She'll be waiting for Prince Charming for forever...

Once upon a time, there was a princess.  She was very rich and had only the best of the best of everything. She had blonde curly hair that looked like it belonged to a princess, and she had very beautiful dresses on all the time. Her jewelry glittered and sparkled even when there was no sun. Every time she even looked at something, her parents would gift it to her. She was spoiled to the core, but she was still sweet and considerate to everyone. 

But upon closer observation, you couldn’t help but stare; but not because of her wealth or royalty status. Because she was so hideous that she looked almost comical.  

Lord, if mirrors broke when a truly grotesque person stepped in front of one, Mildred would be in trouble. Or maybe it would be a blessing--she wouldn’t be able to look upon her own face.

She was nicknamed ‘Medusa’ around the castle, because anybody with the misfortune of gazing directly at her immediately felt the nauseating need to gouge their own eyes out. 

Her teeth were yellow and cracked, and her under bite made her look distinctly like a pit bull dog. Her large nose was hooked and stubborn black hairs would peek out of her wide nostrils. Her muddy dull eyes were too far apart and her very few eyelashes always stuck together in clumps for some reason. Her lips were so thin that they looked like they would rip in half when she spoke or smiled. She had acne no matter what she tried to do, and the pimples would often pop and bleed causing red pus to leak out, repulsing everyone around her. The rest of her visible skin was covered in hairy warts, forbidding anyone to ever touch her in fear of contracting a skin disease. 

She hated looking into that mirror, knowing what she saw disgusted anybody that laid eyes on her except for her biased, naïve parents.

When she was 16, her parents expected her to marry soon after. 

“Mildred, when our demise comes, you will need to rule this kingdom with a man by your side.” Her parents told her often. 

But every night she cries herself to sleep because she knows that nobody will want her.

One day, there was a knock on the castle's colossal gates. The butler answers it, and he inhales sharply. 

Mildred was straightening the ornate portraits in the grand hallway, but she couldn’t see who was in the doorway. She moves a little to the left, but as she was doing so, the visitor steps inside, pushing past the butler. 

She gasps and stumbles backwards until she is hidden from the visitor’s eyes by a tall potted plant. She watched him through the low hanging leaves, careful to stay out of his line of vision. 

He was the best looking guy she had ever laid her eyes on. He was tall and blonde, and he held himself like a prince. His blue eyes sparkled with confidence, and even his jaw line was noble. He was dressed as a very prosperous nobleman, with imported silks and gold buttons. There was a certain air of regal all around him, and Mildred started sweating despite the cool air breezing in from the windows. 

His clear eyes scanned the room, and he turned to the butler. 

"Where is the Princess?" He asked in a low voice, echoing throughout the room. It was musical almost, and hinted at a great sense of humor. 

The butler spun around gracefully and he smirked over his shoulder, "Right this way, sir." And they both left the room. 

Why was he looking for her? Mildred shakily brushes her blue dress off. She turns around and sprints to her room, fixing her long hair the best she can while flying through the halls. 

She dances straight to her huge vanity to make herself presentable. She puts on as much makeup as she could that would mostly conceal her worst flaws, and then when she’s finished, there’s a knock on her door. 

"Mildred? Honey, you need to come out and meet a suitor." It’s her mother, naive as usual. Better to get it over with, but who knows? This prince may fall in love with her. Looks don’t matter. 

Right? 

Mildred pulls her shoulders back and smiles at herself in the mirror. The makeup didn’t hide much of her imperfections; she just looked like a little kid who had gotten into her mother’s makeup again. Her hair was frizzy from running, and what little of her skin that was unblemished, was blushing an unattractive red. 

But she didn’t have any more time to fix herself. Her mother barges into Mildred’s room and grabs her arm and drags her down the entire flight of stairs, all the while gushing about how much Mildred will like this prince.

“He is absolutely dreamy, I swear. You’re going to just die for him!” Hadn’t her mother just met this man a couple minutes ago? She was acting like a love-struck teenager for goodness’ sake. 

When they arrive to the throne room, Mildred slows down to observe everything. There were only a few guards posted to the doors, her father was sitting on his ostentatious throne with a mighty grin on his face. The prince is kneeling and speaking to the king, facing away from her. 

When the king sees Mildred, his face lights up. 

"Princess Mildred! Come meet this young man. He is just a delight!" 

Her mother lets go of Mildred’s beefy arm to stand next to the king, and she can feel her blood start to circulate again. 

The prince stands and turns around, a smile pasted on his face. 

But when he sees only Mildred, it quickly slides off. 

"I have requested an audience with the lovely princess, Mildred. I have heard good things about her. How funny she is. How rich she is. How beautiful she is." 

Mildred hangs her head in shame. "I am she." The prince's face twists in shock. Then he chuckles.

"You?!" And then he bursts out in laughter, almost doubling over. The king and queen looked puzzled, as if they couldn’t figure out why he was laughing, but Mildred only reddens, and stares at her large hairy hands in front of her. 

The prince steps closer to Mildred, and he manages to control his laughter enough to whisper in her left ear so that nobody else can hear. 

"Nobody is going to marry you. You’re the ugliest person I have ever seen! It doesn’t matter what you do:  You’re going to be alone for the rest of your miserable life!" 

And then he continues laughing. Mildred grits her teeth to stop her tears. 

All of a sudden, she’s calm. He was right, of course. But she could have her last huzzah. 

She looks around for the nearest guard, and there’s one standing about 5 steps away. She runs to the soldier, and grabs his sword from its holster and before he could stop her, she turns to the prince, the beautiful, eye-catching prince.

And she starts to swing.

She scars his gorgeous face, cutting off a couple fingers, shortening his nose by an inch, cutting off his golden curls and shaving a couple layers of skin, leaving deep ugly lacerations everywhere visible. 

Mildred unleashes all of her ferocity and fiery shame on him, and she doesn’t stop. 

He falls to the ground, but he can’t protect himself with his empty hands. His blood-curdling screams bounce off the walls, desperately begging for help. 

The king and queen stepped back in shock--otherwise everyone was as still as statues. They are all mesmerized by the gruesome scene. 

The prince’s whimpering and gurgling on his own blood the only sound breaking the silence. By the time Mildred is done, he’s unconscious and laying on the ground surrounded by his own pool of blood. 

Now he’s as ugly as she was.