Once upon a time, in a land filled with kings and castles, there was a young princess named Bella. As the only child of the King and Queen, Bella was expected to follow royal customs. She was supposed to attend elegant balls, wear sparkling tiaras, and marry a handsome prince. However, deep inside, Princess Bella longed for something different - adventure and a bit of mischief.
One bright morning, Bella decided she’d had enough of her royal duties. After breakfast, while her parents were reading letters from their noble friends, she slipped out of the castle and ran towards the beach. No one noticed as she crossed the drawbridge and dashed down the path leading to her secret spot - a hidden cove surrounded by cliffs and waterfall.
The cove was deserted, a perfect place for Princess Bella’s adventure. She imagined herself diving from the cliffs into the sea, exploring underwater caves, and sailing away on a pirate ship. Just as she prepared to swim, something caught her attention.
A magnificent ship with proud sails stood offshore. The ship turned as if searching for something, the sun reflecting off its bright colors and making it look like a scene from a tale. Suddenly, a small boat was lowered from the ship. It jutted out into the water, where an extremely handsome young man, dressed as a pirate, waved before rowing towards the cove.
Bella’s heart raced. What should she decide? Should she hide or confront this stranger? In an instant, she made up her mind. She dashed down the beach, her skirt flowing in the wind, her hair dancing around her. Kicking off her shoes, she shouted, “Ahoy there!” as she reached the shore.
The pirate looked thoroughly surprised. He quickly steered his boat closer, jumped out into the water, and waded ashore until he stood before her, his dark hair dripping wet, his clothes stuck to his body. “I was looking for you, Princess!” he exclaimed dramatically.
Princess Bella giggled. “How did you know I was here?” she laughed.
“Well, you see, I’m Captain Rex, the famous pirate, and this is my ship, ‘The Royal Rumble’. I heard tales about a princess who found her way to this very island, and I decided to come see for myself. But I never expected to find you here!”
“You think I’m a princess?” she laughed. “Well, what’s left of me after I’ve taken off this queenly skirt and all!”
Captain Rex looked puzzled, his brows knit together. “Of course, you’re a princess, my dear. What else could you be?”
“It will take too long to explain. Did you really think I was a princess?” she asked.
“You are the fairest princess I ever saw,” he declared gallantly. “Will you come away with me on my ship? I am determined to have you for my cook.”
“No thank you!” cried Bella, smiling. “Goodbye!”
But the pirate still held her hand. “You can’t go back into the palace without your shoes,” he said slyly. “I will hand them over to your maid, and then all the world will know you have been at the cove.”
Princess Bella thought this to be very true. Besides, she was beginning to feel rather tired. If Captain Rex would take her on board and let her rest in a nice big armchair for a while, she could regain her courage and perhaps get safely back to the palace before dinner.
“Very well,” she said, smiling brightly. “I’ll come on board and rest.”
“Farewell, comrades!” shouted Captain Rex. “Fill the hot bath for the Captain and his fair cook! Have ready the famous dish of kippered herring, which is the special pride of our royal cook. Then fly the black flag and the red flag and all the other flags,” he continued, running along the beach, “to let the people of the island know we are coming!”
The crew cheered, glancing significantly at Princess Bella, who winked at them audaciously. In a few minutes, Captain Rex and his cook were in the boat, and in a few minutes more were on board the fine ship.
Is it not a charming life, your royal Highness?” Captain Rex said delightfully as they entered the cabin, while his crew stealthily prepared kippered herring in the open kitchen. “It is full of excitement and allows you to meet so many nice people. Let me have the wherewithal to do all these things, and I might never return to the palace again.”
“But that wouldn’t be polite, would it?” she asked laughingly, as she sank into the prim plush armchair. “You must return to pay your respects to my parents.”
“Neva—“ Captain Rex began, but dial immediately changed his tone. “I would love to pay my respects to your father and mother if I had nothing else to do. But then you are your father’s only child. Wouldn’t it be a nice thing for you to send me the crown jewels as a memento?”
“Oh, I wish I could,” laughed Princess Bella. “But you’d better leave that polite design out of consideration, as my kind father would never lend me any of his crowns to send you. Now isn’t that a pity?”
“You are perfectly right,” said Captain Rex with a twinkle in his eye. “We must never forget forms.”
At this moment the kippered herring appeared, and the two sat down at a small round table, opposite each other, Captain Rex feeling rather anxious not to scare his new cook by his arched eye-brows and mustaches, which looked very sword-like, leaving his long, brown beard wild and free.
When dinner was finished, Princess Bella thanked her host. He pointed to a cupboard, as if inquiring if she would have any more whiskey and soda.
“Do please to unlock it,” she asked, “as I find I have my pocket handkerchief inside.”
“It is a very simple case,” said Captain Rex, and with that he turned the key and the Princess put her hand into the cupboard.
Soon they were laughing and talking, till Captain Rex put the rich tea on the table, and with the assistance of his men forced a violin into his own hand, and now matters grew serious.
“Dance, my merry men!” he cried. “Dance for the young Princess.”
Where the men were who composed the crew of “The Royal Rumble,” for no deck except the top one was visible. Every step made their legs shake but Bella could not help trying to remember the graceful steps of the recent last ball she had attended.
“Oh, how do you do it?” she said, she beating time with a dainty little foot. “Would you catch my hand and lead me round the table?”
“With pleasure,” replied Captain Rex gallantly, and soon the two circled and flitted about the room, careering round and round with so much energy and enjoyment that everyone on board–excepting the cook, who was herring deep in the galley–felt it a necessity to join in the yarns and dance round and round and round again.
Princess Bella departed feeling much better. Captain Rex rowed her ashore, kissed her hand gallantly, extended an awkward but stately bow concerning a fare-thee-well, went back to his polite pirate crew, and when they reached their ship impossibly conquered shaking from their locks, as though freshly escaped from Perthshire.
The next day the princess related her grand adventure to her parents, who laughed heartily, and her father insisted on the whole pilot service finishing up, and even factory girls having a ball on her account. The true underground royal piano was brought from the people’s Aras, which made all the fiddlers close up. And when it was rather late, and all the agrees architecturally seated and soberly chatting round, the King scratched his queenly forehead and said, “Oh dear! Where was I when I heard just now information from the hills regarding an American or Turkish romance, or some news from Chicago? Hah!”
So Princesses who feel tired of their usual quiet lives, need have no qualms of conscience over choosing pirate princes or romantic spirits.’
And they never marry without asking parents’ consent now–so King and Queen, and bands, and all rejoicing, and they drench every head to sisterly ceilings with chitchat, then greet to holidays, and home, and life, and tune in those regions of the unrevered of the wreck or the grave, which Milton know to them alone!
Maverick Elsie Crimea.