Random Original Stories and Stuff

I like the characters, but not the story...

Once Upon A Time... Three Kingdoms lived in harmony.
To the west, where a formidable mountain range severed the continent in half, lived the only people that could tame it. The large, broad and imposing people of Fortissnor lived a more simplistic life. Even their king and queen had a modest fortress, close to their subjects.
Those that resided in this kingdom were miners, blacksmiths, and quarry workers. Their houses and buildings were sturdy stone, and their weapons were the finest in the land.
This kingdom truly was the strongest.
To the East, on the coast of this vast land, spread the tropical, mediterranean and elegant kingdom of Clarrintia. With tall, spiraling towers, golden statues, intricately carved walls and doors, and overlooking the turquoise blue ocean, the palace of Clarrintia sat on a cliff, far above its townspeople.
These people were the merchants of the continent. They traded with the kingdoms west of them and with any people from the islands dotting the ocean close by. Through all of their markets and trades, Clarrintia and its people lived in lavish luxury. Even the lowest peasants still lived in satisfied comfort.
This kingdom was truly the richest.
Now, in the midst of these two kingdoms, resided a third. The castle of Medialla rested between the Moderate Plains and the Forests of Mutuality, surrounded by its towns and subjects. In this kingdom, those near the Moderate Plains were mostly farmers, ranchers, and animal breeders. In the northern part of the kingdom, there were carpenters, lumberjacks, and cloth workers.
If you traded with someone from Medialla you know you always got a reasonable price. The people of Medialla were relaxed, fair, and sometimes even referred to as apathetic. Besides trade, they minded their own business.
This kingdom was truly... eh. But it's home!
Unfortunately, there can't always be harmony. Eventually, there was unrest coming from Fortissnor, and it was directed at Medialla. You see, Fortissnor felt that Medialla and its people didn't work hard enough for what they had. To be fair, though, they thought this of everyone. Fortissnor was famous for its hardworking people. Medialla was not; their people did what they needed to, but not more, and not less. So when Fortissnor declared war on the non-confrontational kingdom, Medialla was at a loss.
It was no surprise that, over time, Medialla began to lose the war. Fortissnor's army was far stronger, larger, and had better weapons. Without trade from Fortissnor, Medialla's weapons were depleted, their army was inexperienced, and their supplies were spread thin. Their only hope was to receive support from Clarrintia. Fortunately, Clarrintia's king and queen were willing to help. On one condition: The princess of Medialla was to be betrothed to their son, fortifying the relationship between the two kingdoms.
The prince was to marry me, Princess Lucinda Antoinette Edowyn.

The morning light filtered through the curtains, pulling me out of my dreamless sleep. The comfortable silence lasted only a few moments before a knock reached my ears. I quickly invited, whom I expected to be Gwendolyn, my handmaiden, into the room, "Come in!"
Gwen entered and replied cheerily, "Good morning, your highness!" Then she set down a tray of breakfast on my lap, and rushed off to ready the bath for me.
When she returned, I held out a plate of her favorite cream puffs for her to take. She shook her head and looked down, saying, "M'Lady, I shouldn't. You know I shouldn't."
"Of course you should. Why else would I order them? You know I don't like them myself." I offer the plate again with a smile. This time she takes them.
"Thank you, your highness."
I nod and busy myself with finishing my breakfast as Gwen opens my closet, nibbling on a cream puff. She starts to pull out dresses and corsets, shawls and undergarments, organizing my outfit for the day. As she does this, she starts up idle conversation with me, "The Clarrintians will arrive today." I don't respond with my mouth full, but the news draws an internal sigh from me. Gwen continues, "The castle will be busy preparing for the ball tonight. All the servants and cooks will be working double time."
I swallow my bite and reply, "I would assume that it would be better for everyone if we stayed out of their way today, correct?"
"Yes, that seems right."
I nodded and slid out of bed. I approached Gwen and suggested, "So, how about we go into town today and keep out of the way of the servants until the ball?"
"That is a wonderful idea, m'lady." Gwen flashed a smile at me, and began to pick out a casual dress for the town.