Amber felt like awakening from a deep slumber, when she opened her eyes and found herself standing on a sandy path in the middle of fields and wildflowers. The scent of dust and sunbathed vegetation lingered in the air and a soft wind played with strands of her long brown hair. Amber rubbed her eyes and glanced around once more to assure herself it wasn’t just her imagination. But again she saw very clearly fields of knee high green wheat swaying gently in a breeze around her. Cornflowers, chicory and poppies gave the picture lively sprinkles of color. 

In front of her the path leat in curves down a hill and seemed to meet a red and white lighthouse at the foot of a big glittering lake in the distance. To her left, behind the softly downward leading landscape, she spotted a group of tiny, bent houses with roof shingles and a windmill that stood motionless. As she turned around more there was a forest with dark trees. A little stream, crossed by a wooden bridge, separated the fields from the firs. Facing the upwards leading fields Amber spotted a big rose hedge that blocked the view of whatever hid behind it. The only thing visible was a tiny flag showing a crown. 

Because the hedge was the nearest Amber squinted her eyes to find a path leading towards it.

And in fact, not far from where she stood a crossway connected her path with the bridge to the forest, a path downwards to the little village and one upwards to the hedge. 

Amber was wondering why the sandy road wasn’t leading straight in the fastest manner from one place to the other but crawled in funny curves through the fields and meadows. 

At the crossway there was a signpost, reading the directions “Crowhouse in the Dark Forest”, “Dwarfs Village and Windmill”, “Lighthouse and Mirror Lake” as well as “Kings Castle”.

“I'm curious why it says Dwarfs but the castle is nearer. So I’m about to head to a King?”, Amber mumbled to herself. “Good heavens, I hope he is a nice King. Might as well only look out for a guard and ask them for directions.”

Amber gave herself a brief look and concluded jeans and a purple shirt had to be good enough to visit a castle, for she had no other clothes with her. 

So she started her short stroll up the hilly and curvy path to the hedge. Soon there opened a gap between the thick branches and revealed a fine silver gate with flower ornaments and flourishing bars. Behind them she got a glimpse of a protruding orange building in the midst of a wide meadow. That castle seemed to have no edges and straight lines at all. It looked roughly like a slumped cake or a pumpkin. Many arched windows, balconies and towers made this castle a very playful building and Amber plucked up courage to open the silver gate with the leaf shaped handle. 

A yellow path swerved its way through a colorful meadow with small peach and cherry trees to a dark round double door. The entrance was surrounded by large flower pots, garden gnomes and bird baths. From every window and balcony railing pink and red flowers hung down and gave a strange contrast to the orange walls.

Amber watched out for anyone coming her way, someone to guard the entrance and telling her she had to wait in front of the silver gate like the commoner she was. But there was no one, even behind the many windows there was no one to be seen. Maybe the King wasn’t home? 

“But at least a gardener or a housekeeper has to be around”, Amber thought and pulled the string of a cowbell next to the door. Inside a shrill bell rang so loud that Amber could hear it. Then it was all silent again except for some bees buzzing around Ambers sandals.

But for a second Amber had the impression of a shadow sweeping by far behind the blurred glass windows in the doors. She concentrated so hard that she nearly pressed her nose against the window. There were more shadows and silent voices that sounded excited. Bewildered Amber scratched her head and was about to turn around and try her luck with one of the other paths at the crossway.

Right at this moment the door swung open and three nervous faces beamed down on her.

“Oh, it’s a child?”, squeaked a little plump woman with flaming red hair in a big knot. “What a surprise, dear!”

“What a nice turn of events! Very pleased to finally meet you!”, giggled a tall young man and lifted a funny hat underneath which he had another funny hat.

“We were waiting for a king to arrive the whole time but a princess is some fresh air for this lonely castle!”, hummed an old bearded man with green dungarees.

The three of them bowed in front of Amber who lost her language for a short while and hurried her inside the entrance hall of the castle. It was a large, round hall with an overwhelming crystal chandelier and a spirale wooden staircase leading up to a gallery surrounding the hall completely.

“W-w-why did you wait for a king?”, stutterte Amber.

“Because this land has no ruler but we have a castle, my dear”, explained the woman and cleaned her hands on her red apron.

The old one added: “And because the signpost says Kings Castle we believed there was a man coming to rule us some day.”

“Yes indeed, the castle even gave me a sign that it had to be today. As I was cleaning the gallery I noticed a new door had suddenly appeared”, told the tall guy.

“B-but why me?” Amber frowned and examined the faces of her counterparts, expecting them to call out a joke anytime now. But everyone of them just shrugged and looked as clueless as she was. 

“It just happens”, whispered the old man. “One day I just arrived here, in the garden of this property. Shortly after a little boy came too and I cared for him. And so came one after the other.”

“Some were here long before us, though”, pointed the woman out. 

“I think we haven’t even seen everybody in this countryside yet. Y’know, we are not sure if they are… friendly people. There are rumors…”, chattered the tall man on. 

“Now, now, we didn’t even introduced ourselves so let's not start with gossip and spooky stories!”, interrupted the woman and made a little curtsy. “My name is Emma and I cook in this castle.”

“I am Fynn, I clean up the mess and make the next mess”, cheered the youngest and lifted both hats this time.

“Name’s Eric, the gardener. At your service.”, said the old man with a stiff bow.

“Well, my name is Amber, but I can assure you that I am not a princess. I just… arrived here a moment ago.” She swung her arms helplessly from side to side. “Your king could still be on his way, who knows?”

“No, we are very sure that you are the one we waited for. I just feel it!”, exclaimed the woman and gave Amber a big warm smile. “How about Fynn showing you around the place while Eric and I go out in the vegetable garden and decide what's to eat on this special day?” 

The two shuffled away tattling and Fynn spread his arms to show Amber around the hall with a broad smile on his freckled face. He looked like he was in his early twenties and had a spring in his every step. 

Starting with his collection of crazy hats on an elegant hat stand Fynn showed the wardrobe to the right of the entrance. 

“Oh, some of these jackets weren't here before, this must be yours!”, he declared and handed one of them to Amber. 

“It fits me”, Amber said amazed but Fynn didn’t find it surprising at all.

He showed her the living room next. A room stuffed with dark heavy wooden mobiliar and thick velvet carpets and curtains. There was a stove made of stone and oil paintings showing nature sceneries at the walls. The dinner table was long and counted at least eight seats. Next to the windows were standing gracile side tables with orchids on them and around the stove it had some cozy wing chairs. The old fashioned style in here led to believe to stand in a hunting lodge of the 18th century, just without the antlers above the stove.

Next Fynn pulled Amber up the big staircase onto the circular gallery, which had three doors and a lot of plain wall where more rooms should be behind, judging by the form of the castle. 

The first door was a light wooden double door, behind which a bed most kingsworthy in its sice took the most space of the room. To the left of the bed Fynn introduced Amber to one of the special features of the castle he couldn’t stop talking about. It was a yellow tube slide leading right from the window into a big blue pool in the garden behind the castle. By the sight of it Amber started to feel a spark of hope, that it was undoubtedly she who was meant to be the new ruler of this land. How fun would it be to start every day as a regent with a slide into refreshing water?

To the right of the bed was a walk-in wardrobe that held next to six mannequins with unbelievably beautiful dresses row after row of every piece of clothing or costume one could just imagine. These, Fynn explained, hadn't been there until right now.

Despite disliking fancy dresses Amber for sure enjoyed playing disguise and it burned in her fingers to take one very elf-like dress from the mannequin, that coincidentally had the same height as Amber. 

The bedroom floor had a noticeable marking like a circle to which Fynn only commented: “This is for another day or let me say for another night, since it is best used when the moon is high and full.”

The next door from the gallery led into a big and bright bathroom. It had a shower with so many buttons, lights and nozzles it appeared like a space rocket and next to it a whirlpool. Green plants made it look like a part of the jungle was lost in the room and wavy blue tiles made the floor look like water.

“Behind the next door I couldn’t  have a glance myself yet because this is the door that appeared just today. Do you have the key for it?”, Fynn asked curiously.

“How could I have one if I didn’t even know I’d come here?”, Amber replied and stepped in front of the plain door. 

Suddenly she heard creaking noises and the wood started to move. It quivered and grew, sprouted pieces of paper, little fragments and strings. 

Fynn jumped and shouted: “Look, I knew you had a key somewhere!”

Amber stumbled backwards against the railing of the gallery and marveled at the new look of the door. It was framed by debarked stems of short trees, plastered with pictures of sunsets and animals, there were two posters of musicians and strings with dried flowers, feathers and clams. The handle was shaped like a clam too and eager to find out what was behind the door Amber pushed it down.