Story Saturday
Story Saturday: A Sister's Love
Now that I'm getting close to my 100th post, after which I'm going to stop updating every day, I'd like to try something new. Every Saturday, I will try to come up with a new short story about a princess and share it here. My first one is called "A Sister's Love." Please let me know in the comments if you enjoyed it and if you would like to see more weekly stories from me.
"A Sister's Love" Once upon a time, there was a kingdom in peril. The invading conquerors were dangerously close to taking the throne from the rightful king and queen. To protect her only daughter, the queen entrusted the baby girl to her favorite handmaiden, a sweet elderly spinster named Janella.
"Take her far away from the danger, and tell no one who she really is, not even her, until she's ready," said the queen.
Janella always longed for a daughter, but such a dream proved impossible for the life of a handmaiden. Perhaps that is why she kept Princess Lucinda…
"A Sister's Love" Once upon a time, there was a kingdom in peril. The invading conquerors were dangerously close to taking the throne from the rightful king and queen. To protect her only daughter, the queen entrusted the baby girl to her favorite handmaiden, a sweet elderly spinster named Janella.
"Take her far away from the danger, and tell no one who she really is, not even her, until she's ready," said the queen.
Janella always longed for a daughter, but such a dream proved impossible for the life of a handmaiden. Perhaps that is why she kept Princess Lucinda…
Story Saturday: The Unicorn Princess
"The Unicorn Princess" Once upon a time, there was a lovely young girl who lived in the middle of the woods. She had no family that she knew of. Though there were no other humans for miles, she had the unique ability to communicate with animals. The creatures in the forest were her only companions, but for her, they were enough. She never felt lonely or scared. When she was cold, she would sing a strange lullaby and beautiful clothes would appear before her to keep her warm. When she was hungry, she would sing a different song, and fresh food would appear. The birds taught her to sing, though her song was foreign to them. The older the maiden got, the more powerful her song became. Soon, she possessed the ability to heal dead plants and trees and sprout new life all around her with the sound of her voice.
When she turned sixteen, word spread of the girl's miraculous abilities. Many brave knights journeyed through the woods to find her so that she could use her magical v…
When she turned sixteen, word spread of the girl's miraculous abilities. Many brave knights journeyed through the woods to find her so that she could use her magical v…
Story Saturday: The Bluebird
"The Bluebird" Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess whose parents loved her so much that they gave her everything her little heart desired. Yet, material things did not seem to satisfy her. The only thing the princess truly wanted was a companion. She had the palace staff to converse with from time to time, but they would never have a real conversation with her for fear of taking the child's innocence about the world and angering the queen and king. So, the princess went out into the village in search of a friend. She saw no need for a disguise, as she was given a royal escort. Thus, everyone in the village knew that she was the princess and acted accordingly.
As the princess wandered the streets in her glittering gown, she noticed one girl who appeared to be around the same age as her, who did not curtsy or seek out her attention. The girl admired the princess's fine clothes and jewels from a distance. When the princess asked her why she acted so differ…
As the princess wandered the streets in her glittering gown, she noticed one girl who appeared to be around the same age as her, who did not curtsy or seek out her attention. The girl admired the princess's fine clothes and jewels from a distance. When the princess asked her why she acted so differ…
Story Saturday: Princess Godmother
"Princess Godmother" Once upon a time, Princess Julia found herself in a hopeless situation. A greedy soldier from an enemy kingdom had kidnapped her while she was asleep and locked her in his kingdom's dungeon. She knew she had to escape. What she didn't know was how. Her arms and legs were shackled to the wall, and she hadn't eaten in days. Her tattered nightgown would have made it difficult for anyone to believe she was a princess even if she did find a way to escape. She refused to tell her captors anything about her father's armies or plans to defeat them, for she knew they needed her alive so they could continue to use her as collateral to control her father. Her captors did not seem all that smart to her. If she could only free herself from these shackles, she knew she could find a way to escape.
Meanwhile, in the realm of magic, Florindia, Princess Julia's Fairy Godmother was also hard at work trying to figure out a way for her escape. She cursed…
Meanwhile, in the realm of magic, Florindia, Princess Julia's Fairy Godmother was also hard at work trying to figure out a way for her escape. She cursed…
Story Saturday: The Mountain and the Knight
"The Mountain and the Knight" Once upon a time, there was a brave prince who loved to be challenged. He had slain dragons, rescued damsels, and defeated witches. Legends of his achievements had spread far and wide. One day, the prince heard rumors of a mountain that was so perilous, no man had ever climbed it and lived to tell the tale. Soon, the prince was filled with determination to climb the fabled mountain and return to spread hope to his people that anything is possible. The king and queen advised him against this, for he was the only heir to the throne. They warned him that if he shared the same fate as the others who climbed the mountain, the kingdom would one day be left without a ruler. The prince was so confident in his abilities that he ignored their warnings and snuck off to the mountain in the middle of the night when his guards were asleep.
The path up the mountain was indeed perilous, full of monsters and traps. One wrong step and the brave prince would have…
The path up the mountain was indeed perilous, full of monsters and traps. One wrong step and the brave prince would have…
Story Saturday: The Dragon and the Runt
"The Dragon and the Runt" Once upon a time, there was a powerful dragon guarding a great treasure. The dragon surrounded herself with glittering gold and adorned her scales with jewels that sparkled in every color of the rainbow. She loved her treasure so much that she would scare away anyone who dared to come near it by breathing blazing hot blasts of flames at them. Legends of her vast riches spread throughout the land, but only the bravest of knights would ever dare to face her and risk their lives over such a reward.
In a kingdom not too far, three brothers lived in a village with their ailing mother who was too weak to provide for them. Their father had passed away in a war. She begged her three sons to find a way to support their family before they lost everything. Two of the brothers were strong and capable but hated working. The third, who was willing to do anything to help his mother but was not strong enough to perform hard labor, was considered the runt of the fa…
In a kingdom not too far, three brothers lived in a village with their ailing mother who was too weak to provide for them. Their father had passed away in a war. She begged her three sons to find a way to support their family before they lost everything. Two of the brothers were strong and capable but hated working. The third, who was willing to do anything to help his mother but was not strong enough to perform hard labor, was considered the runt of the fa…
Story Saturday: An Ordinary Life
"An Ordinary Life" Once upon a time, there was a princess who was very sad. Though she had everything her heart desired, her parents had both been struck with the same illness. The greatest physicians in the land had tried everything they could to treat them, but all attempts proved fruitless. It seemed that only magic could help them now. The princess knew that all the luxuries in the world could not make her happy without her parents who she loved so dearly, so she sought the aid the aid of a witch. She knew that witches were dangerous, but she was willing to do whatever it took to help her dear parents.
"How much are you willing to sacrifice in order to save them?" asked the witch.
"I would give up everything I have and everything I am if it means my parents could live another day," said the princess.
The witch found her answer acceptable. She mixed some potions in a cauldron and said some magic words. Then she gave the princess a glowing vial and tol…
"How much are you willing to sacrifice in order to save them?" asked the witch.
"I would give up everything I have and everything I am if it means my parents could live another day," said the princess.
The witch found her answer acceptable. She mixed some potions in a cauldron and said some magic words. Then she gave the princess a glowing vial and tol…
Story Saturday: The Mirror
"The Mirror" Once upon a time, there was an ordinary girl in high school named Alexis who was very unhappy with her life. She felt as if she would never amount to anything and that nobody wanted to be friends with her. The other kids she went to school with liked to throw wads of paper in her thick frizzy hair and tripped her in the hallways. Every day, she wished that her life could be different, dreaming of the words that she read about in books and saw in movies. If she could be like the princesses she read about in fairy tales and go on real adventures, then she would be truly happy.
One day, she was walking to the bus stop when a piece of paper blew toward her and landed on the ground. It was a flyer for a new virtual reality experience called "The Mirror." It advertised that the experience would allow its players to live in a world of dreams where all of their fantasies would become reality. She could hardly believe her eyes. This was exactly what she had wa…
One day, she was walking to the bus stop when a piece of paper blew toward her and landed on the ground. It was a flyer for a new virtual reality experience called "The Mirror." It advertised that the experience would allow its players to live in a world of dreams where all of their fantasies would become reality. She could hardly believe her eyes. This was exactly what she had wa…
Story Saturday: The Princess Contest
Once upon a time, Jacob and Elnora were in love. There was only one thing preventing them from living in perfect bliss. Jacob's parents, the king and queen, were determined to grow their kingdom. To do that, he would need to marry a princess. Elnora was not a princess. Though that meant she could never meet Jacob's parents, their minor differences were still not enough to keep them apart. They would regularly sneak off to a small glen that was accessible through a secret passage just outside the palace to play hide and seek and discuss whether or not they could have future together. To avoid suspicion, Elnora would wait until every craft she had made for her family was sold at the market, and Jacob would wait until after he finished his lessons in royal protocol for the day. Would these two star-crossed lovers ever find happiness together?
One day, Prince Jacob's parents decided to hold a contest so that they could find the perfect princess to marry their son and one day r…
One day, Prince Jacob's parents decided to hold a contest so that they could find the perfect princess to marry their son and one day r…
Story Saturday: The Princess Protector
"The Princess Protector" Once upon a time, there was a frail princess whose kingdom was being invaded by a band of wicked goblins who wanted to take control of the throne. The queen and king did not want to risk losing their kingdom, so they had their royal sorcerer concoct a supply of magic dust that would instantly teleport the goblins outside the kingdom. However, the dust took a long time to make, so the two monarchs kept what little of it they had to themselves in case of an emergency. Worried for the safety of their only daughter, they had the princess locked away in a high tower where the goblins could not reach her. They entrusted her with a small pouch of the dust on the off chance that the goblins might found a way in.
From her tower window, the princess was able to see all of the peasants from her kingdom in a panic below. They were doing their best to fight against the goblins, but many were injured, and some got separated from their families in the chaos. The p…
From her tower window, the princess was able to see all of the peasants from her kingdom in a panic below. They were doing their best to fight against the goblins, but many were injured, and some got separated from their families in the chaos. The p…
Story Saturday: The Princess Vlog
"The Princess Vlog" Once upon a time, there was a lovely princess named Lisa who created a blog to keep her court informed about all of the latest princess news in the world. She had a small but loyal following. Lisa was happy with her court but always wished that there could be a way for her kingdom to grow bigger. One day, she went to visit her prince's kingdom, where her father-in-law, the king, encouraged her to start a YouTube channel to spread her message of love and kindness to the rest of the world. So, the princess used a magic wand that had been presented to her at her royal wedding to transform herself into a cartoon character. With the help of a little pixie dust, she created a video of her very first blog post.
Though she received a much smaller reception on her video than she had hoped, Lisa did receive some helpful scrolls from her royal family members overseas. She knew she couldn't do everything herself, so she asked her husband, Prince Derrick, for…
Though she received a much smaller reception on her video than she had hoped, Lisa did receive some helpful scrolls from her royal family members overseas. She knew she couldn't do everything herself, so she asked her husband, Prince Derrick, for…
Story Saturday: The Forgetful Princess
"The Forgetful Princess" Once upon a time, there was a girl named Delia who woke up one morning and found that she couldn't remember anything about her life. She took the bus to school and couldn't remember which class she was in, so she wandered the halls aimlessly for few minutes.
"Are you lost?" asked a sporty-looking boy.
Delia nodded sadly. The boy directed her around the corner to where her first class was, but when she reached the door he described, she realized she had almost entered the boys' bathroom. She heard him snicker from around the corner as another group of guys came out pointing and laughing at her. Humiliated, Delia ran into the first classroom she saw and sat down at a desk.
It turned out to be a math class. The class was given a pop quiz, but Delia realized that she couldn't remember how to solve any of the equations. Later, the teacher called on her and asked her to recite the quadratic formula. She thought she knew, but she …
"Are you lost?" asked a sporty-looking boy.
Delia nodded sadly. The boy directed her around the corner to where her first class was, but when she reached the door he described, she realized she had almost entered the boys' bathroom. She heard him snicker from around the corner as another group of guys came out pointing and laughing at her. Humiliated, Delia ran into the first classroom she saw and sat down at a desk.
It turned out to be a math class. The class was given a pop quiz, but Delia realized that she couldn't remember how to solve any of the equations. Later, the teacher called on her and asked her to recite the quadratic formula. She thought she knew, but she …
Story Saturday: The Princess Trap
"The Princess Trap" Once upon a time, there was a princess who loved two things--eating and training with the royal guards. On the rare occasions that the kingdom had a festival, the royal seamstresses would struggle to create something flattering for the princess's unusual figure, but she didn't mind. She kept herself strong and healthy by sparring with her favorite knights and even won several matches against them. Since she came from a kingdom that often went to war, her parents didn't mind that she did not meet the dainty expectations of a princess.
One day, the king and queen decided to take their daughter on a royal vacation. The kingdom had been at peace for a while, and they grew bored of the monotony. When the queen suggested the far-off island of Keye, an advisor immediately warned her that there had been many rumors of princesses traveling with their families that island over the years and never returning. This piqued the princess's interest. What had happened to all the other princ…
One day, the king and queen decided to take their daughter on a royal vacation. The kingdom had been at peace for a while, and they grew bored of the monotony. When the queen suggested the far-off island of Keye, an advisor immediately warned her that there had been many rumors of princesses traveling with their families that island over the years and never returning. This piqued the princess's interest. What had happened to all the other princ…
Story Saturday: Mermaid's Redemption
"Mermaid's Redemption"
Once upon a time, there was a mermaid princess who fell in love with a human prince. As a royal, she had the unique ability to transform her shimmering turquoise tail into legs whenever she chose. When the prince met her, he was drawn to her delicate features and passionate demeanor. She sang sweetly to him in the language of her people, and he became hers forever, refusing to even look at the other princesses who came to court him. They were married soon after, but that is only the beginning of the story. In their many years together, the mermaid princess refused to tell her husband anything about her family or where she came from. Though he never stopped being curious, he soon learned to stop asking.
One day when the couple was taking a walk along the beach, the mermaid noticed something glittering in the water. It was a message in a bottle with a pink shell attached to it that she recognized from her home kingdom. She immediately opened it to s…
One day when the couple was taking a walk along the beach, the mermaid noticed something glittering in the water. It was a message in a bottle with a pink shell attached to it that she recognized from her home kingdom. She immediately opened it to s…
Story Saturday: The Secret Princess
"The Secret Princess"
Once upon a time, there was a happy peasant couple living in a small village. Each morning, the husband would plow the fields, and each afternoon, the wife would sew the loveliest of garments to sell at market. They barely remembered a time before they were together. The two met when they were very young while the peasant woman was traveling to sell her wares. Once they were wed, she never left the village and their lives remained as constant as ever. Nothing new or exciting happened to them, and that was the way they liked it. Of course, even those with the simplest of desires do not always get what they want.
One day, there was an announcement that an ambassador from a nearby kingdom would be coming to visit the small village. When the peasant woman heard the announcement, she told her husband that she could not sell her wares at the market that day because she was feeling ill. However, his worry and concern for her made her hesitant to keep up her r…
One day, there was an announcement that an ambassador from a nearby kingdom would be coming to visit the small village. When the peasant woman heard the announcement, she told her husband that she could not sell her wares at the market that day because she was feeling ill. However, his worry and concern for her made her hesitant to keep up her r…
Story Saturday: The Secret Prince
"The Secret Prince"
Once upon a time, there was a lonely little maiden living with her stepmother, stepsister, and stepbrother. They treated her well enough until her father died, and their true nature was revealed. The maiden's stepfamily had been jealous of the gifts and attention granted to her by her father, so they took it all away and began treating her like a slave. Every week, they demanded that she go to the market and purchase everything they desired, leaving her no extra money for herself. She would spend her mornings making her family breakfast, tightening her stepsister's corsets, and helping her brother with his debt. All the while, she dreamed of the days when her beloved father was still alive. If she ever uttered a word about him to her stepfamily, though, they would force her to scrub the floors until her hands became cracked and raw.
One day, when she was out at the market, a young man she had never seen before caught her eye. He heard her singing…
One day, when she was out at the market, a young man she had never seen before caught her eye. He heard her singing…
Story Saturday: A Princess in Time
"A Princess in Time"
Once upon a time, there was a young millennial lady named Alex who was fed up with her life after her boyfriend dumped her for being too old-fashioned. She decided to distract herself with random internet memes, but quickly got bored of that. After some more clicking, she soon found herself looking up her ancestry online. To her surprise, she learned that she was descended from royalty and found an old painting of her ancestor, Princess Alexandria III. Alex stared at the painting for what felt like hours. It was as if she was looking into a mirror version of herself in a beautiful Renaissance dress. There was something not quite right about the image, though. She tried zooming in and inspecting it closer. The next thing she knew, her monitor began glowing brightly and humming. Alex rolled her eyes, hoping she wouldn't need to buy a new computer. Suddenly, she felt a strong force sucking her into the screen. No matter how she tried to resist, she cou…
Story Saturday: The Little Siren
"The Little Siren"
Once upon a time, there was a group of sirens who haunted the waters of a coastal kingdom for many years. Anyone living in the kingdom with half a brain knew to avoid the portion of the sea that the sirens dominated, for there were too many stories about men getting lost out there and never returning. This time, however, was different. The kingdom was under attack by a band of invaders. The prince devised a plan to sneak up on the invaders by hiding away near the forbidden part of the sea where no other man would dare travel. If his plan failed, his men would surely be defeated by the invading conquerors. Some nearby sirens overheard his strategy and laughed among themselves at how foolish the prince was to bring an army of men into their territory that they could tempt and drown. The youngest siren, however, had something else in mind.
"It's almost too easy," one of her sisters groaned as she watched the prince's knights kneel in wait b…
"It's almost too easy," one of her sisters groaned as she watched the prince's knights kneel in wait b…
Story Saturday: A Character Study
This is not going to be your typical Story Saturday, where I tell an original short story with a beginning, middle, and end. Instead, I would like to do a character study for my next novel and/or screenplay, The Stolen Jewel. The story will take place in the same world as my other books and centers on a studious princess and her two ladies-in-waiting. I have not written anything about Princess Charlotte or her ladies yet, so this is a litmus test of sorts to see how well they play off each other. Please let me know in the comments if you enjoyed reading about them and if you would like to see more previews of this story in the future. If I decide to turn it into a novella, it will go up on my Amazon page in paperback and Kindle formats as soon as I am finished. Otherwise, it will become my first project for the professional screenwriting program I applied to. I look forward to your feedback!
The Stolen Jewel: Character Study Charlotte's mind was buzzing with facts about the kingdo…
The Stolen Jewel: Character Study Charlotte's mind was buzzing with facts about the kingdo…
Story Saturday: Setting Study
The story you are about to read takes place many years before last week's character study for The Stolen Jewel. It is an early attempt to build the history behind the world of Klingland. You may notice that I also tweaked a few things from last week's story, such as killing off Charlotte's parents. We writers can be so heartless at times. I'm looking forward to writing the final piece and learning what you all think about it.
The Stolen Jewel: Setting Study Once upon a time, there was a kingdom known as Klingland that was infused with magic. It flowed through the oceans and poured from the sky. There was nowhere a creature could step without unleashing some sort of power from the earth. Over the course of thousands of years, the magic was soaked up into tangible jewels known as enchanted ruins. The markings on the ruins revealed what sort of magic they contained. Ruins could be found everywhere. They were buried in the earth, washed up in the ocean, and fell from the t…
The Stolen Jewel: Setting Study Once upon a time, there was a kingdom known as Klingland that was infused with magic. It flowed through the oceans and poured from the sky. There was nowhere a creature could step without unleashing some sort of power from the earth. Over the course of thousands of years, the magic was soaked up into tangible jewels known as enchanted ruins. The markings on the ruins revealed what sort of magic they contained. Ruins could be found everywhere. They were buried in the earth, washed up in the ocean, and fell from the t…
Story Saturday: Prince Braydon
The Stolen Jewel: Prince Braydon
Prince Braydon glared at a mountain of letters on his desk. Most of them were from wishful noble ladies who were desperate for his courtship in order to raise their status. It wasn't easy being the most eligible prince in the land. Many others would envy him to have such an admirable problem, but he knew better. There was far more to life than making women swoon and throw themselves at his feet. He was far more interested in learning to run a kingdom. His father had some unique ideas about being king. Even though Braydon did not agree with all of them, he found their discussions fascinating.
"Finished sorting through your mail already?" asked King Mercer as his son cautiously entered the throne room. Braydon never knew what sort of mood his father might be in.
"Why must read I them all? Most of these ladies are so vapid, writing about their hair and clothes and showering me with empty compliments about my appearance. I'd work on…
"Finished sorting through your mail already?" asked King Mercer as his son cautiously entered the throne room. Braydon never knew what sort of mood his father might be in.
"Why must read I them all? Most of these ladies are so vapid, writing about their hair and clothes and showering me with empty compliments about my appearance. I'd work on…
Story Saturday: Charlotte's Childhood
This will be my last developmental post for The Stolen Jewel. I am pleased to announce that I will be developing it into a feature-length screenplay at UCLA's Professional Program for Screenwriting Online in the fall! I hope you've enjoyed the past few weeks of developing backstories for my characters before they go on their big adventure. Whether or not I will be continuing Story Saturday after this is still up in the air. People don't seem as interested in my short stories as my analytical posts, and it's difficult to come up with brand new worlds and characters every week. Please let me know if there's anything in particular you would like to see more of in The Princess Blog. You can also contribute to my Patreon account if you would like to decide the topic for my next post or contribute a guest post.
The Stolen Jewel: Charlotte's Childhood When Princess Charlotte was eight years old, her aunt Denise let her play in the royal treasury for the first time. Sh…
The Stolen Jewel: Charlotte's Childhood When Princess Charlotte was eight years old, her aunt Denise let her play in the royal treasury for the first time. Sh…
Story Saturday: Book Relaunch!
Instead of bringing you a new short story this Saturday, I am celebrating over 500 likes on my Facebook page with a relaunch of all the novels I wrote! The covers have been completely redesigned using stock images and Photoshop. I have also lowered the prices for all the Kindle versions. This weekend only, I have a special promotion happening in which the first book I ever wrote, Elf Princess Roweena, and my poetry anthology, Castle>, are completely free! You can find the complete list on my Amazon page.
I was inspired to do this relaunch by fellow author Lyssa Chiavari of Snow Wings Publishing who created the new cover for Elf Princess Roweena. She referred me to some resources about indie publishing, and I realized how much self-publishing has changed since I wrote my last book, Blood Red, back in 2013. It's a lot easier to market yourself as a writer now thanks to Kindle Direct Publishing and other online marketing resources. Since I will be working on my screenwriting again at …
I was inspired to do this relaunch by fellow author Lyssa Chiavari of Snow Wings Publishing who created the new cover for Elf Princess Roweena. She referred me to some resources about indie publishing, and I realized how much self-publishing has changed since I wrote my last book, Blood Red, back in 2013. It's a lot easier to market yourself as a writer now thanks to Kindle Direct Publishing and other online marketing resources. Since I will be working on my screenwriting again at …
Story Saturday: Jewel Riders Season 3 Concept
It's been a while since I posted anything for Story Saturday. I am pleased to announce that one of my previous stories, "The Dragon and the Runt," was recited recently on a podcast called Fairy Tales for Unwanted Children! Today, I have a different type of short story to share with you. My friends over at the Jewel Riders Archive have posted a writer challenge to come up with a concept for a potential third season of Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders. Jewel Riders is one of my favorite shows of all time, so I had to give this challenge a shot. The concept is inspired by the fantastic art board designs by toy designer Greg Auture for the third wave of Jewel Riders dolls that never got produced due to the show's untimely cancellation after the second season. Just to clarify, this is my own interpretation of a potential third season. I have no affiliation with the creators of the show. If you'd like to catch up with the original story, you can watch both seaso…
What Writing an Original Princess Screenplay Taught Me
Some time ago, I promised that I would turn my story The Stolen Jewel into an original full-length screenplay under the UCLA Professional Program for Screenwriting. I am pleased to announce that I successfully completed my polished first draft a few weeks ago. The Stolen Jewel is not the first princess story I have ever written, but it is one of the few that was not adapted from a pre-existing fairy tale. Through the program, I received incredibly valuable feedback that carried my writing to a level that I didn't even realize was possible. I also learned a lot about how people respond to modern princess stories and how that attitude has changed over the years. I am so happy with how The Stolen Jewel has turned out, and I would like to share some of my experience working on it with you.
My intention with The Stolen Jewel was to reverse the tired old "Cinderella" formula of "rags to riches" by telling the story of a princess who starts out having everything she c…
My intention with The Stolen Jewel was to reverse the tired old "Cinderella" formula of "rags to riches" by telling the story of a princess who starts out having everything she c…
Story Saturday: Denise's Decision
This is a short prequel to The Stolen Jewel that delves a little deeper into the backstory of Lady Denise, a disabled character from the kingdom of Klingland. I was inspired to do this because I am currently working on the screenplay version of The Stolen Queen, a sequel to The Stolen Jewel about Lily, Charlotte's best friend. I discussed this project along with several others I've worked on in a recent interview with author A.G. Marshall. My ultimate goal is to create a trilogy that reveals what became of Charlotte, Lily, and Krystal respectively. Denise, who is Charlotte's aunt and Krystal's mother, had such a rich backstory that I wanted to pay her some homage as well. For more updates about the release of The Stolen Queen, you may sign up for my mailing list.
The Stolen Jewel: Denise's Decision "I'm afraid I've done everything I can," said Margaret, a healing mage. Her green rune glowed eerily in the dim light of the small infirmary. "You…
The Stolen Jewel: Denise's Decision "I'm afraid I've done everything I can," said Margaret, a healing mage. Her green rune glowed eerily in the dim light of the small infirmary. "You…
Story Saturday: A Virus in Corona (Tangled Fanfic)
I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy out there during this tough time. I don't usually write fanfiction, but I've heard so many people making Tangled references about the coronavirus that I thought I'd have a little fun with it. This story takes place after the ending of Tangled: The Series and the "Tangled Ever After" short. Enjoy!
A Virus in Corona One sunny day in the kingdom of Corona, Shorty went out exploring and found something he had never seen before. A purple mushroom with green polka dots had sprouted near the area where the Sun Drop and black rocks had appeared. Many people would have been afraid to come near a mysterious new formation in such an ominous spot, but not Shorty. In fact, as soon as he laid eyes on it, he wondered what such a rare and exotic mushroom might taste like. He was disappointed to find that it didn't taste very different from any other mushroom and decided to go to his favorite pub, the Snuggly Duckling, to find a dri…
A Virus in Corona One sunny day in the kingdom of Corona, Shorty went out exploring and found something he had never seen before. A purple mushroom with green polka dots had sprouted near the area where the Sun Drop and black rocks had appeared. Many people would have been afraid to come near a mysterious new formation in such an ominous spot, but not Shorty. In fact, as soon as he laid eyes on it, he wondered what such a rare and exotic mushroom might taste like. He was disappointed to find that it didn't taste very different from any other mushroom and decided to go to his favorite pub, the Snuggly Duckling, to find a dri…
Story Saturday: The Veiled Princess
"The Veiled Princess"
Once upon a time, a princess was born while her kingdom was in the midst of a terrible plague. The royal healer was able to protect the newborn princess from the ailment, but sadly, the queen passed away shortly after. It was the queen's dying wish to name the infant princess Miri. The king loved his wife so much that he refused to ever marry again and was determined to make Miri the heir to the kingdom. Yet, he was concerned. The plague had taken the lives of so many. If he lost Miri, the kingdom would be without a successor. So the king did what he thought was best. Miri was locked away in a tower to avoid catching the illnesses of the outside world. To further ensure her safety, the king decreed an order that any servant who attended Miri in her tower must cover their face when they visit her, and she, in turn, must wear a veil that covers her nose and mouth in the presence of others. As a result, no one in the kingdom ever saw what Princess Mir…
The Stolen Queen Is Here!
If you are already subscribed to my mailing list, you probably received an email this morning that my book The Stolen Queen is now available on Amazon for Kindle and paperback. I was going to wait until August for the anniversary of The Princess Blog, but with all the awful things going on right now, I thought it would be nice to give my readers a chance to relax and escape from their towers. The Stolen Queen is a sequel to The Stolen Jewel, but it can easily be enjoyed as a standalone story due to the new protagonist and setting. I decided to follow in the footsteps of the other authors I read and give each of the royal ladies of Klingland her own book. In case you missed it, I also published a short story from the perspective of Denise in my blog a few months ago as a free prequel to The Stolen Trilogy. The final book will be told from the perspective of Lady Krystal, who has a great number of misdeeds to make up for.
Just like The Stolen Jewel, The Stolen Queenstarted out as a scre…
Just like The Stolen Jewel, The Stolen Queenstarted out as a scre…
Celebrating Three Years with The Stolen Trilogy!
Three years ago today, I decided to create a safe space on the internet for people who love princesses and fairy tales as much as I do. My social media feed had become too political, and the people I could discuss the latest princess shows with were few and far between. I had just gotten married and celebrated my birthday, so I was in a great place to do something just for me. Thus, The Princess Blog was born. In the beginning, I made a new post everyday, starting with an analysis of Disney Princesses. Now, I share roughly two updates a week, but my level of passion has not shifted as I continue to pursue new princess content to enjoy and review. I've also worked on other writing projects over the years. The biggest of these is The Stolen Trilogy. I wanted to create a world similar to my favorite show, Princess Gwenevere, and the Jewel Riders, by exploring the lives three royal ladies who lived together in a castle and went on their own magical adventures. This week, the trilogy i…
Story Saturday: The Princess and the Shadow
This story was inspired by a book of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales I received for my birthday. I thought "The Shadow" was a very interesting story with a disappointing ending, so I decided to rewrite it from the princess's perspective and a few minor alterations. The new ending is inspired by "The Goose Girl" by the Brothers Grimm since it acts as a sort of gender-bent version of this narrative."The Princess and the Shadow"Princess Rosebud felt uneasy about her upcoming wedding to Ian. He came into her life like a whirlwind and literally swept her off her feet with his exceptional dancing ability that seemed almost supernatural. The next thing she knew, her father was planning their wedding. She didn't dread the thought of being married to him, but there were things that made her second guess her rash decision. For one, he would never tell anyone where he came from. His full name, Iacolin, didn't seem to originate from any kingdom …
Story Saturday: The Duel
This is one of four bonus chapters I am including in my digital box set for The Stolen Trilogy that was released yesterday on Amazon. It takes place around the middle of my book The Stolen Jewel and is about Princess Charlotte's love interest, Prince Braydon, and Lily's love interest from The Stolen Queen, Lord Henry, having a fencing match. I did the teeniest bit of research for it, so some of the details may be off. If you enjoyed this chapter, you can purchase The Stolen Jewel on Amazon to read the book it came from or The Stolen Queen to read the sequel about Lily and Henry. You can also sign up for my mailing list to read about my other books and learn more about future projects."The Duel"Growing up
surrounded by the women in his family, Henry felt that it was his
responsibility to protect them from potential threats. Now that there were two
threats living under the same roof as them, he needed to be more cautious than
ever. He trained every day in the fields an…
Story Saturday: Ghost Princess
"Ghost Princess" Princess Starlight loved ghost stories. She spent most of her childhood collecting artifacts that belonged to the kings and queens who came before her, in the hopes that she could meet their ghosts. They came to her a few times in her dreams, but she was never certain whether it was real or just a dream. Her parents grew concerned about her strange behavior and worried that she might never find a prince to marry because of her obsession with death. Meanwhile, in a faraway kingdom, Prince Edward was crowned king after his father passed away from an incurable disease. His older sister, Princess Leah, passed away shortly afterward due to the strange illness, even though she seemed to be in perfect health. Shortly after his coronation, Edward sent word far and wide that he was seeking a princess to marry and secure his place on the throne. Princess Starlight had little interest in marrying a prince, so she ignored her parents when they encouraged her to attend E
Book Owl Word Search 500th Post Extravaganza!
To celebrate 500 posts in The Princess Blog , I'm participating in the Book Owl Word Search (BOWS) along with many other talented writers. Each author has a secret word hidden somewhere in their blog. If you can find and collect all the secret words, you get a chance to win a prize! I'm on the orange team. You can learn more about the challenge on the Snowy Wings Publishing website . For my entry, I decided to release the bonus chapter from my book, The Stolen Slipper , which had only been published in the Kindle box set for The Stolen Trilogy until now. This chapter is from the perspective of James, the "Prince Charming" character from my reimagining of "Cinderella," who is also Lily's brother from The Stolen Queen , the second book in the trilogy . After you read the chapter, you will find a link to the next blog in this challenge. I hope you have fun learning about these talented authors and searching for their hidden words.
Story Saturday: Henrietta's Nightmare
I have been working on a screenplay with my husband called Forgotten Love Spell , so I thought it would be helpful to write out a scene to give myself a better understanding of our protagonist, similar to the short stories I wrote for The Stolen Jewel . Forgotten Love Spell is a tragic romance between a princess and a wizard who gives up his memories to cast spells. I may or may not keep this scene in the screenplay, but it provides a good insight into what's going on in Princess Henrietta's head. If you read this, please let me know in the comments what you think and if you have any suggestions. Forgotten Love Spell: "Henrietta's Nightmare" "No!" Princess Henrietta looked on in horror as her father took his final breath. Graylor had never been the best father or king, but he was the only thing standing between Captain Lars and full control of Brodor. Lars laughed maniacally as he removed the bloody sword from Graylor's chest. If her father had onl
Story Saturday: The Serving Princess
"The Serving Princess" Once upon a time, there was a small girl who was the sole survivor of a terrible war that devastated her village. Before her parents died, they told her to hide deep in the woods and find the fae that made their home there. The faeries would only come out for innocent maidens like herself, and they would protect her from the cruel outside world. She did as they said and wandered the dark forest scared, alone, and yet filled with hope. The fae were so charmed by her sweetness and innocence that they decided to make her their princess. As she grew older, they taught her to weave beautiful gowns and garlands from the enchanted flowers that grew in the forest. She learned to cook and clean for herself and always kept a positive disposition because she knew how much she was loved. In time, legends spread throughout the neighboring kingdoms of the beautiful fae princess that lived in the woods. One day, Princess Silverfae noticed that the flowers were losing
Story Saturday: The Prince's Betrothed (Once Upon a Time)
I recently got a copy of one of my favorite card games, Once Upon a Time from Atlas games . The game has a series of fairy tale-themed story prompts that allow players to take turns telling a story in an attempt to drive it toward their ending card. It can be a fun party game, and it's also an excellent tool for writers who want to tell a story but have trouble coming up with ideas. I'm hoping to use this game to revive my Story Saturday prompts and develop more short stories about princesses. I stopped sharing weekly stories a while ago due to a lack of inspiration. Let's see how many more I can create using my new story deck. Once upon a time, there was a giant named Pete who was in love with the fair Princess Madeline, despite the fact she was hardly bigger than his thumb. Another problem was that Princess Madeline was already betrothed to Prince Drake, who she admired for his bravery and charm. Pete's devotion to the princess posed a threat to her kingdom because h
Story Saturday: The Secret of the Forest (Once Upon a Time)
"The Secret of the Forest" Hidden deep within the darkest depths of the woods was a magic portal that led to a land of great riches beyond a person's wildest imagination. These glittering jewels and gold nuggets were the lifeblood that allowed the faeries who resided there to live forever. In order to ensure that no one discovered this hidden paradise, the faeries were guarded by Princess Abeline, whose family was long gone due to the odd passage of time within the hidden land. The fae were all she had left, and she was determined to protect them with her life. Rumors had spread of the secret treasure, but no one knew the exact location of the portal. No one was more determined to find it than a treasure hunter named Jules, who sought a life of comfort in the wake of his kingdom's recession. He bravely traversed the darkest part of the woods, feeling his way through the trees after his trusty lantern burned out. When he saw a flicker of light, he was certain the porta
Story Saturday: The Queen's Lapdog (Once Upon a Time)
"The Queen's Lapdog" Once upon a time, there was a wolf who longed to be as beautiful as her keeper, Queen Cecily. The wolf, whose name was Moonbeam, was fiercely loyal to her master. She was willing to do anything that was asked of her, even if it meant fending off the queen's enemies from time to time. Cecily was no ordinary queen. She possessed an enchanted mirror that she used to enslave her enemies, but only if she believed they posed a threat to the kingdom. Moonbeam had always been curious about the mirror's powers, especially the one that granted its users the ability to transform into those who were trapped within it, an ability that Cecily rarely used. One day, Cecily came to greet Moonbeam with a thrilling announcement. She had found a new king for the land! Her royal guard, Sir Peter, had been courting her for some time and finally asked for her hand in marriage. Cecily was beyond thrilled. She pet Moonbeam's muzzle and brushed her fingers through
Story Saturday: The Forbidden Kingdom (Once Upon a Time)
"The Forbidden Kingdom" Once upon a time, there was a princess who was named Briar after the magical kingdom of Briarwood where she resided. The princess liked her kingdom as much as any other princess would, but she was fascinated by the other kingdom that was hidden just on the other side of a portal deep in the woods. This place was filled with people who used technology instead of magic and had presidents and prime ministers instead of kings and queens. She visited often and liked to pretend that she was an ordinary girl who attended what they called high school. She stopped wanting to pretend after she met Mark. Princess Briar was certain that she and Mark were soulmates, so she told him all about her realm and how traveling between the two worlds was forbidden. Mark could not have visited Briarwood even if he wanted to, for the portal was only accessible to those who possessed the potential for magic, meaning that only people from Briarwood could travel freely between t
Story Saturday: The Little Seamstress
"The Little Seamstress" Once upon a time, there was a poor girl living in a small village with her father. The two were in mourning for the tragic death of her mother, who taught her how to be a seamstress like she was. The girl, whose name was Beatrice, diligently took on her mother's profession and mended garments for the residents of the small village. One client named Prunella seemed to visit more and more often and spent a great deal of time talking to Beatrice's father. Prunella would bring things like a skirt with a missing button that appeared to be torn off or other clothes with small rips that did not look like they happened by accident. Soon, Beatrice learned that the woman was to become her new stepmother. On the night of her father's wedding, Prunella demanded a gift from her soon-to-be stepdaughter. Beatrice had little to offer. She tried offering a prized pincushion, some of her finest needles, and even her favorite spool of fabric that shimmered li
Story Saturday: The Haunted Castle
"The Haunted Castle" Once upon a time, there were two princes. The older prince, Dorian, was kind and wise but had a gentle demeanor that shined through to all who knew him. Meanwhile, his younger brother, Stewart, was hotheaded and envied the crown. When their parents passed away and the crown was to be passed on to Prince Dorian, he and Stewart went out riding together in the countryside. Prince Stewart returned from their trip alone. To the horror of the entire palace staff, he reported a terrible accident in which Dorian's horse was spooked by a wild animal and ran off a cliff, taking the elder prince with him in a fatal drop. The kingdom mourned the loss of their future king, and preparations were made for Stewart to become king in his stead. While most accepted this sad tale as fact, a scullery maid named Lorraine found the young prince's story very suspicious, especially when Dorian's body had yet to be recovered. She decided to try to investigate the castl
Story Saturday: The Princess and the Poet
"The Princess and the Poet" Once upon a time, there was a quiet princess named Mary. It wasn't that Mary was shy. She actually had a lot to say, but she was cursed by a fairy as a baby to only be able to speak if the words rhyme. It was common in her kingdom for fairies to curse princesses in order to guarantee they would one day marry. The king and queen thought this was the most innocuous of the options the fairy provided for their daughter to find love, so they agreed to it. While Mary was a prolific writer, she was awful at poetry. She soon became known as the silent princess. One day, Princess Mary went to the market to purchase a new quill. This was something she did often. She went through many quills trying to make rhymes that didn't work and crossing them out, smearing ink everywhere and breaking the sharp tip of the quill. The shopkeeper, who knew her well, had a rare gift for her during this visit. "It was the strangest thing," he said. "I wa
Story Saturday: The Princess of the Golden Roof
Instead of using my card game , I decided to do something similar to what I did with "The Princess and the Shadow" in which I took a fairy tale that I wasn't very fond of with a princess who had no agency (unlike many false Disney criticisms ) and attempt to rewrite it from the princess's perspective with a better ending. This week, I will try to tackle "Faithful Johannes" (also known as "Trusty John"), a story that I consider the most disturbing Brothers Grimm fairy tale of all time, to make it more appealing to female audiences. "The Princess of the Golden Roof" Once upon a time, a beautiful princess named Orla was always surrounded by gold. She lived in a golden castle, dressed in golden gowns, and wore all sorts of golden jewelry and tiaras. She was not particularly fond of gold, but her great uncle, King Midas, had suffered a curse that turned his entire estate and everything in it to gold. When he gave his daughter a hug and tur
Story Saturday: The Royal Academy
"The Royal Academy" Once upon a time, a little girl named Lucy lived on the edge of the village where she gazed upon the Royal Academy every night. This imposing structure towered over her little town and glittered with large stained-glass windows of royal crests, books, scrolls, and other symbols of the education she desired so fervently. She wanted to do more than toil in the fields with her family. Lucy longed to read and make important decisions like the princesses, princes, and nobles that attended the school. One day, when Lucy was performing errands for her family in the market, she was surprised to see another girl around her age wearing a student uniform. Royals and nobles never stepped foot in her little village, especially those who were supposed to be in school. "Who are you?" Lucy asked the girl in the uniform. "Do you go to the Royal Academy?" "I'm Princess Lucinda," said the girl. "My parents tried to force me to go to sch
Story Saturday: An Enchanted Engagement
"An Enchanted Engagement" Once upon a time, there was a princess named Violet who was tied up in a marriage alliance to a prince named Broderick. She had tried time and again to explain to her parents why Prince Broderick would make a poor leader for her kingdom, but none of her explanations of his tyrranical nature had enough hard evidence until she enlisted the help of the royal sorcerer, Henrik. Henrik was the son of her family's previous sorcerer and was close to Violet in age. Her parents had little respect for him, believing he could never live up to his father, which meant that the princess had to hide her secret romance with him until the time was right. With the help of his ferret familiar, Henrik overheard a conversation between Prince Broderick and one of his knights about overthrowing Violet's kingdom as soon as their marriage was complete. He had a secret document prepared for Violet's parents to sign at the wedding that would ensure everything they o
Story Saturday: The Prince Competition
"The Prince Competition" Once upon a time, there was an Amazon princess named Jacqueline. Princess Jacqueline's world was surrounded by strong female warriors. She was trained her whole life to be one of the best. Her people believed that men were weak and could never hope to compete with the strength of a woman. Still, one person in each generation was selected to find a mate so they could bear their next queen, and unfortunately, Princess Jacqueline was that person. Though she did not look forward to the task, she knew that if she was going to choose a prince, he would need to be the strongest among men. She called forth a competition among all eligible men, stipulating that she would only marry one who could defeat her in combat. Challengers traveled from all over the world for the opportunity to marry the Amazon princess. Many of them were royalty, and despite their confidence, these warriors were defeated the fastest by Jacqueline's royal entourage, and most neve
Story Saturday: The Amazon Dagger
*This is a sequel to last week's story, "The Prince Competition" based on a suggestion from one of my favorite readers. Thanks, Sugar! "The Amazon Dagger" A few years after a peasant boy named Ellis won a competition that gave him the rare honor of becoming an Amazon prince, Princess Jacqueline was crowned Queen and gave birth to a new heir, who she named Dagger. Dagger was expected to be as mighty and clever a warrior as her parents, but a problem soon arose. Whenever Dagger was invited to spar with her fellow Amazons, she would run off to chase butterflies and climb trees, and no one could ever find her until it was time for dinner. One day, Dagger's mother asked her why she always ran away from her sparring lessons. "I don't want to fight," said Dagger. "I'd rather chase butterflies and paint the beauty I see in the world around me. Our island is so beautiful, yet no one ever seems to take notice of it." Jacqueline found this
Story Saturday: The Village Girl
"The Village Girl" Sonia knew that she didn't belong at the magic school that had miraculously accepted her despite her lack of a noble background. Typically, an ordinary village girl like her could never qualify to learn magic, but she had a lucky break when a wizard showed up in her hometown to defend it against a monster when it fought back, and his wand flew out of his grasp. He was incapacitated, so Sonia picked it up and repeated the same spell she saw him use. Somehow, it worked despite her complete lack of training. The village deemed her a hero that day and enrolled her in the magic school, but the other students saw her as anything but. Despite her one lucky break, Sonia was no magic expert. She struggled in her classes a lot more than the other students who could refer to their friends or family members who already knew how to use magic when they were having trouble. The only class she enjoyed was enchanted fashions, where she could design beautiful outfits and
Story Saturday: The Dancing Prince
I was inspired to write this story after reading the version of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" in The Red Fairy Book . It was one of my favorite stories as a child. In this version, the princes that the princesses dance with in their underground world were other candidates who tried to learn their secret and were brainwashed by a magic potion to forget everything but the love of dancing. As soon as I saw that, I knew there was another story in there. This is that story. "The Dancing Prince" Prince Justin loved Princess Calliope with all his heart, but no matter how he tried to convince his parents to break off his alliance to Princess Jessamine, they simply would not listen to reason. Even after Calliope's father issued a contest to learn the secret that she shared with her eleven sisters with the prize of marrying one of the princesses, Justin's parents still would not relent. "You may enter the contest if you wish," they told him, "but yo
Story Saturday: Scarlet's Wish
"Scarlet's Wish" Once upon a time, a princess was born to a king and queen who were expecting a baby as beautiful as her older sister, Rose. Sadly, the new princess was born deformed with red scars across her face and body, so they named her Scarlet. They wanted Scarlet to be as beloved as Rose, but they worried that she might be harassed if she went outside, so they gave her a sheltered life in the castle with the freedom to wander within its walls as she pleased. Rose, on the other hand, was thrust into the royal duties of visiting foreign kingdoms and making public appearances, a task that she often found exhausting. Scarlet grew to be ashamed of her appearance and hid away from royal guests even when her parents invited her to meet them. The two sisters got along well and confided in each other with their troubles. While Rose preferred being out in the sunshine, Scarlet's favorite time to go outside was at night when no one could judge her. She spent her nights st
Story Saturday: The Oracle and the Egg
"The Oracle and the Egg" Once upon a time, a young oracle named Eden lived in a thriving kingdom. Every day, people would line up at her door to tell their fortune with little regard for the toll it took on her health. Oracles lived notoriously short lives as each vision they conjured caused them to convulse with pain and slowly drain their life force. As such, Eden lost her parents at a young age and survived on her own by sharing her unique ability with the people. She was used to the pain that the visions brought and enjoyed it when she could help to prevent bad things from happening. There was one client in particular who she liked seeing most of all, and that was her kingdom's very own Prince Adam. Ever since the first prediction she made for Adam, he grew concerned with the pain that came with her power and stayed by her side holding her hand until she felt better. He often visited her just to see how she was doing without asking for any predictions. One day, Adam c
Story Saturday: The Fairy and the Witch
"The Fairy and the Witch" Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, there was a princess named Amara. She was beautiful, kind, and clever, but she was also very lonely. Her parents, the king, and queen were always busy with their royal duties, leaving Amara with no one to talk to or play with. One day, Amara decided to take a walk in the forest to clear her mind. As she was walking, she stumbled upon a small cottage. Curious, she knocked on the door, and an old woman answered. "Hello, my dear. What brings you here?" the old woman asked. "I was just taking a walk in the forest, and I stumbled upon your cottage," Amara replied. "Well, you're welcome to come in and rest for a while," the old woman said, leading Amara inside. As Amara sat down, she noticed a beautiful flower on the old woman's table. "What a beautiful flower. May I have it?" Amara asked. The old woman smiled. "Of course, my dear. But be warned, this is no ordinar
Story Saturday: The Magician and the Maid
"The Magician and the Maid" Once upon a time, there was a lady's maid named Edna who worked at the palace. Every day, she would tend to fine ladies in beautiful gowns of shimmering satin and silk and dream of wearing one herself. She was so obsessed with this dream that she often sneaked into the closet of the princess and tried on her dresses when she was away. One day, the princess came back early from a riding lesson and caught Edna admiring herself in one of her fine dresses in the mirror. She threw a huge fit and nearly got Edna kicked out of the castle. The king thought it would be a more suitable punishment to lower her rank to that of a scullery maid. Now, Edna had to spend her days and nights scrubbing floors and chamber pots, watching the fine ladies living out the life she dreamed of from a distance. One day, the king hired a traveling magician to create fireworks for a grand ball to celebrate the princess's coming of age. Edna had been working as a sculler
Story Saturday: Operation Little Mermaid
I woke up with butterflies in my stomach and eager sense of anticipation, just as any girl would have on her wedding day. Despite years of being confined to isolation in a temple, I had found my prince. Being a princess wasn't all it was cracked up to be, at least not until now. Finally, I could move into a castle and live the life I deserve. Sure, I felt a little sorry for his mute companion who was obviously in love with him, but that wasn't my problem. I leapt out of bed a twirled around with excitement to the mannequin that was modelling my beautiful wedding dress covered in layers upon layers of lace and petticoats. "Princess Helena!" I was so startled by the voice of one of my maids that I twirled straight into the mannequin. It fell directly on top of me, burying me under fifteen pounds of crinolines, petticoats, and lace. I hit my head so hard that the maid came bolting into the room to check on me. "Oh no! Not today of all days! Can you hear me, Princess
Story Saturday: The True Princess
Mira was born with only one purpose: to overthrow the monarchy. The rebel alliance that raised her had trained her for her entire life to fight by their side. Their goal was to defeat the wicked queen and king who had abused their power with taxation and greed. The day was finally at hand for them to take down the wicked monarchs' daughter, Princess Larissa, at her coronation ceremony and claim the kingdom by force. Mira knew exactly what she had to do. She was ready. The palace looked even more beautiful than Mira could have imagined. Royal crests decorated the halls, and colorful banners were on display over every turret in honor of the princess's coming of age. Yet, she knew that all of this extravagance represented everything the kingdom had taken away from its citizens. She silently slipped in and out of passageways like a fly on the wall, avoiding the guards' notice. Finally, she found her destination. Princess Larissa was surrounded by handmaidens who adjusted her el
Story Saturday: The Lost Siren Song
"The Lost Siren Song" Once upon a time, in the depths of a shimmering ocean, there lived a water faery named Kaia. Her translucent skin sparkled like the sunlight dancing on the waves. While her sisters were content to spend their days creating rain storms and typhoons, Kaia had always dreamt of singing with the sirens on the enchanted island of Anthemusa, a place where magnificent melodies filled the air. Among the sirens, there was one who captivated Kaia more than any other - Princess Su-Lynn. She possessed a voice so enchanting that when she sang, the sailors who heard her would fall under her spell, remaining by her side forever. Kaia admired many things about Su-Lynn, including how she effortlessly commanded the attention of the sea, and how she used her captivating songs to allure sailors and ensure the island's prosperity. The sirens on Anthemusa depended on the sailors they charmed to help maintain their beautiful homes, provide them with food, and gather resourc
Story Saturday: The Betrayed Bride
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"The Betrayed Bride" Princess Caroline was elated to finally marry the man she loved, Prince Reynard. Not only had they overcome countless struggles to be together, but their marriage would signify peace between their two kingdoms after endless years of war. She stood at the door to the grand hall in a simple silk gown with a bouquet of pink roses and patiently awaited her queue. After some time, her patience shifted to impatience. She peaked through the crack in the grand doors and saw a large crowd in attendance for the event. Yet, the orchestra did not play, and the attendants looked restless. "Can you find out if there's something wrong?" she asked a nearby servant. "It should have started by now." The servant bowed in response, but before he could make a move, Caroline's father burst through the double doors. "He's not coming," said the king. "The wedding has been called off. You should change out of that gown. It's goin
Story Saturday: Princess Casey's Magic Closet
"Princess Casey's Magic Closet" Once upon a time, there was a princess named Casey. A fairy had blessed her with an enchanted closet that would create any gown she could desire. Each creation would fit perfectly and come in any color or style that she wanted. Casey loved her closet. She was never seen in public in the same dress more than once, and she always had the perfect outfit for every occasion. When she was invited to ride horses, the closet manifested a frilly suede and lace riding outfit that was as beautiful as it was practical. When she was invited to royal balls in other kingdoms, she always arrived in an elegant gown that matched the colors and most popular style of that kingdom. One day, a foreign dignitary came to visit in the hopes of making peace between the two kingdoms. They had been at war for many years, so the relationship between the kingdoms was still rocky. Casey decided the best way to win them over would be to put on a show they would never forg
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