Once Upon a Time - Part 1
A Twisted Fairy Tale
As the midday heat sets in, a weary figure emerges from the woods, moving slow and heavy, burdened by sword, shield, and armor. The clatter of his gear startles some deer, and they vanish quickly back into the trees.
Breathing heavily, the Prince at last reaches the high tower. The road was hard, with hunger and cold as his trusty companions. Despite the hardships and the heat, he still wears his armor.
He circles the base of the tower on foot, looking for a way in, which he finds quickly despite his dire condition. The Princes decides to rest for a while and gather his strength before beginning the climb.
He sits on a rock in front of the entry, his shield resting against the wall, grabs his helmet with both hands, takes it off, and lays it on the ground. Then the Prince reaches into his bag and pulls out a clean piece of cloth he had carried on the side, saved for this very moment.
“The hardest part is over,” he thinks with relief.
“The Princess must have seen me,” he adds, looking up at the window on top of the tower, as if asking himself. Then he wipes the sweat from his forehead and neck, takes a flask from his side, and drinks it dry, exhaling with relief when he lowers it. Afterward, he pulls out his last small loaf of bread, which he greedily stuffs into his mouth.
After resting for a while, he returns to the door. After more shaking and forcing, it finally gives way and frees his path to the stairs. He starts climbing heavily, in armor and with sword drawn, not knowing what to expect on his way up. When he reaches the door he believes leads to the Princess’s room, he stops and tries to calm his breathing. Sweat pours down his forehead, and again he wipes it with the cloth in his hand. Finally, he tries the door, which, to his amazement, opens very easily.
“So she did see me and left the door open,” he says to himself, satisfied.
Before stepping inside, he takes a good look at the room. On the right the Prince notices another door, which he thinks probably leads to a storeroom where food and drink might be found. In the middle, a window lets fresh air pour in, the hangings drawn to the side. A noise draws his attention, but the door blocks his view of the left side of the room. He immediately takes a step forward, and between the window and the left wall, placed in the center, he finds a bed.
“Empty,” he tells himself, looking at the sheets spread all over, surprised not to find the Princess.
“This is very different from all the stories,” he murmurs, a little confused, as he approaches the empty bed. Then suddenly he hears the noise again. This time he is sure it comes from under the bed.
Drawing a deep breath, he straightens his back and proclaims in a grand, bragging voice, “I am Prince of the greatest land, between the tallest mountains and the widest sea!”
“My name is…” he tries to continue, but the climb has drained him, and he is breathless again
Near the bed, to his left, some long coats hang on the wall. He pays them little attention and kneels to look under the bed. He barely makes it to one knee when suddenly, from under the coats, a woman leaps out screaming, colliding with him and knocking him onto his back, landing on top of him.
“Shiny armor? Where is your shiny armor?” she screams, punching him in the face.
“What?… Stop,” he mumbles, confused, trying to protect his face with his arms.
Stopping to catch her breath, she adds, “You smell like stink, not like perfume.”
Taking advantage of her pause, the Prince grabs her with both hands, flips her over, and with a quick, trained movement he pushes himself to his feet.
“I came to save you, don’t be afraid,” he says, trying to calm the situation. He straightens his back and begins, “I am Prince….”
“Save me? Like this?” she yells, cutting him of.
“Your armor is dirty, your body and breath smell so bad I could sense them from up here,” she continues, shouting.
“I have been on the road for a week, barely sleeping, barely eating, just to arrive here as fast as possible,” the Prince counters, surprised by her words
“My…” he tries to add but is interrupted by her screaming.
“You’re supposed to come on a white horse!” she shrieks, drops of spit flying from her mouth.
“My horse died three days ago, killed by wolves. I almost got eaten too, if I hadn’t had my armor, shield, and sword,” he answers.
“It’s not supposed to be like that,” she says and starts crying.
“In the books it says clearly:
‘A young Prince with curly, long hair, wearing shining armor, riding a noble white steed, will come to the rescue.’”
She continues her rant while he watches with amazement.
“Your hair is messed up and dirty, your armor doesn’t shine, and you have no horse,” she says, tears flowing.
“I pissed and shit in my armor for three days, but it saved my life. And now I am here, and what do I find!?” he exclaims.
Then he adds, “You’ve gone mad! How long were you locked up here?”
“But the books tell how it must have been,” she cries, pointing at the pile of books by her bed.
The Prince looks. The title on all the books reads: Once Upon a Time: Fairy Tales.
To be continued … maybe. Do you want it to?
The story continues in Once Upon a Time Part 2. You can read it here.
A.O. Homorodean
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