Henry, Harry, Harvey, Horace, and Harold.

Submitted into Contest #73 in response to: Write about someone who gets proposed to five times on Christmas Eve.... view prompt

59 comments

Fantasy Romance Funny

When you're the fifteenth princess in a royal family with twenty kids, you know that there isn't much chance of you getting the throne.

Ever.

So what my life is going to look like is this:

Fourteen:

Get a job, because even a princess must learn a trade before she comes of age. My trade will be art.

Fifteen:

Start looking for boys you like, or else you'll end up with an arranged marriage and sometimes that backfires and you get stuck with someone you don't like at all.

Sixteen:

Find a reliable man and get married.

Seventeen-eighteen:

Establish a household, preferably in some big palace in the west :o

Nineteen:

Start having kids and don't stop until you turn thirty.

Thirty:

Raise kids, do whatever.


Really wish I was the oldest.


Then at least my life would have a greater meaning than this.



Princess Hero Sammwhattian sighed, flipping through her journals from three years ago. She was already sixteen and still hadn't found any boys. maybe she wouldn't marry. Maybe she'd become a painter in the city of Harven,ย just across the border of the capital city, also called Sammwhattian.





Maybe she would give her meaningless life meaning. Everything felt pointless to her-- her life was designed around the promise of marriage and children.

Hero didn't like babies much.

Or suitors.






It was Gaeryann Eve, the winter holiday that brought thousands of lovers and families together. Mytra, an herb that only grew when dusted with a light, light snowfall, was hung over doorways, people kissing beneath it. Adorable, her sisters said. Disgusting, Hero thought.ย ย 

Younger children would reenact famous battles with snow missiles and snow castles. People danced. Music, a rare treat, since not many people in Sammwhattian were good singers, became common.ย 

And in the midst of it all was Heroโ€™s seventeenth birthday.




The first proposal came early in the morning, at the honey and sugar festival.

The people of Sammwhattian danced and partied while eating sweet things out in the cold. Hero didnโ€™t much like the holiday, and was going to skip it, but alas, every other princess was there, and sheโ€™d have to find a partner soon, or risk turning seventeen and still being alone.

Long tables had been stretched out in between great fir trees that had been cut down and set up simply for the occasion. Kicked-up snow was on the ground, and folks milled about in long fur coats, eating things so sweet it would burn your tongue and teeth.ย 

Hero, dressed in a red coat with a mink-fur trim, was standing by a thirty-foot-tall tree, bedecked in crystalized sugar ornaments that kids were jumping around and snatching from the branches. The bottom five feet of the tree was bare.ย 

She pulled her light brown hair out of its complicated braid, letting it fall past her waist in a river of silky straightness. Her white skin was growing rosy from the chill, and puffs of mist rose from her purple-painted lips.ย 

โ€œExcuse me?โ€ a man asked her. He had soft brown hair and wide glasses, dressed in a soft black coat. He was Henry Turncoat, the son of a nobleman Heroโ€™s parents were friends with, and taller than Hero.ย 

Hero gave him a look that read โ€œget out of hereโ€.ย 

โ€œUh, I know we arenโ€™t really close, Hero, butโ€ฆโ€ย 

Not close? Hero snorted. She had spoken to him once in the past five years!

โ€œWill you marry me?โ€

Hero was thrown into shock.ย 

She hardly knew Henry!ย 

He was weird!

Nerdy!ย 

And didnโ€™t he already have a girlfriend, Lisabet?

โ€œIโ€ฆโ€

โ€œHeroโ€ฆ My parents told me that I had to marry if I was to inherit their positions! And youโ€™re nice, so I thought--โ€

โ€œThat youโ€™d propose to some random girl before even getting to know her?โ€ย 

โ€œUh, yeah, I did--โ€

โ€œMarry Lisabet. Iโ€™m in the same predicament as you, but I still wonโ€™t take your hand. That shows how much I donโ€™t like you, Henry.โ€ย 

Hero stormed away, kicking up powdery snow in her expensive black snow boots.




Miranda, Elena, Maxine, Velvet, Korinna, Remedy, Bethany, Irma, Winter, Belle, Harris, Timothy, Abella, Mark, Christopher, Fennel, Millie, Jay, and Una are all in the way of the throne.ย 

Fennel, Millie, Jay, and Una are all too young, though, so I guess itโ€™s only all my other siblingsโ€ฆ

Sigh.

We have a ball tonight. Maybe Iโ€™ll find a boyfriend here, although I donโ€™t like anyone comingโ€ฆ :P

Maybe I should run away.

No, I shouldnโ€™t.

Orโ€ฆ

Should I?




Hero put away the sketchbook she was drawing on, the winter scene visible through her tower window hidden between the pages.ย 

A snowball hit the window.ย 

She pushed it open, shouting โ€œWHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?โ€ out and down to the dark-haired, skinny figure below. Dressed in an emerald-green jacket, he was preparing to throw another but stopped when he saw Hero leaning out the window with a frown on her face.

โ€œSERIOUSLY, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?โ€ย 

It was Harry Wyldefaster.ย 

He was younger than Hero by a year or so, and acted immaturely. Hero thought that he liked her, but he acted the way he did around her all the time, so he could have just been a big goofus.ย 

โ€œI WAS THINKING THAT YOU WERE REALLY NICE AND I HAVE TO GET MARRIED!โ€

โ€œWHAT?โ€

โ€œHERO, WILL YOU MARRY ME?โ€

Hero threw a half-finished korbaweet, a kind of sugary coffee that was drunk in the Gaeryann season. It splattered on Harryโ€™s head.

โ€œTHATโ€™S A NO, I THINK?โ€

Hero slammed the window shut and went back to her drawing, annoyed.




Harvey Hattman arrived in Heroโ€™s personal chambers three hours later, as the sun began to sink.ย 

โ€œNo,โ€ Hero grounded without looking up.ย 

โ€œI didnโ€™t even ask you yet.โ€

Harvey was a thin young man with straight red hair and a foolish smile. His eyes were as blue as the sky, but Hero never gave him a single thought. โ€œHero, will you marry me?โ€

โ€œTWO OTHERS HAVE ALREADY ASKED ME THAT!โ€

โ€œSo youโ€™re engaged?โ€

โ€œHeck no! I turned them away, too! Like Iโ€™m turning you away!โ€

Hero shoved him out the door and locked it before he could say โ€œwaitโ€.ย 




If I ran away, where would I go?









South?











Iโ€ฆย 

I donโ€™t know, maybe? :/



Hero sat in the throne room with her nineteen siblings.ย ย 

That was when she saw about ten boys in the room, some of them actually men, since her eldest sisters were adults. She scowled. When did they show up to the party? Most of her older sisters were either already married or engaged, but the men there werenโ€™t royal! They had no rights to this room. This was where the royal children sat, although only three of them were still children.ย 

One of the men there-- a dark-haired one, around eighteen years old, dressed in a scandalous orange suit, was without a partner, though.ย 

He walked to a podium on which many speeches were made, on a balcony taking its palace at the opposite side of the room as the thrones. He turned on a sound-tube, a device that allowed your voice to be multiplied many times, and made an โ€œahemโ€ into it.ย 

โ€œHello, royal children! I have a very special announcement for one of you. The fifteenth one of you, to be precise.โ€

Hero realized that was her and gave the man a strange look.ย 

โ€œHero Sammwhattian, will you marry me?โ€

Ahh, this again, Hero thought.ย 

โ€œI hardly know your name, mister,โ€ she said.ย 

โ€œIโ€™m Horace Fensen,โ€ he said like he was a grand important fellow.

โ€œYeah, Horaceโ€ฆ sorry, but no.โ€ Hero stood up and walked away, leaving Horace and her siblings to stare and gape at her.ย 


Life goals:













โ€ฆ



I donโ€™t have any.ย 



Hero was outside in the snow, dressed in a black cape, looking at the sky in sadness. Why must those young men be soโ€ฆ so infuriating! They drove her out of her mind. She hardly knew any of them, and they never asked her what she thought of their relationship. Their nonexistent relationship. Hero snorted, a cloud of icy smoke coming from her nostrils and surrounding her face.ย 

โ€œUhโ€ฆ Hero?โ€ a familiar voice asked her nervously. It was Harold Gira, a boy she knew, a little.ย 

โ€œDonโ€™t ask to marry me. Iโ€™ve already turned away Henry, Harry, Harvey, and Horace, whoever the heck he is.โ€

โ€œOh.โ€ He smiled sheepishly, looking at ehr with doey eyes. Hero wished heโ€™d stop.ย 

โ€œWill you marry me anyway?โ€

Hero threw a snowball at him and ran inside.




Hi, myself.I haven't written in sooooo long, but Iโ€™m writing now.

Iโ€™m leaving.

Five marriage proposals is five too many.

Iโ€™m leaving.

Goodbye.ย 





Stuff to pack:

Dresses

Food

Sketchbooks

My favorite book

Hair supplies

Makeup

Paint

Pencils

A sign saying โ€œNo, I wonโ€™t marry you.โ€ย 



At the grand ball, people danced and kissed and ate and laughed. Hero, meanwhile, was so angry she could explode.ย 

When it came time for each of the royal children to give a speech, Hero waited until she was the last one. Gathering the train of her red dress around her, she walked up the stairs to the same podium Horace had been on earlier that day, heart racing inside her chest.ย 

โ€œPeople of Sammwhattianโ€ฆโ€ she began.ย 

โ€œI, princess Hero Sammwhattian, hereby declare that I will not marry.โ€

A gasp rose from the crowdโ€™s lips like steam from a teapot.ย 

โ€œDo not go looking for me. Iโ€™m leaving you all for another palace. Merry Gaeryann, yโ€™all. Hope I never see your faces again, ever.โ€ She blew the crowd a kiss and ran to her tower, where she had already packed her bags.

โ€œHero! Wait!โ€ civilians and royalty alike called as she left.

But Hero paid them no mind as she walked away into the snow in a white cloak, invisible among the dead trees and white frost.ย 



Sometimes, others will try to get you to bend to them, to please them, or someone else, or who they think you are, or who you should be.ย 

But never listen to the hecklers and the bullies, the fools and the mistreaters.

You can be your own person.

You donโ€™t have to do everything youโ€™ve ever been told to do.

Be a rebel.

Forge your own path.

--Hero.





P. S:

You should still listen to rational people, though. ;P


December 24, 2020 18:50

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59 comments

Akshaya Sutrave
04:45 Dec 25, 2020

Hello Emmie! I really love this story, and the way you added Hero's journal pieces in between, so we could understand what was going on in her head. The way you used this prompt to write about a princess and her life was amazing! I loved the message you conveyed in the end: meaningful and something we can all see light in. I noticed a few typos where 'her' is written as 'ehr', like in: 1. Hero stood up and walked away, leaving Horace and her siblings to stare and gape at ehr. 2. She blew the crowd a kiss and ran to ehr tower, where she had ...

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Thank you! I have fast hands and a slow keyboard, so "ahve", ehr" and "is" are common typos of have, her, and his. I'll make the edits now!

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I fixed the typos. Let me know if you spot another!

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Akshaya Sutrave
05:53 Dec 27, 2020

Of course! I understand! I have a slow keyboard, too, so the letters get switched sometimes while I am typing. I went over your story once again, and now I can't spot any more errors. I hope you had a lovely Christmas! :)

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Thank you! I did have a lovely Christmas, and I got and gave a whole lot of books. I hope you had a good one, too!

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Akshaya Sutrave
06:38 Dec 29, 2020

Thank you, I had a wonderful Christmas, too! :)

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Thank you! Hero was very fun to write for. ;)

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Yeah, she's really fun, I kind of want to write a part 2 but there isn't much left to do with her :(

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Oh...maybe try to create some idea to incorporate her into the 2nd part?

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๐Ÿ‰๐ŸŒฒ๐Ÿ“–๐Ÿ–‹๐Ÿ‰๐ŸŒฒ๐Ÿ“–๐Ÿ–‹๐Ÿ‰๐ŸŒฒ๐Ÿ“–๐Ÿ–‹๐Ÿ‰๐ŸŒฒ๐Ÿ“–๐Ÿ–‹๐Ÿ‰๐ŸŒฒ๐Ÿ“–๐Ÿ–‹๐Ÿ‰๐ŸŒฒ๐Ÿ“–๐Ÿ–‹

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Oh my lord everyone is leavinggg, I just came to check on you and suddenly your leaving too๐Ÿ’”. I loved your stories! And thank you for the Bio mention! - Any chance you will come back? I hope your family is okay, stay safe out there.

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Echo Sundar
16:56 Feb 23, 2021

WOw. I love this story! I loved the setting but most of all I loved Hero she was such an interesting character it made the whole story interesting. Great story!

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Thank you! I was kind of worried since my fantasies usually take a while, but this one is good, according to the readers. Thanks!

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Jay DMer
19:01 Jan 14, 2021

This was a cute story. Hero is a funny, rebel character. Nice job:)

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Thank you! Like Kingdom for a Cookie, this is a very funny fantasy, and I write darker stuff, but I love light humor too :)

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Jay DMer
17:20 Jan 15, 2021

Check out my stories, and comment what u think :)

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John Walsh
21:19 Jan 03, 2021

After your enthusiastic response to "Last Night" I thought I'd check out your work. I was disappointed to find they were not my cup of tea. This is not to discourage you. Keep writing what you write. I liked this story; it's funny and you can't go wrong with a "you be you" message. Fantasy has been a favorite genre over my lifetime but I read very little of it now. When one has read "The Hobbit" fifty years ago (yes, I'm that old) it is hard to find fantasy that seems new. I thought I'd give you a list of books I've enjoyed that I think all...

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Thank you! I'm sorry that my kind of writing wasn't really your style, but thanks for your support!

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M. Duprรฉ
17:07 Dec 30, 2020

This was an entertaining read. Your story has a heavy YA vibe to it, yet almost anyone can relate to your main character on some level. About that MC - you give Hero a very strong voice. I like how you use royal obligation and tradition to make the five-proposals more believable. The Gaeryann holiday fits your concept well. The abrupt anding is a nice touch.

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Thank you! I'm glad you liked it! Have you read any of my other submissions?

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Taylor Clark
01:36 Dec 27, 2020

Hi Emmie! My gosh, you're so talented at making loveable characters! From the moment I started reading this, I knew I was going to love Hero. She is so rebellious and knows her value, and best of all, she's humorous. Great job on this story! - Taylor

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Thank you Taylor! Hero is kind of like me, I guess. I'm glad you enjoyed this submission!

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Katariina Ruuska
23:17 Dec 25, 2020

Wow, this was such a fun read! I love stories about independent women :) I found a little typo here: "He smiled sheepishly, looking at ehr with doey eyes." But that's all :). Nice job and I look forward to reading more from you!

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Thanks! I was waiting for you to read it! I have a lot of issues with typos like that, and I'll try to change it as soon as possible:)

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11 is my lucky number! Cheers to submission 11!

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B. W.
23:10 Dec 26, 2020

Is this one of the stories you were wanting me to check out?

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Is sure is! :)

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B. W.
18:02 Dec 27, 2020

I don't really have a lot to say, though you did do a really great job with it ^^ I'm not sure if ya want a rating thing, though it would be a 10/10 from me.

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B. W.
19:02 Dec 27, 2020

no prob ^^ are ya gonna make any other stories soon?

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I am right now, actually :)

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Emmie! I loved thisss!! It was sooo good! I enjoyed the characters personality, and how she turned the people away when they came and asked her for marriage! I loved the whole theme of this story too! And the way you described scenes was just beautiful! I loved how you described Hero's outfits! To me, this story was hilarious, just the way she turned them away. This was written beautifully! But yeah! I loved it! Keep writing!

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Thanks so much! It really was fun to write, and the outfits are pretty cool. Thank you for your kind words!!

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Of course!! I bet it was๐Ÿ˜Œ Anytime!

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love this story! I love how she says, "Merry Gaeryann, yโ€™all." like she has no care about the world WHATSOEVER. XD I also really like the descriptions, they paint a clear picture(of two people shouting at each other from a windowsill) ๐Ÿ˜† -Amethyst

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Thanks a lot! The name is made up, I just like how it sounds. Could you read one of my other satires, maybe? You don't have to, but it's Grace of the Bard, if you were wondering what it was called.

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yah! what's a satire? (im not experienced in fancy words XD)

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Oops1 I don't really know either, I'm pretty sure it isn't a noun. It was supposed to be stories!

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I'm a fast typer but I mess up sometimes. There's a 1 not an exclamation point there!

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