A Princess's Choice

I run through the greenery of the vast, stretching lawn, sunlight painting the world in front of me in bright colours.

"I'm going to get you!" Papa exclaims, putting fake menace into his soft voice. He is so funny. I scream in excitement.

"You can never catch me, Papa!" I yell back at him, my shining blonde curls blowing in my face, my hands lifting the skirt of my colourful, layered dress.

I keep running through the palace grounds. It's a rather beautiful palace. With neatly manicured lawns, citrus fruit trees growing all around, huge, gilded fountains scattered all around, neatly trimmed hedge sculptures basking under the trees, and marble pillars holding up a roof over the vast stone walkways.

There is a flower garden not too far from here. And Papa got it commissioned just especially for me. It's my favourite place to go. I love sitting on the carved marble benches and looking at all the pretty flowers and the butterflies and birds kept in by the fine mesh net around the place.

Papa is so nice to me. He gets me everything I want. All the clothes and toys and treats. And even the bigger things, like the flower garden. He throws special parties just for me, his princess, and he invites all the nobles from the whole kingdom to come.

Right now Papa is pretending to be a horrible monster, and he is chasing me through the grounds. I am running from him, and it's the perfect thing to do on a beautiful summer day like today.

I run faster as he is gaining ground on me.

"Oh no you don't!" I shout.

"Oh yes I do!" He shouts back, keeping a mirthful growl in his voice. "I've almost got you!"

I run into a heavily carved, painted gazebo made out of blackwood. The sloping roof is lined with birdcages made of fine gold, each housing an exotic bird with clipped wings.

"You can't get me here, monster! This place is enchanted to keep you out!"

Papa stops in his tracks and hits the palm of his hand to his face. His dark polished shoes shine in stark contrast to the gay grass. And he suppresses a smile, which is only visible in his eyes.

"Whatever shall I do!" He exclaims, prowling around the wide gazebo. "However shall I capture the beautiful Princess and take her to my lair?"

"You never can!" I laugh at him. "I will be free! Now go away! Get lost you foul fiend!"

"I will not give up so easily! I will find a way to break your wards, and I will return again to make you mine! You will become mine! Whether you like it or not!"

"No! I will always find ways to defeat you!"

He stalks away in exaggerated motions and I run in the other direction, on the hunt for something with which to defeat him with. I pass fountains and statues, and I pass by gardeners busy keeping the grass and the hedges trimmed. I pass by servants sweeping the walkway and I pass by a servant polishing a gazebo. I eventually find bright berries growing on a low hedge lining a walkway. I take handfuls of them and hide them in my purse. These would do.

I walk back to the gazebo. And I wait.

I see Papa coming back with an ivory cane, which he probably had a servant go and fetch for him.

"Are you ready for your final demise, beautiful Princess?"

"It is you who must be ready for yours, foul fiend!" I smirk at him and he smirks back. A sparkly, flighting thing, just the faintest bit dark around the edges.