A Princess Named Harry

In a small kingdom lived a girl; she lived in its little village. The girl wasn't special in any way, her house was small and run down, but it was hers. She had just recently turned fifteen and took it upon herself to take on more responsibilities of the house, even though no one had told her to. The sun was high in the sky, and it was very warm out. It was a perfect day for her to go out and play, but she was too busy preparing for lunch. She took out the best utensils she had and began to set the table. As she bent over, her long and dark brown hair slid down over her shoulder. She had recently been thinking of cutting it, but her mother had told her that she looked cute with long hair, so she never did. Her eyes darted from left to right, just like her hair; her eyes were also a dark brown color. She was very focused on setting the table even if it was only for her and her mother. "Harry," her mother called. Her name wasn't a name suited for a young lady. It wasn't a nickname either; it was just Harry. Her name was one of the many reasons why she was looked down on by the other people in the village. "Yes," Harry answered. "I'm in here." Her mother soon came bursting into the house. Her appearance differed significantly from Harry's; she had long blonde hair that was so wavy it was like the ocean waves and eyes that closely resembled the bright blue sky. Although their figures were equal in appearance, frail and fragile like, their personalities were extremely different. Her mother was very loud compared to her quiet daughter. "Harry come outside," ordered her mother. Harry looked at her and then quickly back at the table. "But I'm almost finished setting the table." Harry was very soft-spoken; it was a trait that she had picked up from the village's elders. Her mother laughed and replied, "Don't worry about that, we won't be eating here anyway." Harry was curious to know what her mother meant by that. They had always eaten at the table, unless they were visiting their neighbors for dinner, which was something that they rarely did. She put the utensils down and walked outside. She was surprised to see what awaited her, it was a very large and shiny carriage, pearly white and aligned with fine gold. There were not only two horses pulling the carriage, but four. A business-like coachman with a sailor-styled hat looked down at Harry and her mother. His lips curled up into a smile as he spoke to them. "His Majesty awaits your arrival." The carriage they were getting into belonged to the royal family. Harry turned to her mother in confusion. Her mother put her hands on Harry's shoulders. "It's alright," she said in a cheerful manner. The coachman hopped down and hurried to open the door for them. They quickly entered and got settled in as he shut the door and got settled back into his own position. Soon, the carriage began to move towards the palace. Harry looked out the window as they soon started to pass their neighbors. They all came out and stared at the luxurious carriage in awe. They were so busy staring at it that they didn't even realize who was riding in it. If they had realized, they would've been just as surprised and confused as Harry was. She wanted to ask her mother many questions, but she also wanted to wait for her to tell her first. The ride to the palace felt like it had only lasted for a short time. The carriage passed through the big pearly gates and slowly circled around the royal grounds; Harry started to feel even more anxious than before. To her, the palace was a place that was completely off-limits to people like her, but today, she was on its grounds in a royal carriage. When she looked out the window again, she was shocked to see how big it was. It appeared even bigger up close. Golden walls, a bright red roof, many white windows, all of it surrounded by a magnificent garden. Harry was in admiration of it all. Soon, the ride came to a halt, and the coachman quickly came around to open the door. Harry followed her mother out. Her whole body felt weird, and she felt a little dizzy. When she recovered enough to look around, she noticed the long line of maids and butlers going around the staircase and all the way up to the palace doors. She looked at each of them carefully, but what caught her eye were the three people standing out of the line at the top of the stairs. They all had golden hair similar to her mother's, but much more vivid and emerald green eyes. They were beautiful but intimidating as well. They were dressed very fancy and formally, especially the man. Harry could instantly tell that they were the king, the crown prince, and the princess of the kingdom. She didn't understand why such important people were outside to greet her and her mother, but she did know her manners. She bowed to them and then looked over to see if her mother was doing the same, but instead of bowing, her mother ran up the stairs and leapt into the king's arms. Harry froze in fear and confusion. She feared for her mother's life; such actions could lead to death. She was scared to see the king's reaction. She had expected him to be very angry and upset with her, but instead, he simply smiled and embraced her. "I finally get to hold you in my arms like this," he said softly. She blushed and smiled back at him. "Oh, stop it, Your Majesty! You're exaggerating, you've held me like this before." "But this time is different," he replied. "I knew I should've just moved the two of you in after the wedding." Hearing the king's words made Harry feel like she was going crazy. The whole situation was so bizarre. She couldn't help but to blurt out, "Wedding?" Silence fell over the palace. The mood shifted, and the king turned to Harry's mother. "Caroline, did you not tell your daughter anything?" he asked. She playfully pouted and replied, "I wanted it to be a surprise." The king sighed and facepalmed. He looked over at Harry and sighed again. "It seems we have a lot to discuss," he said wearily. He put his hand down, smiled at her, and said in a booming voice, "Welcome to the palace, Queen Caroline and Princess Harry." Harry stood frozen. It was at that moment when she decided that she had officially gone crazy. She slowly repeated the king's words. "Queen . . . Princess?" She was in a situation that she could not understand at all.