The Perfect Princess

In a lost kingdom, in a castle that is now crumbled ruins, a young monarch sat on his throne. Since his father’s death not too many weeks prior, he now had full responsibility for his people. The king’s thoughts were consumed with only the needs of his peasants, and daily he grew more weary. His mother noticed the pallor in his cheeks and how his once sparkling eyes were dim.

“I must find him a wife,” she said to herself. “Someone who can help shoulder his burdens.” She secretly sent her most trusted knights out to comb the lands for the perfect princess. A year passed, and her men returned with dismal reports of the fair maidens.

With the coming of winter, the queen set out on a journey of her own, revealing her true intentions to her son. Disguising herself as an old gypsy woman, she traveled to a kingdom across the sea. Enduring bitter wind and snow, the ship finally made it to port, and the queen slowly found her way to the gates of the castle. However, after hearing her foreign accent, the guard sent her away. Day after day, the old woman returned to the castle until finally the princess insisted on allowing her to pass.

During this time, the queen caught a horrible cold. The princess took pity on her and patiently nursed the woman back to health. When the old woman’s health was restored, the princess presented the queen with enough money to return to her homeland, sending her on her way with an escort on the fastest vessel. Upon her arrival home, the queen sent a messenger to the king of the kingdom across the sea, declaring her intentions: she wished her son to marry the princess who had treated her with such compassion. And so they were married, and together they ruled with a patience and kindness that had never been seen before.