Welcome Home ZOE!

WELCOME HOME ZOE PIGEON!!

I have met you and held you and I already love you to absolute pieces.  You are beautiful and funny and unique and spunky and opinionated and just awesome!  It will be a great privilege to watch you grow and become who you will be!

Today, in your honor, I'mma post a bit o the fairy tale.  This is chapter 5, THE PRINCESS.  Months ago I posted chapter 4, THE TUTOR, so if you need a re-fresher follow the linkage.  Keep in mind that I refused to share the first 3 chapters, which sort of set up the story, so some things may just be confusing and for that I apologize!!

Oh, and I wrote it like, years ago, so sorry for that as well...

Enjoy!

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The Princess

            Princess Desiderata, the only child born to King Samisen the (mostly) Good and Fair Queen Nerium of the farmland was an attractive beauty with her mother’s classic features and her father’s deeply penetrating eyes.  There the similarities ended however, for Princess Desi (as she liked to be called) had not the quiet melancholy grace of her mother, nor the stoic sobriety of her gray haired father, but behaved much more like a nymph or a sprite: making mischief where she could and seeking out adventure at every turn.  In truth she found the mantle of responsibility that came part and parcel with being a princess and heir to the throne tiresome, stuffy and difficult to bear most of the time.  

            Raised behind the castle walls, away from suspicious and accusing eyes, the princess was in many ways sheltered and pampered by her over protective father, but tried everything she could think of to break free of such a stifling environment.  The King often lamented about her lack of decorum, as she was wont to traipsing about the castle keep with the Tancreed brothers playing make-believe and practicing swordplay.  ‘If only your mother had not passed on in your toddling years, she could have instructed you properly on how a lady ought to behave.’  He would moan when she would come into the great dining hall muddy, hair tousled, garments torn by branches and looking impish.

            Desi wouldn’t –or couldn’t- be tamed by courtly rules and codes however much she tried (at her father’s urging).  She had an eager heart, a ready mind and an able body and wouldn’t sit still long enough to learn how to sew or cook or play the harp like the other noble young ladies did.  From the day her good friend Gage and his four brothers took up residence in the castle under the care of their grandfather, Old Saunders the King’s advisor, Desi would not be swayed from her happy pursuit of games and adventure.

            From the oldest Tancreed son Gunder she learned how to ride horses and jousting.  From the second son she became familiar with sword making and how to wield the heavy steel weapons.  The twins Gideon and Gage, only a year or so her seniors, became her closest friends and confidants and little Gambit, the youngest, always engaged her in strategy games and the setting of elaborate traps.

            For the bulk of their formative years and through their coming-of-ages, the Tancreed boys and the Princess were, as old Saunders often put it: “thick as thieves”, and were most always seen running about like a laughing pack of animals; never causing serious harm and usually eliciting rare smiles from the castle people.

            Things began to change for the group of cronies when Gunder, having been studying as a page for many years, finally entered training to become a Knight.  Shortly after that Griffin decided to become an apprentice to the castle blacksmith and rarely had time for play.  Still, for a time the twins, Desi, and Gambit were tutored together by the decrepit old professor Apteryx and all was happy, until the twins turned 15, and Desi 14, and tradition mandated that they be set to study separately. The boys would learn religion, philosophy, history, alchemy, arithmetic, geography and animal husbandry while she was to prepare for her coming of age by practicing embroidery, bookkeeping, musical instruments, gardening and other such ‘feminine’ practices. 

            This situation didn’t last too long however for Desi’s usually bright and sunny demeanor became clouded and grim as she faced day after day without her friends, laboring to master subjects to which she was not inclined.  The King, somewhat indulgent with the girl, hated seeing her so unhappy amid all the rest of the kingdom’s dark woes and relented in his decision to fit her into the same mold as other noble young ladies.  

“My daughter will be the ruler of this great realm one day, and it is my belief that she should know more than tatting and lute when she takes my throne.” He decreed over dinner on her fifteenth birthday, and the Princess was allowed to study most of the subjects Gage and Gideon were learning.  And though she still had private sessions with the royal tutor professor Apteryx (to improve her concentration), she was permitted to lunch with her friends and they went on small quests after classes.

            She was guiltily pleased when old Apteryx was overcome with arthritis (or was he merely fed up with the rambunctious teenager?) and could no longer perform his tutorial duties.  ‘Now,’ she thought ‘I’ll have some real fun’.  And she cunningly urged her father to appoint the learned and promising young Gage Tancreed to the position of Royal Tutor. 

            Her hopes of taking secret excursions to the villages and hunting for pixies in the borderland forest and having any other kind of amusing escapades were quickly dashed however, as Gage surprised the Princess by taking his new post very seriously indeed.  Sitting in the library tower, dim sunlight now streaming in through the mullioned windows the Princess furrowed her brow in frustration.

            “A dress? “ she muttered gloomily at the auburn haired professor.  “First you take all the fun out of this tutoring business, then you insist we shouldn’t socialize outside of our sessions because it may appear ‘unprofessional’ of you, and now you’re going to make me go put on dome big frilly gown?” she glared at him, seething.  He knew she hated wearing the fashions of the day- overlarge skirts with feet of train, yards of underskirts and obscene amounts of ribbons and bows.  He knew she preferred simple and comfortable garb to the restrictive stays of the too-low bodices and layered dragging sleeves of courtly fashion, and yet now he was going to ‘escort’ her to a dress fitting?  “You’re a turncoat Gage Tancreed.” She leveled at him acidly.

She was lovely when she pouted, her eyebrows arched and plunging together crossly, her jaw set dashingly, her lips larger than usual and her eyes sparkling like fire.  She was lovely, and quite formidable.

            Gage cleared his throat nervously.  “Um, uh, that is, well . . . Majesty, it is not my wish that you be uncomfortable in any . . .” Her flashing eyes made him highly uncomfortable.  He stammered a few more nonsense words under the fire of her gaze and then “Oh for Heaven’s sake Desi!”  He finally exploded in exasperation.  “I know you hate this sort of thing, and if I could find you a way out of it I would, but you know the dictum! Your coming of age has to be this huge ceremonial to-do with satin and lace and flowers and fanfare, pageantry, pomp and princess-ly things-“ he felt slightly encouraged by the small smirk creeping onto her face  “Finery, frippery and Fops.” He finished with a teasing smile playing over his lips.

            She smiled back reluctantly and nodded her assent.  “I’ve had so many Fops coming to visit in the past few weeks my head feels like it will explode! Suitors? Bah!” The princess blew a raspberry of contempt at the mere memory of their pompous visits to the castle.  “I’ll never marry- not if those are my options!”  The friends shared a laugh and began to pack up their study materials.  

            “Did I manage to get anything through that thick skull of yours today Desi or were you off in some imaginary world the whole time?”  Asked Gage in a mildly sullen tone.

            “Oh Professor of course you got through- loud and clear.” she replied saucily.  “Generations of Moonglorys, A drought, famine, bad tidings, then a wizard, a witch, a princess and the world changed for ever.  I hate to burst your bubble teacher, but I grew up hearing that old hogwash day in and day out, after all it was me that cursed the land to moonlight!”  She finished casually, even flippantly, but Gage fumbled the book he was holding in shock.

            “Desi!” He hissed in a scandalized tone.  “You shouldn’t say things like that! And moreover, not so irreverently!”

            She stared at him bemused for a moment, taking in the comically shocked expression riddling his young features before speaking at last.  

            “Oh Gage don’t be so uptight.  I know what the townspeople say about me, I know what the legends and fairy stories preach: The princess was born at great cost to all.  The princess lives at the expense of the citizenry of Fair Sylvemerce.” She said matter-of-factly.  “Isn’t that so, Mr. Professor?  Well? Am I misled or isn’t that the popular opinion?”

            At her prodding Gage had no choice but to nod fractionally in concession.  “Ay Desi.  But you mustn’t believe it.”  He looked to her earnestly.  “Whatever deal your father made with the witches and wizards years ago has nothing to do with you.  It’s not your fault that nighttime dominates our days but for the three hours- it’s not your doing.  Any of it.” He stated firmly.  “Understand?”

            “Yes Sir!” She smiled widely.  She hadn’t needed his words of comfort, but it was nice of him to care.  “Speaking of those precious few hours of daylight- let’s go take advantage shall we?  It’s beautiful out there and we can-“ but she was cut off.

            “You know I’d love to but I really must get you down to the great hall-“

            “Absolutely not Mr. Bookworm!  Where’s your loyalty?”

            “My loyalty? Oh Dez don’t make it an issue like that-“

            “It’s a fair question! To whom do you owe allegiance?  To me-“

            “Stop it, you bratty child.  You know full well where I stand-“

            “- Or to my father?  Well you’re certainly behaving like a King’s pawn Gage Tancreed-“

            “That’s not fair, you wanted me to take this post, now-“

            “Yes but I didn’t know you’d turn into such a lump! And furthermore-“

            The princess and the tutor were interrupted by a dull thud as the heavy wooden door to the library room swung open and came to rest with some force against the thick stone wall.  Striding purposefully into the room came another Auburn haired young man of about Gage’s height and build, though his hair was not tied at the nape in a scholarly fashion but cut rather short and neat.

            When he spoke it was with a deeper timber than his twin’s and slightly raspy as he was clearly out of breath.

            “I’ve come to warn you both- your father’s in a towering temper Desi love, and he’s marked you both for a whipping.”