The Clockwork Princess

1. A Royal Princess

Every morning Princess Amelia loved to go riding with the court in the forest beyond the city.  Every morning the people would wave to the princess as she rode through the streets of the city around the white castle. Every morning the Princess's long glossy hair fluttered like a large yellow flag in the wind as she rode and jumped fences in the forest.

Today the Princess's smile was very big, she was happy.  Today was a very special day. Today was the Feast of Stephen. The feast marked the first day of a week of parties to celebrate her birthday.  This year was very important, it was the Princess's eighteenth birthday and she would be of age.  This year her birthday was to be marked by the most wonderful of street parties. 

All the ladies in waiting laughed and chatted as they rode back to the castle.  The castle people called it the calico castle for its white walls. Clack, clack, clack, the horses' hooves clattered as they rode through the cobbled streets. Tack, tack, tack, went the horses' hooves over the drawbridge to the tower of London.  Clop, clop, clop, went the horses' hooves over the drawbridge and through the gates.

Behind the gates, the King was standing  coolly. He was waiting for the Princess. He stood on the steps leading up to the Tower of London where they lived.  The King left the tight group of officials and advisors like an explorer parting a flock of penguins.  The advisors tall top hats and long black morning coats waggled as they walked down the steps after the King.

'You should have been here an hour ago, daughter! The Feast of Stephen is tonight and you're later than a train that has lost its wheels, all its coal, as well as having a mole for a relief driver before being mistakenly diverted to Crewe.'

Only the King could be so rude to the Princess.

'Oh Daddy, don't use that voice: I know you don't mean it', the Princess reassured him with a smile. The Princess was not the tallest of girls, but with her smile you would have been forgiven for not noticing.

'I don't mean it, but I should', said the King, suppressing a smile himself. 'Hurry up; the Queen is very very worried.  You are the guest of honor tonight and I have spent all week arranging a special show for you.'

As the King spoke the Princess thought his short white beard looking more and more like a pointy hairy white trowel every day.

'Well, I hope that whoever you have got is more interesting than that Duke von Kempelen and his Mechanical Chess-playing Machine', the princess added.

' The Duke and his mechanical Turk was a wonderful example of the modern technology one day the palace will be clean by clockwork mechanicals.  Your mother loved it.'

'Mother would love it' the Princess said.

'How an two intelligent people like you and your mother can't get along is beyond me. Anyway this year I managed to get the wizard of speed and time for you and a reading by Dr Caligari for your mother. 

'Cal-lA-Gar-Re' the Princess said very slowly rolling his name in her mouth.

'Don't make fun of people your a royal Princess' the King said.

'I don't know who's worse, Caligari who's boring or the Wizard of Speed and time is too weird'.

'You could have said, I thought you liked him. Look!' said the King.

A carriage followed the rest of the riding party into the castle. Out of it stepped  a tall, scruffily dressed young man with long hair.

'Why It's Dr Caligari', the King added, walking up to the court writer and poet.

'Ah, my pretty, prepossessing Princess: it is another pinnacle of pleasure for this pitiful penman to once again park his pins in the presence the pious progeny of our preeminent potentate' said Caligari bowing deeply to the Princess.

'Thank you. Perhaps, for my birthday, you could think of something very clever for me to say back,' said the Princess.

She was on her best manners and didn't really understand what he just said.

'At the party, the good doctor is reading a brand new poem. He wrote it just for your birthday. He even stopped writing his new book to do it' added the King proudly. The Princess smiled, but inside she melted like old chocolate left in a hot oven. Caligari always wants to read out his famous poem about Greenland or Iceland or somewhere having no telegraph towers.

'It will be a titillating triumph to trot out the text before the tremendous throng of the tribe, tonight' said Caligari; with a smile. He had a smile just like one a cat has just before jumping on a rat.

'Amelia!!' came a shout from the window.

'Yes mother' said the Princess. She spoke like she had been caught throwing a cat into the moat again. 

'You should have been getting into your bath half an hour ago!'

'Sorry Mummy'

'I don't know why I bother getting you a party for your birthday you don't deserve it!' shouted the Queen.

'Sorry Mummy' said the Princess.

'Now rush up, have a quick bath and get dressed' the King ordered the Princess.

'Yes, Daddy', the Princess said glad of the excuse to leave. She curtsied to Caligari and ran up to her room at the top of the tallest tower.