Happy Ever After-ish

• Marley Lingard, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2021

He was dead.
My true love was dead.
And it was all my fault.
Proof that not all princess get their happy ending.

I hated school. Just hated it. Just because I was a girl my dumb headmistress wouldn’t let me join the boys in their actually interesting classes. That old prune couldn’t teach me anything if she tried. All she was interested in was finding every girl a suitor.

All the princes that threw themselves at me with meaningless money and gifts that I couldn’t stand. I despised those princes with my entire being. Until he came, he was different, he bought me something I actually cared about, he bought me books. I fell in love with him so quickly I didn’t look back, didn’t see the damage I’d left behind.

The day before I met Dylan a prince had tried to buy my love, it had been the third time this week, and it was only Tuesday. I had said no and expected him to move on like all the other princes. I didn’t notice that he hadn’t, didn’t notice that he was plotting his revenge.

The day I found the body I was walking to the old oak tree, my usual meeting place with Dylan, and I saw the other students looking at me with concern, no not concern, pity. I dismissed it quickly, mistaking it for envy and kept walking. When I got to the tree I expected to see Dylan grinning at me but instead I found a scruffy-haired boy on the forest floor. There no sign of struggle, you would have thought he was sleeping. But he wasn’t breathing and he had 2 black berries in his hand, he had killed himself. To save himself.

I screamed and screamed for help but none ever came. After what felt like hours of waling and cursing the sky, I heard footsteps.
“Whoever you are," I screamed, "you're a bit late.”
“You probably don’t even remember my name” snarled a bitter voice behind me, I could hear his glare.
“Who..” I trailed off remembering one of the princes I rejected before I met Dylan.

“ I.. I….” I stuttered. He laughed cruelly and pulled out a sword, about to slash my throat. I felt a sudden surge of adrenaline. I grabbed the handle and swung it around. I could have killed him, I don’t know why I didn’t. But instead I called the empire and let them decide his punishment.

Once I got back to school I poured me heartbreak into protesting, rebelling with many other princesses against the laws. 4 years of organising and protesting before the empire and he finally allowed us to go to ordinary school, to learn with the princes and have a choice if we marry. I decided not to. Dylan was my one and only love and I have finally learned live without him. Now I do something I love, with friends I love, and make an impact on the world.