Fairy tale

She felt it in her heart. Tonight was the night. She brushed her flaxen hair till every strand shimmered.Storms were brewing in her gray eyes. He would come today. Her life of forced solitude would finally end. She would look at him, blush like a rose bud and swoon in his arms just as he kissed her. She knew her part well. After all hundreds of fairy tale princesses had been saved from dragons before. She had nothing to worry.

She thought about her eighteen years in the lonely tower near the ocean of thunderstorms. She wouldn’t admit even to herself that she was more afraid of going back to the real world than of spending her entire life in this lonely tower. The dragon was not as bad as they made out in the fairy tales. They were very ugly but she preferred them to many things …like toads for example. She was grateful that she wasn’t the princess who was destined to kiss a toad.

Her personal opinion was that being a fairy princess was pretty dull. One couldn’t scratch when one itched.

But then she wouldn’t bring dishonor to her class. She would play her part perfectly.

As the sun set on the moon rose in the horizon, she heard the sound of horse hooves. She went and peeked from the window. He looked majestic on his white horse but whether he was really good looking she couldn’t tell.

She stood at her window and witnessed the bloody fight between the dragon and her prince charming. She wasn’t as worried as she looked…but the frown on her brow would have satisfied the most demanding reader. But the prince was deft with his sword play and he had the dragon slain within a few hours of fighting.

She seated herself besides the vase of lilies, and arranged her gown and was content that she must have made a pretty picture.

In a few minutes, her prince charming walked in. He looked tired and a little vexed.

“My lord!” she said breathlessly.

He was panting and sweating and somehow she found it very unbecoming. Fairy tale heroes don’t sweat!

He slumped on the chair as she scurried away to get him some water.

After a few minutes of rest, he looked at her appraisingly and murmured “Curse all ye women!”

Looking at her shell shocked face, he continued-

“Surprised are we? Did you except me to bow and take you in my arms? I could wringe your neck and enjoy it very well! Of all the dumb things your lot does, getting kidnapped by a dragon takes the cake!”

“What’s the guarantee that you won’t get kidnapped again, if I take you back? Or eat a poisoned apple or get a witch angry enough to curse you to deep slumber?”

She sighed and tried to explain-”My sire! You do injustice to my lot. Is it our fault that we are trusting and naive?”

“Naive… my foot! Just scatterbrained….lost in thought about your looks I suppose! Madame, your father promised me your hand in marriage as is the custom. But I am not sure that you will make any man a fit wife. You are pretty enough, but so is the milk maid. I need someone who is as perfect as my mother. How will you manage the responsibility of taking care of young ones?! Sigh! I guess I am doomed to marry you just keep up with tradition.”

She saw her future…of constant nagging about having saved her life, a life under the weight of expected gratitude-constant comparisons to his perfect mother.

And then she made her decision.

People say that they both lived happily ever after.