Short Stories

Charming's Promise

"I never thought I would see him again, despite the promises we made. I'm an evil witch's daughter, he the prince who made Cinderella's fairy tale, the oh-so-handsome Prince Charming. I can tell you things you never would've thought dear Charming would do or shall we call him Lucas? That is his real name after all. He promised me a life with him, forever. He was my best friend. A prince is never supposed to break a promise. That is what he did. Our story starts in the woods, him on a hunting expedition, me hiding from my mother."

"The weather was so nice that day with the sun shining brightly through the trees. It was the perfect day to escape my mother who believed sunshine the worst thing in the world. I had no intention of ever meeting him but I did."

"He was stood in the clearing, sword tucked into his belt and a bow held tightly in his grip, a quiver of arrows resting on his back. His jet black horse, Prince, stood nearby, head bent as it ripped grass out from the roots to ease his hunger. I could only assume they'd been at it all day. Many people may find it strange that a ten year old boy was out hunting but I found it perfectly normal."

"From my spot in a bush, I watched him take a careful sip from a water bottle and survey the clearing. He bent down to survey the prints a deer had left behind, injured and separated from its herd. I'd seen it about a mile away from where I lived and quickly sent it away. I cleaned away the blood from the ground straight after. I thought it had gotten away."

"Something wet pressed against the side of my head and I turned to come face to face with the deer I had saved from my mother's wraith earlier. It was holding up one leg that appeared to have been torn by a dog, one of the King's, I was sure. I hadn't had time to examine it earlier but I did then."

"Suddenly, the boys brown eyes focused on where we were hiding. He raised his bow, pointing it straight at the injured animal beside me. I never understood the concept of hunting for pure enjoyment but it was obvious that was what the boy was doing due to the blood thirsty gleam in his eyes. As soon as it was released from the taut string, I pushed it to the side. He seemed unfazed and prepared to shoot again. It was then that I leapt from my hiding place, finger pointing at him."

"'Don't you dare!' I screeched, protecting the deer with my body. Looking back, I probably should've stayed quiet. It would've saved me a lot of trouble. The boy appeared shocked and took a wary step back yet remained in shooting range, for the both of us. 'You shoot it again and I'll... I'll...'"

"'You'll what?' he asked, raising an eyebrow. For a ten year old, he was extremely cocky and arrogant but I guess that's what you get for being a prince. The deer nervously rubbed its head against me and I bent down, ignoring his question. Quickly, I healed it, sending it running back into the woods.

"'What did you just do?' he asked, his voice full of anger. I fought the urge to send him flying through the air with a simple flick of my finger.

"'I wasn't going to let you kill an innocent animal for sport!'

"'You sure act Good for a girl who's Mum is a witch who wants to ruin my - I mean, my father's - kingdom!'

"'You're so full of yourself!' I yelled."

"'I hate you!' he yelled back."

"Despite our first encounter, he came back to that clearing every day, like me. Soon, we began to trust each other. We were each other's escape. Though I hate to admit it now, we were best friends. I trusted him with my life."

"On the night before his 18th birthday, he came to see me. I still remember staring out my window and just seeing him darting through the trees to see me. Of course, I quickly leapt out of my window and ran to see him. My mother was cranky when she was woken up and, if she saw Lucas, she would probably turn him into a frog. She's done that before."

"He told me to get myself out of here, that they were coming for my mother, even though she hadn't messed with them yet. In the distance, I saw angry villages charging though the forest. Just before I left, he grabbed my arm and promised me that we would be back together, no matter what."

"Now look at me kids," croaked the lady, her grey hair twisted into a bun, her blue eyes twinkling. "A prince promised me something and now he's a King. I honestly thought he was always going to be there for me."

A tear slipped down her wrinkled cheek as she stared off into the distance, the children watching her silently. They'd been expecting a tale of true love like all the other stories she'd told them. This one held real emotion and heartbreak. She gripped the arm rests of her rocking chair and smiled through her tears.

As soon as she heard a knock on the door, she wiped her tears away, determined to put on a happy face for whoever might be knocking. It could be a new child or a parent picking up the child. It was the same time she finished her story every week though many parents came back later due to children begging to stay after the story for cake and drinks.

"I told you I'd come back for you," said the voice at the door. His voice was deeper than what she remembered but his smile and brown eyes were so familiar that she felt a rush of warmth flood through her. He pulled the fragile lady into a hug.

"Lucas, I thought you'd forgotten about me," she said.

"It's been years, hasn't it?" said Lucas, staring into his reflection. His forehead was creased with worry lines and face with wrinkles. His once brown hair was grey. He'd taken so long to find his best friend, despite his promise. She simply nodded. "I'm sorry Agatha. I spent ages looking for you, searched the whole world from the day I came into power. I never thought you'd be right at my doorstep."

"Never were good at finding things," laughed Agatha, a smile on her face the children had never seen before.

"I missed you."

"I missed you too."

He never broke his promise. He found her. Agatha felt a smile spread across her face. No matter how long it had taken, she still loved him. No matter how long they'd been apart, he still loved her.