It was no act of heroism on my part—the band of thieves to which I belong were the ones who schemed to kidnap her in the first place.
After I returned her to Castle Cicer, her older brother insisted my good deed must be repaid. He invited me to stay as his guest, much to the queen's chagrin. He showed me warmth and kindness, and he confided in me that entertaining the parade of princesses waltzing through every month is exhausting him. He is also funny, intelligent, and a thousand other things.
And I think there is something there between us. I want to explore it.
But what will happen when he finds out my father—the leader of the thieves—is forcing me to steal from him every night while the rest of the castle slumbers?
Fans of Laura Greenwood and Gail Carson Levine will love this unique retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Princess & the Pea."
Thalassa, Princess of Stellamaris, has been preparing for her marriage to the Prince of Lamposseano all her life. Forbidden to rule her own kingdom, becoming queen of another is the only way to pursue what her heart truly wants: to help poor, unfortunate merfolk.
Upon learning she will be nothing more than a bauble, another jewel in the Lamposseano royal collection, Thalassa is devastated. Desperate to change the tide, she risks everything for the chance to visit the sea witch for help. In return for her innermost desire, she must fulfill an unthinkable request.
Read this novelette and finally learn the haunting origin of the sea witch.
She will almost certainly be put to death for this act.
She does not care.
This spine-tingling short story will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
You can also read this short story for free when you buy The Price of Magic in paperback.
These authors take some of our favorite nursery rhymes and twist them into stories you want to run from. Keep the light on and don't read these to your kids.
Welcome to Once Upon Academy, where magic is real and princesses really do have happily ever afters.
Emma Fontaine is a pen name used by Megan Fuentes. She uses this pen name to explore, twist, and rewrite her favorite fairy tales. If you're interested in American history, you might like the work she does under her given name.