

Samuel tried to look behind him.

The skirt moved half a second later than the rest of his body.

“This is going to be a disaster.”

“You said that about the St. Catherine’s uniform,” Riley reminded him.

“And the graduation dress,” Natalie added.

“And the volunteer uniform,” Maddie said.

“And the cocktail dress,” Lily finished.

“I have an excellent record of justified concern.”

Emily knelt and helped guide the silver satin pumps beneath the hem. Lily fastened the ankle straps while Natalie ensured the stockings remained smooth.

Standing required assistance from all four of them.

Samuel placed one hand on the nearby chair and rose carefully.

The gown settled around him.

Its weight was distributed through the corset and crinolines, but the sheer volume changed everything about movement. He could not see his feet. Turning required planning. Walking demanded that he lead with the skirt rather than fight against it.

“Small steps,” Emily instructed.

Samuel took one.

The gown glided forward.

He took another.

The skirt followed with a soft rush of fabric.

“Don’t look down,” Lily said. “You won’t see anything useful.”

“I would like confirmation that my feet still exist.”

“They do.”

“For now,” Maddie added.

Samuel practiced crossing the room, turning carefully, and sitting without crushing the skirt beneath him. Each movement felt absurd at first. Then, slowly, the gown began to respond to him.

Emily waited until he could walk without panicking before placing the crown.

It was a silver tiara set with clear and pale-blue stones. Maddie and Natalie held the styled waves in place while Emily secured it with pins.

Lily opened a small velvet box and lifted out a delicate crystal choker from her own collection.

“Is that yours?” Samuel asked.

“Yes.”

He hesitated only a moment.

“Can I borrow it?”

Lily’s smile softened.

“See? That wasn’t so difficult.”

She fastened the choker around Samantha’s neck. Emily added a pair of coordinating clip-on earrings supplied with the costume, Riley chose a silver bracelet, Maddie selected two delicate rings, and Natalie adjusted the final folds of the skirt.

When they finished, Samantha stood before the full-length mirror.

The reflection seemed impossible.

The luminous blue gown filled nearly the entire frame. The fitted bodice created an elegant, feminine shape above the vast, shimmering skirt. Silver embroidery caught the light around the waist and neckline. The tiara rose above waves of dark brown hair, while the dramatic makeup transformed Samuel’s features into those of a storybook princess.

For several seconds, no one spoke.

Lily appeared beside the reflection.

“There she is.”

Samuel studied Samantha.

Not a disguise created to enter St. Catherine’s.

Not a girl ordered into existence by Daphne.

A princess he had chosen to become.

He smiled.

 

The children had been separated into two rooms.

The young princes gathered in one, adjusting capes, crowns, jackets, and toy swords. The young princesses waited in another, surrounded by satin skirts, plastic jewelry, glittering shoes, and enough excitement to fill the entire building.

The four adult princesses visited the princes first.

The boys reacted with a combination of enthusiasm and embarrassment. Several bowed dramatically. One attempted to challenge Jenna to a duel until a volunteer confiscated his sword.

Then the princesses crossed the hallway.

The moment they entered the girls’ room, the children erupted.

They surrounded the four women, exclaiming over the gowns, crowns, and jewelry. Samantha’s blue skirt drew immediate attention. Several children touched the outer layer of tulle before being gently reminded to ask permission.

Through the movement, Samantha noticed one child who had not approached.

Maya stood near the wall.

She wore a smaller blue princess dress with silver stars embroidered across the skirt. Her dark curls had been arranged around a delicate tiara. She looked beautiful.

She also looked terrified.

Samantha moved toward her as carefully as the gown allowed.

Maya watched her approach, uncertain.

When Samantha stopped in front of her, Maya studied the face beneath the heavy makeup.

“Is it really you?”

Samantha lowered herself as far as the enormous skirt permitted.

“It’s really me.”

Maya continued looking.

“You look different.”

“So do you.”

“You look beautiful.”

Samantha smiled.

“So do you, Princess Maya.”

Maya glanced toward the other children.

“I thought you might not come.”

“I promised.”

Maya nodded, but her hands remained tightly clasped.

Samantha lowered her voice.

“You’re nervous.”

Maya looked down.

“I don’t know if I can go outside.”

“You don’t have to.”

Her head lifted quickly.

“But then I would break our princess promise.”

“No.”

“But we said we would do it together.”

“We said we would be princesses together.” Samantha reached toward her without touching her yet. “Princesses also know when they aren’t ready for something. I would never force you to do something that makes you feel unsafe.”

Maya looked toward the doorway where volunteers had begun arranging the children into their parade groups.

“I want to.”

“You can want to and still be afraid.”

“What if everyone looks at me?”

“They probably will.”

Maya’s eyes widened.

“But they’ll be looking because you’re part of something special,” Samantha said. “And you won’t be alone.”

Maya hesitated.

“Will you hold my hand?”

“The whole time.”

Maya placed her hand in Samantha’s.

They joined the procession together.

 

The parade began beneath an archway decorated with silver stars and blue-and-gold banners.

The first two adult princesses entered the courtyard, followed by groups of children dressed as princes and princesses. Families applauded from both sides of the route, many standing to take photographs.

Jenna walked ahead of Samantha, smiling brightly while several children followed beside her.

Then Samantha stepped through the archway.

The enormous blue gown spread around her in luminous waves. The silver details caught the afternoon light, and the tiara glittered above her dark curls.

Maya walked at her side.

At first, the child’s arm was rigid and her fingers clung tightly to Samantha’s hand. She kept her gaze fixed on the ground, moving in small, uncertain steps.

Samantha adjusted her pace to match.

They passed the first section of families.

Then the second.

Slowly, Maya looked up.

Someone called her name.

Her mother stood near the center of the courtyard, smiling through tears.

Maya’s grip loosened—not because she wanted to let go, but because the fear had begun to leave her.

She lifted her chin.

By the time they reached the end of the route, she was smiling.

Samantha squeezed her hand.

Maya squeezed back.

The rest of the event passed in a blur of photographs, greetings, children asking questions, and small hands reaching for princesses. Samantha posed beside families, helped gather skirts, reassured nervous children, and learned that navigating a crowded event hall in a gown required almost as much strategy as navigating a parade.

When the formal procession ended, Marianne stepped onto the small stage.

“We have one final surprise,” she announced. “We’d like to invite every mother to join her prince or princess for a dance.”

Music filled the hall.

Mothers moved toward their children. Some bowed to their princes. Others accepted the hands of their princesses and began turning slowly beneath the decorations.

Maya had not released Samantha.

Then she saw her mother approaching.

Samantha smiled and gently motioned toward her.

“Go.”

Maya looked uncertain.

“I’ll still be here.”

The child finally released her hand and ran into her mother’s arms.

For the first time that day, Samantha was no longer the center of anyone’s attention.

The silence lasted approximately ten seconds.

Someone touched her shoulder.

She turned carefully, bringing half the skirt with her.

Tiffany stood behind her.

She wore a soft blush-pink dress made from layers of chiffon, fitted gently at the waist before falling to her ankles in a fluid skirt. Delicate cap sleeves framed her shoulders, and understated nude heels completed the look. Her blonde hair fell in luminous waves, while her makeup remained soft, romantic, and quietly polished.

For all the beauty surrounding them, Tiffany looked less like someone who had come to be noticed than someone who had come for one person.

“You look gorgeous, Samantha.”

Samuel forgot how to speak.

Tiffany smiled and held out her hand.

“May I have this dance?”

“What are you doing here?”

“That wasn’t an answer.”

Samuel glanced around.

“I wasn’t expecting you.”

“I noticed.”

He took her hand.

Tiffany moved closer as the music continued around them.

“I don’t know what to say,” Samuel admitted. “I didn’t exactly expect the girl I love to see me dressed like a full-sized princess.”

“The truth?”

He nodded.

“I like it.”

Samuel stared at her.

“I like Samuel, too,” Tiffany added.

“That is useful information.”

Tiffany laughed.

They began moving slowly, although the gown limited how close she could stand.

“What happened to our impossible love story?” Samuel asked.

“It may have become slightly less impossible.”

“How?”

“A few days ago, Daphne came to see me.”

Samuel’s expression changed.

“She apologized,” Tiffany continued. “Not only for what she did to you. For everything she did before that. She admitted how much of the conflict she had caused.”

“And your parents?”

“She spoke to them.”

“Did she tell them about Samantha?”

“No. She explained the rest without revealing your secret.” Tiffany glanced at the gown. “They’re not suddenly thrilled about us, but she convinced them to stop forbidding me from seeing you. They agreed that what happens next should be our decision.”

Samuel looked across the courtyard.

Daphne stood near Marianne and several members of the Willow House staff. When she noticed them watching, she gave Samuel a small nod.

No command.

No instruction.

Only a quiet nod.

Tiffany followed his gaze.

“She also invited me today,” she said. “I think this may be the beginning of something better between us.”

Samuel looked back at her.

“So,” Tiffany said, “do you still want to try?”

“There is nothing I want more.”

He considered the enormous skirt between them.

“Except possibly getting out of this dress.”

Tiffany laughed.

“Let us enjoy Princess Samantha a little longer.”

The family dance ended.

As the music changed, the overhead lights dimmed as a soft blue wash spread across the hall.

For a few seconds, the space between songs belonged to darkness.

Tiffany leaned forward and kissed her princess.

When the lights brightened again, the only visible evidence was the expression they shared.

No one around them appeared to have noticed.

The next song began with a faster rhythm.

Maya returned with her mother, her earlier fear replaced by unrestrained happiness.

Her mother took Samantha’s hands.

“I don’t know how to thank you,” she said. “Maya has talked about you every day. She trusted you when she wasn’t ready to trust anyone else.”

Samantha looked toward Maya.

“She did the difficult part.”

Maya shook her head.

“We did it together.”

The Willow House photographer approached and asked them to stand beneath the decorated archway.

Maya took Samantha’s hand again.

The camera captured them as they had promised: two princesses together.

Once the photograph was taken, the people who had made Samantha possible began gathering around them.

Lily and Tiffany stood on either side of her. Maddie, Natalie, and Riley arranged themselves behind the enormous skirt. Jenna joined them in her own princess gown, followed by Emily, who inspected Samantha’s makeup before allowing the picture to proceed. Daphne stood near Maya.

Andrew arrived last, carrying a cardboard tray filled with coffees.

“You’re late,” Riley said.

“I have been performing essential support services.”

“By buying coffee?”

“Exactly.”

His primary contribution to Samantha’s transformation had been keeping everyone sufficiently caffeinated, but the group agreed that this earned him a place in the photograph.

They gathered close.

Samantha stood at the center, surrounded by the people who had helped create her, protected Samuel, challenged him, and stood beside him until he was finally ready to claim every future appearance as his own choice.

The photographer raised the camera.

“Everyone ready?”

Samuel looked toward Tiffany, then Lily, then Maya.

“Ready.”

The flash filled the room.

Later, as the last families began gathering their things, the Willow House staff assembled for one final photograph. Samantha stood between Marianne and Daphne while volunteers, coordinators, stylists, sponsors, and event staff crowded into the frame.

The gala had been more successful than anyone expected.

As the group separated, a professionally dressed woman approached Samantha.

“Ms. Samantha Brooks?”

Samantha turned.

“That’s me.”

“Congratulations on today. I was very impressed.”

“Thank you.”

The woman offered her a business card.

“I represent one of the talent-management companies sponsoring the event. You maintained the character beautifully, handled the gown with remarkable control, and connected naturally with the children.”

Samantha accepted the card.

“There is a company looking for someone with your profile,” the woman continued. “They need a princess performer for their theme parks during the next peak season in December.”

Samuel looked down at the card.

“A theme park?”

“A very well-known one.”

The woman smiled conspiratorially.

“Let’s just say a certain mouse would be very happy to have you in his park castle.”

Samuel looked across the room.

At Maya dancing beneath the remaining decorations.

At Tiffany waiting beside Lily and the girls.

At Daphne, who no longer held any claim over Samantha’s future.

This princess life might not be so bad after all.

But first, Samantha still had a few promises to keep.

 

THE END

 

__________________________

Author's Note

And with that, The Name Between Us comes to an end.

I don't currently have a third book planned, so for now, this is where I'm leaving Samuel, Samantha, Tiffany, and the rest of them. That said, I'm not closing the door on returning to this series someday. I've grown very attached to these characters, and I can definitely imagine there being more to their story.

I'd really love to hear what you thought of the series as a whole. And, especially, whether you think there should be a third book. If there were, what would you want to see happen? Where do you think these characters should go next? I'm genuinely curious to hear your ideas.

I also want to keep writing, whether that means eventually returning to Between Two Worlds or starting something completely new. So if there are other kinds of stories, characters, situations, or premises you'd enjoy reading from me, I'd love to hear those ideas too.

There's also something I've never really mentioned before: like a lot of fiction, some of the emotional roots of this series came from real-life personal experiences, even though the story itself is fiction. Maybe someday I'll say a little more about that.

And to everyone who has left comments or sent me messages that I haven't answered yet: I haven't forgotten about them. Now that the book is finished, I'm going to be catching up and responding to as many as I can.

Most of all, thank you to everyone who followed this story all the way to the end. Whether you've been commenting along the way or quietly reading from chapter to chapter, I'm incredibly grateful that you spent this time with these characters.

— The Borrowed Name