The Princess Monster

Her long brown hair is in a mess, tangled with leaves and twigs. Her pink dress, once pristine, is now streaked with mud and grass stains, and her voice carries across the playground in a ferocious battle cry. This is how six-year-old Sabre first meets her—Balance Dalmania Greggio, the birthday girl. 

He watches in awe as she parades her chaotic energy, commanding attention from anyone unfortunate enough to cross her path. His heart rate increases, and butterflies emerge in his stomach. At that moment, the boy knew, with unshakable certainty, that he would marry that girl.

Sabre’s mouth and cheeks are smeared with chocolate cake, and his thick glasses are slightly askew. He sits on a pink plastic chair, swinging his legs as he observes the scene. He quickly looks down at his empty plate before looking back up. Now his cake is done, he can play.

When he spots Balance, he feels a surge of determination. The search is finally over. He slides off the chair and charges toward his mother, Vivienne Lefèvre, standing nearby in a tailored navy business suit, her sharp eyes scanning the playground.

“Maman!” he cries, tugging on her pant leg. Vivienne looks down at her son, her expression softening as she picks him up. She clicks her teeth in mock disapproval and pulls a wipe from her pocket, dabbing at his chocolate-stained face. Sabre giggles, squirming away from the cold wetness of the wipe.

“Did you find your future wife, my little one?” Vivienne asks, her tone playful but her eyes hopeful and loving. Sabre nods enthusiastically, his hazel eyes sparkling behind his glasses. Vivienne face beams, ecstatic. This is the first time he said yes.

“Really? Well, that's marvellous. Do you mind pointing her out to me?” she asks. Her voice is light with her mind already working through the kids. Sabre points without hesitation to the girl in the mud-stained dress, now brandishing a black plastic sword as she chases a group of boys across the playground.

Vivienne’s smile falters for a split second before composing herself. “Are you sure, mon chéri? Balance Dalmania Greggio is… an interesting choice. There are so many other wonderful girls here. What about Penny? She’s sweet and well-mannered.” she asks, pointing to the quiet red-headed girl playing princess with the other girls.

Sabre shook his head firmly. “No, Maman. I want her. She’s the only one I want.”

Vivienne sighs in defeat, knowing that there is nothing she can do to change his mind. Her gaze follows Balance as the girl’s father, a tall man with a stern expression, scoops her up and places her atop the playground’s toy castle. The castle, a pink plastic structure with a purple-coned roof, stood about five feet tall—just a few inches shorter than Vivienne. She watches as Balance kicks and screams, her protests echoing across the playground, but her father ignores her, his jaw set in a hard line.

Vivienne feels her son breaking away from her and catches him before he falls. She puts her only son down, but he makes a run for it. Luckily, she grabs his hand, yet he persists. A newfound desperation fuels him.

“Let go! She’s stuck! Can’t you see? I need to save her!” Sabre pleads, pointing to the top of the castle where Balance now sits, her arms crossed and her face red with frustration. Vivienne's grip tightens, holding him back.

“She’s not stuck, mon petit chevalier. She’s just… upset,” Vivienne said, her eyes lingering on the man who had placed Balance there. Something in his demeanour—a rigidity; a coldness— makes her uneasy. She crouches to Sabre’s level, brushing a curl from his forehead. She holds onto his hands, making sure he makes eye contact with her.

“Well, my little chevalier, if you’re certain. Maman will talk to her parents. But marriage is a big responsibility. Do you understand?" she asks. Her voice is serious. Sabre knows that when Maman has that voice you need to listen.

"Do you promise to treat her right?” she asks, her voice gentle but probing.

Sabre nodded eagerly. “I promise, Maman.”

“And do you promise never to hurt her?”

“Never!” Sabre declares, his small face set with determination.

Vivienne smiles, though her mind is already racing. Arranged marriages are a tradition in their world, but she always hoped to give Sabre the illusion of choice. Balance, however, is not the candidate she had envisioned. Still, something about the girl’s spirit—her refusal to conform— sparks familiarity in her.

“Good. Now go save your princess,” Vivienne says, releasing his hands. She watches Sabre sprint toward the castle, his small legs pumping with determination.

The climb is no easy feat for a six-year-old. The plastic steps are slippery, and Sabre’s hands tremble as he grips the edges. He pauses halfway up, glancing down at the ground far below. His stomach churns, but the thought of Balance—his future wife—stuck at the top gives him the courage to keep going. With a final heave, he pries open the stuck plastic barrier and crawls into the castle’s roof.

There she was. Balance is in the corner, her knees are up to her chest, tears streaking her muddy cheeks. When she notices Sabre, she quickly wipes her face with her sleeve and stands up, puffing out her chest.

“Who dares enter the princess monster’s lair?” she growls, deepening her voice and baring her teeth. She lungs toward him, her hands clawing at the air. “If you don’t leave, I’ll gobble you up!”

Sabre tilts his head, unflinching. After a moment, Balance lowers her hands, her bravado faltering. “Why aren’t you running away? Everyone runs away,” she mutters, her voice tinged with confusion.

“Because you’re my future wife,” Sabre says simply as if it is the most obvious thing in the world.

Balance is taken aback. She blinks a few times before blood rushes to her cheeks. “No, I’m not! Besides, I don't like boys, they are yucky and stupid and yucky," she says before sticking her tongue out. Sabre crosses his arms and stomps on the ground.

"I'm not yucky. Maman says that I am clean and my hair is nice," he replies.

"Yes, you are," Balance says.

"No, I'm not," Sabre responds.

"Yes, you are," Balances says again.

"No, I'm not!" Sabre shouts out. Balance flinches, stopping their conversation altogether.

"Well, I am not going talk to you ever again because you are a meanie," Balance states. She stomps off and sits away from Sabre.

"I'm sorry," he says in a soft voice. Balance crosses her arms and huffs, refusing to budge. Sabre sighs before looking down. Maman says all married people fight, but he doesn't like that one bit. He taps his shoes together a few times before reaching into his pocket.

He pulls out a green apple ring pop—her favourite flavour—and holds it to her as a peace offering. Balance’s eyes widen, her earlier defiance melting away. She tries looking away, trying to resist the sweet treat. However, the little girl peeks, causing her mouth to water. Balance slowly gets up and walks towards him. She holds her hand out, letting Sabre drop the ring. She sticks her tongue out and tastes the delicacy.

“I'm sorry," Sabre whispers. Balance nods before wearing the ring.

"Maman told me I needed to find a wife, or else my mean daddy would hurt me. She says I can choose anyone in the whole world,” Sabre explained. “I wanted to get the orange one because that’s my favourite, but they ran out. So, I got this one for you. Maman said I can give anything to my future wife.

We can have a horse, a magical big car, a white dress, and a biiiiiig house!” he explains, stretching her arms wide to emphasize each “big.”

Balance’s eyes lit up. “Really? Can you give me the biggest pony in the whole wide world? With chocolate ice cream?”

Sabre nods vigorously. “Yes. The biggest pony with chocolate ice cream.”

Balance giggles, the sound is a melody. She throws her arms around him, and after a moment of hesitation, Sabre hugs her back. For a moment, the world outside the castle fades away, leaving only the two of them.

Once they break their embrace, they sit down together holding hands.

“My daddy’s mad at me,” Balance confesses, her voice small. “He says I can’t be a princess monster. He says I must be a princess, like all the other girls. But I don’t want to be like them. I want to be a monster princess.”

Sabre squeezed her hand. “I think you’re a good princess monster. You’re scary, but I’m not scared because you’re my future wife. And you’re the scariest princess monster ever.”

Balance’s eyes well up with tears, but they are tears of relief. For the first time, someone sees her—not just the princess her father wants her to be, but the monster princess she longs to become.

"Are you okay with marrying a princess monster? Don't you want to marry a pretty princess?" she asks. Sabre smiles, pushing his frames close to his face.

"But I am marrying a pretty princess. She is also a monster called Balance," Sabre explains. Balance blushes and smiles.

"I change my mind. All boys are yucky and gross, except for you," Balance admits. Sabre smiles as they continue sitting on the floor.

"Sabre! Balance! You can come out now," Vivienne's voice echoes through the plastic walls. Both kids turn their heads to the open door; a window towards the real world.

The little boy is the first to stand up. He then holds his hand out, hoping his future wife takes it. Balance, not seeing him hold his hand out gets up from the ground and walks to the door. Sabre looks at his empty hand with a pout.

"Hey," Balance says. Sabre looks up and sees the princess monster holding out her hand. "Let's go out together and have our biiiiiig wedding," she proclaims with a grin. With a smile as bright as the sun, Sabre grabs onto her and they leave the castle.