Dying a dog's death
"Would you like to be my friend?" A mini version of Elena that looked to be in her early teens stood before her with a bright smile on her adorable face.
She was dressed in rags and her face was smeared with dirt.
Compared to Elena that was dressed in the finest materials with makeup and jewelry, the difference between them was like heaven and Earth.
"But I'm a beggar." She replied.
Elena smiled as she reached out with her right hand. "It doesn't matter. I want you to be my friend. Don't you want to be my friend?"
Clara looked at her hands that were covered in dirt and then at Elena's clean hands. "My presence… it would sully you."
"It doesn't matter. I just want friends."
…
That was the day they became friends.
Not just her, but every single member of Elena's guard was recruited that way.
She picked up those from poor backgrounds, a few of which had parents with connections to her mother, the Queen.