Psyche logo

Once Upon a Time

When It's Not Like the Stories

By K SpecksPublished 5 years ago 13 min read
Like

Once upon a time we had all been read a story or two, but once upon a time I wanted to be the princess in one of them that found their prince and lived happily ever after. Once upon a time I enjoyed wearing pink dresses, and hair bows until my sister told me I looked stupid wearing my red hair bow, so I took it out. Once upon a time I thought families stayed together through everything, but then we were taken away from our mother on Mother's Day—and later returned after foster care, so I thought it was just circumstance. Once upon a time I believed that I would have my own castle, and then my mother told me we'd probably never have our own house when we got evicted, so I settled for a single tower like Rapunzel.

Once upon a time I didn't think there was evil in people, only to get molested by my brother in fourth grade, so I didn't want to be alone near him ever again. Once upon a time I was happy to know my mother had won the custody case, little did I know it would only bring more darkness to this fairytale.

Once upon a time I meet another princess, but she hadn't said anything mean like the princess my sister would, nor the princes my brothers would. Once upon a time I was bullied for a haircut I didn't choose, making me question if I really was ever was princess material. Once upon a time I loved to sing like any princess would, until I was told I sounded like alley cats dying in pain, even though my singing teacher said I had sounded wonderful for choir. That princess never sang outside of choir class after that. Once upon of time I truly believed that I could have been Cinderella, and be beautiful at a ball, but in reality I was treated like Cinderella by the evil step sisters and stepmother. Once upon a time I could never go out without few day advanced notice, the house being hospital clean, my minute phone on me, and being home earlier than said, or whenever called no matter the instance.

Once upon a time I meet some one new, a kind smart prince that quickly had become my friend, but soon vanished not long after. Once upon a time I believed in true love that could make things better again, and maybe make my family see me as a princess like they did when I was small in cute dresses.

Once upon a time a prince forced his lips on mine, and tried to force more, but when I broke up I was seen for being at fault for wearing clothes I'd wear on a date; the princess stopped wearing dresses unless it was for a ball, and always went alone to feel safe. Once upon a time the princess protected her brother in an altercation that brought royal guards to the king's aid, and once they were gone was punished harshly not allowed to eat for days, so she snuck fizzy drinks to have something in her system. Once upon a time the princess would stay up for nights on end wondering what she had done wrong to be looked down upon by her entire family, like she could never do enough.

Once upon a time the princess had enough, and was trying to say goodbye when the fellow princess from earlier kept her from doing such. The princess still didn't sleep, eat, or smile much anymore, not feeling much like a princess like she once had.

Once upon a time the princess found the money that was supposed to be in her royal funds from the kingdom's treasury was being used on black market items by the queen and king of her home themselves, but they didn't bother to feed the princess properly. She convinced herself she was fine, she didn't need to eat or sleep much, and the tearing in the back of her mind that she wasn't worth anyone's time, or some one was trying to harm her was normal. It wasn't. Once upon a time the friendly smart prince came back into the picture, and it brought a tired smile back to the princess' face again, maybe things would turn out fine; she had her princess friend, and the prince that was kind and smart, and of course other princes, and princesses to surround her with a love she couldn't feel.

Once upon a time the king of the family had passed away leaving the queen to care for the children, the princess almost old enough to move out once she graduated from her lessons. Once upon a time though the queen became overcome by sadness leaving the princess to look after her, resulting in many sleepless nights, and eating even less food. Once upon a time the princess barely graduated her lessons, and didn't even get a good job from the queen, just an "about time" where the fellow princes and princesses congratulated her. Once upon a time the princess got a job in the village to help support the castle, not sure where her money was going, but felt bad to leave her mother to wallow and drown in darkness.

Once upon a time the queen had accumulated 23 animals the princess was allergic to after the king died, and when asked to give some away the queen became enraged and told the princess they were the only things keeping her in this world after her loyal king died. The princess felt like she had meant nothing and slowly started to become the evil witch in the queen's eyes. Robbed of her pay and dignity, once upon a time the princess made the queen cry when the elder asked what was wrong with the princess, and spoke unspeakable things you have and haven't read.

Once upon a time though the queen repressed that conversation... once upon a time the evil sister princess and queen kept destroying the princesses self-esteem making sure she stayed to be their meal ticket, so the princess stopped going on dates and picked up more work at her job in the village.

Once upon a time the princess met a kind-hearted sorcerer in the village where she worked, who did not try to enchant her, but offered to listen to the pain that had been in her. Once upon a time the princess snuck out of the castle at the witching hour to go speak with the sorcerer, making it a nightly routine quickly. Though once the evil queen and sister princess realized this they could not have such, and started blaming the princess for things she hadn't even been home to do. When questioned of where she had been she would reply, and then get an earful that she should only be going to the village for work, and the castle, and nowhere else without letting them know exactly where.

Once upon a time the princess broke those rules and kept visiting the sorcerer at night to keep talking, and felt maybe he could be the key to her happy ever after. It was not within the fates as it had been obvious to him, but a shared conversation had set the princess free from the evil queen's spell of ensnarement.

Once upon a time the princess had enough when her evil sister nearly broke into her room to blame her for a fist fight the evil sister and queen had. Once upon a time, the princess fled her own home to find refuge in another castle, in another kingdom she had lived once before. It was not her own castle, but the evil queens kind brother had taken the princess in allowing her to know the evil queen never once wanted children, or to keep her children, the custody battle had been a lie, the queen had just been stuck with her, or else she would have been put into the royal foster system. Once upon a time the princess didn't want to be part of her royal family, disdaining the name she had to carry until her wedding day—if she had one.

Once upon a time the princess was getting healthy again, no longer skin and bones from being actually fed well, but she still could not sleep well, paranoia ate at her brain nightly. Once upon a time the princess was slowly learning to be happy, and learn lessons a queen only would through life. Once upon a time the princess was lining up suitors for casual outings to see if eventually they would be good king material, but none had worked out yet. Once upon a time the uncle's son had introduced the princess to another friendly princess that knew her when she was a little baby princess, and quickly made friends with her.

Once upon a time the uncle's son seemed strange making request the princess doesn't go anywhere without his knowing, as a way to protect her, reluctantly she agreed when he insisted. Once upon a time the princess had to return back to her uncle's castle at her cousin's say so when spending time with the strong princess that was her new friend. Once upon a time the princess could no longer go out as she wanted to dress due to the cousin saying she could get harmed if he wasn't near her in such a simple dress, so she stopped trying to dress up, again.

Once upon a time the smart kind prince came back into her life, this time the princess was worn down from the rules her cousin had put in place, breaking one of them by even hugging her old smart prince friend. Again with so many rules that were stupid kept the princess up at night, having to take sleep medicine to get any good rest. She was none the less happy though to see an old face again knowing that he may not be the key to her happy ever after, but for the time he did make her happy. Once upon a time the kind smart prince asked her to a casual outing, but the rules restricted her and knew if she said yes there would be a backlash later on that night, so refused him. She regretted it indefinitely knowing if she had just spoken up the darkness to come wouldn't happen at all.

Once upon a time the uncle passed away, and the rules on her became much stricter, making courting anyone a rather difficult task at all. Once upon a time the princess meet a smooth talking prince that could sing well, that she had wished to court. She had achieved laying with him, but it was no happy ever after like she wished. Once upon a time the other princes and princesses wondered just what the princess and the smooth talking prince were, but he never answered. Once upon a time the princess got a new job away from the cousin allowing her more freedom she had wished for, and learning what happiness was. Once upon a time the princess had regained her self esteem back, and didn't worry over the smooth talking prince, more of what she'd do out in the village on her days off. Things were going well, and maybe her happy ever after didn't need any help from a prince or princess, just enjoying her days.

Once upon a time though the princess was sexually assaulted tearing apart her happy ever after into nothing, leaving her in a numb, confused and scared state. She had called up a prince she had meet some time back from a different kingdom all the way across the sea asking in a fearful tone of what to do. The princess had been directed who she needed to talk to, and in a short time she spoke to royal authorities over the matter. Once upon a time the princess was exiled from her aunt's home, and the strong princess took her in. Once upon a time the princess was disowned, and had no one left to call family, except the princes and princesses she knew currently. Once upon a time the princess sought royal help for the nightmares and memories that tormented her of the night she was assaulted, but still barely slept well.

With months of help the princess had one last person she needed to tell, the kind smart prince that had kept in touch with her. Through tears she feared the worst of her own fate, but to her surprise he had been in the kingdom at the time.Once upon a time a kind smart prince listened, and accepted the princess with her problems telling her even with her faults he would protect her. The princess allowed the smart kind prince to lead her to a new kingdom bidding the strong princess, and the others that made her feel like she had a kingdom when she had been kicked out of her own family farewell. She was scared for quite some time, the nightmares waking her up in the middle of the night crying like a demon from hell had been there to steal her soul away.

Once upon a time the princess finally knew she could trust some one again, and instead of staying up at night crying alone she would wake the kind smart prince apologizing and telling him what had happened. The nightmares may not have gone away, but the warm embrace of the prince surely made it a bit easier to put them out of mind, and return into a slumber.

Once upon a time some one called the princess beautiful for the first time in a long time, and she bristled not knowing where they had gotten that idea from, she had never been called that before, even by family. Once upon a time the prince sat the princess down speaking with her that she had been cursed with Stockholm Syndrome, it could be lifted but it would surely take some time, and explained to her that growing up in an evil kingdom she wouldn't have been able to notice any other evil coming her way. The princess sobbed finally understanding that it was not her fault that she could not fight back, or scream loud enough, or draw any blood, she just didn't see it coming in the first place. Once upon a time the princess finally trusted some one again, doing her best to smile for the prince, merely to show she was slowly regaining control of her happiness. Finally the princess told the prince that the prince that had committed a crime against her had been put in royal containment until a royal trial was at hand. Once upon a time the prince smiled holding the princess close saying he was proud she was sharing with him.

Once upon a time the prince wished for the princess to take his name, and she still waits for the royal trial. The nightmares do not get better, but she has some one that can hold her through them reminding her she is safe. She found out the flashbacks are worse, and repeats an apology to her prince trying to get him to understand she hates what she sees, and she does not see him. Once upon a time she wanted to be a princess, but now she just wants the curse lifted, and to sleep without nightmares beside the one that had helped her back to find her own happiness.

family
Like

About the Creator

K Specks

Just a chick that likes to write things about personal or fiction.

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.