Short Story: The Princess
The
princess woke to a beautiful morning. Sunlight snuck into her royal chambers
from behind her vibrant drapes and gave her room a dark, dreamy look. She
pulled her plush blankets away and sat up in her bed. The room around her was
as she had left it the night before, her books scattered about her favorite
reading chair.
The princess yawned, stretched, and decided she was ready to begin the day. She activated her electronic call device and quickly her morning staff bustled into the room. The princess graced her staff with a small smile and watched as they began their duties.
The drapes were thrown open, revealing a beautiful sunny day. Clothes were displayed and chosen, royal purple of course. The room was partially picked up, the princess watched disdainfully as the staff stuffed her precious books back onto the shelves. The princess allowed her staff to pamper and dress her and then allowed her staff to bring her down to the kitchens.
As usual, the princess took her breakfast from atop her massive chair with its pearl-white table dining surface. Fresh fruits, pastries, and occasionally eggs, scrambled of course, were her preferred morning meals.
Sometimes, the staff would try to please her with alternative choices. Blueberry infused oatmeal or eggs over rice with thick sauce, sometimes she would indulge the staff their creative choices, sometimes she would demand her usual.
After breakfast, as the daytime staff began cleaning up breakfast she would visit upon the other residents in the royal castle. The first was a large brute, he was hairy and wild and when he was startled he could be quite loud. She greeted him and sent him on his way.
The second was small and shy and she always wore white. She could also almost always be found hovering around the kitchen staff, hoping for seconds or attention from the cook, a tall, wide bearded man. The princess attempted her usual greeting but got only a shy response before she scampered back to the cook.
Shaking her head, the princess made her way to the library. Floor to ceiling books and a massive fireplace, large comfy chairs and cozy lights, this was one of the princess’s favorite rooms. She paged through several books, leaving them on the floor as she finished them, someone else would retrieve them.
She did this until her day staff offered to take her to visit her subjects. Sighing, the princess acquiesced. Her subjects were a strange lot. They were short, tall, wide, skinny, colorful, or pale. Almost all of them decked out in fake furs that made them look wider and fluffier. As was the fashion these days.
The princess was above these fashions, of course, but even so she graced them with her presence. Under the watchful eye of her guard she mingled with the commoners. She listened to their stories, talked with them, resolved disputes, and brought justice to those that had done wrong.
Eventually, her guard rescued her from her royal duties of interaction and she could return to her chambers for a short nap before lunch. Refreshed she again sat in her massive chair with her pearl-white dining table and ate lunch. The cook fended off the small, shy resident while crafting the princess’s meal.
A simple selection, sandwiches cut into geometric shapes with vegetables on the side, but the princess thanked the cook none-the-less. She also snuck seconds to the small, shy resident and occasionally the large, hairy one if he visited.
After lunch the princess set out to explore. She left the royal grounds with her guard in tow and began braving the hot sun and untamed wilderness. She witnessed and cataloged gargantuan trees, traipsed through knee-high grasses, and stomped across rocky plateaus; all the while her personal guard did his best to keep up.
After her curiosity was sated, she would begin the trek back to the royal palace. Occasionally, she would allow her guard to carry her over the trickier paths she had trekked.
Supper was often prepared as her morning staff returned for the night, becoming her evening staff. The cook would create one of his signature dishes or would vanish and return with some meal from a neighboring kingdom. The princess was not shy with her opinion but tried to indulge him as best she could.
After dinner, the evening staff and the princess would do a number of things. Some days they would simply stay on the royal grounds, reading and revisiting her subjects. Other days she would climb into her carriage and travel to a neighboring kingdom herself.
The princess’s favorite kingdoms were to the east, masters of the art of iced cream and chocolates. She occasionally also graced her second palace, a large estate with its own fulltime staff. This staff was older, wiser but did not have the benefit of her presence at all times. As such, they could be overly familiar; they would offer presents, sweets, and fines clothes. The princess accepted all graciously of course.
Finally, the princess would prepare for bed. Her evening staff would draw her a bath, in a massive tub she could do laps in, they would dry her, and she’d allow to them to dress her for bed. She would page through a few books and then permit the evening staff to tuck her into her large bed.
The lights would turn off, the evening staff and the cook would visit her in her chambers to say: “Good night, daughter. We love you.” And would leave her to drift off to sleep.
Being royalty can be so exhausting.
The princess yawned, stretched, and decided she was ready to begin the day. She activated her electronic call device and quickly her morning staff bustled into the room. The princess graced her staff with a small smile and watched as they began their duties.
The drapes were thrown open, revealing a beautiful sunny day. Clothes were displayed and chosen, royal purple of course. The room was partially picked up, the princess watched disdainfully as the staff stuffed her precious books back onto the shelves. The princess allowed her staff to pamper and dress her and then allowed her staff to bring her down to the kitchens.
As usual, the princess took her breakfast from atop her massive chair with its pearl-white table dining surface. Fresh fruits, pastries, and occasionally eggs, scrambled of course, were her preferred morning meals.
Sometimes, the staff would try to please her with alternative choices. Blueberry infused oatmeal or eggs over rice with thick sauce, sometimes she would indulge the staff their creative choices, sometimes she would demand her usual.
After breakfast, as the daytime staff began cleaning up breakfast she would visit upon the other residents in the royal castle. The first was a large brute, he was hairy and wild and when he was startled he could be quite loud. She greeted him and sent him on his way.
The second was small and shy and she always wore white. She could also almost always be found hovering around the kitchen staff, hoping for seconds or attention from the cook, a tall, wide bearded man. The princess attempted her usual greeting but got only a shy response before she scampered back to the cook.
Shaking her head, the princess made her way to the library. Floor to ceiling books and a massive fireplace, large comfy chairs and cozy lights, this was one of the princess’s favorite rooms. She paged through several books, leaving them on the floor as she finished them, someone else would retrieve them.
She did this until her day staff offered to take her to visit her subjects. Sighing, the princess acquiesced. Her subjects were a strange lot. They were short, tall, wide, skinny, colorful, or pale. Almost all of them decked out in fake furs that made them look wider and fluffier. As was the fashion these days.
The princess was above these fashions, of course, but even so she graced them with her presence. Under the watchful eye of her guard she mingled with the commoners. She listened to their stories, talked with them, resolved disputes, and brought justice to those that had done wrong.
Eventually, her guard rescued her from her royal duties of interaction and she could return to her chambers for a short nap before lunch. Refreshed she again sat in her massive chair with her pearl-white dining table and ate lunch. The cook fended off the small, shy resident while crafting the princess’s meal.
A simple selection, sandwiches cut into geometric shapes with vegetables on the side, but the princess thanked the cook none-the-less. She also snuck seconds to the small, shy resident and occasionally the large, hairy one if he visited.
After lunch the princess set out to explore. She left the royal grounds with her guard in tow and began braving the hot sun and untamed wilderness. She witnessed and cataloged gargantuan trees, traipsed through knee-high grasses, and stomped across rocky plateaus; all the while her personal guard did his best to keep up.
After her curiosity was sated, she would begin the trek back to the royal palace. Occasionally, she would allow her guard to carry her over the trickier paths she had trekked.
Supper was often prepared as her morning staff returned for the night, becoming her evening staff. The cook would create one of his signature dishes or would vanish and return with some meal from a neighboring kingdom. The princess was not shy with her opinion but tried to indulge him as best she could.
After dinner, the evening staff and the princess would do a number of things. Some days they would simply stay on the royal grounds, reading and revisiting her subjects. Other days she would climb into her carriage and travel to a neighboring kingdom herself.
The princess’s favorite kingdoms were to the east, masters of the art of iced cream and chocolates. She occasionally also graced her second palace, a large estate with its own fulltime staff. This staff was older, wiser but did not have the benefit of her presence at all times. As such, they could be overly familiar; they would offer presents, sweets, and fines clothes. The princess accepted all graciously of course.
Finally, the princess would prepare for bed. Her evening staff would draw her a bath, in a massive tub she could do laps in, they would dry her, and she’d allow to them to dress her for bed. She would page through a few books and then permit the evening staff to tuck her into her large bed.
The lights would turn off, the evening staff and the cook would visit her in her chambers to say: “Good night, daughter. We love you.” And would leave her to drift off to sleep.
Being royalty can be so exhausting.
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