The Peasant Princess [Short Story]

The Peasant Princess

Once upon a time, in a kingdom where fairytales happened only to those of royal blood, and magic was ever so present, there lived a young peasant girl called Alice. She had locks a rich chocolate brown, eyes of the purest amber, and a face scattered with cinnamon-colored freckles.

Her greatest wish was to be a princess of the kingdom she resided in. She dreamed of it day and night, constantly fantasizing about wearing lovely, extravagant dresses and tiaras of the purest gold and silver. The kingdom's crown princess, Celestria, was only a few months older than her, yet she was treated of utmost importance—only the finest delicacies were served to her table, and whispers from palace servants said she received spa days each day for two hours straight.Crown Princess Celestria was by no doubt pampered, extravagantly dressed and fed, and spoiled. And Alice wanted to be like her so, incredibly much.

One night, the White Witch of the kingdom happened upon hearing Alice's wish. As the witch began her nightly rounds on her broom of ivory oak under the full moonlight, she overheard Alice, looking out the window of the home she stayed in, saying her wish out loud. "I wish to be a princess of this kingdom," she said softly, a dirty rag laying limp in her left hand. "I wish for a different life."

The White Witch was immortal, at least three hundred years old, and with this incredible lifespan she had grown to become a wealth of unlimited knowledge. She tsked at the young girl's wish, but she looked at the saddened tears at the corners of her eyes, and decided to take pity on her. Flying down to come face to face with Alice, she smiled. "Little one, I will grant your wish."

Alice's eyes widened both in fear and surprise. "Y-you will? Truly?"

The Witch nodded. "Of course." But then her smile disappeared. "I'm sure you know, however, how wishes work. This is a kingdom of wishes, after all. Nothing comes without a price."

Alice stood her ground, determination seeping into her veins. "Name your price, and I'll pay it."The Witch laughed. "Oh, no, I do not ask for anything. I simply must caution you that a life of royalty is not as it seems. You may think things are easy at the top of the caste system, but you cannot take their life for granted."

Alice nodded. "I understand." She still wanted the wish.

The White Witch sighed, but she granted Alice what she so desperately wanted. With a wave of her impossibly young hand, she cast a spell and the air was filled with mist. It spread through the entire kingdom, coating everyone's vision in shining gray. The citizens of the kingdom knew what this mist meant; they'd seen it many, many times before: A wish was being granted.

When the mist lifted, everything looked the same. Alice looked around her in confusion, and the White Witch halted her.

"Sleep, child. You will wake with your wish come the morning."

So Alice obeyed her command. She fell asleep in her rags on her bed of straw as the White Witch gently kissed her forehead and set off, her task complete.

In the morning, Alice awoke to a commotion outside. She jumped when she heard loud rapping at her front door. "Princess Alice? Princess Alice? Are you within this establishment?"