An Old Proposal (Of Sorts)

I wrote this quite some time ago. Probably 3ish years. I was a delicate, changing creature.
It's a bit different from my bedtime stories but I hope you'll enjoy it in all of it's teenage, crazy, silly, cheesyness.
Anyway.
Here goes.

I heard the door click open.
"Hazel, wake up!" Valery called. "Hazel!"
I stirred lightly from my warm and comfy resting spot on the couch. "Go away," I called. Snuggling back down in my make-shift bed, I sighed, still enjoying the warmth and very much wanting to go back to my dream. It had been something about Ian, hot rocks and I think a cave behind a waterfall. I'm not too great at remembering my dreams.
I had just closed my eyes and gotten comfortable when Val yelled at me again. "Hazel, come on!" She was practically right next to me. The door clicked shut. Odd. That door had to be pushed shut and Val was too close to me to have just shut it.
"Val, who else is here?"
"Aurora, Damian and Brice. We're going to the beach today, remember?"
That woke me up. "What?!" There were four people in my apartment with me asleep on the couch? Crud! "Val! Why didn't you tell me?"
"Well, I tired to," she said, pulling back my blanket. "But you were too insistent on sleeping!"
"When was this plan even decided?"
"It was Damian's idea," Val said.
He popped into my vision. "Sorry. I wanted it to be just us but somehow word got out," he took a moment to glare at his sister, "and once Val decided to come along Brice was right on board and Ash thought volleyball sounded like fun."
"Well, fine. But can you all get out while I get ready?"
Everyone filed out reluctantly except Val.
"What bathing suit are you gunna wear, Hazel? Ooh, are you gunna take a shovel and bucket so you and Damian can build a sand castle? That would be so romantic."
I let Val continue her talking while I dug around in my closet for my swimsuits. There was that cute one-piece. And the electric blue bikini Val had bought me. As I searched, my mind went back to my dream. What had I been wearing in that dream anyway? I thought hard, trying to will my mind to focus on a minute detail that it had come up with. Green. That was it. A deep green bikini that matched Ian's eyes. It had a large leafy pattern on it. Too bad I didn't have that bikini. Ian would have liked that one.
"Hey," I called to Val who was still rambling on about something, maybe Brice. "Help me choose a swimsuit."
"Huh? Oh, sure."
She didn't even seem the slightest bit offended that I'd interrupted her.
"Why don't you wear the one Aurora and I got you?"
"What?" This was news to me. "You and Ash got me a swimsuit?"
"Yeah. She said something about today being special and you'd want to look your best."
Val shrugged but pulled a suit out of her beach bag and handed it to me. It was deep red in color with a tiny, delicate floral pattern stitched in silver thread. The top had a scoop neck gathered in the middle by a silver O but was still a halter and the bottom was plain except for the matching silver O that joined it on the left side. Not nearly as pretty as the one in my dream but still very pretty.
"Do you like it? I helped Aurora pick it out."
"It's beautiful! I love it. Thanks so much."
"Well, go put it on!"
I yanked a white cover-up dress out of the pile I'd made and ran into my bathroom. A few minutes later I walked out, my hair up in a ponytail and my make-up kept to a minimum. I spun around, modeling the suit for Val.
"What do you think?"
"Darling, you look stunning!"
"Thanks! You guys did a great job picking this out!" The top was a bit shorter than I would have liked but it did look fantastic. I quickly threw the white tube top cover-up on over the suit and grabbed my beach bag (that did indeed have some buckets and shovels for making sand castles). "Let's go!"
Twenty minutes later we were all set up t the beach: We had three umbrellas, five towels laid out on the sand and 3 beach bags. Ian and Brice had brought towels but not much else. I sat back on my towel and watched Val, Ash, and Brice make a bee-line for the waves. Val was wearing a white bikini with splashes of all sorts of random colors while Ash was wearing a black one-piece halter with big circles takes out of both sides. There were silver rings at the center in the front and at the bottom of both the side cut-outs. Brice was wearing blue trunks with black stripes down the sides while Ian was wearing brown trunks with white flares with brown leaves on the sides. I turned to him to say something but his muscular back was to me though he was looking over his shoulder and holding a bottle of sunscreen out to me.
"Do you mind?"
"Uhh," I faltered. "Sure."
I shook off my jitters and squeezed some sun block onto my hand and began to rub it into his muscled back. Starting in the middle, I worked my way down his back and found a tiny tattoo on his right hip, just above the waistband of his shorts. It was a small and simple cross.
"How," I stumbled over my own words. "How long have you had this?" I pressed the cross lightly to indicate what I was talking about.
"The cross? I got that on my 18th birthday. Partly because I wanted the tattoo and partly to spite my parents."
"Huh." I smiled. Nice sentiment he had going there.
I finished rubbing the sunscreen into his shoulders before I smacked his back. "Done."
"Thanks." He turned around and smiled. "Want me to do yours?"
"There's not much skin showing. Besides, I need a tan."
I eyed the tattoo on his left pectoral. That one I knew about. The strange oval with 5 beads of color circling inside. Black, red, white, green and gold. I smiled at the meaning of it.
"Hey, wanna build a sand castle?"



I’d had her ring, of course, custom made. The engagement ring was a mass of intricate spires done in fine silver that together looked almost like a hazelnut flower (though flatter) or an artistic, silver sun though it was no larger than dime. The spires tapered down into two separate silver bands at the bottom. A small, round diamond on a simple silver band made up the center of the wedding ring, though the two could be put together and taken apart so that the simple diamond band would be her wedding ring. That is, if she would have me.
The spires were so intricate because I’d requested them that way: I wanted to have the ring made into a key for a music box. The music box maker had been very helpful and willing to try, he’d never tried to make a ring a key. He’d toiled though and finally called me in to show it to me. All I needed now was a song. Smiling, I handed him the sheet music for (Swing Life Away by Rise Against, the song Haze wanted played at her wedding) a lullaby that Ash had written for her. A few days later he called me in and showed me the box, done in silver with many swirls and white and grey gemstone beads of many shades strung on randomly. And, of course, the lock for the ring key. I wound it up, fit the key in, unlocked and listened as tiny plinks sounded out the song. After thanking the man profusely for all his hard work and paying the large sum that could keep Ash in school for well over a semester, I set off to my trip to the beach with Haze, Ash and Val.
With the extra key the box-maker had given me, I unlocked the box and set it down to play on the beach towel while Hazel, with her back turned, applied sun block. Hearing the (familiar) tune, she turned. Mouth open, ready to ask a question, no doubt, Hazel was a girl with an agenda when she saw the box. Stunned into silence, she looked from my laying body to the box and back again. “This is (my favorite song) beautiful,” she finally whispered softly, not wanting to disrupt the tune.
“I know.”
“And the box,” she still whispered. “It’s so beautiful.”
Haze waited and listened as the song continued to plink itself out, eyes fixed on the box the entire time. When the song ended, Haze had another question ready. “Is this for me? The date, the song… Did you do all this for me?”
I knew she was only talking about the situation, too modest to voice her burning curiosity about the box’s intended owner. Still, I had to make her say it. “Yes. Though Ash, Val and Brice tagging along wasn’t part of the original plan. But yes, this whole outing is all for you.”
She apparently had to know, modest or not. “And the music box?”
I sat up and stared into her eyes, causing her to sit back a bit in an attempt to avoid the intensity. “Yours. On one condition.”
Always cautious, Haze had more questions ready instead of agreeing unconditionally as I knew she would. “What?”
“Marry me,” I whispered, adverting my eyes, finally shying back myself.
Hazel’s jaw dropped and, like the intruders they were, Ash and Val ran up and dropped themselves onto two of the five towels, Brice not far behind.
“The waves,” Ash panted “are awesome.”
“Fan-tastic,” Val agreed, the single word sounding more like two.
Brice smilingly observed the scene.
Hazel’s mouth remained open and her eyes stayed fixed on the music box and the ring in my hand.
My head whipped around to catch Ash’s eyes and strongly direct her away. She finally got it and started to suggest that we leave but not before Val could get a word in edgewise.
“Hey, why does Ian have a silver hazelnut flower?”
Everyone was silent. I hadn’t been sure that anyone would be able to tell what my inspiration had been for the ring design. I guess Val did her botany homework.
“It’s a hazelnut flower” Haze half asked, half stated as if she had to get used to the idea and saying it out loud would help.
My attention immediately turned back to Haze, afraid to throw the delicate situation off balance. I was also very afraid of hurting her in any way. “Yes,” I answered, ignoring Val’s question (them both quietly).
“But Hazel always hates it when I buy her hazel-anything.”
Ash, as if reading my mind, punched Val in the arm. I bit back a smile.
“The sentiment of this one is a bit more sever, Val,” Hazel whispered, still in awe.
Full attention on Haze, I opened my mouth to apologize and attempt to make amends for my brash proposal. However, Valery, who obviously had a death wish or something today, opened her mouth again.
“What could be more sentimental than a Christmas-Birthday present?”
“He just proposed,” Ash whispered harshly in Val’s ear.
“Oh.”
“Maybe we should leave them alone for a bit,” Brice spoke up. Bless his soul. He was probably the only one who could drag Val away from her best friend receiving a wedding proposal.
They walked away and Haze’s eyes had still yet to leave the box and ring. “Haze,” I put the ring away and put my face in her line of sight. “Haze, please say something. Say you hate me or that you want me to leave the music box and walk away myself. Just say something.”
“Why,” Haze swallowed back her whisper before finishing her sentence. “Why on earth would I say something like that to you?” Her eyes looked deep into mine with an intensity that made me feel completely known to her. “Why on earth would I tell you off when you have just done something so sweet and so thoughtful for me?”
I couldn’t say anything. I didn’t know what to feel.
“I’d say yes even without the music box. Even without this whole event planned for me. It means a lot, yes. But it doesn’t mean more than you.” Hazel said. “It couldn’t mean more than you. The only thing I’m wondering is ‘why me,’ and ‘do you really mean it.’ (But for the one question, I have one answer.)”
I looked at Hazel shocked myself. I wanted to say something but there weren’t words. Instead, I hugged her. Hugged her tight and hugged her close. “You, Hazel Lynn Albred, are beautiful and strong and warm and accepting and so many other things that I can’t name because there aren’t names for them and that is why you. And of course I mean it. I wouldn’t be here asking you if I didn’t. There is no joke crueler and I would hope that I would never be so cruel as to play it on anyone, especially not you. Haze, I want to cheese-ily and cliché-ily spend the rest of my life with you. And there are no other words to express that desire.”
“Then yes,” she answered my question. “Of course I’ll marry you.”
I was sure she had said the second sentence just to say it and hear the words out loud but it didn’t matter. I was engaged to a beautiful girl and it had gone no where near as planned but wonderful all the same. She held out her left hand and I finally took off the ring that I had accidentally run away with what seemed like so long ago and replaced it with the silver spires of Hazel’s engagement ring. I leaned over to hug her once more, deftly shutting the music box while I did so.
“You’re music box,” I presented it to her, pulling away. “My fiancé.”
Smiling, she also covered a blush while taking it from my hands. After fiddling with it for a few moments, she finally asked me, frustrated how on earth she was supposed to open it (the darn thing). I took her hand and knowingly slipped the ring into the key-hole, twisted slightly and it popped open. Haze gasped.
“You,” she accused “went through all the trouble, time, and money to get a music box that this ring would open?”
I guess she wasn’t quite used to the idea of the ring being hers.
“Of course. But it was worth it.” I smirked and watched her. “This, your reaction, is priceless.”
She reached over and hit my shoulder playfully. “You jerk!”
I reacted the only way I could. Rising, I nudged her knee with my foot and raced off towards the others in the splashing waves, Haze not far behind.

… And then Haze gets a terrible sunburn. : P !!!!!

It's A Garden Gnome World

I recently (this morning) remembered that I was often required to write stories for school. So I will be uploading some soon.
This one I wrote in December of 2006, my freshman year in high school. The assignment was to write about a metamorphosis.
Please enjoy.


When I woke up from unsettling dreams, I found that I had turned into a gnome. I could first tell what my body had become from my immense and unrational fear of myself. I rolled over to face the window only to see big fat raindrops rolling down the smudged glass. After rolling back to my original lying position – which was quite unusual due to my new shortness – it really hit me. I was a gnome. I was no more than one and a half feet tall, including the pointy red hat that accounted for one third of my height. I fought back a scream. What would my parents do when they found a gnome in my bed? Would my brother smash me into tiny pieces? Would I be forever cursed to stand in the front lawn through rain, snow and sunshine?
A loud knock shocked me out of my dreams. “Emily,” the cry from my mother came. “Emily? Emily, wake up!”
I sighed. The last think I needed was to think about how she would react and how I could get away.
“Emily?”
The cry came again accompanied by the opening of a door.
“Emily, are you even awake?”
“Mom,” I shouted, “I’m fine! Close the door!”
“Okay, but you have twenty minutes to get downstairs!”
“Alright mom! I’ll be there!”
I rolled back over to face the window once again and watched for what seem hours of rain rolling down the glass. The rain is just so peaceful. It falls for so long, pulling some pollution and other foul smelling substances out of the air leaving a fresh clean scent. The rain made me think about my new form, about what I was still capable of doing and what I wasn’t. I realized that my voice had not changed a bit from the transformation I had undergone. Well, there was one thing on my side. I had my voice, but how could that help me? I could try and convince my mom that I was sick but she would be too suspicious since I had already talked to her and sounded perfectly normal. I could obviously move my new body, it realized, from the absent-minded rolling over that I had done but what else was here to help me?
“Emily!”
It was my dad this time.
“We leave in fifteen!”
“Okay,” I called back, not wanting him to become suspicious.
Now what? My mom would be gone in about two minutes to take my older brother to school and she was more forgiving than my dad was. Mentally calculating in my head the time it would take me to get out of my current state and then down the stairs and then convincing my parents that this was actually and truly me, I wouldn’t even be downstairs before my mom left. Well, I supposed I’d have to start somewhere. The best thing – more like the only thing – to do was to go downstairs and somehow try and convince my dad that I was indeed Emily. A lot easier said than done.
My dad looked skeptically at me and wondered aloud where the gnome had come from once I had gotton down the stairs. He was about to pick me up when I said the only thing that I could think of; “It’s me, Dad.”
He nearly fainted. The possessed gnome standing in the hallway talked. Preposterous! He was going to talk to his doctor about hallucinating next time he went in.
“Dad,” I startled him out of his thoughts. “Dad, I’m no hallucination. Look in my bed if you want. Even so, how do you explain the gnome talking to you?”
As he walked away I swear I heard him mumble “That’s what I’m worried about.”
After being thoroughly convinced that I was indeed his daughter he asked me what I was going to do; if I was going to go to school or stay home. My answer came quick.
“I’m going to school! How else am I going to tell this story to my friends and have them believe me?”
My dad seemed to laugh. “You sure are strange,” he said.
“So I’ve heard, Dad. So I’ve heard.”
At school, only my friends believed me and my story but all of my teachers wouldn’t be ‘fooled’ and after the painful and long process of explaining to them who and what I was, the day was quite fun. The once-in-a-life opportunity was taken advantage of as my friends took many pictures and videos on their phones. If nothing else, this was to be a day to remember and I might need a little convincing. Though, throughout the day, despite the fact that I was lugged around by my best friend, I learned that there was nothing scary about gnomes. True, they may be strange but that was no reason to be scared of them.
I went home, ate dinner, did homework just as I did almost every day. My little body seemed to make no difference, everyone pitched in to help me. Everything seemed normal despite the phantasmagorical events that passed.
I awoke the next morning to find myself human again. The pictures were enough to convince me of the previous day. It was not until a few months later that I had awoken from returning unsettling dreams to find myself as a suit of armor that I began to think that I needed mental help. The memories of the last transformation came back. I did not think about mental help. No, I only said “Not again!”
The End.

Princess Alpie and Ay'm

Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess named Alpinayniya. She had beautiful wavy hair that was iconized throughout the kingdom. Princess Alpinayniya, or Princess Alpie as her friends called her, was fascinated by the written word. Hours were spent pouring over tome after tome and the palace library was one of her favorite places.
One day, Princess Alpie discovered a story about silverware. It was a tragic tale of love found, love lost, treachery and heartache. Princess Alpie LOVED it. Soon after this tale was well known as the princess’s favorite and an invitation to meet the author found its way to the princess.
Thrilled with the opportunity, Princess Alpie jumped on the idea and set off to see this author. She traveled days with a few friends and plentiful provisions in tow. They traveled through forest and grasslands, through rivers and almost down a tree (but that is another story entirely). Then they finally made it to the author’s location.
Princess Alpie found herself staring at a squat little sprawling manor that wove its way into and out of the little hills it was in. She rapped thrice at the door. A few seconds later a squished little furry sort of fellow poked its head out. Upon recognizing Princess Alpie, it bowed. The creature introduced itself as Ay’m the she-gremlin and weaver of the princess’s treasured tale. Princess Alpie and Ay’m talked the evening away until night fell and the group spent the night in Ay’m’s sprawling, and highly technological, adobe.
But when they awoke, the princess’s carriage had been dismantled! The blame turned to Ay’m as gremlins are known for dismantling things. Ay’m fervently protested, claiming that she didn’t touch the carriage. While the horsemen and palace guards went to work putting the carriage back together, Princess Alpie and Ay’m searched for the evildoer.
Two days later, the carriage was restored to its glory and Princess Alpie and Ay’m had located the culprit! It had been S’ule, a gremlin who had watched the Princess’s caravan pass and couldn’t resist the opportunity to dismantle a palace coaches. With Ay’m’s name cleared, Princess Alpie and her friends warmly invited Ay’m to the palace to spend time with them.
Ay’m graciously declined but promised that she would visit soon. Princess Alpie promised to hold Ay’m to her promise and the two tearily departed ways, clinging to the promise that they would soon be reunited.
The End.

And you can be happy with the promise that this will almost certainly have a sequel!

Princess Danielle and the Ocelot

Once upon a time there was a very ambitious princess. Her name was Danielle. Princess Danielle took many classes from her private tutors and worked very hard to do well in her studies. She also captained the kingdom’s enthusiasm dance group and worked in the palace kitchen making delicious coffees and other tasty beverages. All while having to deal with the numerous princes trying to court her and finding time to spend with her best friends, Princess Danae, Princess Chelsea, Princess Summer, Princess Liz, and best of all Princess Emi. As you can see, Princess Danielle was very busy!
Often Princess Danielle was found bustling from activity to activity; always busy. She would lay all her school books out on her bed and study until, frequently, she fell asleep in the middle of them. She ran from some activities to others, just to save time. It was getting out of hand. But Princess Emi, the eldest though not exactly the wisest of Princess Danielle’s princess friends, had a plan.
When the perfect opportunity arose, Princess Emi came bursting through the palace doors yelling for Princess Danielle and the palace medics. When Princess Emi had medics and Princess Danielle in tow, she bolted for the edges of the palace garden. Once there, the emergency was clear. A young ocelot lay wounded at the edge of a fountain. Princess Danielle took on the responsibility that Princess Emi knew she would. She arranged for the ocelot to be bandaged up and given a bed next to her own so that she could oversee the healing process.
Though time seemed to pass slowly, Princess Danielle was busier than ever. She studied, worked, danced, hung out, and somehow found time to play with the healing ocelot. Gradually, Princess Danielle began to fray. All the activities were wearing her out. Princess Emi was saddened by this rough, but crucial step in her plan.
One day, she cracked.
Princess Danielle uncharacteristically slammed glasses on the table, threw her books and blew off her friends. She locked herself in her room and fell onto her bed, too angry and exhausted to care about anything. The startlingly silver ocelot that had been named Tinsel jumped up next to her and meowed. Too tired to move, Danielle let Tinsel lay down with her.
Two hours later, Princess Danielle woke from her nap. Tinsel hadn’t moved. There was food and water sitting on the bedside table and Danielle decided she wasn’t so exhausted that she wouldn’t eat. She decided to share the meal with Tinsel. They munched in silence. When they finished, Princess Danielle pulled a ribbon out of her now-messy hair. Tinsel pounced on the trailing end. Amused, Princess Danielle and Tinsel played with the ribbon for quite some time.
“You know, Tinsel, I think I could learn a lesson or two from you.” Princess Danielle had taken a nap, neglected her studies, ate, and played with childish abandon. “I think you taught me that everything is good in (I forget what word should go here so I’ll use this one till I remember the right one) portion moderation. Some school is good but overloading isn’t. Friends are fantastic, but not all the time. Work is fun but it can’t be my life. Thank you, Tinsel.”
Princess Danielle and Tinsel left the princess’s bedroom and fell back in with palace life routine though Tinsel made sure to keep Princess Danielle in check.
And that is the story of how Princess Emi planned to change her friend though she didn’t know quite how well it would work.
The End.

This is for my dearest, bestest Friend Danielle who is a princess to me, if not everyone. She is very driven and taking 6 classes this year in high school all of which are honors or AP. She works at a coffee shop and is Cheer Captian. She has a boyfriend named Mich and is quite popular. I don't know how she finds enough hours in the day and I (semi)firmly believe that taking it down a notch would be just fine and beneficial for her.
Most all of the things in this story are true. She is friends with all those people and her brother just got a cat named Tinsel. She also had surgery.
Though... She hasn't learned to take time off quite yet. I'm hoping this story will help.
Oh! If you want a picture of a silver ocelot kitty that I imagine this Tinsel in the story would look like, there's one here -> http://media.photobucket.com/image/silver%20ocelot%20cat/missymotus/freewebs%2520-%2520breeding/Malika-1.jpg
Well. Dearest Danielle, here is your birthday story almost a full month late. But! I hope that it serves you well, teaches you a lesson, and, most importantly, makes you smile.
Love you lots, Danielly-smelly! <3
-Em

Magical Moose

This story is one of two written by my "little brother" for me when I went to visit him in Washington. I plan on posting both of them.

Once upon a time, there was a magical moose named Lars Honeytoast. He hand Magic Powers. He could turn into a red pillow, or he could turn into a sneaker. One day, he went to see his moose buddy Frenchie Vonrickter. They went and blew toothbrush shaped bubbles at the park., Then they both started to get hungry, and walking home would take far too long. SO they decided too eat one of Frenchies chocolate shoes (every cool moose has them). Once they finished devouring his shoe, they realized something. Frenchie now only had three shoes! How would they get home? Our brave Hero Lars said "I shall carry you home!" So he did just that. When they got back to Frenchie's house, Lars was far too tired to walk home. SO they asked their parents if it was okay for Lars to stay the night. Mrs. Vonrickter said "it's fine by me, but we don't have any pillows." "Some rats ate them today," finished her husband. This was fine with them. SO they decided to lay on each other.
Moral of the story?
Mooses forget they have magical powers.

I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did! I need to be writing a birthday story for my BFF Danielle. So look for that in the next week or so.
<3 Emi

I Guest Blogged!

The lovely and famous Rachel (some of you may remember her from Princess Anne Goes Missing) let me do a guest post on her blog (it's about my hair - I'm NOT kidding. But it is pretty legit). Check out a bit more of a serious side to me along with some pretty deep posts by the popular Rachel herself. :)
Click on the link!
CLICK IT!
http://vividry-melody.blogspot.com/2010/11/treasures-guest-post-emily.html

Princess Haylie and the Sea Shells

Once upon a time there was a princess named Haylie. But Princess Haylie was very shy so she spent her time roaming the beaches searching for seashells. Her kingdom, Anaidna, was located on a beach. They fished and exported salt and jewelry made from the plentiful shells. But Princess Haylie turned the shells she collected into her friends. She took them skiing, hang gliding, and fed them raisins. They had a grand old time. But one day, Princess Haylie found a shell that was far prettier than the rest of her collection, she decided it was a boy shell and made it the prince of her shell-friends.
Over time, this prince shell became her favorite. One day, it spoke to her. It said "Hello, you are very kind. Please help me."
Princess Haylie promptly fainted, When she came around, the prince shell was more cautious when he spoke again. "Hello. Don't be alarmed. I am Prince Carlos. You are very kind to have saved me."
Princess Haylie was curious but cautious when she replied "what are you? Why can you talk?"
"I am actually a prince turned into a seashell by an evil warlock in my mountain kingdom of Odarloc. The warlock, Mortimer, wanted me to be never heard from again though he was mystically forbidden from killing me. Your kindness has given me the strength to speak again."
Princess Haylie and Prince Carlos continued to speak and they became true friends. Princess Haylie one day asked what she could do to go about restoring Princes Carlos to his human form.
"The spell can only be broken by bathing me in Apple Cider and obtaining a Sherpa Hood before seeking out Mortimer."
"Well, what do you do with the Sherpa hood?"
"I'm not sure," Prince Carlos replied, confused.
"Well, we should get going, then."
Princess Haylie went and asked the castle chef for a glass of warm Apple Cider. while the chef prepared that, Princess Haylie went to the tailor in residence what he knew and could do about a Sherpa hood. The tailor, though befuddled as to the reason the princess would need such a thing, he agreed to make one for her. Princess Haylie took the cider to Prince Carlos and let him bathe. Then, when the tailor brought the Sherpa hood, the two sneaked out of the castle to the stables where they mounted Princess Haylie's magical pony extraordinaire, Jinxie.
After many hours of riding, they had made their way to Mortimer's tower. They knocked tentatively.
“Who dares disturb my enjoyment of roasted marshmallows?” a voice boomed from inside.
Princess Haylie gulped. “Are you sure this is the only way, Prince Carlos?”
“I’m afraid it is, Princess Haylie.”
And so they answered Mortimer. He quickly let them inside.
“How do I break this curse,” Prince Carlos asked.
“I don’t know,” Mortimer said.
Princess Haylie cried. “I love him! But I can’t very well tell my parents that I’m in love with a shell!”
Prince Carlos was dumbstruck.
Mortimer was baffled. “You love this sorry excuse for a prince?”
“With all my heart.”
“They I’ll tell you what you need to know. The curse can’t be broken. Not until the moon is full while a chicken coats popcorn in soggy leaf paste.”
“I don’t believe you,” Princess Haylie cried. “Change him back!” She picked up a candle off the floor and held it to Mortimer’s chest.
“Alright, alright! Just put him on the table.”
Princess Haylie set Prince Carlos down on the table and Mortimer arranged some hairs, lint, cheesy chips and rasins around him. “Jabbaloo kiggup sniveralak,” Mortimer chanted. “Reegerv Malaga reconstituted noodle!”
And suddenly Prince Carlos was covered in a swirling green mist. After Princess Haylie cried out and fanned most of the mist away, a very handsome human Prince Carlos was left in place of the personified shell. They threatened to dip Mortimer in a vat of boiling ketchup if he ever used magic in a bad way again. Then they left. Prince Carlos proposed, Princess Haylie accepted and they lived happily ever after.