The Goose Girl

Shades of Green

I have my own secret world. It is by the shadow of a cave deep in the middle of the evergreens, where light sings but is not touched. There is no noise; the only sounds that are ever heard are the sounds of my own toes as I tiptoe across the clear-cut rocks. I dare not breathe aloud, for if I make any sound from my mouth, I will tear the silence apart. The wind floats and soars, but it always avoids my body, daring to not give me a chill. Green encloses my secret away from the word: green bushes, trees, grass, vines. Yet there are numerous shades of green; greens I would expect to see in places so wet or cold or dry in the stories I've read, but have not seen apart from here. 
I did not always come here at first, but when I did, I would only come when I knew no one would listen to me, and I thought that I was going to explode into fireworks that would light the evening skies for the next ten thousand years. However, I ventured out more once I realized that I could think of all the solutions to all the problems I never knew I had. I discovered why no one listens to me: they think I am a silly princess who only likes jewels and fancy dresses.
And while jewels are nice, and I love fancy dresses, I want to be the best queen I can be one day. I want to do things to make my people happy. I want to help the queendom so that she will prosper for centuries to come. And I thought of ways to flourish my queendom by coming here, in my own thinking spot.
Today I brought a book from the library that I had not seen before this morning. Although there are many books I have not read, I know most of the books in the library. And I would have noticed this book before, with its black binding and gold lock on it. There are no visible words on the cover, yet I know this book is not some mere prank. It releases an aura so light that it is heavy. I cannot depict the color of it, but it's presence alone is menacing and alluring.
I should have thought it through, bringing the book immediately without indulging further into research about it. The book itself is locked, yet there is no keyhole. If I were to have done some research, I could have figured out a way to open the book instead of prying it open with my cold fingers on the stone ground.
For once, I sigh aloud in my secret world.
And for once, I hear the movement of leaves and twigs breaking under the beat of a person walking. I freeze, yet I do not know why. Is it because the person out there could have the capability of murdering me or is it because I am afraid that my personal secret will be discovered? I can't help but be intoxicated, wanting to know who else would know the potential whereabouts of my secret, even if they did not know the place itself.
The person's steady feet stop. I tense and try to un-tense by rolling my shoulders. Curiosity pokes me everywhere and I know that if I don't know the identity of this invader then I will forever be an old woman who regrets every moment of her life and cringes with jealousy at young people.
"Who is there? Reveal yourself!" I say, my knees planted on the ground and my back up straight. Stress oozes out of my mouth as adrenaline crawls in. There is some movement beyond the shades of green, and a person falls into my hideaway. I do everything I can to not shriek and attack the invader, even if it means biting my lips to the point where it swells up, full of blood.
As he stands back up, he falls onto me. My back falls to the ground and I shriek. The sound of bird wings flood the air. They had done so well at being quiet; I had done so well at being quiet.
"I guess you could say I fell for you before I even laid eyes on you." He does this weird smile thing, where he attempts to wink with his lips while showing an ungodly amount of yellow teeth that are doing flips over each other.
"And I guess you could say the thought of you made me want to vomit before I even knew you. Get off of me." I growl at him. He sits upright, but decides that he was going to sit on my stomach.
"You're a feisty one. I like it." He then makes the decision of first waving his hand right above my face. He proceeds to stroke my cheek. I roll my eyes and lie on the ground, hoping I wouldn't have to summon my violent side. She is very unladylike and I hardly like to show her to the public.
"Very pretty. I would say an eight out of ten. Deep eyes, regal nose, rosy cheeks, and delicate lips." The stranger caresses my lips with his fingers, and to his surprise, I open my mouth. He startles but does another weird smiley thing. I sneer at him as my teeth chomp down on his fingers.
"Ow! You bit me! You actually bit me!" He grabs a hold of his fingers, tears at the ready, and in his moment of weakness, I punch him in the nose. He starts to cry as he falls backwards onto my legs. I roll from under him and stand up. His sobs grow louder and louder. I almost feel bad for him, but men who show no concept of personal space and rate me, out of all people, an eight out of ten? His judgement is completely off. I am at the least a nine, and at the most a nine and a half. I understand I am not the full ten, no one is perfect. No pity for the ugly toothed man with the poor judgement.
"Don't leave me!" He blurts out through his soul-sucking sobs. "I don't know how to leave this place!"
"You should have thought of that before you assaulted me!" I try to leave, but I feel is hand on my ankle. He takes me to the floor with him. "Let go of my foot!"
He sniffles. "I just wanted to flirt with you. Then you bit me."
"You sat on me first!" I accuse him and he pulls himself to a sitting position, but still holding my foot. I roll my foot around in the air but he won't seem to let go.
"It was a way of flirting." He is actually depressed about it. The monster inside me shrivels and I begin to lose my strong front and feel my heart again. His cries still swallow the forrest, and I begin to cry too. Stupid heart, giving in so quickly.
"I'm sorry. Please forgive me! I would never ever hurt another person unless I felt threatened by them. The person who punched, and bit, you was just scared me! I am so sorry! How can I repay you?" I begin saying everything on my mind. Just an average mood-swing on an average, more or less day from the average teenage princess.
He lets go of my foot. "I shouldn't have sat on you. I should be asking how to repay you."
"No," I shake my head. "I physically harmed you. Please, punch and bite  me so we're even. I could not live with myself if I hurt someone who was truly innocent." And is one of my future citizens, possibly, I fail to mention.
"I could never hurt a lady!" He puts his hand on his heart and he looks off into the distance, as if recalling something tragic. He then looks at me and he stops crying. Instead, he starts laughing.
"What? Do I have something on my face?" I start to wipe my face, hoping there is not a slimy, evil bug on my face again.
"Can you promise not to tell anyone that you punched me? And of my emotional breakdown?" He looks suddenly worried, as if I could tell anyone. I don't even know his name!
"I promise!" I nod my head with integrity, meaning to keep that promise. I too did not want to seem as a crazy lady who attacks me. The stranger then takes my hand and kisses it.
"I doubt we will ever meet again, but unless we do, I will keep the memory of your beautiful face and strong fist in deep memory of my heart." He leaps up and he leaves the shades of green. I hear a thud. "I'm alright!"
I wait until I can no longer hear his footsteps, and then I sigh, but this time I let no sound come out.
What a peculiar person. Though, I suppose I am also slightly strange in his eyes.