“The Puddle on the Castle Floor”

Author’s Note: This is a Take Ten to Write story and has not been proofread for errors. If I feel inspired or if there’s interest in the story, I’ll post a revised, edited, and extended version at a later date. Happy reading!

Prompt: “A princess saves an animal in the water so when she curtsies to the king and queen, puddles of water form on the castle floor.” — suggested by Mary

“What is this?!” King Angvar screeches.

My eyes jerk up to see the king’s quivering finger pointing to the ground at my feet.

“M-my lord?” I ask, trying to stop my voice–and my entire body–from shaking. “What do you mean?”

“THIS!” King Angvar shouts, jumping to his feet. His finger remains in place, pointing accusatorily to whatever it is he sees. “It’s spreading across my floor! My beautiful, beautiful floor!”

I look down with alarm to see a puddle pooling at my feet. A steady drip… drip… drip… of water is splashing from the bottom of my skirt to join the other droplets on the ground.

Oops.

“My lord, I can explain,” I say quickly. My eyes flicker nervously to the guards as they take a step toward me. Maybe if I speak fast enough, I won’t get arrested.

So, I continue as fast as I can. “I took the lake route as I walked to your castle today. As I walked by the water, I saw something splashing about. I decided to take a closer look and it turned out that it was a bunny rabbit who was drowning. So I jumped into the water and pulled the bunny out. Then I had to come straight here and I didn’t have time to change out of these clothes, so that’s why there’s a puddle on the ground now. I apologize for the mess I made and will have my servants clean it up immediately.”

King Angvar stares at me. “You expect me to believe that story?” he hisses. “Don’t try to hide the truth from me, princess. I know you’re lying!”

“Er, I am, my lord?”

“Yes, you are!” Finally, he drops his finger to his side and stomps forward. He stops directly in front of me, so close that I can feel his hot breath on my face. In a low hiss, he says, “I know you were sent by the Water Monsters to spy on me.”

Satisfaction builds in my chest, but I quickly push it down. The king has, indeed, lost his mind. Father was right; now does seem like a good time to expand our territory.

Final Comments: I got the idea at the last second that the princess was going to attempt a hostile takeover, so the ending feels a bit sudden and out-of-place.

Overall Rating: 😬