The Princess And The Wolf

Once upon a time in a land not so far away,  impenetrable save for dreams, lived a young princess named Willa. Though her mother’s beauty was comparable to art, she was but an ordinary girl with a messy, unremarkable appearance. Her hair was mousy brown and lacked the requisite curls, her eyes were mild and of a similarly muddy composition. Her figure was that of an adolescent boy and her waistline woefully average for she lacked the hips and breasts essential to its definition. Her skin was an unfortunate mixture of golden brown and blue-veined pallor, a fact attributed to a love of the outdoors and the uncompromising chastity of formal attire (she was in the habit of rolling up her sleeves and riding pants whenever out-of-sight). Her delicate hands were so callused that she was made to wear gloves whenever the family kept company, makeup did little to recommend her. She could not dance or sing and had but one talent, she was an unparallelled seamstress. There was little hope that she would marry profitably but her parents were determined that she should marry a royal prince. A commoner would not do and so it was that at sixteen the girl had not had even one royal suitor and indeed only the stable boy seemed to pay the young princess any attention.

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Unlike other princesses Willa did not ride a graceful white stead but an enchanted tortoise who carried the girl about on its broad ornately-patterned back. In this way Willa never managed to get very far from home and thus she had seen very little of the kingdom that she, as the sole heir, was meant to inherit. Nevertheless she enjoyed her meditative strolls, the gardens, the koi pond, the forests the comforting sight of the castle always visible no matter how many hours passed in her travels. Her life was pleasant enough, her parents furnished her with tutors and governesses but they did not impose upon her a particularly strict regime. Her personality compensated for her plain appearance, at least in the eyes of her devoted relatives.

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“What is that animal…the one with the extraordinary silver pelt just between those Juniper trees…is it not similar in form to father’s German Shepard oh but I speculate much larger…” The girl asked having never seen a wolf such as this one and only the storybook variety besides. “It is a wolf Princess….vicious beasts they are…we should make haste lest it catch our scent and pursue…” The tortoise replied, his bored tone suffering no noticeable change in volume despite his concern. “Is he not beautiful tortoise?” The girl asked turning around on her ponderous stead so that she might continue to gaze upon the majestic canine. “Not particularly but perhaps that is just my survival instincts overriding my other senses….” The tortoise responded voice as dry as Autumn leaves crunching underfoot.

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“Look he approaches!” The Princess cried causing her unusually retiring friend to start. She could feel the sluggish reptile struggling forward, feel the shaking muscles, the strain of breath through pinched lungs but the momentum of his efforts seemed inconsequential. Indeed the tortoises best efforts were for naught  because the wolf caught up to them easily.

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“Give it up tortoise…you will not out run me…better to let the Princess climb a tree…” The wolf said sarcastically. “I will allow no such…on second thought that is a reasonable idea but I can see it is too late for it now…” The tortoise said turning himself around to face the silver beast which he outweighed by a considerable amount. “Tell me Princess why do you ride such an inferior stead? I could take you anywhere in the kingdom within a day…wouldn’t you like to feel the wind in your hair? To run? Surely you grow impatient?” The wolf asked taking a seat only arm’s length from the homely maiden. “I find it peaceful…though in truth I would like very much to see the rest of the kingdom…would you show it to me?” Willa asked leaning forward to search those bewitching silver irises.

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“He means only to trick you…he will lead you into the forest where his pack lies in wait and they will rip you limb for limb…titles mean nothing to savages…is that not your intention wolf?” The tortoise asked standing his ground lest the wolf sense weakness and attack preemptively. “I have no such intentions…I myself am a Prince…is it so inconceivable that I should wish to escort a lovely Princess?” The silver Lothario responded. “I would gladly take you milady but I would know your name first…” The wolf asked turning away from the tortoise and to the girl seated demurely on her animate chariot. “I am Willa Brind’Amour…it is a pleasure to meet you?” She stopped confused, if the canine was indeed a prince, should he not have a name? Would is be rude to call him simply “wolf”? “I am Aurelian Silver…” The canine answered bowing low before the girl, as in service to her. “Now that we are acquainted please call me Willa…may I call you Aurelian?” She asked wishing desperately to reach out and run her fingers through the thick moonlit fur. “Of course…”

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“Bah….a wolf is a prince of nothing lest of all his appetites…” The tortoise said regretting his words for the smile they produced from the roguish canine. “I shall prove it then…please fair Willa your cloak…I am afraid I did not bring any clothes and if I am to transform for your modesty’s sake I require a means to cover myself…” The wolf requested to which Willa complied readily. “He deceives Princess he only wants your cloak so that he might steal it and familiarize his pack with your scent….they will hunt you….you must not do as he says….” The tortoise warned but his warning fell on deaf ears, the girl was smitten. “He says he can transform into a man…how can I deny my curiosity? Besides I do not believe he means us harm…my father’s dogs do not speak…he must be enchanted…perhaps he is a prince as he says…let’s give him a chance…” The girl said passing over her black velvet mantel which the wolf accepted gingerly with his teeth. “Thank you that is most generous of you and a testament to your good humor…I will not betray you…”

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“Now close your eyes Willa and do not open them until I say…if you are suspicious tortoise then you may watch…lest I attempt a retreat or worse to devour…” The wolf said rising again, eyebrow arched knowingly as he favored the reptile. “I will not take my eyes off of you wolf…the Princess is but a girl…a sheltered girl she has never met with deception…I know that you mean to harm her even if I have not discerned your angle…” The tortoise replied causing the wolf to bark a laugh. “Your suspicions are noted and understood…you’ve no reason to trust me…words will not suffice…allow me to prove myself…” The wolf said to which the turtle responded with a pompous harrumph. “Very well mongrel…transform…” The tortoise said the moniker “mongrel” earning him a toothy constricted smile that looked more vicious than jovial. “I trust you will not repeat that insult…while I mean no harm to the Princess I have no such affections for you…”

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I have given you a prompt hint with this 😛 I tried to write it for children, it is incomplete and who knows if it stays that way lol