Thursday, 17 January 2013

[North 2] the princess dresses herself

The doors of the chest swung open easily. A bewildering row of garments hung at eye-level, with a shelf for boots and shoes below. There was a soft, warm scent like lavender and honey, mixed with a sharper scent that the princess did not recognise. She grabbed at the first pair of boots and the sharp scent grew stronger. Wrinkling her nose, she sniffed the shiny leather, leaving a tiny smudge, which she tried to rub off with her finger.

Sitting on the floor, she held one boot in both hands and tried to put it on. After several tries, she threw the stupid boot under the stupid bed, and threw the other one after it for good measure. When Etta put her boots on for her she made it look easy.

Saturday, 22 December 2012

[North 1] the princess does not get her breakfast

The girl in the chair did not allow her expression to change, but there was perhaps more of duty than enjoyment in the way she grimly picked up her spoon. The princess walked to the other side of the table. Is that really what I look like? Is that really what I SOUND like? The voice didn't sound like her voice, but the girl sitting there was her mirror image, down to the nightdress both were wearing - one rather dusty now, to be sure, and the other covered by the breakfast robe, but still the same nightdress.

'Etta, stop this at once! That's an impostor - I'm the princess. And she's eating MY breakfast.'