"...and the princess lived happily ever after with her knight in shining armor." an old lady whispered the end of a fairy tale softly.
"did they really?" a little boy asked.
"well, until they had a lot of naughty little sons and daughters like you to keep them busy."
"I'm not naughty, I am a good boy" he replied.
"wouldn't good boys and girls be asleep at this time?" she asked.
The room became quiet as the only sounds that could be heard are the shuffling of blankets and creaking of beds, as the children all hurried to get in a comfortable position and drift to dreamland. After all, good children go to bed in time.
"I want to be a princess, too." a naughty little girl who is supposed to be asleep whispered dreamily. "princesses are very lucky, they get to live a happy life with their rich and handsome husband."
"and I bet they wear pretty dresses and jewelry every day." another girl added.
"and eat as much sweets and candy as they wish." a third girl piped in.
"what's so good about princesses?" a boy asked. "All they do is wait around for a man to come save them. They are as useful as a piece of decoration."
"yeah, Knights are way better, they get to fight for what's right, and protect the people they care about."
"what do you know? Princess work, too. They are much better than stinky boys." a girl argued.
"The sun is sleeping, and so is the sky..." The old lady sang softly.
Before things get out of hand and it blows into a heated argument between boys and girls, she started singing a lullaby. This song meant it was time for bed, and it was a taboo to talk afterwards, unless it was an emergency.
"The world is sleeping, and so must I..."
Slowly, the girls and boys joined her one by one, singing a soothing melody together.
"close your eyes and make a wish,
I wish your dreams come true,
I'm here, my friend, I'm always near,
I will wish sweet dreams to you.
The sun is sleeping, and so is the sky,
The world is sleeping, and so must I.
Even if I'm far away, I hold you in my heart,
I sing a secret song to you each night we are apart, [1]
I keep you warm, and away from winter cold that bites,
No monster shall come to you, no cold, no eerie nights.
The sun is sleeping, and so is the sky,
The world is sleeping, and so must I.
The little boys have gone to bed,
And all the girls, too.
It's time for me to do the same,
And bid good night to you. "
After that a chorus of 'good night's filled the room.
" good night, everyone. "the old lady whispered last, gazing across the huge hall separated by a divider in the middle. It was warm and cozy, despite its tacky and messy interior.
*****
'it's warm... And so comfy.'
She rubbed her cheek against a soft pillow. She slowly blinked her eyes open, fluttering her long eyelashes, and yawned.
"Aaaahhh!" she shrieked in horror.
Her breath hitched in her throat staring at the small soft hand in front of her face. No wrinkles, no burns, no scars or needle prints, it didn't have the familiar calloused and rough touch from years of hard work.
Instead, they were soft, smooth and fairly pale.
'Whose hands are these?!'
"your highness!"
"your highness, is something wrong?"
"did your highness have a bad dream?"
"is there an intruder, your highness?"
Several maids rushed in, followed by a bunch of vigilant guards. The little girl in bed took one look at them and fainted.
"your highness!"
"oh, no. Did we frighten her highness?"
"her temperature is rising, call an imperial doctor!"
"call a doctor!"
__________
[1] a line taken from coco*