Princess Shelina

By ChancebyCandor 

Long ago, there lived a kingdom, in the smallest corner of the farthest land. It was beautiful! It's lands were rolling hills full of crops and there were parks with beautiful flowers and trees. And in this kingdom lived a fair king and his only daughter, the princess.

King Cain was a wise and fair ruler. He listened to all- from the oldest and wisest woman to the smallest and youngest of mice. He loved his kingdom and loved his beautiful daughter, Shelina, even more.

Princess Shelina was, without a doubt the fairest maiden in the land. With gleaming locks of auburn hair and eyes of emerald green. She was to turn seventeen soon. The age at which to start looking for suitors to take her hand in marriage.

A week before her birthday, the king sent out news of the ball to be thrown in Princess Shelina's honor. All eligible men in the kingdom and princes from near kingdom were invited to present themselves to the Princess Shelina so that she may choose a husband.

It was the day before the ball, and the suitors were arriving and being led to the quest quarters. In her bedroom, she paced. She did not wish for an arranged marriage. She wanted to find true love.

She knew her father meant well, and she did not want to disappoint him, but she couldn't help it. She sat on her bed and weeped. What was she to do?+

Just then, a shimmering came from her music box perched on her dresser. Shelina sat up and crept towards her dresser. She slowly opened the lid to her music box. A pink light shot out. Shelina startled and stared as it zoomed across the room.

It stopped abruptly two feet from her.

"O my, please forgive my poor manners, Your Highness. I've been dying to stretch my wings. I've been in there for thirteen years..." the pink thing prattled on in a tinkling voice, unawares that Shelina was now only a foot away from her.

"What are you?" Shelina interrupted.

It paused. "Forgive me, Highness. I forgot to change to my bodily state," she said. A bright pink light flashed, and a tiny human wearing a gossamer pink dress with delicate pink wings appeared. "I am Cherry, your fairy godmother."

Shelina raised an eyebrow skeptically. "You're my fairy godmother? But your-"

"Yes, yes, I know. I'm tiny and I'm not old. They always say that. Anyways, that's not what I'm here for. I heard that your father wants you to choose a husband tomorrow, but you want to find true love."

Shelina was intrigued. "Why, yes. That is true. I want to love the man I marry, not resent him."

Cherry nodded, already knowing this. "Well, I can make that wish come true. All you have to do is drink this before you go to sleep." She poofed up a bottle of orange liquid and gave it to Shelina.

She took the bottle. "What will it do?"

"This is how it works. If you drink this,when you are ready you and your father will be seated on the thrones before the guests arrive. When you sit down on your throne, you will turn into a cat. The suitors will come and go. There is one that you must look for. He will be the one to say, 'What beautiful auburn hair and emerald green eyes.' Then he will ask the king to court you. Then will you return to your human state. For it is the one who looks past the furs and the whiskers and sees the good person that you are."

Shelina smiled, hope in her eyes. "So if I drink this, then I will find my true love? Of course I'll do this! Thank you, Cherry!"

Cherry tittered, "Of course! I don't just go around turning people into cats. Now, get some rest, you have a big day tomorrow!" And with that, she disappeared.

That night, Shelina drank the potion and fell asleep with a smile.

~~~~

The next morning servants came bustling into the princesses room with her dress and all sorts of jewelry.

Shelina hurriedly ate breakfast and got ready for the ball, in anticipation of at last finding her true love. She was ready in an hour, wearing a daisy blue dress. Her tiara crowned her head in an array of silver wire and sparkling blue gemstones.

Her father, King Cain, knocked at her door and asked to be let in. A maid opened the door.

The King stepped in and beheld his beautiful daughter.

"My dear Shelina! You looking beautiful! I dare say that no other lady will be as beautiful today!" he exclaimed.

Shelina smiled joyfully. "Thank you, father. I am happy to fulfill my duty."

"Then let us be off! Won't you accompany me?" he said and held out an elbow.

Shelina took it. "Of course, father."

They walked to the ball room together. The butler's opened the doors for the King and the Princess. They strode towards their thrones. The King ascended the platform on which they stood and sat regally on his throne.

Shelina glided up the stairs to the platform and went to sit on her throne. As soon as she sat, a pink mist surrounded her, and she was turned into a beautiful tabby cat with red-orange fur and green eyes.

The King leapt out of his throne and rushed to his daughter. "Shelina! What happened to you? Your a cat!" he exclaimed and sent for the royal healer. "Oh no! How are we to find you a husband? No one wants a cat for a wife!"

Shelina spoke, "Calm down father. The only way to find a truly respectable suitor is this way. If he can see past the fur and the whiskers to the person I truly am, he will surely be a wise king like you. Please trust that there will be someone willing to marry me, fur or no."

The King looked at her for a moment before nodding. "Alright, if that is your wish. I do hope you are right about this."

"Trust me father, I am." She put a reassuring paw on her father's arm.

The King smiled doubtfully, then sat back on his throne. "Let in our guests, footmen."

The royalty were announced one by one. Soon the room was filled with people.

The King stood and announced, "Let the ball commence! Gentlemen may come up one at a time to meet the princess." He sat back down.

After a minute, the first suitor came up. He was a short, fat man. He bowed to the King as the footman recognized him a Duke of Wellworth. "Your Majesty, I have come to seek the Princess's hand in marriage."

The King smiled. "Of course, meet Princess Shelina." He extended a hand towards me.

The Duke chuckled, "Your Majesty, you are very funny indeed! Wherever is the actual Princess?" he asked.

"Sir, I am Princess Shelina," she stated.

His jaw dropped open. He recovered his wits quickly. "Your Majesty, forgive me, but I will not have a cat for a wife!" He turned and stormed out the ball room.

Then the next suitor came, young prince Jaq' from a neighboring kingdom. He bowed to the King. "Your Majesty, I have come to take Princess Shelina's hand in marriage."

The King smiled, "Very well, meet the Princess." He flourished a hand towards me.

The prince's eyebrows shot up. "Your Majesty, you are aware that a tabby sits on the throne, right?"

The King nodded, "Yes, that's the princess."

She spoke again. " 'Tis true, I am Princess Shelina."

The prince scoffed, "What tomfoolery! I shall not take a cat for my wife!" He too turned and left.

And it went like this for a time, the crowd getting thinner and thinner, until only one remained.

He strode to the platform. He bowed to the King, then did something no other had done, he bowed to the princess. The footman introduced him as Lord Marcus Tramy.

"Your Majesty, I have come hoping to have your daughter's hand in marriage."

The King, tired as he was, said, "You are aware that the princess is a cat, right?"

The Lord smiled. "Yes, I have heard that from other gentlemen. But what matters is not appearance, but the good of the heart." He came a bit closer. "What beautiful auburn hair and emerald green eyes."

He turned to the King. "It would be my greatest pleasure if you would allow me to court Her Highness."

And with that, Shelina, was shrouded in pink light and returned to her human state.

The Lord was awed. "You are even more beautiful now than before." He bowed deeply.

Shelina smiled and turned to her father. "Father, I choose Lord Marcus to be my betrothed."

The King smiled and sighed in relief. "Yes, of course. You have my approval."

Their betrothal was announced a few months after the ball.

And so, they lived happily ever after.