Once Upon a Princess

Once Upon A Princess

     May woke up to a wonderful, sunny day. She put on an old pink and red polka dotted dress and a stained, striped apron with pockets and her name embroidered in worn, gold, curly swirly letters —both of which she had made herself. She looked out the window of her cottage. It was tiny, but it had a wonderful view of the beautiful scenery surrounding it. Time to start another day. First things first: morning chores. She left the cottage with two pails. One to milk the cow and one to milk the goat. As she made her way, she passed the pig she would have to feed. She smiled and talked to the animals as she cared for them as if they were real people who could talk back to her. The normal jittery, quirky animals stayed still for May and only May.

   Once the animals were settled for the day, she worked on the small vegetable garden. Humming as she worked, her hands set to the rhythm of her voice. She smiled as the morning sun rose and warmed her back. She pulled out some prize-winning purple sprouting broccoli to use for dinner that night.

   With the outside chores done, May returned to the cottage and set about dusting and cleaning the two tiny bedrooms. Supplies in hand, she danced about the cottage as she cleaned. Then she stopped and looked around with her hands on her hips. Well, that’s as good as it’s gonna get. Spotless enough for me anyway… She gave a nod of approval to the superbly clean house and then went to her silly old father’s bedroom to iron his shoes for him. She giggled and shook her head as she did it. What person in their right mind needs their shoes ironed? Well maybe the King and his family, since royalty’s slippers must be absolutely wrinkle-free and perfect. But she never questioned her father.

     When her chores where done, May made a late breakfast for herself (since her father was already out to work) and sat alone to eat in the quiet little cottage. She sighed at the thought that her home wasn’t really “her home”. It belonged to Count Rupert Grooth, who was letting her and her father live there—for a fee, of course. Unlike May and her father, he was rich, but all the money in the world couldn’t make him a nicer person. He never did anything unless he could gain from it. He’s an evil man. May thought with a scowl.

   After May was done eating, she decided to stop thinking about unpleasant things. For as long as she could remember, she’d been content right where she was. She never minded that she was very poor. Just as long as she was always with her father. As long as she was with someone she loved who also loved her, she could be happy forever. Little did she know, her simplistic joy would soon end…

     The morning was already mostly over by the time May started her own work. Sewing. Oh, she loved to sew and she was incredibly good at it. She wanted to make a business of it one day, but…

   May picked up a pair of scissors and pulled down the old curtain she wanted to replace in her bedroom to make a new bonnet. Her fingers flew, pulled the needle in and out of the thick fabric. Time was nothing to her anymore. She even lost track of where she was! And before she knew it, the bonnet was done and ready for her admiring. Not bad. Not bad at all, if I do say so myself. She set the bonnet aside and went to her scrap box to pull out of scraps of leather to make new shoes (since her old ones were wearing holes in the bottoms). It was lunchtime before she finished, but she never stopped halfway in any sewing project. She worked until it was done, and then she let herself rest. She ate a simple lunch and waited for her father to return home for the day.

     May stood by the iron stove, stoking the fire beneath the pot of boiling water. Her father was late coming home and she couldn’t imagine what was keeping him, but she knew after a long, hard day of work, he’d want to kick up his feet and eat a good, warm, hearty meal. So she boiled the broccoli in some seasoned broth, knowing it was his favorite vegetable. She expected him to be home at least by the time the broccoli was done, but he wasn’t. She walked to the window and looked out. The sun was down and it was dark outside. Where is he? She was starting to get really worried. Then suddenly a terrible feeling dropped heavily into the pit of her stomach. She didn’t know why or what it meant, but all of the sudden, she was dreading something. Where is he…?