A Very Selfish Princess

Once Upon a Time

There was a kind princess from a far away kingdom.

She loved all. She enjoyed studying and reading, she enjoyed watering her beautiful roses, and--most of all--loved watching her fiancé from afar. If anything, she was the most selfless being on the planet.

Unfortunately, she was known to be also quite ugly.

Locked away in a tall tower, the only person who ever visited her was her beautiful sister. Unlike the kind princess, her sister would often bully and spread rumors about the kind princess. She always exaggerates her hideous appearance. Never had she uttered how kind her sister truly was. Never had she spread the type of beauty her sister truly had.

The kind but ugly princess sat locked inside her tower, watching as the sun rise and fall, constantly being chased by the moon.

Every morning, she went to the rooftop garden and pick some fresh vegetables to make breakfast. Afterwards, she would either paint or draw. Taking a quick afternoon nap, she eats lunch and practice her dance she will have with her soon-to-be husband.

Of course, her fiancé was an amazing and charming prince from a neighboring kingdom. He was third in line in his royal family, but if he married her, he will be the king. This was perfect as she knew her fiancé would make a great king. It's just that...why does he only look at her sister?

Her sighs become deeper as his eyes grew warmer towards the beautiful sister.

As the years continued to pass, she was of marriageable age. Unfortunately, once again, their engagement was never spoken of when her fiancé married her beautiful sister.

The poor, ugly, and kind princess cried for many nights. The night sky was moonless, but the castle was lit brighter than the sun. As for that little corner on the palace ground, that place that seemed abandoned...that was all forgotten.

***

Years passed, the kingdom that was once flourishing had now started its decline. Eventually, the trash stuffed into the bin had overfilled and spilled all over the floor. The once beautiful sister--now the queen of the country--had been exposed for cheating not only on her beloved king, but also feeding into the underground business of slavery and selling their military supplies to her lover's kingdom. Despite the begging, she was locked away in her courtyard, where the king decided to leave and ignore her. He did not have the heart to kill his beloved queen despite the betrayal. As for the queen's lover, he was the crown prince of the enemy country.

The public started to lose its trust in their king. How can a king protect his people when he let an enemy sneak into his bed with his wife? Many planned to move out, many businesses closed, and the economy took a plummet faster than a waterfall.

Pained and distraught, the king broke away from his office to enjoy the cool air the night has to offer. This time, he heard a muffled voice. The closer he got, the more his pace quickened. Eventually he made it to a clearing in the wide garden. He was in front of the maze's entrance where he first met the princess. The ugly princess.

In front of him was, indeed, an ugly princess.

His current wife, the country's queen.

She was haggard and pulling at a young man's cloak, begging him to take her away from the "third-rated country and cold-hearted king." Her tears poured down her face, as she looked at her blotched and hardened skin covering her...paws?

Why did she become so ugly? She looked exactly like that elder sister of hers. The kind and considered idiot who died in that tower she locked her in!