Fairy tale enchanted princess. Enchanted Princess

THE ENCHANTED PRINCE

I watched the kite fluttering in the sky above my head, but my thoughts were not here, but in the house, on the second floor, in Gabe’s office, where I really wanted to be at the moment. And finally find out what happened ten minutes ago? Why did he run away after the kiss, why did he apologize? I didn't understand this! Didn’t he really see, didn’t understand how much I liked it? What if you don’t understand? Maybe I should tell him that, explain it to him? Or is it not necessary?

Thoughts were running in circles in my head. In the end, I decided not to bother now, but to talk openly with Gabe. Today. As soon as the opportunity arises. Because you can’t give such wonderful moments and then apologize and run away.

Or maybe he didn’t like it himself? No! When he pulled me close to him, just before Thomas appeared, I definitely felt that he liked me. And I don't just like you. I'm not so naive as not to understand the meaning of that hard bulge that pressed against my stomach.

But then why did he run away? Why did you apologize? Well, here we go again, on the eighteenth circle! That's it, I won't think about it anymore! For now, I won’t.

Thomas and Lucky ran back and forth across the clearing. A white-green snake with a long, multi-colored tail fluttered above them. Mine, yellow-orange, hovered in one place, catching the air flow and pulling on the string. From time to time Lucky would run up to nuzzle me, get stroked and scratched behind the ears, and then run off to Thomas again. He seemed to make it clear that he was just having fun with the boy, but at the same time he remembered perfectly well who his real owner was.

As I followed Thomas's kite with my eyes, I became very envious of him. How I wish I could soar above the ground like that now! It's a pity that this is not available to me. The helicopter flight disappointed me - I would like to rush forward, feeling the wind blowing in my face and blowing my hair, to feel the ups and downs, like on the “Roller Coaster”, which I loved very much, and which I rode whenever possible. And in the helicopter cabin the flight felt no more than in a car. No, that's not for me. Apparently, you should also give up your dream of becoming a pilot. Maybe try hang gliding? Everything there is live - both the flight and the wind.

"Hi Andy!" - I heard in my head.

I smiled. Little Jeremy managed to burr even in his thoughts. And although he now pronounced the letter “R” perfectly, I still remained “Andy” for him. I didn't mind, it was so funny, and no one heard it anyway.

"Hi Remy!" - I also gave him something like a nickname, shortening his name. It was something like our secret code, and the boy really liked it. - “Where have you been for the last three days?”

After this, I was told the story of Jeremy's trip to visit one of his many relatives, in whom I had become entangled a long time ago. The lion's share of the story was taken up by the story of three “kittens” that were recently born to a cat belonging to this same relative. The paws, ears, blind eyes and all the spots of these “kittens” were described to me in great detail, how they crawl, suck milk, squeak, sleep, curled up into a common ball. It seems that this was his most vivid impression of the entire trip. In addition, they promised to give him one kitten as soon as the baby could be taken from the mother cat. In general, Jeremy was delighted with the trip.

I thought that he chose a very good time for the “communication session”. Previously, I was alone most of the time, so I was ready to chat with the baby at any time. But now I was among people almost all the time, and if I suddenly froze, having a mental conversation with an invisible friend, they would have noticed it. And how would I explain what is happening? They would take me for crazy. Or maybe not. There were so many unusual things around me, so many people had extraordinary abilities, that my mental conversations with a boy living on the other side of the country would have been considered no more strange than the gift of Gabe, for example, or Wendy. But, for the time being, I decided not to tell anyone about it. I'll still have time.

Having told about his news, Jeremy asked, what's new with me? In order not to burden the boy too much, I just said that I found new friends, I live with them, and now I have a new house, a new family and a new dog. After that, the whole conversation boiled down to a detailed description of Lucky’s appearance and behavior. This was the most interesting of my entire story for the boy.

After I told him everything I knew and didn’t know about Lucky, inventing the story of our meeting with him - you can’t tell a child the truth - Jeremy asked me to tell him a fairy tale. This was also one of our traditions, and I often just made up all sorts of stories, and sometimes I told something from my life, adapting what was happening to the boy’s age.

And I told him a completely new fairy tale about Princess Miranda, who was kicked out of the house by her stepmother. The princess got lost in the forest, was very tired, cold and hungry. And then I met a huge panther. At first the princess was scared, but the panther turned out to be kind, she took the girl to a large and beautiful palace, where a delicious dinner and a warm, soft bed awaited the princess so that she could rest and warm up. And the princess was so grateful to the panther that she kissed her. And at that very moment the panther turned into a handsome prince named Gabriel.

It turned out that once upon a time an evil and ugly witch named Linda wanted Prince Gabriel to marry her. But she was so angry and so ugly that the prince refused in horror. And for this the witch turned him into a panther and said that he would become a man again only if the beautiful princess kissed him. Because, according to witchcraft rules, any spell must have a condition under which it can be removed, otherwise it simply will not work. The witch thought that no princess would ever kiss the terrible beast, so she set the condition that Prince Gabriel would remain a panther forever. She did not know that Princess Miranda would see the kindness under the terrible appearance of the panther and cast a spell on the prince. Gabriel and Miranda fell in love, got married, had children, and lived happily ever after. And the witch Linda, having learned about this, burst with anger!

I chuckled in my mind as I described Jeremy the witch Linda in great detail. I didn’t forget about the teeth sticking out of my mouth, or the warts on my nose, or the big hump, or the hooked nose. My fantasy ran wild. But it was very easy for me to describe Prince Gabriel, and I didn’t even need to invent anything - the original was forever imprinted in my brain in the smallest detail.

Still, a child’s perception works amazingly - Jeremy somehow wasn’t at all interested in the question of how exactly the princess realized that the huge wild beast she met in the forest was actually kind, he simply took it on faith. But I had to thoroughly explain and clarify the spell cast on the prince, even coming up with a whole witchcraft ritual, as well as “magic words” for him. Well, of course, for a five-year-old boy this is much more important and interesting than any romantic nonsense.

At some point, Jeremy's words began to jumble, sounding quieter and slower. Mentally smiling, I figured out how much time he had now, and then began to hum a lullaby. A few minutes later our contact was interrupted - Jeremy fell asleep. I sighed. Lately, the baby has been less and less engaged in conversation with me, sometimes disappearing for as long as a week. But there was nothing strange about this - the boy grew up, he had new, real friends and various interests that filled his whole day. I wonder how much longer he will communicate with me before he stops needing an imaginary friend?

At that moment, I looked up at the house and saw Gabe in one of the windows. Our eyes met, and we looked at each other for a while, and then he walked deeper into the room, and I could no longer see him.

I sighed and turned my gaze to Thomas. When will he finish playing? I need to talk to Gabe. And, preferably, as soon as possible.

After some time, Thomas finally got tired of running around the clearing, or he was just tired, but the boy began to wind the string, causing his kite to lower. I did the same with mine.

Let’s bring them into the hangar,” he suggested to me. “You don’t have to drag the kites into the attic again.” Tomorrow we will launch it again, and they will be at hand.

I do not mind. And Gabe won't mind?

No. There's plenty of free space, and if we don't throw the kites right in the middle of the hangar, then they definitely won't bother anyone.

We picked up our kites and headed towards the silver building located behind the house. As I understood, the clearing through which we were running was something like a takeoff area, so there was nothing on it - no buildings, no wires, no trees. Thomas was right - it was indeed convenient to fly kites here. In the hangar there was an absolutely charming helicopter, which seemed quite small to me compared to the one on which we returned home from the expedition. Thomas walked to the far wall of the barn, paying no more attention to the helicopter than an ordinary boy would to his parents' car. For him, this helicopter had long become something familiar and ordinary.

Having arranged our kites so that they would not disturb anyone, we returned to the house. I asked Thomas to show me what other rooms were on the second floor. Actually, I was interested in Gabe's office, but I didn't want to admit it. And the boy took me around the second floor, showing me his room, Gabe’s bedroom - we didn’t look into it - and several guest rooms.

Opening one of the doors, Thomas clarified.

And this is Melky’s room. Only I began to doubt that he would appear with us. But, anyway, Gabe prefers to be completely prepared - dad has a habit of unloading the child on him with everything he has, without a single spare thing. That's why we regularly buy clothes in the right size so that Little One has everything he needs at least for the first time.

A fully equipped children's room opened in front of me, with all the furniture necessary for a baby, full of different toys, games and books. Everything was clearly thought out to the smallest detail.

We just removed the changing table and the cradle,” Thomas also stuck his head into the doorway. - By the age of four, Little One should already be able to use the potty. And he won’t fit in the cradle anymore. We also removed all sorts of rattles.

You keep saying “he.” What if it's a girl?

Don't know. But I wish it was a boy. And not even for myself. You see, Wendy has Betty, Betty has Wendy. And little Eric is all alone. And besides, he and Melky are practically the same age, they will be good together.

Don’t you have peers in your family?

Yes, but only girls. They are not interested in me. There is also Bradley, but he is much older than me, he is already in his senior year. He practically didn’t communicate with me, more with Christian. And in general, who are they all now? Outside the Valley, we rarely get together so as not to attract attention - we are too similar.

Who is Christian?

Gabe and I are brother. He was just in front of me. But he left fifteen years ago and went to college. He stops by sometimes, but very rarely. And he became a complete stranger. He now has his own interests, he has no time for me. And before we were together all the time. In fact, it almost never happens in our country that two children grow up together - brothers and sisters usually have too much of an age difference. But us daddy's bastards are the exception. And Gabe very often raised two children at the same time. And with Alana - three in total.

Don't call yourself that, no need. This is not a good word.

“It’s not obscene,” Thomas shrugged.

But it is offensive.

I use it in the literal sense. Apart from Gabe, our dad doesn't have a single legitimate child.

I sighed heavily. The conversation with Gabe is postponed again.

If you really need to emphasize your illegitimate birth, then call yourself that - “illegitimate.” This will be a statement of fact, nothing more. And “bastard” is a disgusting word! Where did you even pick it up from, and even in relation to yourself?

Christian called us that,” Thomas muttered, lowering his head and dragging his foot along the floor. Then he practically whispered. - And also... Linda.

Did Gabe know about this? Well, about Linda?

No. With him, she was with me sheer charm. Only in private did she show her true face.

You know, I’m also illegitimate. But I never considered myself a bastard. And don't think so. And don’t teach Melky this.

Fine, I will not. I'm just so used to it...

So get out of the habit. In the end, you will become an older brother. And this is a big responsibility.

Okay, agreed,” Thomas shrugged. - I won’t say that in front of Melky. By the way, do you see that horse? She has been in the family for two hundred years.

I was glad to see the change of topic. Walking into the room, I stroked a wooden rocking horse, the size of a large dog. She was wearing real harness and saddle, everything was done with meticulous care. I stroked the silky mane.

Yes, they used to know how to do things. For centuries. And it’s so great that your family has kept such memorabilia for many generations. They further help the child feel like part of the family. Lucky you. And I have no family at all.

What stupidity! You have us.

Thank you Thomas! - I couldn’t resist and hugged the boy to me, ruffling his hair. - I'm very happy about this.

I once had a younger brother, but we lived with him like a cat and a dog. And in Thomas I found exactly the brother I dreamed of. Still, how wonderful it is that I was so unconditionally accepted into this family!

Where's Gabe's office? - we still need to talk, and, preferably, in this millennium.

Thomas led me to a door located on the other side of the stairs. And, saying that he had just the time for an online battle with a former classmate, he ran away, simulating shooting from a machine gun and taking Lucky with him. I don’t know if it was really time for him to play a computer game, or if he just thought of leaving Gabe and I alone, but, in any case, I was grateful to him for leaving. Taking a deep breath for courage, I raised my hand to knock on the door.

Of course, Gabe already knew full well that I was standing outside. And opened the door before my knuckles touched it. For some time we looked at each other in silence. I noticed that his hair was in complete disarray, as if he had run his hands through it more than once. And the look was kind of... haunted, or what? This also needs to be clarified.

“We need to talk,” I finally broke the silence.

Still silent, Gabe stepped aside, motioning for me to enter. After taking a couple of steps, I stopped, looking around the room and marveling at the amazing incompatibility of the objects there.

Antique cabinets filled with books, a huge desk, huge leather chairs and a sofa, a couple of paintings in carved frames, a writing set with an inkwell and a paperweight - all of this simply breathed antiquity, it was real antiques. And at the same time it was adjacent to a bunch of all kinds of modern office equipment. Opposite the antique painting hung a huge plasma screen, and on the antique table was a super-sophisticated computer. And, oddly enough, all these seemingly incompatible things looked quite organic. This office reminded me of Gabe himself - he, too, was both ancient and modern at the same time.

Please sit down,” Gabe finally said, pointing to one of the chairs. - We really need to talk.

I sat down in the indicated place, and he, to my surprise, sat down on the sofa opposite me. Before this, Gabe, on the contrary, always tried to be as close to me as possible, but now he clearly pulled away. And this hurt me.

I looked at him, not knowing how to start a conversation. This detachment of his had a sobering effect on me. Maybe I was imagining everything about his feelings? Otherwise, why did he suddenly become so distant?

Gabe ran his hand through his hair, in what had clearly become a habitual gesture, bit his lip, looking to the side, and then, sighing heavily, finally raised his eyes to me.

I owe you an apology.

I almost jumped. Again?! Is he apologizing again?

For what? - I managed to squeeze out of myself.

For pouncing on you like a wild animal! - he explained as if it were a matter of course. It seems that Gabe was somewhat surprised by my “slowness.”

I snorted.

You didn't attack me even when you WERE a wild beast! Then I attacked you myself. And of course you didn't do it today!

In any case, I had no right to do this. But I couldn’t resist, sorry.

Stop apologizing! And what did you not have the right to do?

Kissing you, that's what.

But why? - I really didn’t understand.

Because you are still a child.

I'm not a child! - I howled, jumping out of my chair. - And you had no right to do only one thing - apologize and run away, giving me the most beautiful moments of my life.

I stamped my foot, then plopped back into my chair and, sulking, stared out the window. Probably, my last performance could not be considered a model of adult behavior, but I was really offended.

I heard Gabe come up to me, kneel down in front of my chair and take my hand in his. I didn’t react to this and continued to sulk. Then he straightened my limp fist, gently kissed my palm, and then pressed it to his already slightly prickly cheek. Unable to resist, I lightly stroked his cheek with my fingertips, letting him know that I was beginning to thaw.

“Understand, my girl,” he whispered. - It’s incredibly difficult for me. I have lived for more than three thousand years, I have had women, but I have never felt for anyone the feeling that you evoke in me. From the very minute I looked into your bold blue eyes there on the road, I realized that from now on I am yours forever. And you are mine. I don’t know what happened to me and how I realized it, but believe me, I just know it. Being near you has become the meaning of my life; when you are not around, it’s hard for me. When I hurt you... I wanted to die. But it will be even worse for me if you leave me. That's why I immediately took you in with me - I was afraid that you would disappear, I was afraid of losing you.

Saying all this, Gabe looked at the floor, not daring to raise his eyes to me, and only periodically touching my wrist with a light kiss. And I couldn't see my eyes getting wider and wider as I looked at him, completely dumbfounded and shocked by such revelations. Because he absolutely accurately, almost word for word, repeated what I myself would have said if I had started to describe my feelings for him. One look into the eyes of a panther - a wild beast that crushed me to the ground! - and I no longer belonged to myself.

So we experienced the same feeling at the same time? This incredible, inexplicable, inextricable connection that arose between us.

But if he experiences the same thing as me, then his behavior is even more incomprehensible. Why run away if it's mutual? Although... If I wasn’t sure of his feelings until this moment, perhaps he still doesn’t know about mine? Maybe that’s why he apologized - he decided that I didn’t like his kiss?

“But no matter what I’m experiencing,” Gabe continued, still without raising his eyes, turning to my palm, which he had moved away from his cheek and was now playing with my fingers. “No matter what I felt, I had no right to force you to do anything.” You're still just a child...

I indignantly sucked in my breath, about to object, but Gabe’s fingers gently laid on my lips, calling for silence.

Yes, I understand that you consider yourself an adult, that you have long since been reborn, but still. You're only twenty-four, you're even younger than Thomas! And you are a guest in my house, I took responsibility for you, and you’ve only known me for two days, so I simply don’t have the right to attack you right away.

Stop,” I couldn’t hear these confused outpourings anymore, so I took Gabe’s hand away from my mouth. - I've listened enough, now listen to me! First: when will you finally understand that I am not a child?

“You’re twenty-four,” Gabe repeated.

Yes, I know how old I am! But I live in a different time. I'm growing up at a different speed! I accepted your three thousand as youth, why can’t you accept my twenty-four as adulthood? And in general, if you count, then I’m already fifty-two! And considering that I was reborn ten years ago, that’s all eighty-five. So I'm definitely not a child!

Okay, let’s say,” Gabe sighed heavily, but at the same time he didn’t seem at all convinced by me. - Let's say that you are not a child. But I'm still putting too much pressure on you. I just don't have the strength to keep my hands off you...

And it is not necessary. Am I against it? I even like it.

Yes, but today it almost got out of control! I forgot! And if Thomas had not appeared, it is unknown how everything could have ended.

How could this end so badly?

Don't you really understand how much I want you? I almost took you right there, in the hallway, on the floor!

“I wouldn’t mind,” I whispered barely audibly, feeling my cheeks heat up.

What?! - Gabe clearly did not expect such a reaction from me. - No! This is all wrong! You should object. You can’t treat a young girl like that, you can’t drag her into bed on the second day of dating.

Which one is possible? - I was already dizzy from this conversation! We just found out that Gabe feels the same way about me as I feel about him, so what's the big deal? So, wait, I never told him about my feelings, which means he still doesn’t understand that everything that happened in the hallway was completely normal and correct. Well, except for his apology and escape. We urgently need to tell him about this.

Gabe seemed stunned by my question. Habitually running his hands through his hair, he looked at me in confusion, clearly not knowing how to react.

Listen, Gabriel, I decided that this name was more appropriate here.

Yes, Miranda? - I still managed to make him relax a little, even smile a little.

Firstly... Oh, yes, firstly it already happened. So, secondly, don't worry, I don't think we should go to bed and make love right now.

Is it true? - Did I hear it, or was there also disappointment in his voice besides relief?

Is it true. But thirdly, I really liked our kiss. And I wouldn’t mind repeating it at all?

Is it true? - this time Gabe couldn’t contain his happy smile.

True,” I nodded again. - And lastly, although not least important. Do you really think that I would cling to you like that, let you hug me, carry me in your arms, kiss me, if I didn’t want it myself? Has it occurred to you that I might feel the same way about you?

Gabe looked at me confused for a moment, but then finally whispered.

I felt that you liked my touches, I was incredibly happy about it, because I simply could not let you out of my hands. But to experience the same thing?.. Are you sure?

Absolutely! Although, at first, I was completely confused. Because I felt it when I first looked into your eyes. Do you remember what you looked like at that moment?

I was a panther. And I hurt you...

Yes, forget about it, it happened and happened, there is no need to remember! I'm talking about something else. You can imagine my shock when I looked into the eyes of the panther and could not look away. And when you ran into the forest, I almost rushed after you. And she calmed down only when you came out of the forest, although she still didn’t understand why?

I almost went crazy then. I almost killed you with my own hands! - Gabe really turned pale from the memories.

It’s not so easy to kill me,” I chuckled. - And forget about that wound of mine. Do you understand that this happened to us at the same time? And exactly the same. That's why I didn't make a sound when you said you were taking me to your place. It was completely in line with my plans - to be close to you. Always!

Lord, my girl! - Gabe literally groaned and, abruptly jumping up, pulled me out of the chair, lifting me to my feet, and then hugged me tightly to him. Without objecting at all, I immediately wrapped my arms around him, trying to press him even tighter. Gabe's distance was too much for me, and being in his arms again felt like coming home. And he kissed my hair, muttering:

I can not believe this. You are mine. My!

Yours! - I confirmed, raising my head and meeting his gaze with his beautiful and at the moment incredibly happy eyes. - And you are mine! Only mine. And no more Lindas.

Who is Linda? - Gabe raised an eyebrow and smiled. - No, Miranda, from the moment I saw you, there is only you. You are alone.

And he began to touch my eyelids, temples, and forehead with light kisses. But this no longer suited me.

Gabriel! - with this appeal I managed to quickly attract his attention. - Kiss Me. For real!

And at the same moment, Gabe's mouth fell on my lips. This kiss was different from the previous one like heaven and earth. If the first one was timid, cautious, “exploratory” and very gentle, then this one was strong, domineering, assertive. And incredibly sweet. He explored my lips with his lips, teeth, tongue, and I tried to keep up, clumsily, but with great enthusiasm, repeating all his movements. Gabe's tongue slid into my mouth, met mine there, and started a wrestling game with it.

At first, Gabe simply leaned towards me, but at some point he straightened up, not letting me out of his embrace, and I hung there, my feet not touching the floor. To have at least some kind of support, I wrapped my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck, hanging on him like a monkey on a tree. Gabe's hand immediately grabbed me from below, supporting me by the ass, and the other lay on the back of my head, hugging me even tighter. And at that moment the door swung open, and a clear child’s voice exclaimed:

Gabe, Roger is back! Oh! - the door immediately slammed shut, the clatter of running feet and disappointed muttering were heard: “Damn, why am I always on time like that?”

It was as if we were doused with cold water. We froze, returning to reality. There was not a single thought left in my head except: “Wow!” I didn’t even expect this from myself - I really forgot about everything in the world except Gabe, his lips and hands. Wow, that's a kiss!

Pulling away from my lips, Gabe pressed his forehead against mine and breathed heavily, trying to calm down. I was breathing exactly the same. Finally, Gabe was able to say:

Lord, girl, did I crush you? - and, meeting my perplexed gaze, he explained. -You're so tiny.

I normal! - I immediately objected. - You're the big one! And just dare to start apologizing again! Just dare!

And, for greater effect, I poked him in the chest with my finger, although to do this I had to remove one hand from his neck and move away from him. But I still continued to hang on it - I liked it, really liked it.

“I won’t,” Gabe promised with a smile. - I don't make the same mistakes twice.

We stood in the same position for a few more seconds, well, Gabe stood and I hung, but in the end, I realized that the moment was lost. Okay, this is not our last day, we still have time to kiss. So I unhooked my legs and slid to the floor. And again I felt how much Gabe was affected by our kiss. My stomach clearly felt an unambiguous hard bulge, which it rode over, causing Gabe to groan slightly.

Poor fellow! But it wasn’t much easier for me - I didn’t expect that I could get so excited from a simple kiss. Although, how simple it is. Of course, I don’t have anything special to compare with, but I’m still sure that there is no more beautiful kiss, no one has ever had and will never have one except us!

“We have to go,” Gabe muttered, clearly trying to convince himself. His hand let go of my ass, giving me the opportunity to get to my feet, but then lay on my back, continuing to hold me in his arms.

“We need it,” I nodded.

But it won't last long.

Of course, another nod.

And then we will continue... our conversation.

We will definitely continue. And no apologies.

None.

Then let's go.

Let’s go,” sighing heavily, Gabe reluctantly released me from his embrace, having previously given me a quick light kiss, after which he took my hand and led me out of the office where I spent such wonderful minutes.

But we'll be back. And let's continue. Now I was absolutely sure of this.

I'm looking forward to your impressions

Storyteller and explorer

Today I’m reviewing the book “The Enchanted Princess” and considering the name on the cover, I’m feeling a little timid, but I’ll still write about my impressions as they are. There may be spoilers below, if so, I gave you fair warning.

Let's begin. This book attracted me for a long time and precisely because, being related to children's literature, it was considered not for children. The large format, colorful binding, good printing and a lot of illustrations on 159 pages of large text fit well into the format of children's literature, but in terms of the content of the text and illustrations this is really not a book for children. General impression: interesting, fun, not a waste of time, but alas, the heroine did not arouse my empathy

The narrative was somewhat reminiscent of oriental stories a la France of the 17th century, where the action takes place against the backdrop of the exotic East, slaves, captives and proud, temperamental beauties. This is a story with transformation, where a beautiful princess (who grew up overnight into an adult maiden) is forced to become a vile toad every night thanks to a spell cast on her by no one knows who and no one knows why. By the way, we will never be able to find out who exactly benefited the unfortunate woman in this way, but these are particulars. The girl, it must be said, was truly intolerable, and what’s most interesting is that as the plot progressed, she only became more unbearable. We are accustomed to the fact that in fairy tales, negative characters are usually rehabilitated. Their example shows vices that can be overcome by repentance. Even in the fairy tale “The Magical Inheritance” the hero had to realize that he was wrong, but here... But first things first.

At the beginning of the book, the most important advantage of Princess Dionella was her blinding beauty. And those around her really seemed to be blinded by this beauty, completely oblivious to the fact that the girl was cruel, grumpy and capricious. She liked to act as a kind of prize for the best candidates. So, having tormented the next groom for a whole day with her checks, Dionella left him with nothing or forced him to commit suicide. And the next day she again began to “check” the next applicant.

At first it seemed to me that the reason for this strange behavior was the secret of the toad curse. After all, what kind of normal young lady would agree to get married when at night she becomes an amphibian, and this spectacle is not for the faint of heart. However, when the young slave Dion becomes an accidental witness to her transformation, and then (imbued with pity) agrees to help the beauty free herself from the curse, the princess shows a new facet of her nature - narcissism. It turns out that she is incredibly angry that someone witnesses her transformation into a toad and back. And so much so that the very next day he promises to kill his volunteer savior. And he even tries to do it a couple of times. However, since revenge is a dish that is served cold, the eccentric princess’s assassination attempts fail, but instead of somehow realizing her stupid offense and calming down, she only becomes more harmful.

More or less, humanity returned to her only in toad guise. As a toad, Dionella saved Dion from giant pythons, and then went after him to the court of the sorcerer king when the young man was captured. It would seem that, according to all fairy-tale canons, the girl should finally become kinder after the spell is lifted, but that was not the case. Instead of the completely expected transformation from a kind toad into a kind girl, something else happened.

And here I have to talk about one more character - Toad. This unfortunate creature turns out to be an enchanted frog, doomed to become human every night - that is, to perform the exact opposite transformation of Princess Dionella. Toad suffered greatly from what was happening to him. In particular, he complained to the heroes that in human form he was a cowardly, vile, and generally nasty person.

Needless to say, after the spell cast on Dionella fell, Toad turned into a toad, and the princess became human. But suddenly, all the good that was in Dionella in her toad form went away along with the spell! It was as if the vile human essence that had been placed on Toad had returned to its rightful owner. I even wondered if someone had tried to make it better by combining it with a toad!

But perhaps I am strict with the princess, although I cannot explain the situation that followed the rescue otherwise. After all, instead of at least thanking her savior (whom she herself sat on the neck of), the beauty insulted him as best she could. She showered him with contempt, accused him of self-interest and proudly announced that she would, of course, become his wife, since he deserved her as a thing. I was ready to forgive her for this, as a girl who suspected from childhood that literally everyone dreams of dragging her such a beauty into bed. But the funniest thing was next. When the offended young man left his potential wife “free,” the princess, instead of appreciating his nobility, was terribly offended that someone dared to neglect her unearthly beauty. She once again vowed to kill the poor fellow and rushed off in search of the unfortunate man, scaring half to death even the panther, who imprudently decided to have a bite of it with the young lady.

A surprisingly contradictory heroine. She despised men both for their lust and for their resistance to her charms. As soon as someone fell at her feet, she became arrogant; as soon as someone showed disobedience to her charms, she immediately flew into a rage. Further, the stormy temper and beauty of mass destruction led Dionella to a pirate ship, and then to the country where her would-be companion had previously been a slave. There, this restless lady happily took up... theft, and finally waited for the right moment for revenge. She managed to set up her companion a couple more times until she finally realized that if he did die, then life would not be so fun.

I didn’t believe at all in her sudden repentance and words of love when she suddenly threw herself under the saber already raised over Dion. No, she seemed really afraid of losing her toy. And words in the style of: “Oh, look how good he is, and I’m such rubbish” reminded me of ostentatious self-flagellation, when I want to hear: “Well, what kind of rubbish are you?!” No no!" In general, the fairy tale turned out to be interesting to me because the character of the heroine did not change one gram (or rather, it worsened). She remained the same bitch, albeit undercover, but the proud promise to give birth to a daughter with the same character as her mother betrays her headlong and sounded like a real threat. Dionella’s happiness is that Dion saw something good in her (although what exactly is not known).

Regarding the main character, I can say that a little humor and causticity in his image could well make the fairy tale ironic, and maybe even parody. Perhaps then the hero did not seem like a noble sufferer, enduring the princess’s eccentricity. After this tale, I thought that it was probably better to be at least a half-good toad than a completely bad person.

Individual impressions

The illustrations for “The Enchanted Princess” were prepared by Denis Gordeev and in this book they are beautiful, fit the text, but there is more nudity and eroticism in them.

The younger wife of the sorcerer king is only 12 years old, although of course the fairy tale doesn’t talk about anything “like that”.

The episode on the ship, with the drunken toad Dianella, who swallowed enough wine out of jealousy, sincerely amused me. Just like the ship owner’s proposal to throw the impudent amphibian into the sea so as not to torment himself and those around him. It’s even a pity that the noble Dion did not agree)))

This story happened a long time ago. Nobody remembers those times anymore. But the story is still passed on by word of mouth...
In one distant kingdom, in a valley of forests and lakes, lived a king and queen. They ruled fairly, and the inhabitants knew neither grief nor misfortune. But only one thing saddened the rulers. They were no longer young, but they never had children. Who will rule the kingdom after them?
The queen became more and more sad. And the king, in order to somehow cheer up his wife, invited guests from all kingdoms to a ball. The cooks prepared hundreds of dishes without closing their eyes day or night. Tailors sewed the most beautiful outfits for the king and queen. The servants spent three days and three nights decorating the castle. Musicians, artists and jesters prepared an unprecedented performance.
The long-awaited day has come. So many guests arrived at the ball that they could hardly fit into the castle. Beautiful music played, the ladies shone in their outfits, the feast was heaped.
The queen forgot about all her sorrows, laughed and danced. The king, seeing his wife’s happy face, rejoiced even more.
The Queen sat down to rest. And at that moment a woman approached her:
- madam, you dropped your ring
- but I don't wear rings. Probably one of the guests lost it
- keep it for yourself. This is not an ordinary ring. Keep it away from your daughter.
- but I don't have...
Before the queen had time to finish speaking, the woman disappeared somewhere.
At this time, the king was at the table watching the performance. Suddenly a jester jumped up on the table and said: “When your daughter appears, drive the travelers away!” He laughed and disappeared as quickly as he had appeared.
Night has come. All the guests have left. And the king and queen told each other about what had happened. Considering this a cruel joke, they did not attach any importance to these unusual people and their words.
Three years have passed... It was an ordinary sunny morning. The Queen decided to take a walk in the park and feed the swans. Suddenly she heard a child crying. Going down to the lake she saw a baby. It was a little girl. She lay in the grass on a golden blanket. Seeing the queen, the girl calmed down.
“Is there anyone here?” asked the queen
But the answer is silence. There wasn't a soul around. Having wrapped the girl in a blanket, the queen brought her to the castle.
So the king and queen had a daughter. Time passed, the girl grew up. She was pretty and smart beyond her years.
One night there was a strong thunderstorm. It was raining like buckets. The thunder roared so loudly that it seemed as if the earth was about to split in two. And the lightning sparkled so much that it illuminated half the sky. In the midst of a downpour, a traveler appeared in front of the castle. He was dressed in black clothes that reached to the ground. The face was not visible. Only in his hand did he hold a clumsy staff.
“Let the traveler wait out the storm,” he croaked in an eerie voice
“The king’s decree is not to let foreigners in,” answered the guards.
- the king won’t know, I’ll leave as soon as the sun comes up
- go away, old man!
- so it will be woe to the king!
The traveler hit the ground with his staff and scattered in different directions.
In the morning, the guards told the king about the incident. All day the king was not himself. He remembered the jester's words. But, fortunately, nothing bad happened. And this incident was forgotten.
The princess was growing up. The king and queen doted on her.
But the princess's behavior sometimes seemed strange. She went for a long walk, but no one noticed how she left the castle. Every day a crow feather was found in her hair. The princess could not explain how it got there. She slept only with the window open. And at night, croaking was heard in her room. But upon entering the room, the king and queen did not notice anything. Their daughter was sleeping peacefully.
All this worried the king and queen. But they did not tell these strange things to anyone.
One day the king decided to follow his daughter. In the evening, all the inhabitants of the castle went to bed. And the king hid in the princess's bedroom. After making sure that everyone was asleep, the princess opened the window. From under the pillow she took out the golden blanket in which the queen had once found her on the shore of the lake. She pulled out the thread, whispered something, turned into a crow and flew out the window.
On the second night the incident repeated itself. On the third night, the king decided to go after his daughter. He, like the princess, pulled a thread from the golden bedspread, cast a spell and turned into a raven. They flew across fields, across lakes. The kingdom was no longer visible. Suddenly a mountain appeared on the way. And in it is a cave. The princess turned around herself three times, croaked and became herself. She went inside and disappeared into the darkness. The king did the same and also entered after the princess. Hearing voices, he carefully followed the sound. And then I just watched and listened.
“Nobody saw you?” someone’s voice addressed the princess.
- nobody has seen. “Everyone is asleep,” she answered.
- did you find what I asked for?
- no... There is not a single ring in the castle. Mother...
- who? - the voice got angry
- ...the queen doesn't wear them
- Do you understand that soon I will completely turn into a crow? And you...
The voice didn’t have time to finish and asked, turning into the darkness where something had fallen, “Who’s here?”
Silence in response...
- go and find him!
- Yes mom...
The princess came out of the cave, cast a new spell and turned into a crow again. The king did the same.
They returned in the morning. The king immediately hurried to the queen and told everything he had seen.
“That means her mother is a witch and it was she who dropped the ring at the ball,” said the queen
“We need to destroy it,” the king suggested.
The Queen took the ring out of the box
- “Keep him away from your daughter,” that woman said
The king snatched the ring and threw it into the fireplace
At that moment the princess entered the room. She heard everything. And when she saw how the ring was thrown into the fire, she began to cry:
- For what? Why did you do this? Now I...
The ring melted, and the princess, before she could finish speaking, turned into a crow again and flew out the open window. A feather from her wing only swirled around the room.
The king and queen grieved for a long time, having lost hope of seeing their daughter again.
But one fine day a traveler knocked on the castle door and asked to stay for the night. Hearing that the guards refused to let her in, the king approached the gate and ordered the woman to be let in.
“I know about your grief,” the traveler began to say, “I know how to help him.”
And the woman began the story.
- There lived a black queen in a mountain kingdom. Once upon a time, she lost a magic ring. This ring was passed down from generation to generation and protected the owner from evil spells. Having lost the ring, the spell intensified - the queen began to turn into a crow. To protect her daughter from evil spells, she threw her into your kingdom. You raised the girl like your own. But this did not save her. You can't fool the spell. Having searched all the kingdoms, the black queen did not find the ring. She guessed that it was here. When her daughter grew up, the queen instructed her to find the ring. Having destroyed it, the black queen turned to dust, and your adopted daughter turned into a crow...
“What should we do now?” the queen cried.
- ask the maids if they found a melted ring in the fireplace?
The king and queen interviewed all the servants and found a small golden lump. They brought it to the traveler.
- what do you have? Feather? Where is it from? - asked the traveler
- our daughter dropped this feather...
- take care of him. It will help restore the princess to her former appearance. Take what's left of the ring. And go to the dragon kingdom to the blacksmith. Give him what he asks for as a reward. Only the breath of the dragon and the power of the blacksmith can help you. When he has forged the thinnest ring, put it on the feather. Then head to the mountain kingdom. There you will find your adopted daughter. Lock the feather in the casket and lower it into the magic well in the middle of the cave. As soon as the spell breaks, leave immediately. The Kingdom will begin to collapse...
After listening to all the instructions, the king went to the dragon kingdom.
The king wandered around for a long time. I was already desperate to find a blacksmith with a dragon. But suddenly luck smiled at him. A huge clearing appeared in front of him. And in the middle of it stood a forge of unprecedented size. The earth shook from the blow of the blacksmith's hammer. And the flames burned the stones of the window laid out in the forge.
Coming closer, the king called out to the blacksmith. The dragon first looked out at the call, then the blacksmith himself came out:
- what do you need?
And the king told about his misfortune.
- Why not help? I'll help. If you give your daughter as a wife... to my dragon
The king was surprised. But there is nothing to do - he agreed.
The blacksmith forged the ring. The king put the ring on the feather. The dragon picked up the king and flew to the mountain kingdom. There the feather was locked in a casket. The king found the princess in the cave. The casket was thrown into a well with magic water. Immediately the princess turned back into a girl. And the three of them went to the dragon kingdom. First the king descended from the dragon, then the princess. As she descended to the ground, she tripped. But the dragon caught her. The princess looked into his huge eyes and smiled. At that same moment, the dragon turned into a young man.
And then the blacksmith said:
- Many years ago, an evil sorcerer turned the prince into a dragon. In his native kingdom, the dragon was not nice, everyone was afraid of him. And he had to wander around the world. But one day he came across my forge. And I took him in. The witchcraft was supposed to lose its power if a girl looked into his eyes without fear.
The king and princess returned home. And a little later the prince and princess got married.

I'll tell you a story baby. Somewhere in an unknown kingdom there lived one princess, she did not know that she was a princess, this happens sometimes, people often do not understand who they really are and why they were born.
So our heroine did not realize herself. She lived in a house on the edge of the forest, nearby there was a wonderful view of the river, but she no longer remembered how she ended up here. She didn't remember anything at all. She was completely alone, completely, completely alone. But she didn’t understand this either, she didn’t understand that she was lonely, because she didn’t know what friendship was, she didn’t know what it meant to be friends at all. After all, she was always alone.
She met the sun, and the sun smiled at her, she walked along the grass, and the grass was soft and friendly, in the field a gentle breeze sang songs to her. But for some reason she didn’t notice any of this, or maybe she completely forgot “how to notice something”?
Maybe she was sleeping? But how can you sleep 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year? How can you sleep your whole life? And will it be life then, maybe not life at all, but death? But even if she was dead, she didn’t understand it either.
And everything would have gone on forever, and there would have been no end to our story, my dear reader, but the unexpected, the unexpected, the incredible happened. In a world where people never existed and loneliness reigned forever, He appeared.
It is unknown where he came from, we only knew that he was a prince, because he simply could not be anyone else.)) The prince simply knocked on the door, and she opened it for him. What she felt at that moment, what she thought, is unknown. He simply entered her life, and her world completely changed, as if the fog of eternal oblivion had dissolved.
He walked onto her doorstep and simply said.
-Can I have some tea, princess? I was so tired from the long road, it was difficult to make my way through Eternity and Oblivion, and then on the road, not far from your house, I encountered a world of reflections and got a little confused. It's hard not to get confused in the world of reflections. The mirror always shows not what we need, not what we would like to see there. And if mirrors show the truth, then it seems to us unsightly and inside out.
So why am I saying all this? Oh yes. I have some tea, some tea. And preferably with my favorite jam from May rose petals.
- Princess? I? Why did you decide so? And please, please introduce yourself and wipe your feet on the rug. In general, I wasn’t expecting any guests today, and it seems that I didn’t invite you to tea at all.
The prince laughed.
“I’ve never heard anything funnier in my life, I walked to you for so long, I certainly knew that you were waiting for me.” After all, you couldn’t forget everything? - the prince said the last words with obvious concern, - he walked up to the princess and touched his forehead with his lips, he was completely cold, she was generally all icy, like an ice hole in winter.
“It seems that it took me too long to return to you, my love,” the prince said sadly.
“But it’s okay, we’ll fix it all,” he kissed the girl and suddenly, a blush began to appear on her cheeks, the deathly pallor disappeared, the light shade of sadness that had always previously lay on her pretty features disappeared. The princess blinked in surprise, it seemed that she had just woken up, and looked around in surprise, everything seemed unfamiliar to her. Only his eyes, his voice, she certainly knew for sure. It was him, it was her prince.
She remembered everything, remembered how she accompanied him on a long, long journey to the edge of the universe. How they promised to be faithful to each other, and to certainly wait for each other. The separation was an unfortunate necessity for the princess. The prince could not help but fly to the stars. There were two things in his life that he loved more than anything else. Stars and your princess. And it happened that if he did not fly to the stars for a long time, he began to feel sad, and nothing could dispel this sadness, not even his beloved princess. And then she had to let him go on a long journey. And wait, wait, wait.
But this time he was gone for too long, an eternity and another eternity passed, but the prince still did not come, so our princess fell asleep from the long wait, forgetting everything in the world. Perhaps time played a cruel joke on him. At the edge of the universe, time flows completely differently than on Earth. And what were moments for the prince turned out to be an endless eternity for the princess.
But everything ended well, my dear reader. The princess and prince drank tea with his favorite jam from May rose petals, and talked, talked, talked until the morning. It was as if it had always been like this and nothing had ever changed.

In the kingdom of Armelion, a three-day holiday was declared in honor of the birth of the princess, the daughter of the king. All residents of the kingdom could drink and eat as much as they wanted at the expense of the treasury, and they also received a commemorative coin with the image of the baby.
The royal palace shone like a jewel. Candles were burning everywhere, and a lot of lackeys immediately changed the burnt ones so that the light would not go out. In the park and in all rooms of the palace, tables were set with snacks, wines and fruits, so that guests could enjoy both wine and delicious dishes if they wished. And all kinds of music sounded everywhere, and young couples danced all night.
In the throne room, over the golden cradle, the happy parents of the newborn, King Leon the First and Queen Elisse, sat and accepted congratulations and gifts. And the guests arrived and arrived, and paid tribute to the decoration of the palace, and especially to the treats offered.
Her elder sister Betaine, Duchess of Chantelier sat next to the young queen, hiding her disappointment behind a feigned smile. How unfair life is when it suddenly disrupts your plans! Who could have foreseen that some squeaky girl would interfere with her, Betaine, on her way to unlimited power. When Betaine married the aging but powerful Duke Joseph Chantelier, uncle of the boy Leon, she had far-reaching plans. And it was at her wedding five years ago that the beardless prince met her ten-year-old sister. How did it happen that these idiots dared to fall in love with each other, and her husband not only helped them get married, but also gave his power to his nephew, which she could not like. But while they sang love songs to each other, Betain was calm. Even the birth of an heir would not have frightened her, since her six-month-old daughter Henrietta lived in the family castle in the hallway, to whose birth the Duke had nothing to do. No one dared to stand in her way!
But! The royal couple of Elingard came to the celebration with the ten-year-old crown prince Remi, and to celebrate, they betrothed the newborn to the prince, ensuring her royal power from birth. Is it possible to reconcile with such injustice? Need to come up with something! And she would have come up with it if they hadn’t put a talisman on the baby’s tiny wrist - a magical gold bracelet that no one could take off.
How difficult it is to tolerate this misunderstanding! Not only has this baby mixed up all the plans, but she is already the betrothed bride of a prince from a powerful and rich kingdom! Betaine was ready to sob, or rather tear and throw in a furious desire to destroy everything around her! But instead sit with a sweet smile and rejoice at every offering?
Of course, no one could have known that clouds were gathering over the life of the little princess.
Peace and tranquility reigned in the royal family: the princess was surrounded by the care and attention of her parents, who adored their baby and loved each other so much that the management of the kingdom was entrusted to the duke and, accordingly, his wife. Betain could triumph - her power is limitless, but a random thought that arose did not give her peace. Confident that her daughter was worthy of becoming a princess of the blood and subsequently a queen, she spent days and nights thinking about how to achieve what she wanted. The surest way is to replace the girls, especially since they were strikingly similar, which is not surprising - they are sisters. I wanted to make the change early, while the little ones didn’t know anything, but there was an obstacle: Prince Remy’s magic bracelet. It was impossible to remove it from the princess’s hand: any attempt threatened with a serious burn. All that remained was to wait and learn magic, which is what Begain stubbornly did. No matter what she tried, no matter what magicians she turned to, there is only one answer: only the prince himself can remove the amulet when he calls the princess his wife.
To begin with, Begain simply hid her daughter from human eyes so that everyone who knew about her would forget about her. And towards Anais she showed such love and care that she lulled the vigilance of her parents, who were experiencing a new surge of passion.
She waited for the moment and waited! One day, with the help of a sophisticated spell, she managed to briefly remove the bracelet, and she began to carry out her insidious plan. To begin with, she invited the whole family to visit her castle, describing the beauty of nature that she wore. The invitation was accepted, and there was a feast at the Chantelier castle. They drank and ate, glorifying the owners, and did not notice that everyone had fallen asleep. It’s just a matter of little things: she quickly changed her daughter’s clothes into the clothes of the sweetly sleeping Anais, took off the bracelet from her hand and put it on Henriette’s hand. She took the princess to the river and, throwing her into a canoe, sent her into the unknown in full confidence that even if the girl was found, no one would know who she was. Everything went so well that I wanted to sing. But then I discovered: the bracelet had disappeared from my daughter’s hand!
And the magic didn't help!
While everyone continued to sleep, they called a jeweler and forced him to quickly make a similar gold bracelet. The idea was a success, and when the guests woke up, Betain handed the “princess” to the queen. After the magical dream, the parents did not notice the change, and they could celebrate. But it turned out to be too early! Despite all the assurances, Elisse was in such confusion that she no longer admired her daughter, and even stopped playing with her. But her incomprehensible mood was attributed to a new pregnancy, and she was generally removed from raising the baby. But Betain took her maternal place, which was not at all difficult. The main problem was for the girl to get used to her new name and consider the king and queen to be her parents, which did not prevent Betaine herself from occupying a dominant position. And the birth of the prince did not upset her in any way, because she knew that her daughter would certainly become the wife of the future King Remy.
Anais woke up in something incomprehensible, and this incomprehensible thing was dragged through the forest thickets by some shaggy little animals screaming. She lost consciousness and woke up in a clean bed in a bright, snow-white room, and an unfamiliar woman was sitting in front of her.
- My child! Tell me, who are you and how did you end up in this boat?
- I'm Princess Anais! And who are you?
- I am fairy Evelyn, the mistress of this castle and forest. My servants brought you.
- Such terrible monsters?
- No, dear, they are not monsters at all, you will make friends with them. Come with me, we need to see how it all happened.
And they went to the golden room, where there was a huge mirror covering the entire wall. The fairy waved her hand, and in the mirror she saw everything that happened to the princess. Then she was transported to the castle, where Henrietta was sitting in the throne room.
- What is it - me? Who am I here? - Little Anais gasped and cried bitterly. - I want to go home to my mother. Don't they love me anymore?
- Don’t shed unnecessary tears! Understand - a crime has been committed, and your parents don’t know that you are here, and there is someone else’s girl. And you can’t go back there now, because there’s danger. But the villain doesn’t know that you’re alive and well, so she won’t look for you. And you must remember that your time will come and you will become the wife of a prince. And I will make sure that you are worthy of this title.
- What about my amulet, why didn’t it save me? Oh, he hasn’t gone anywhere, here he is, on his hand, only invisible for some reason.
- Why didn’t you save him? You didn’t die, and the bracelet is intact, because it is he who will bring the prince to you. After all, he saw you as a baby, and it’s hard to recognize you as an adult. You are now five years old, and he is fifteen, and he has his own things to do.
- Oh, madam! Can I see him? I only know the name.
- Easily! Sit still and you will see!
And it’s true - a room appeared in the mirror, and a young man was sitting at a desk reading a book.
- Madam! Is it him, Remy? But he is not at all as handsome as they said.
- Stupid! The beauty of a person is hidden deep in the heart. And he doesn’t know what you are like either. You have time to recognize him by looking in the mirror. And if you fall in love, then you will boldly meet your fate. And I will try to help you meet him, so that he will love you as you are, and not under duress. Then you two will be happy, just as your parents are happy. But everything is ahead and not so fast. You have a lot to learn.
Thus began the life of an enchanted princess far from human eyes. It should be noted that fairy Evelina was very powerful in magic, but so kind that she could not put up with injustice. But she did not tolerate idleness, and therefore Anais had to learn a lot. Reading and writing are a small part of things, studying all the sciences, etiquette, in addition - singing, dancing and playing instruments. And to her surprise, she cooks food like a simple cook, cleans the house, cares for flowers and plants, and even weeds the beds with her gentle hands. For what?
But the fairy was adamant - she must know and be able to do everything, then no difficulties in life will be an obstacle.
The most interesting activity was to sit at the magic mirror and see what was going on where. Most often - a “meeting” with the intended groom. Anais became so accustomed to the prince’s appearance that she began to claim that she was in love with him, to which the fairy reasonably replied that seeing appearances is not love. A real meeting is coming, and then everything will be decided. In the meantime, there are ten long years of training ahead.
Meanwhile, the fake princess, believing that she was real and that everything was allowed to her, turned her “parents” into hostages of her desires. Queen Elisse despaired of her antics and found peace only in caring for her heir. King Leon had to take the rap for two, listening to all the insults that Anaïs-Henriette showered. And only Betain, fulfilling all her daughter’s whims, hovered in her dreams.
Alas! The princess did not want to learn anything - she would be a queen. And she demanded new clothes, jewelry, delicious dishes and wines, which she had heard something about. My favorite pastime is to sit in front of the mirror and admire my reflection, without noticing that I have changed for the worse. Where is the former tenderness of youth, the silk and shine of hair, the smoothness of skin. Sometimes Betain herself began to fear that the prince might not like her daughter, although he had nowhere to go against custom.
So ten years flew by unnoticed, and both girls turned into girls. And the time has come to put everything in its place.
And soon Countess Evelyn de Merister settled in the kingdom of Elingard, who charmed everyone with her unusually refined techniques and became a close friend of Queen Clery. Of course, Crown Prince Remy could not ignore such interesting evenings. And one day he noted that the countess was served by a charming page.
- Ah, Countess! Your page is so beautiful that it’s a pity he’s not a girl.
- Why is it a pity? Isn't he good enough?
- Well, countess, he is impeccable. If he were a girl, he could become the wife of a noble knight and decorate life with his presence. And just as a boy is too good and gentle, he will not make a warrior, so he is a beautiful toy and nothing more.
He could not even imagine that Anais was hiding under the guise of a page, and that this allowed her to become acquainted with the habits of the prince.
After some time, Evelyn transformed the girl into her maid of honor, which allowed her to shine at all balls, hunting or walks. Is it surprising that the prince paid attention to the lovely girl, increasingly invited her to dance, and during horseback rides