Many of you will have worked out by now that I just love Malvina's stories and artwork, and I honestly think there's a potential book in a collection of these – I'd snap one up, anyway – Ed.
A castle on a bustle was the last thing Prince True Love expected to find in the enchanted woods. Busy servants packed warm socks, napkins, and baked sausages into carton boxes and cut through the thicket of blackthorns in the garden to make way for the delivery coaches. Even Princess’s cat wasn’t asleep, but sat at the desk, noting down every item in the boxes with a white fluffy feather.
“Yes? What do you want?” asked the pretty girl in khaki gear, as she opened the door for him.
“Er… I um… looking for Sleeping Beauty,” Prince mumbled.
“It is I, what do you want?”
True Love stared back at the girl and looked her up and down in surprise. “It is you?”
“Yes. Are you lost? Can I get you water or something?” Sleeping Beauty blurted and, since the lad at her doorway kept gaping at her, added, “Make haste, I’m busy, you see?”
“Well, actually… I came to help you,” Prince puffed his chest a little and put his hand on his waist to make the right impression that she obviously missed.
“Oh? Will you give me a squadron of F-16s?”
That was unexpected. “No!” he frowned. “We are a peaceful country. We never solve our problems by violence.”
“How are you going to help me, then?” the girl exclaimed.
True Love found the question rather stupid. “By marrying me, of course.”
She raised an eyebrow. “And waste another decade of my life on kids and household? No thanks! I’ve already missed a century and overslept the break of war. I do not just need to build my life anew, but also fight for my country.”
“Oh, you… you fight, too? But war is…”
“What? Men’s business? Look, I’d chat with you more about that, but the boys’ lives on the front line depend on me, so do you need water or not?”
True Love felt like no water could save him from dying right now. “It’s not what the prophecy says!” he cried. “You were supposed to fall for me, and we’d live happily ever after!”
“Oh, that prophecy,” Princess rolled her eyes. “It was written by a man. What else did you expect? It’s not what the real one says.”
True Love paused. “Is there a real one?”
“Of course there is a real one. And it says if I fail to get myself together, my only chance to survive will be to marry someone rich and powerful. You thought the old hag wished me harm? Ha! She gave me the best gift ever. Time to make up my mind. Beauty and such—who needs that? Surely not when the skies are crashing down.”
Prince batted his eyes at her stupidly. “But what am I going to do now? What is my destiny?”
“First, get out of the driveway,” Princess said and glanced at her watch. “Then I’d suggest you do what men do best. Write yourself a new prophecy.”
“Yes? What do you want?” asked the pretty girl in khaki gear, as she opened the door for him.
“Er… I um… looking for Sleeping Beauty,” Prince mumbled.
“It is I, what do you want?”
True Love stared back at the girl and looked her up and down in surprise. “It is you?”
“Yes. Are you lost? Can I get you water or something?” Sleeping Beauty blurted and, since the lad at her doorway kept gaping at her, added, “Make haste, I’m busy, you see?”
“Well, actually… I came to help you,” Prince puffed his chest a little and put his hand on his waist to make the right impression that she obviously missed.
“Oh? Will you give me a squadron of F-16s?”
That was unexpected. “No!” he frowned. “We are a peaceful country. We never solve our problems by violence.”
“How are you going to help me, then?” the girl exclaimed.
True Love found the question rather stupid. “By marrying me, of course.”
She raised an eyebrow. “And waste another decade of my life on kids and household? No thanks! I’ve already missed a century and overslept the break of war. I do not just need to build my life anew, but also fight for my country.”
“Oh, you… you fight, too? But war is…”
“What? Men’s business? Look, I’d chat with you more about that, but the boys’ lives on the front line depend on me, so do you need water or not?”
True Love felt like no water could save him from dying right now. “It’s not what the prophecy says!” he cried. “You were supposed to fall for me, and we’d live happily ever after!”
“Oh, that prophecy,” Princess rolled her eyes. “It was written by a man. What else did you expect? It’s not what the real one says.”
True Love paused. “Is there a real one?”
“Of course there is a real one. And it says if I fail to get myself together, my only chance to survive will be to marry someone rich and powerful. You thought the old hag wished me harm? Ha! She gave me the best gift ever. Time to make up my mind. Beauty and such—who needs that? Surely not when the skies are crashing down.”
Prince batted his eyes at her stupidly. “But what am I going to do now? What is my destiny?”
“First, get out of the driveway,” Princess said and glanced at her watch. “Then I’d suggest you do what men do best. Write yourself a new prophecy.”
