Princess
Elizabeth ran around her house, or as she liked to call it, her castle. Weaving in between the different rooms and exploring for hidden treasure, Elizabeth, with an ever-present smile on her face, was set on having a good day. Her laugh echoed through her kingdom as she marched through the halls. Her head tilted proudly upwards like she’d seen all the kings do in her cartoons. She was dressed in her royal attire with her ruby cape and a luxurious golden crown on her head. When she walked into her father’s office, she greeted him as any 6-year-old royal would.
“Bow peasant.” She folded her arms and looked at her father with an unwavering gaze. Her lips pressed together into a thin line as she attempted to stop herself from smiling. Her father turned slightly in his office chair to look at her. He merely raised an eyebrow at her as he paused in his work. His fingers still hovering over the keyboard. His eyes, a similar shade of brown as her own, held a hint of amusement as he noticed the long red blanket and burger king crown she wore.
“Gasp. My own daughter dares speak to her king that way.” He placed a hand on his chest as if she had somehow wounded him, which was ridiculous. If she was going to attack him, she would have gone for the legs.
“You are not the king. I am, and as king, I need a throne.” Her finger pointed towards the office chair as if to provide a clarification for the simple peasant. The office chair was the perfect throne. She loved to spin in it, and even though whenever she sat in it, her feet never touched the ground, she still managed to feel mature and powerful.
“Well,” he said slowly as he rose from her soon to be throne, “then where am I going to sit?”
She shrugged her shoulders as she looked up at him. “The floor.” She walked towards the chair and stopped in front of her father, waiting patiently for him to move.
“There is just one thing though,” he looked thoughtful with one hand stroking his beard like she had seen all those old wizards on TV do before they said something wise, so she paid close attention to what her father had to say next. “In order to gain the throne, you must defeat the tickle monster.” She paled at his words. The dreaded tickle monster was one of her greatest foes. She looked up at her once father and knew what she had to do. She discarded her long ruby cape and made a run for it. Unfortunately for her, her legs were short, and in a few seconds, the tickle monster caught her in its grasp. It was merciless.
She couldn’t stop laughing and there were tears in her eyes. The tickle monster tickled her sides, and she felt like she couldn’t breathe. She heard the demonic laugh of the tickle monster as she was tortured.
“Alright! I have been defeated.” She managed to wheeze out and look up at the tickle monster, her father. Despite her defeat, there was a smile on her face. She took off her crown and placed it on top of her father’s head. His smile was warm and gentle as he bent his head down so she could place the crown on him.
“As king, my first decree,” he picked her up and slowly walked back to his office, “is to share my throne with the princess of this kingdom.” He placed her on the office chair as she beamed at him. He placed the crown she had just given him back on her head and handed back her discarded cape. “Your highness.” He said with a small bow and a smile on his lips. Elizabeth smiled at him from her throne. It was good to be the princess.