Bedtime Story (To Sophie)

Princess Sophie lived in a tall castle which rested on a green hill and could be reached only by walking down a long and winding road. She was the heir to the kingdom and for that reason needed to show perfect manners and courtesy at all times. One day, during a royal visit from the Preston family, news came to Sophie’s mother, Queen Julie, that Sophie had taught Prince Logan a most vile word. The servants didn’t dare utter the word to the Queen, scared they’d be banished from the castle, and instead handed the Queen a scroll with the word written down. “Shit” it said.

“The prince’s first word” the Queen gasped in horror. She stormed to Princess Sophie’s room immediately and ordered Sophie to go and wash her mouth out with soap. The princess did as instructed, scrubbing a giant block of soap up and down her mouth until the bubbles spilled out of her mouth and filled the whole room. She floated out of the room on a stream of bubbles and into the Queen’s bedroom. Once inside, Princess Sophie began to hiccup. She hiccuped once, then twice, then three times, then more and more until she couldn’t count how many times she’d hiccuped. The Queen ordered a servant to fetch the Princess a piping hot Vimto at once. But the vimto did nothing: the Princess kept hiccuping and hiccuping well into the night, and continued the next day once she’d awoken.

The Queen scoured the kingdom for anyone who might know a cure for her daughter’s hiccups. And many people tried. They cooked exotic recipes for her, and put on many a song and a dance, but nothing would work. A famous doctor, Dr, Shaman, travelled from a far away Asian land and yet couldn’t stop the hiccups either.

Then, one night, when the Ball kingdom had resigned themselves to a life of endless hiccuping, a charming knight arrived at the castle gates. There was confusion over his name, Liam or Charles, nobody quite knew. And he came from a strange and disrespected land. He said if he could only meet the Princess he would give her something that would cure her hiccups. He ascended to her royal chambers and pulled out a vial. He said that inside there was a magical potion called Sambuca. Princess Sophie gulped it all down in one and winced from the horrible taste. But a moment passed and no hiccup came out. The Princess was cured! The Royal Balls began to celebrate.

“How can I repay you?” said Princess Sophie.

“How about a kiss?” said the knight.