The Middle Princess

“Once upon a time in a far away land.....”

Who am I kidding? I’m sorry this story can’t begin in such a misleading way. This is no fairy tale; there is no way to dress this tale up or skim over the brutality of this story. I am afraid we must just jump in with both feet.

Kennis was a beautiful baby; a Princess by birth and the middle of twelve daughters to a harsh King. Yep, ‘The’ twelve Princesses; you know the story, dance all night and worn out shoes. I digress, when the Princesses came of age it became apparent that Kennis was unique. Her Father worried that he would not be able to marry her off and so jumped at the first marriage proposal thrown in her direction. The proposal came from a not so desirable Knight, with a reputation for treating his women (and there were many) badly. But the King was harsh, the Knights prowess on the battlefield was legendary and his daughter was dutiful.

Fast forward five years...

“Wench.”

“Wench.”

“Where the hell are you? Get out here; it’s about time you gave me with a son.”

She could hear him crashing through the rooms of her prison, getting closer.

Kennis suffered this every night when Kellen was not away defending the kingdom, she suffered his brutal force with grace. Never once allowing him to see the true affect he was having on her; destroying her soul, taking it piece by piece. 

When Kellen had had his fill of her and the ale had finally lulled him into a deep slumber Kennis slipped out of the bed chamber and into the cool moonlight. There she screamed into the night, she let her tears carry away her pain. She called out the name that had dominated her dreams for as long as she could remember; the name of her Prince that would come and save her someday, the Prince who wore out her shoes.

Exhausted, her face wet from tears, Kennis collapsed into the still warm grass. The thought of ending this torture once and for all was dancing around her mind; when a sudden draft beat across her bare skin. Then again; a cool respite from the summer heat. Kennis looked up wanting to cool her face. At first she couldn’t make out the figure before her though her tears, it was huge and were those wings?

“Devyn?”