writing prompt #4//Happily Ever After

{This is writing prompt #4, Happily Ever After. I wrote it in fifty three minutes, with a time limit of thirty minutes (I couldn't stop!). The beginning was written prior to the prompt, as it was an idea I was tinkering with - I decided to expand on it. It features a princess who decides to write her own happily ever after.}

The view from the top of the tower was breathtakingly, impossibly beautiful. To the east, the ocean stretched out until it could touch the sky. To the north, forests sprouted from the ground, dark and luscious with nature. And to the west were rolling plains, fading away to the rest of the earth. Beyond the plains were the whispers of human civilization. The sky was a moody adolescent, constantly changing from light blue skies with playful clouds to a dark purple color that would be illuminated with lightning to a soothing pink lined with golden sun rays. Within the tower, there was far less beauty. Made of stone, the cold drafts were dreadful in the winter. Little decorations grasped on to the wall. There was a bed pushed into the corner and a small table in the corner, along with the wardrobe filled with clothing. But one did not have to look closely to see the dark haired woman gripping onto the railing of the balcony of the tower, trying to pay no mind to the taunts of the wild. Her hair had small streaks of silver and her eyes had dark rings under them. She was a prisoner, caught in a cage of her own fate. One could see not see it from the outside, but the woman was in fact a princess. She had long ago lost the posture that defined her physical stature and her ruling class. The woman clung to the last scrap of her identity: her name. Ashley. Ashley often looked out into the wild, the only source of entertainment for her. At the age of sixteen, she was locked up in the tower, just like every lastborn daughter of a king was destined to do so. Every tower was guarded by a ginormous monster with terrible abilities. A prince would then rescue her, as tradition. Ashley had no protests to this. She let out an airy laugh as she remembered how much she wanted to be put in the tower. Thirteen year old Ashley lounged on her chaise, surrounded by her two other friends, Ilene and Genevieve. They were both princesses from neighboring kingdoms and they too would be locked up in two years' time in order to be rescued by a prince. "So, Ashley, what prince do you wish to rescue you?" Genevieve giggled. Ashley tilted her head. "You can choose what prince will rescue you?" She never knew that. "Well, not exactly," Ilene said, "but who said we can't nudge them in the right direction?" She exploded into peals of laughter. "I want Prince Ivan to rescue me. I heard he has the strongest prince!" Genevieve shook her head. "I have heard from Mother that he has a terrible indigestion problem. I want Prince Lenari to rescue me! He has the greenest eyes, greener than grass! He is most handsome." Ashley desperately wanted to join their enthusiasm, so she confessed the prince she had been dreaming of. "I have always wanted Prince Stefan to take me away from my tower." Her friends grew silent with awe. "Isn't he the one who fought alongside his army last year, at age sixteen?" Genevieve's eyes are wide with admiration. Ilene was always the jealous type. Even now, she had a tinge of jealousy in her tone. "I don't think he'd ever pick you, Ashley." "Why not?" Ashley was oblivious to her two sided friend. Ilene rose from her place on the chair. "I heard Prince Stephan likes a girl with short hair, a quiet demeanor, one who doesn't run off into the woods, and one with less... weight." Ashley's brows furrowed. "He does?" Genevieve shifted in her seat. "He does," Ilene confirmed. Her hands went to the scissors on the shelf then maneuvered to Ashley's long dark hair, adorned with curls and waves. "And you do want him, correct?" "Yes," Ashley said defiantly. Without a word of permission, Ilene snipped all of Ashley's hair. Ashley's heart sank. "And you should not hold yourself so confidently," Ilene remarked. "It sends off the wrong message. Prince Stephan likes a woman to be quiet." Her cold hands gripped Ashley's shoulders and turned them inwards, moving Ashley's hand to grip each other in front. Ashley looked submissive to Ilene's demanding figure. Genevieve merely looked on from her place. "Also try to lose some weight," Ilene said.

Ashley's hands subconsciously flew to her stomach.

Ilene drew Ashley's hands down. "I'm trying to help you, Ashley. Trust me. If you do as you're told, Prince Stephan and you will get your happily ever after." And Ashley did. For the next thirty years, she had learned to speak to the lonely servant who attended her in a low tone. Ashley stood in front of her mirror every six months and ensured her hair would never touch her shoulders. Every single dress would hang off her thin figure. Every night for the past thirty years, Ashley laid in bed, tears drowning her eyes. Because for thirty years, Prince Stephan never came. Neither did any other prince. Ashley stood at her balcony, looking at her hands in scorn. How foolish she had been, she thought. The single servant that had served her left a month ago, claiming she couldn't stand it anymore. She told Ashley that she would send a replacement back, within a week. Lies. All of them. No one came back. Ashley had to prepare her own meals in the kitchen in the lower level of the tower for the past month. It was only then that the truth dawned on Ashley. She was truly alone in the world. Her family had forgotten about her. The servant girl had abandoned her. No prince would ever come to rescue her; it was far too late for that. And unless she could somehow get around the frightening monster, she was trapped in the tower until the end of time. With a shriek of exasperation and frustration, Ashley pounded the railing of her balcony, watching one of the old support beams crack and fall off, to the ground below. She wiped her tears quickly and retreated within. Ashley furiously loosened her corset and allowed herself to breathe properly for once. She opened the door and exited her room. Almost immediately, she had to brace herself for the long and winding stairs that descended. Picking up her skirts, she made her way down with quick and quiet steps. Ashley had never noticed the sword placed over the small mantle in the tiny kitchen on her trips down for food. She hesitantly picked it up and weighed it in her hands. There was surely an exit somewhere. The lonely maid would never tell her, as she was probably sworn to secrecy, but she had left the tower somehow. She knew that all the doors in the kitchen were pantries and cupboards, except for one. That one led to the maid's room. Ashley knew it was better to try. With a shaky breath, she twisted the battered old door's handle and walked in. An unmade pallet rested in the corner along with a few other trinkets, but the thing that caught Ashley's eye was the narrow wooden door in the corner. She dashed to it and tried opening it. It swung right open. Ashley's eyes widened as she slowly stepped out, into a small back garden. The plants had begun to die, sadly, with no one to care after them.

As she gripped the sword tightly, she heard a growl nearby. Her heart skipped a beat as she inched forwards, looking around frantically for the beast that held her captive all these years.

Without any warning, a ball of fire exploded in front of Ashley, causing her to fall back. As the smoke cleared, Ashley could see the spot where the fire ball had hit was black with ash and sparking with embers. Scrambling to get back up, Ashley noticed a shadow linger above her.

The monster that flapped its wings as it landed appeared to be the source of the earthquakes that shook the earth, of the tsunamis that drowned the world. Its skin was a rusty blue color that gleamed in the light. It roared as Ashley ran towards it. She had nothing to lose. With a slash of her sword, she managed to open a gash on the dragon's leg.

It let out a howl and stumbled. Ashley gathered her skirts and dashed to the side. The dragon let out a thin stream of fire at her, but Ashley was quick to duck and stab it once more in the foot.

The ground was nearing a supernova, Ashley just knew it. Yet she could not bring herself to stop fighting. She was a determined, ferocious beauty. It was apparent in every movement, every breath. Giving up was something she knew not of.

She ran to the dragon.

It would kill her. Of course the first priority was the prince that would rescue her, in order to test him. But the dragon was also trained to keep the princess inside the tower.

As Ashley approached the dragon's chest, she raised her sword. The dragon moaned, trying to get away.

This single action made Ashley pause. It occurred to her this dragon was destined to be killed. It was awaiting it all its life. But even now, it was fighting.

In an odd manner, the dragon was a lot like Ashley. A reflection blurred by ripples.

Ashley screamed and brought her sword down into the ground. She couldn't do it. She would never be able to kill this creature, this beauty.

Looking deep into its eyes, Ashley sighed. "You too have been trapped in a destiny you do not want. I want to leave this tower, but I cannot kill you." She rested her hand on its chest. "You are free."

The dragon continued to observe her. It finally snorted and gently nudged Ashley's arm.

Ashley sat by its side, tending to its wounds. It took days, but they healed and when they did, the dragon surprised Ashley.

It allowed her to climb onto its back.

She did. She clutched its neck they soared across the infinite skies, to some impossibility beyond. It was a wondrous sight, a princess with a sword attached to her waist on top a dragon she was supposed to kill but decided not to.

And it was no typical happily ever after, but it was something even better.

It was hers.

(Picture provided by Wix.com)