Once Upon a Cat

Princess Shelina

Long ago, there lived a kingdom, in the smallest corner of the farthest land. It was beautiful! It's lands were rolling hills full of crops and there were parks with beautiful flowers and trees. And in this kingdom lived a fair king and his only daughter, the princess.

King Cain was a wise and fair ruler. He listened to all- from the oldest and wisest woman to the smallest and youngest of mice. He loved his kingdom and loved his beautiful daughter, Shelina, even more.

Princess Shelina was, without a doubt the fairest maiden in the land. With gleaming locks of auburn hair and eyes of emerald green. She was to turn seventeen soon. The age at which to start looking for suitors to take her hand in marriage.

A week before her birthday, the king sent out news of the ball to be thrown in Princess Shelina's honor. All eligible men in the kingdom and princes from near kingdom were invited to present themselves to the Princess Shelina so that she may choose a husband.

It was the day before the ball, and the suitors were arriving and being led to the quest quarters. In her bedroom, she paced. She did not wish for an arranged marriage. She wanted to find true love.

She knew her father meant well, and she did not want to disappoint him, but she couldn't help it. She sat on her bed and weeped. What was she to do?

Just then, a shimmering came from her music box perched on her dresser. Shelina sat up and crept towards her dresser. She slowly opened the lid to her music box. A pink light shot out. Shelina startled and stared as it zoomed across the room.

It stopped abruptly two feet from her.

"O my, please forgive my poor manners, Your Highness. I've been dying to stretch my wings. I've been in there for thirteen years..."the pink thing prattled on in a tinkling voice, unawares that Shelina was now only a foot away from her.

"What are you?" Shelina interrupted.

It paused. "Forgive me, Highness. I forgot to change to my bodily state," she said. A bright pink light flashed, and a tiny human wearing a gossamer pink dress with delicate pink wings appeared. "I am Cherry, your fairy godmother."

Shelina raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Your my fairy godmother? But your-"

"Yes, yes, I know. I'm tiny and I'm not old. They always say that. Anyways, that's not what I'm here for. I heard that your father wants you to choose a husband tomorrow, but you want to find true love."

Shelina was intrigued."Why, yes. That is true. I want to love the man I marry, not resent him."

Cherry nodded, already knowing this."Well, I can make that wish come true. All you have to do is drink this before you go to sleep." She poofed up a bottle of orange liquid and gave it to Shelina.

She took the bottle. "What will it do?"

"This is how it works. If you drink this,when you are ready you and your father will be seated on the thrones before the guests arrive. When you sit down on your throne, you will turn into a cat. The suitors will come and go. There is one that you must look for. He will be the one to say ,'What beautiful auburn hair and emerald green eyes.' Then he will ask the king to court you.Then will you return to your human state.For it is the one who looks past the furs and the whiskers and sees the good person that you are."

Shelina smiled, hope in her eyes. "So if I drink this, then I will find my true love? Of course I'll do this! Thank you, Cherry!"

Cherry tittered,"Of course! I don't just go around turning people into cats. Now, get some rest, you have a big day tomorrow!" And with that, she disappeared.