Coquette

She sighed deeply as her legs twisted in the wrong direction, again.

The young boy king continued to bounce the dancing lady on her strings.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty. You seem to be under the impression that I am content to live my life attached to these strings. I am not."

"But you are my puppet, you silly little thing," King Roland laughed, his wavy black hair bouncing as he moved.

She continued the jerking dance the boy king demanded of her, her eyes not happy though her painted smile still shined up at him.

"That may be true, Your Majesty," she said, finishing a clumsy turn, "but I hardly enjoy it. I want to be free to move on my own. Walk where I want to walk, dance how I want to dance, and be with whom I want, just like everyone else." She sighed again knowing he wasn't listening to her. He was just a child and would never understand her plight.

As a matter of fact, it wasn't her desire alone to be free of these restrictive strings. Her dear Vincenzo wanted the same thing, too. They had been together for years and years, sometimes dancing in each other's arms, and other times separately. But most of their lives they sat alone in their assigned sections on the playroom shelf. Other young princesses had enjoyed their dances together, but rarely did the young king bring down Vincenzo and Coquette together, let alone Vincenzo, at all.

"My sweet Coquette," her love would often tell her. "How I long to take you away from all this and be free with you in the world. Nothing would make me more happy than to be yours forever."

Coquette looked longingly at the high shelf where her Vincenzo lay waiting for his chance to be with her again. How much longer they had to wait for their emancipation she couldn't say. King after king, princess after princess had come and gone and yet, they remained. Would their dream never come true?

"Oh, Your Majesty, have you never thought to grant my wish? I have asked it of you every day. These strings are so heavy, they weigh my arms and legs down like chains. If you would only release me I would gladly dance for you every day with my Vincenzo in my arms. Surely you have the power to grant such a small thing, my King. Surely you could see the good of it," she begged.

"But I like you the way you are," he giggled continuing to dance her in stumbling circles.

Her heart sank as she realized that the King was too young to understand her desire to be free of her position. He had no concept of her condition, she thought. She was about to try again to convince him when she heard heavy footsteps approaching.

"Roland!" a sharp disapproving voice shouted.

The young king started at the sound and dropped Coquette on her hands and knees. A very unglamorous position, indeed. He gave a deep sigh.

"Preceptor Sanguinetti," he said under his breath.

"Put down that ridiculous toy," the king's instructor said. "You're much too old to be playing with them. Come back to your studies, now. You have much more important things to do than dawdle in your rooms with childish toys. You are the king and you must act like one. I'll expect you in the library promptly." With that final admonishment, Preceptor Sanguinetti turned on his heel and marched from the room.

King Roland took Coquette in his hands with a thoughtful look on his face. He straightened her strings carefully, his bright blue eyes looking into hers.

"I think I know now what you mean, Coquette. I, too, have heavy strings pulling on my life. Yes, I will grant your wish and set you free." He set her on his desk and drew a small pair of scissors from a drawer.