tinkslite
Jun 9, 2007, 7:36 PM
The Tale of the Perfect Princess
By Yvette Hansen
©2007
Once Upon a Time there was a beautiful kingdom across the azure sea. The people of the kingdom were peaceful and friendly. There was plentiful food, music and art. Each citizen of the kingdom was free to pursue the talents and gifts that burned the passion in his heart.
The king and queen of the land were very happy, as were all the citizens. They were very much in love with one another. The kingdom was at peace. Even the dragons that protected the far shores of the land were fat and happy!
The king and queen had a lovely daughter. Her name was Princess Johanna Marie. The princess was beloved by the entire kingdom. The shopkeepers saved her favorite fruits for when she walked into the village. The dressmaker kept plenty of pale pink and white fabric on hand, as they were Johanna’s favorite colors. The hat hatter knew the princess was partial to golden tiaras, rather than silver; so, he always had the golden materials shiny and polished in the window when she came by.
Why was she so loved? Why, she was delightful! She was beautiful to look at, it’s true, but her spirit was the most beautiful part of the Princess Johanna Marie. She was kind and gentle to children and animals. She was gentle and generous to those less fortunate than she. Her laughter sounded like little bells ringing. Her smile could light up even the greyest morning. Hence, Johanna Marie was the light that created the magical rainbow of happiness over the little kingdom by the sea.
As the princess grew into her youth, many of the young men of the kingdom attempted to woo her. The king and queen chuckled as they watched young villagers tie love poems to the rails of the palace gates, deliver flowers to Johanna’s chamber window sills, and sing songs to her beauty from the palace gardens. Johanna was kind and considerate to each young man who came to call.
Each night, Johanna’s Lady’s Maid, the Lady Olivia helped her Mistress ready for bed. The young ladies were close in age, and close friends. They would giggle over the exploits of Princess Johanna’s many suitors. They would sit on the giant royal four poster bed, with the silky pink and white bed curtains around them; and they would share one another’s secrets and dreams until they fell asleep late each night.
In the mornings, with the sunshine steaming through the windows, the Lady Olivia would assist Johanna with dressing for the day. Then she would comb the Princess Johanna’s long golden hair and place a golden clip at the top of her lovely locks. Often, the Princess would then take the royal hairbrush in hand, and give Olivia’s lovely black wavy tresses the Royal Treatment.
One day, the queen caught Johanna brushing out Lady Olivia’s lovely hair. She smiled and told the princess to please come downstairs to breakfast. At breakfast, the queen reminded Johanna that Olivia was the Maid; Princesses do not serve Maids!
As the days progressed, the king and queen began to notice that their lovely daughter did not seem to prefer the company of any one young man above the others. She had no favorites! She certainly showed no signs of falling in love. Now the king and queen were not old fashioned. They did not believe that a princess should only marry a prince. They did not believe that girls should marry the man her parents chose for her. They believed that their daughter should marry someone with whom she was in love. That is the way it had been for them, and they were very happy. They believed their lovely daughter would do the same.
The princess liked many of the young men in the kingdom. She appreciated the creativity of the songwriters, poets and storytellers. She marveled at the skill of the metal smiths and the carpenters. She was grateful to the candy makers and bakers for the treats. The gardeners and florists amazed her with the array of color in their lovely blooms.
But the lovely Johanna felt a deep longing to return to her room, and her friend Olivia, at the end of each day. Though the young men were her dear friends, none of them brought peace to her heart the way the Lady Olivia could.
One evening, after the young ladies had retired to the Princess Johanna’s bedchamber and all the castle servants and guards were dozing in their own recesses of the large palace; the king asked the queen, “What would it be like if our daughter chose never to marry?”
The queen frowned thoughtfully, “Don’t be silly, dear, she’s the Perfect Princess. Of course, she’ll get married and give us a palace full of delightful grandchildren to play with!” The queen sounded so sure that the king didn’t like to bring up the subject again. But he continued to watch his lovely daughter and her many suitors, very carefully.
As the 21st birthday of the Princess approached, the kingdom became increasingly excited to celebrate the Royal Event. The gardens were prepared for visitors, the Royal Chef was very secretive about the plans for the birthday cake, the dressmaker visited and planned a lovely pink gown with white bows for the princess. At Johanna’s insistence the dressmaker fitted the Lady Olivia for her own lovely gown of green and golden silks that would compliment her black tresses and green eyes perfectly. Even the king and queen were somewhat giddy, singing in the palace corridors and holding hands like teenagers!
The king visited the princesses chamber the evening before the Royal Birthday Ball and questioned his daughter, “You know, Johanna dear, usually a princess has chosen her husband by the time she has reached her 21st birthday. Do you have anyone in mind?” Johanna smiled at her father. She loved the king very much, and she knew that he loved her and wanted what was best for his daughter and for the people of the land.
“Daddy, I have made a choice. It may be a surprising one. I plan to announce my choice at the Ball. I hope that is all right with you?” She sat down on her father’s knee and laid her golden head on his royal shoulder.
The king snickered and embraced his beloved daughter. She was so dear to his heart. “Yes dear, that will be fine. You know there is no law that says you MUST choose to marry now. Feel free to take your time. Perhaps you’d like to travel and see more of the world before you take your place as leader of the kingdom, and wife.”
“No, Daddy. I love our kingdom so much! I do not wish to leave home. I would be lonely and sad without my friends and family near me.”
The king kissed his daughter on the forehead and passed the Lady Olivia in the red carpeted corridor on his way to the bedchamber he shared with his wife. He absent mindedly wished the young maid Sweet Dreams.
The following morning, Lady Olivia dressed, combed and pinned for the Princess as usual. But she was not smiling. She did not laugh at the jokes of her royal friend. Lady Olivia knew that the Princess Johanna would choose her life-mate this day. She would no longer require Olivia’s services in her chambers. Olivia would still be employed at the palace, but she would not give such personal service to her dear friend. The rest of the kingdom was rejoicing on this holiday, but for Lady Olivia, this day was one of loss and sorrow. She was unable to eat breakfast. She made the royal bed and tied the lovely bedcurtains back with their white eyelet ribbons through a mist of tears.
During the afternoon, the kingdoms musicians played all of the Princess’ favorite tunes in the gazebo of the palace garden. Each citizen of the kingdom was invited to spend a moment in the presence of the lovely Princess and to wish her a happy birthday. The princess, therefore, spent the afternoon receiving birthday wishes in the gardens. She was gracious and magnanimous to each of her subjects from the oldest grandmother to the youngest babe. Each person felt that the young princess had taken a personal interest in him or her. It was easy for the princess to do, for she loved the people of her father’s kingdom. But her heart ached to share one last secret with Lady Olivia. She so wanted to whisper in her friend’s ear, the truth burning in her soul. The line was so long, and the day so short, that the sun was setting beyond the azure sea from a crimson sky before the Princess was able to leave the gardens to retire to her chamber and change into her Ball Gown.
The Lady Olivia was unable to assist Princess Johanna Marie in her party preparations, because she was needed to help in the Royal Ballroom. She was setting tables and tying beautiful pink and white bows on each ballroom column. She was placing pink and white roses in the blossom vases on each table. She watched the Royal Musicians setting up on the bandstand, and heard the servers setting out the salads for the first course of the Royal Dinner. It was as the Royal Trumpeters were announcing the arrival of the first guests, that Lady Olivia was able to slip away from the lovely Ballroom and retire to the Princess’ chamber to don her magnificent new silken party gown. The princess had insisted that she attend the Birthday Ball as a guest, and furthermore a guest of honor at the Royal Table! She would sit next to the Princess Johanna Marie, herself! Even with these enticements swimming in her destiny, she had a heavy heart. She knew that when the magical birthday celebrations were over and the party decorations swept away, her friend would be lost to her.
As she arrived in the great Ballroom, she gazed over the heads of the many hundreds of guests to meet the beautiful blue eyes of her dearest friend. As their eyes met, the Princess Johanna motioned her friend over to the Royal Table with a tilt of her golden tiaraed head. Her bowed lips curled in a pretty pout as she rolled her eyes as if to say, “Finally, you’ve arrived. Now it feels like My Birthday.”
Lady Olivia smiled as she quietly took her seat next to the Princess. She picked at her green salad and pushed the potatoes around her soup bowl. She usually had a healthy appetite and the Royal Feast was a work of art, but poor Olivia was heartsick. Even the queen patted her shoulder in a reassuring way as her majesty walked past to have a word with the bandleader. A queen does not normally reassure a servant, but even the queen could see that the fair maid was troubled.
As the pink scoops of raspberry sherbet were served in crystal goblets, the princess reached under the table and squeezed the long fingers of the Lady Olivia. She had instructed that this flavor should be served because she knew that it was her maid’s favorite. Olivia’s warm smile flickered briefly on her plum lips.
As the guests lowered their spoons, and the band lifted their bows to warm up their instruments; the Princess stood and gently cleared her throat. The hum of party chatter quickly died down as everyone in the ballroom turned his attention to Princess Johanna Marie.
“Father, Mother, family and friends, Thank you all for attending my birthday party. It is very pleasant to have those that I love surrounding me on this special day. I hope everyone enjoyed the meal, as I did. I invite you all to stay, enjoy the music, the wine and the lovely decorations. Dance until the sunshine kisses the shores of our kingdom in the morning, if you please. But before we slice the cake and pour the champagne, I have something I’d like to announce.”
It was as if the very wind stopped moving through the tree branches, so silent was the kingdom. Each person wondered with whom the princess would choose to share life in the palace.
The perfect princess turned and lifted her cushion from her seat. She laid it at the feet of Lady Olivia. Gathering her pale pink skirts about her she sank to her knees upon the pillow.
“My dearest Lady Olivia, you have been my best friend and confidante. I cannot imagine spending even one night without you at my side. Your voice is music to my soul. Please, say that you will spend your life beside me, here in the palace. We will be queens of this beautiful kingdom and live happily ever after!”
Johanna’s mother gasped in shocked disbelief. TWO QUEENS SHARING THE THONE? This had never been done before. It was unfamiliar to the entire kingdom. The queen placed her hands upon the table, preparing to protest; when the king placed a calming hand upon her shoulder. He said to his wife, “My dear, look at our daughter’s face. She is truly in love with Olivia. Olivia makes her truly happy.”
The queen watched silently, as silently as the rest of the kingdom.
Lady Olivia had glistening tears upon her bronze cheeks as she lifted the chin of the Princess Johanna in her palm.
“My darling Johanna Marie, I am so happy. I have loved you for so long. I will be happy to share my life with you.”
As the two Princesses gently touched their bowed lips together the entire ballroom sighed, as one. Everyone in attendance knew that Johanna had found happiness. The citizens of the kingdom knew how valuable love and happiness is in life.
Everyone who witnessed the 21st birthday kiss of the Princess Johanna knew that Princess Olivia and Princess Johanna would live Happily Ever After!
The End
By Yvette Hansen
©2007
Once Upon a Time there was a beautiful kingdom across the azure sea. The people of the kingdom were peaceful and friendly. There was plentiful food, music and art. Each citizen of the kingdom was free to pursue the talents and gifts that burned the passion in his heart.
The king and queen of the land were very happy, as were all the citizens. They were very much in love with one another. The kingdom was at peace. Even the dragons that protected the far shores of the land were fat and happy!
The king and queen had a lovely daughter. Her name was Princess Johanna Marie. The princess was beloved by the entire kingdom. The shopkeepers saved her favorite fruits for when she walked into the village. The dressmaker kept plenty of pale pink and white fabric on hand, as they were Johanna’s favorite colors. The hat hatter knew the princess was partial to golden tiaras, rather than silver; so, he always had the golden materials shiny and polished in the window when she came by.
Why was she so loved? Why, she was delightful! She was beautiful to look at, it’s true, but her spirit was the most beautiful part of the Princess Johanna Marie. She was kind and gentle to children and animals. She was gentle and generous to those less fortunate than she. Her laughter sounded like little bells ringing. Her smile could light up even the greyest morning. Hence, Johanna Marie was the light that created the magical rainbow of happiness over the little kingdom by the sea.
As the princess grew into her youth, many of the young men of the kingdom attempted to woo her. The king and queen chuckled as they watched young villagers tie love poems to the rails of the palace gates, deliver flowers to Johanna’s chamber window sills, and sing songs to her beauty from the palace gardens. Johanna was kind and considerate to each young man who came to call.
Each night, Johanna’s Lady’s Maid, the Lady Olivia helped her Mistress ready for bed. The young ladies were close in age, and close friends. They would giggle over the exploits of Princess Johanna’s many suitors. They would sit on the giant royal four poster bed, with the silky pink and white bed curtains around them; and they would share one another’s secrets and dreams until they fell asleep late each night.
In the mornings, with the sunshine steaming through the windows, the Lady Olivia would assist Johanna with dressing for the day. Then she would comb the Princess Johanna’s long golden hair and place a golden clip at the top of her lovely locks. Often, the Princess would then take the royal hairbrush in hand, and give Olivia’s lovely black wavy tresses the Royal Treatment.
One day, the queen caught Johanna brushing out Lady Olivia’s lovely hair. She smiled and told the princess to please come downstairs to breakfast. At breakfast, the queen reminded Johanna that Olivia was the Maid; Princesses do not serve Maids!
As the days progressed, the king and queen began to notice that their lovely daughter did not seem to prefer the company of any one young man above the others. She had no favorites! She certainly showed no signs of falling in love. Now the king and queen were not old fashioned. They did not believe that a princess should only marry a prince. They did not believe that girls should marry the man her parents chose for her. They believed that their daughter should marry someone with whom she was in love. That is the way it had been for them, and they were very happy. They believed their lovely daughter would do the same.
The princess liked many of the young men in the kingdom. She appreciated the creativity of the songwriters, poets and storytellers. She marveled at the skill of the metal smiths and the carpenters. She was grateful to the candy makers and bakers for the treats. The gardeners and florists amazed her with the array of color in their lovely blooms.
But the lovely Johanna felt a deep longing to return to her room, and her friend Olivia, at the end of each day. Though the young men were her dear friends, none of them brought peace to her heart the way the Lady Olivia could.
One evening, after the young ladies had retired to the Princess Johanna’s bedchamber and all the castle servants and guards were dozing in their own recesses of the large palace; the king asked the queen, “What would it be like if our daughter chose never to marry?”
The queen frowned thoughtfully, “Don’t be silly, dear, she’s the Perfect Princess. Of course, she’ll get married and give us a palace full of delightful grandchildren to play with!” The queen sounded so sure that the king didn’t like to bring up the subject again. But he continued to watch his lovely daughter and her many suitors, very carefully.
As the 21st birthday of the Princess approached, the kingdom became increasingly excited to celebrate the Royal Event. The gardens were prepared for visitors, the Royal Chef was very secretive about the plans for the birthday cake, the dressmaker visited and planned a lovely pink gown with white bows for the princess. At Johanna’s insistence the dressmaker fitted the Lady Olivia for her own lovely gown of green and golden silks that would compliment her black tresses and green eyes perfectly. Even the king and queen were somewhat giddy, singing in the palace corridors and holding hands like teenagers!
The king visited the princesses chamber the evening before the Royal Birthday Ball and questioned his daughter, “You know, Johanna dear, usually a princess has chosen her husband by the time she has reached her 21st birthday. Do you have anyone in mind?” Johanna smiled at her father. She loved the king very much, and she knew that he loved her and wanted what was best for his daughter and for the people of the land.
“Daddy, I have made a choice. It may be a surprising one. I plan to announce my choice at the Ball. I hope that is all right with you?” She sat down on her father’s knee and laid her golden head on his royal shoulder.
The king snickered and embraced his beloved daughter. She was so dear to his heart. “Yes dear, that will be fine. You know there is no law that says you MUST choose to marry now. Feel free to take your time. Perhaps you’d like to travel and see more of the world before you take your place as leader of the kingdom, and wife.”
“No, Daddy. I love our kingdom so much! I do not wish to leave home. I would be lonely and sad without my friends and family near me.”
The king kissed his daughter on the forehead and passed the Lady Olivia in the red carpeted corridor on his way to the bedchamber he shared with his wife. He absent mindedly wished the young maid Sweet Dreams.
The following morning, Lady Olivia dressed, combed and pinned for the Princess as usual. But she was not smiling. She did not laugh at the jokes of her royal friend. Lady Olivia knew that the Princess Johanna would choose her life-mate this day. She would no longer require Olivia’s services in her chambers. Olivia would still be employed at the palace, but she would not give such personal service to her dear friend. The rest of the kingdom was rejoicing on this holiday, but for Lady Olivia, this day was one of loss and sorrow. She was unable to eat breakfast. She made the royal bed and tied the lovely bedcurtains back with their white eyelet ribbons through a mist of tears.
During the afternoon, the kingdoms musicians played all of the Princess’ favorite tunes in the gazebo of the palace garden. Each citizen of the kingdom was invited to spend a moment in the presence of the lovely Princess and to wish her a happy birthday. The princess, therefore, spent the afternoon receiving birthday wishes in the gardens. She was gracious and magnanimous to each of her subjects from the oldest grandmother to the youngest babe. Each person felt that the young princess had taken a personal interest in him or her. It was easy for the princess to do, for she loved the people of her father’s kingdom. But her heart ached to share one last secret with Lady Olivia. She so wanted to whisper in her friend’s ear, the truth burning in her soul. The line was so long, and the day so short, that the sun was setting beyond the azure sea from a crimson sky before the Princess was able to leave the gardens to retire to her chamber and change into her Ball Gown.
The Lady Olivia was unable to assist Princess Johanna Marie in her party preparations, because she was needed to help in the Royal Ballroom. She was setting tables and tying beautiful pink and white bows on each ballroom column. She was placing pink and white roses in the blossom vases on each table. She watched the Royal Musicians setting up on the bandstand, and heard the servers setting out the salads for the first course of the Royal Dinner. It was as the Royal Trumpeters were announcing the arrival of the first guests, that Lady Olivia was able to slip away from the lovely Ballroom and retire to the Princess’ chamber to don her magnificent new silken party gown. The princess had insisted that she attend the Birthday Ball as a guest, and furthermore a guest of honor at the Royal Table! She would sit next to the Princess Johanna Marie, herself! Even with these enticements swimming in her destiny, she had a heavy heart. She knew that when the magical birthday celebrations were over and the party decorations swept away, her friend would be lost to her.
As she arrived in the great Ballroom, she gazed over the heads of the many hundreds of guests to meet the beautiful blue eyes of her dearest friend. As their eyes met, the Princess Johanna motioned her friend over to the Royal Table with a tilt of her golden tiaraed head. Her bowed lips curled in a pretty pout as she rolled her eyes as if to say, “Finally, you’ve arrived. Now it feels like My Birthday.”
Lady Olivia smiled as she quietly took her seat next to the Princess. She picked at her green salad and pushed the potatoes around her soup bowl. She usually had a healthy appetite and the Royal Feast was a work of art, but poor Olivia was heartsick. Even the queen patted her shoulder in a reassuring way as her majesty walked past to have a word with the bandleader. A queen does not normally reassure a servant, but even the queen could see that the fair maid was troubled.
As the pink scoops of raspberry sherbet were served in crystal goblets, the princess reached under the table and squeezed the long fingers of the Lady Olivia. She had instructed that this flavor should be served because she knew that it was her maid’s favorite. Olivia’s warm smile flickered briefly on her plum lips.
As the guests lowered their spoons, and the band lifted their bows to warm up their instruments; the Princess stood and gently cleared her throat. The hum of party chatter quickly died down as everyone in the ballroom turned his attention to Princess Johanna Marie.
“Father, Mother, family and friends, Thank you all for attending my birthday party. It is very pleasant to have those that I love surrounding me on this special day. I hope everyone enjoyed the meal, as I did. I invite you all to stay, enjoy the music, the wine and the lovely decorations. Dance until the sunshine kisses the shores of our kingdom in the morning, if you please. But before we slice the cake and pour the champagne, I have something I’d like to announce.”
It was as if the very wind stopped moving through the tree branches, so silent was the kingdom. Each person wondered with whom the princess would choose to share life in the palace.
The perfect princess turned and lifted her cushion from her seat. She laid it at the feet of Lady Olivia. Gathering her pale pink skirts about her she sank to her knees upon the pillow.
“My dearest Lady Olivia, you have been my best friend and confidante. I cannot imagine spending even one night without you at my side. Your voice is music to my soul. Please, say that you will spend your life beside me, here in the palace. We will be queens of this beautiful kingdom and live happily ever after!”
Johanna’s mother gasped in shocked disbelief. TWO QUEENS SHARING THE THONE? This had never been done before. It was unfamiliar to the entire kingdom. The queen placed her hands upon the table, preparing to protest; when the king placed a calming hand upon her shoulder. He said to his wife, “My dear, look at our daughter’s face. She is truly in love with Olivia. Olivia makes her truly happy.”
The queen watched silently, as silently as the rest of the kingdom.
Lady Olivia had glistening tears upon her bronze cheeks as she lifted the chin of the Princess Johanna in her palm.
“My darling Johanna Marie, I am so happy. I have loved you for so long. I will be happy to share my life with you.”
As the two Princesses gently touched their bowed lips together the entire ballroom sighed, as one. Everyone in attendance knew that Johanna had found happiness. The citizens of the kingdom knew how valuable love and happiness is in life.
Everyone who witnessed the 21st birthday kiss of the Princess Johanna knew that Princess Olivia and Princess Johanna would live Happily Ever After!
The End