Princess Nora's Choice

Chapter 1

In the peaceful land of Arbitruce, there were four kingdoms quietly living in the beautiful countryside. The kingdoms hadn’t fought a war in over 400 years, and even then, they fought together as allies against a distant land. In Dileke, the strongest and most peaceful of these amiable kingdoms, ruled a king, a queen, and their young princess: a sweet, sixteen year-old girl named Nora.

The entire kingdom of Dileke adored Princess Nora. Every week since the year she was born, the people who lived in Gorah, the town closest to the castle, would gather at her father’s weekly announcements in the square. They loved listening to the honest and powerful King Edmund, but they truly attended the gatherings only to see the small-but-growing, sweet Nora when she came to the balcony with Queen Joan and a handful of knights.

The princess had beautiful soft brown hair with more curls than the number of knights longing to protect her. She was a reminder to everyone in the kingdom how precious life is, and that even the king and queen are capable of loving children with all their hearts.

Of course, with such a beautiful young girl as the only heir to King Edmund’s throne, kingdoms from all around were throwing their young princes at the royal family. As Princess Nora had turned thirteen, her father had already received five formal letters asking to consider their kingdom’s prince.

On Nora’s fourteenth birthday, her father told her of another prince asking for her hand, a prince from Kaleish, one of the other three Arbitrucian kingdoms. “I know you aren’t interested in marrying a prince yet, sweetheart, but Prince Nathaniel is a trusty lad to consider in the future. I have heard nothing but good things about him, and he is only one year older than you. Unfortunately, he needs to marry in less than two years, but that is true of most boys you will find. On a prince’s seventeenth birthday they are to choose a girl, announce their fiancé to their kingdom, and marry her within the year.”

To this, Nora had become sad. “I don’t want to belong to a boy anytime soon, dad, especially a prince. I don’t think we need to strengthen our bond with any kingdom. We’re peaceful with everyone, and strong enough as it is. Maybe I could have one of the young knights of our own kingdom, far in the future. I wouldn’t have an expiration date for marriage, and I could choose the strongest, most handsome boy in our kingdom!” She held her breath for a reply, as her cheeks blossomed with pink from her outburst. She had never spoken her feelings so strongly about the subject before, and she hoped her father wouldn’t be angry.

Kind Edmund touched her blushed cheek and smiled. As their blue gazes met, he spoke, “Nora, darling, I never thought of allowing a knight to have you, but… maybe you’re right. Maybe a prince isn’t the right choice for you, sweetheart. I will talk about this with your mother, and in a while we’ll decide what to do. For now, you just relax; don’t worry about being forced into marrying anyone too soon. I would never let that happen. Enjoy being a sweet young girl and in a few years, we’ll look further into the issue.”

Nora breathed a sigh of relief and happiness, “Thank you, dad!” The young princess hugged her father through his royally soft, heavy cloaks and smiled into his embrace.

Princess Nora, now sixteen years old, tugged on her mother’s necklace she received on her birthday. It was beautiful, a golden chain with a tiny, cobalt blue heart, encrusted with a diamond, resting well-below her collarbone. The color of the gem matched perfectly with her new dress, made especially for this day. She looked in the mirror and saw a slim figure wearing a long, dark cream colored dress with soft blue accents in the lace. As she lifted a slender arm, the three-quarter length sleeves breezed out into two silky blue trails at her sides.

I suppose I look beautiful, thought Nora with a sigh. But I didn’t ask for any of this – this necklace, this dress. The dress is truly gorgeous, easily the prettiest one in the kingdom. But why should I deserve to have it all? If I could, I’d trade clothes with an ordinary town’s girl, to see the excited look on her face when given something so highly coveted and expensive. I could care less about riches. I’d rather wear normal clothes and dresses made by my own hand than these elegant ones they pay a team of women to create for me.