Princess Test!

I glanced back helplessly at Aki, Shi and Rooster as I was jostled out of the cell by the guard.

I’m not good at tests in the first place, but I’m especially bad at them when I don’t even know the answers! Gahh!

The guard leads me to a courtyard, it’s nice to get some fresh air outside of the stuffy cell. There are several other guards standing with spears.

Holy crap, I’m nervous.

“First test!” A guard announces from behind me, I spin around. When did he get there?!

“The Royal posture test!” He continues. He’s holding a stack of books – Oh pleeeease no! My balance is awful!

Sure enough, the guard places the stack of books on my head.

“Walk forward,” He commands.

I take one step, so far so good, I can feel the top book tilting slightly, though.

I take another step, uh oh, that top book is slipping.

I take one more step, and quickly the top book falls off my head onto the ground, and then the next book, and the next book, until there’s a pile of books sitting dejectedly in a heap.

I gulp. The guards lean into each other and whisper.

“You have passed the first test,” The guard announces.

“WHAT?! But-” I exclaim.

“The Princess has famously bad balance,” The guard explains.

Ah... What on earth?

“NEXT TEST!” The commanding guard shouts, “The Royal wisdom test!”

The guard comes up close to my face – Eek! He’s really scary up close...

“The problem you must solve with your royal wisdom is this,” He pauses and takes a deep breath, “If I have 2 apples, and the King gives me one more, but then I get hungry and eat 2 apples, how many do I have?”

“Uhhh... Are you kidding?” I say, that’s just basic mathematics. The guard is unmoving, waiting for an answer.

“One.” I respond. I can see the guards using their fingers to count out the problem to check.

“CORRECT!” The commanding guard shouts. He starts pacing back and forwards.

What sort of tests are these?!

“Our last test, one which no one has passed before, is a practical test,” The guard explains, and then signals to someone behind me.

A guard pushes in two large tubs of water in front of me with great effort. I lean over the top  of the tub to have a look.

I gasp, inside one tub there is a small mouse. It’s swimming and swimming around, and the edge of the tub is too steep for it to climb out.

In the other tub, there is a little baby. It’s floating helplessly on a large leaf. It reaches its’ fat little hand up towards me, and the leaf tips a little, covering the baby in droplets of water.

This all seems incredibly cruel, why have they put innocent little things in water? I have a sinking feeling about this...

The guard moves in front of me, blocking the tubs from my view.

“What is all this about?!” I yell.

“You can only save one, Princess, which do you choose?” The guard says and awaits my response.

“What do you mean only one? I’m going to save them both!” I shout, and push past the guard, he’s heavy, but I move quickly, and it catches him off guard.

I reach into the tub with the baby and scoop it up. It gurgles happily. Before the guard can stop me, I plunge my hand into the tub with the mouse in it, the water is freezing! Poor thing.

I grab the mouse and hold it in my hand, it's shivering from the cold water. I have a baby on one hip, a wet mouse in my hand, and I’m in a giant princess dress. How did I end up like this...

I puff out some breath, “Look! I’m not your Princess! I don’t know how I got here, I don’t know what is going on, but you’ve made a huge mistake!”

“I beg your pardon, Your Highness, but I do believe you are our Princess,” The guard kneels down on one knee.

“You see, Your Highness, our Princess Miyu Akahime disappeared 25 years ago, when she turned 25.” He continued, “You show her great mathematical ability, her lack of balance, and most importantly, her kind heart.”

Seems like some pretty weak evidence to me.

“I still don’t think-” I continue, but the guard raises a hand.

“If you are still in disbelief, there is one last sign that you are our true Princess... However... It’s a little...” He stops and takes off his helmet.

He has sandy blonde hair and bright blue eyes. His cheeks are flushed red.

“Embarrassing, I suppose, Princess,” The guard says.

“Um... Well, if it will dispel this crazy rumor, then I’ll go ahead,” I say. What’s the worst that could happen... Right?

“Okay, Your Highness, well, I do beg your pardon, but it is a top Royal secret that the Princess has an unusual birthmark on her body, you wouldn’t happen to know where it is, and what it is of, do you?” The guard says, and his cheeks go redder.

Oh dear. I do know what he’s talking about... My birthmark.

I have a red heart shaped mark right over my belly button. It is generally a secret because I’m not really a crop-top wearing kind of person... I sigh.

“Yes, it is a red heart on my belly button,” I say.

The guard waits.

“You’re not telling me I have to show you, do I?”

The guard apologetically nods.

I sigh, “Okay, here goes,” I set down the baby, and it crawls towards the guard. I set the mouse on my shoulder while I pick up the ridiculously puffy skirts of my dress, revealing some also very puffy bloomers.

I hitch the skirts up to my neck and jab a finger at my belly button.

“There!” I say and drop my skirts back down.

The guard is beaming, “Our Princess!” He cries, “She’s back!”

The guards all start cheering, and dancing, linking arms and swinging each other around. The mood has suddenly turned from serious to celebratory, and I can’t help but to join in, linking my arm with the commanding guard and spinning around in a circle.

“Commander Grey, Your Highness, I am forever at your service,” He says, as he spins me.

“Pleasure to meet you Commander, I’m still confused though...” I say as I get spun around.

“Your Highness, it is just as the prophecy said! 25 years after her escape, she will return to save the Kingdom!” The guard yells and tries to spin me around again.

I stop spinning. “Wait, escape?! Why did your Princess, I mean... I... have to escape?” I ask.

Commander Grey looks perplexed, “You really don’t remember?”

“Uhh...” I start, realising I totally killed the festive mood. Everyone has fallen silent. The baby starts to cry.

“Well, Princess, I regret to inform you, but you ran away because of your arranged marriage...” Commander Grey explains. I see the worry in his eyes.

“Oh... My...” I’m not sure what to say, “Who the heck was I supposed to marry?”

Oops... I accidentally said that last part out loud. The guards gasp at my use of a mild curse word.

“Ahem... Well, I regret to inform you, but you were intended to marry Akira Kurogami of Sky Kingdom.”

I feel my face go extremely hot, I bet it matches the colour of my pink dress right now.

“A...A...A...AKIRA?!” I manage to blurt out.

Does that mean... He is in this world too?!

I have a far to many questions, but I can’t get anything out, I just keep muttering, “Akira? Akira? Akira?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Commander Grey says, sounding suddenly very far away.

My vision starts to swim.

“Ah, Your Highness? Are you okay?” Commander Grey’s voice sounds like it is coming from underwater.

My ears are ringing and I feel dizzy. I crumple to the ground, still muttering, “Akira? Akira? Akira?” like a broken record.

I can’t tell if this is a dream, or a nightmare!

I hear Commander Grey’s voice cut through my muttering, “Princess, are you prepared for the wedding to still go ahead? We need to reunite the kingdoms!”

So, I’m stuck in a fantasy land, as a Princess... Set to marry Akira?!

My heart skipped a beat - though whether from terror or excitement, I couldn’t tell!