The Fairy Princess
Long long ago, in an ancient kingdom, there lived a royal family. The Queen, Era, was a beautiful and brave woman with a heart full of kindness and mercy. The King, Julus, was a gentle but firm man who ruled with dignity and justice. They had a beautiful daughter, Princess Shazrina, who had blonde hair that shone like gold and blue eyes as clear as crystals. She was known for her innocence as much as for her beauty. Both her parents loved her dearly and so did the kingdom as she was the only heir to the throne! Majorly, since she was generous and humble despite her royal stature.
Shazrina was the apple of everyone’s eyes and all her wishes were fulfilled, except one. The wish to venture out of the palace! Her parents were overly protective of her. They kept her inside the castle, never allowing her outside the gates. It had taken months of convincing for them to even allow a few of the village children inside the palace to play with her.
For years together, she played hide and seek inside the castle with her friends who came to visit her. By now, she knew the castle like the back of her hand. But for how long could this go on? Shazrina was rapidly growing tired of playing in the same castle repeatedly and so were her friends. It was never spoken aloud, as she was the Princess, but she could tell. However, they did often share their stories of the outside world! That was something she always looked forward to.
As the years went on and her friends continued telling her their fantastical stories of adventure and magic, her yearning for the outside world became stronger. She was desperate to feel the grass of the farmland beneath her feet and the wind on her face. Shazrina would stand at her window every day, leaning on the sill as she looked out at the country below her. Her dreams slowly seemed to slip from her grasp the longer she stayed inside the castle walls.
Finally, one day, she thought, she’d had enough. That evening, she had as usual spent time with her friends, while they spoke to her of all the amazing things they had been doing. Ronan was recently knighted and had been participating in jousts, Clara had been taken on as the Alchemist’s apprentice, and Jael was training to become a healer. All of her companions had been out in the world following their pursuits while Shazrina was kept inside the castle, learning nothing but useless traits for nobility. And she was done with it. After all her friends had left, she once again stood at her window, fingertips digging into the rock as she thought.
It would be so easy to slip away in the dead of night. Everyone was asleep and she knew the guard rotation would be in a few minutes. If she wanted to do anything about seeing the world beyond the walls that had enclosed her for her entire life, now would be the time to do it. From what she could gather from the stories her father told her, he was an adventurous Prince and his parents were hardly able to keep him contained. When she asked why it wasn’t the same for her, his answer had been frustratingly vague, telling her that young princesses don’t go outside the castle until they become Queen.
She had almost cursed her father at the time, but had been able to hold her tongue. Now, though, the thought of sneaking away for the night was becoming more appealing by the moment. She jumped as she was jolted out of her thoughts by a sudden knock on the door. She turned slightly, her hair cascading down her back.
“Come in.” she called.
The door silently opened to reveal Vera, Shazrina’s handmaiden. “Will you be needing anything else tonight, miss?” she asked.
Shazrina looked the other girl over and almost dismissed her before a thoughtful expression took over. The two sixteen-year-olds were about the same size. Vera was almost as tall as the Princess, but a little weightier. She wore a simple tunic, leggings and skirt, and a pair of soft leather boots. “Vera, come here.” she said. The other girl did as she was told, closing the door behind her with a soft click.
“What is it, milady?”
“I need your clothes.”
Vera’s eyebrows shot up and she looked at the princess incredulously. “E-excuse me, miss?” she asked in confusion.
“Can you keep a secret?” Shazrina asked. “Not just from the other maids, but from my parents as well?”
The other girl nodded solemnly and Shazrina launched into a quick explanation. “I want to see the outside just once,” she explained earnestly, her eyes pleading with the maid to understand. “I don’t know if I’m going to have the chance to again.”
With a resigned nod, the maid agreed. After all, how could she refuse the princess?! She handed the clothes to her mistress, who handed her a simple dress in return. And not knowing how to dress in servant’s clothes, Vera helped Shazrina into the outfit.
“Be careful, miss. It’s the full moon tonight. You never know what dangers are lurking out there.”
Shazrina grinned. “I will! Thank you, Vera.”
Vera smiled. “Of course. Now, go!”
Without further ado, the princess quickly and quietly sneaked her way out of the room and down the hall before the guard change was complete. The hallway was left empty for a little over a minute, which gave Shazrina the opportunity she needed to make her escape. She used all of the secret passages and hidden corridors that she could think of to get out of the maze that was the castle.
Once outside, she slipped through the stables, where she knew the servants’ quarters were located. And using the light of the full moon to guide her, she made her way through the castle walls.
When her booted feet hit the soft grass outside the woods, she let out a breathy laugh, throwing her arms to the side and spinning in a circle. Fireflies lit up the sky around her as she moved, the grass swaying in the breeze that the skirt was creating. She couldn’t believe that she had actually done it. The moon was still low in the sky and she knew she had all night to explore.
And with that, she began her secret adventure, little knowing that it would change her life forever.
She made her way through the village, the market, and the livestock barns. Her eyes were wide the entire time she tried to take in the entirely new world that was before her. How had she not realized there was so much more to the world than what she could see from her window? The world around her was breathtaking. And at the moment, it was hers to explore. Glancing behind her to make sure she hadn’t caught any unwanted attention, she pulled the hood of her cloak up and started down the dirt path that led out of the village towards the woods.
She lost track of the time she spent walking, instead focusing on the beauty around her. The deeper she got into the woods, the more picturesque the scenery became. The fireflies seemed to double in number around her, the blue, orange, purple, and white flowers growing alongside the path seemed to glow, and the trees were swaying in the wind. The moon cast a blue glow to the world below, lighting up the path well enough for Shazrina to see where she was going. After a few more minutes of walking, she came across a pristine river. Confusion took over her expression as she looked around. The trail she had been following ended at an old stone bridge that was falling apart.
She looked from side to side, looking for another path to cross. The closer she got to the river, the more confused she became. There seemed to be an echo that surrounded her, sounding a lot like a song. Shazrina paused, trying to make out what it was. The breeze picked up slightly, knocking down a few more leaves. She watched the bright red leaves flutter down from the heavens and land with ripples on the water in front of her. A purple glow lit up the ripples as the leaves fell, making Shazrina’s eyes widen in wonder.
Kneeling down at the edge of the river, she reached out, her fingers brushing against the water’s surface. She was even more surprised to find that her finger simply skated off the liquid, no matter how hard she pressed. Standing up and brushing herself off before removing her boot, she looked around again and tentatively set her foot on the water. She was surprised when her foot didn’t sink straight to the bottom. She put her full weight on the water before taking another step, her foot stepping on the maple leaves that had just recently fallen. With every step she took, she watched in amazement as each leaf let out a burst of light, all a different color. She laughed as she continued walking, picking up her pace so that she was almost dancing across the leaves.
She spun as she moved, her laugh practically lighting up the world around her as she made her way across the water. She practically jumped when her feet hit solid ground again. Shazrina paused before turning around, her mouth almost dropping open at the new world that surrounded her. The trees were covered with a glowing moss and the fireflies were so much brighter than before she crossed the river. She spun in a circle, looking up to the sky to see several different colored, small balls of light. Purple, blue, and green lit up the air around her, spinning and dancing through the sky.
Several squirrels let out chirps as they scampered across the leaf covered ground, the leaves still letting out bursts of light. The flowers swayed in the breeze, their own colors brightened by the lights. Her bare feet sank into the earth below her, and she took a deep breath before throwing her head back and letting out another laugh. She wiggled her toes in the dirt as she took in the beauty of it all.
As she stood there, simply soaking it all up, she was surprised to see one of the purple lights approaching her.
“Hello Shazrina! Welcome to the world of magic.”
Shazrina jumped at the voice that echoed through the night. “H-hello?” she responded, unsure of herself, looking around as she tried to place the voice, that was both deep and composed.
“You have been awaited for a long time.”
Shazrina narrowed her eyes as the light continued to draw closer to her. When it was only a few inches away, she managed to make out the shape. A woman, only about eight centimeters high, with white hair and glowing wings, was hovering in front of her. Shazrina stepped back in surprise as she asked. “Who are you?”
“My name is of no importance. What matters is finally you are here!”
Shazrina looked at her, confused. “What do you mean?”
“It is indeed the right time for you to enter this world. You are meant to be here for a great purpose.”
Shazrina frowned and shook her head. “What do you mean? I don’t understand.”
The small woman, who Shazrina realized must be a fairy, shook her head. “This is the world of fae. And you are here, for you are destined to be a fairy who can rid this world of its suffering!
The young princess frowned. “A fairy?”
“Not just a fairy. The greatest fairy this world has ever known!”
Shazrina had a bewildered look on her face; one that held confusion more than surprise. She asked with a hint of perplexity in her voice, “The greatest fairy? But I’m not a fairy...and I don’t know any magic…”
The old fairy in front of her smiled generously before continuing. “Of course you don’t, child. But if you choose to stay in our world, you can learn! But, my dear, I’m afraid that you will have to leave the ordinary world you have known behind.”
All this was too much for Shazrina to take in at once. She was still caught up in the wonder of it all, pondering over where she had landed. What the fairy in front of her was saying sounded like a dream come true. But it was equally overwhelming. Was it all real? Or was this just a dream?
Lost in her trail of thoughts, Shazrina looked around the world of wonders that she had discovered. As she looked, she started to notice movement. And the closer she looked, the more she could see. Children were peeking out from behind large tree trunks, their bright blue eyes and pointed ears making her gasp. Short, bearded men were coming out from behind large rocks, their eyes quizzical as they watched her. She turned, seeing rounded men with pointed hats and short, white beards.
“What is this place?” she breathed out.
The fairy once again called her to attention. “You are meant to become a part of this world, Shazrina. You are meant to be one of us. It is time for you to begin walking on the path you are meant to!”
Shazrina tucked her bottom lip between her teeth, her cloak billowing around her in the breeze, kicking up a few leaves that left a light trail in their wake. She had told herself that this little adventure she was having would only last for the night. She knew that her parents would be worried sick about her if she accepted the offer from the old fairy in front of her. She knew they would turn the kingdom upside down looking for her. She loved her parents dearly and didn’t want to cause them any undue worry.
But what this fairy was offering her was something she had always dreamed of; being a part of something magical and wonderful, doing what she could to help people. After all, these fae folk were a part of the kingdom, weren’t they? And they were asking her for help. Who was she to refuse?
So, after some thought, and with a slow nod, Shazrina agreed, thinking that once her training was complete she would return back to her kingdom and her family while also fulfilling her destiny.
A week later, the Kingdom was in turmoil. Since the morning that the Princess had been discovered missing, the Queen had been frantic. The King had ordered all sizes of search parties to hunt through the entire land to find his daughter. He had employed the best trackers and hunters in the kingdom to find her.
They had almost exhausted all of their resources. Era was pacing back and forth in the throne room, her mind receding to the dark depths of her subconscious. She hadn’t eaten anything in the last few days, despite the urgings of her husband. She was beginning to feel sick from the stress of it all and Julus was becoming more concerned with each passing moment.
“What if she’s gone forever?” she asked her husband, dropping to her knees and hugging her middle. “What if she found the gateway?” The tears fell freely from her eyes and her sobs racked her body, the sound echoing through the empty throne room. “What are we going to do?” she wailed.
Julus sighed quietly before approaching Era, getting on his knees beside her and wrapping his arms around her. “We’ll find her.” he said slowly. “I know we will.”
Shazrina no longer paid attention to the time she spent in the fae world. The days were beginning to blur together as she went through part of the adaption period. She had spent the majority of her time with the Fairy Godmother, soaking up all the information she could about the world she was becoming a part of. She was willing to put forth all the effort she could in order to reach her goal of finally becoming a fairy.
She was slowly learning about her duties and the role she would play in their world. Our world, she corrected herself on many occasions. She found herself missing the warm embrace of her mother and the kind words of her father. But, then she remembered why she was doing this in the first place. She had been dreaming of it for a long time, and now it was becoming a reality. She had the chance to do something important, and make a difference to this world.
But she needed some time to herself.
So, one afternoon, she took off walking in the woods. Her bare feet padded across the forest floor as she walked, leaving small indentions in the ground. The skirt she wore was made by one of the little elven girls, a vibrant shade of purple that came from the huge petals of flowers that adorned most of the trees. She hummed to herself as she walked, exploring a part of the forest she hadn’t been to before.
As she continued walking, she came across different people; elves, dwarves, and gnomes alike. She was learning the name of each person who lived in the forest and they in turn were growing more accustomed to having the princess in their world. They greeted her with smiles and waves as she walked, some of the children even running up to give her a hug.
It wasn’t long before she lost her sense of direction and found herself enjoying the stroll.
“Excuse me, miss?”
She paused in her steps, looking around for whoever had called out to her. “Yes?” she asked, her eyes searching the landscape.
“Over here.”
She followed the sound of the voice to see a small frog sitting on a fallen log a few feet away from her. She got down on her knees to look, a small frown on her face. The frog’s bottom half was a dark blue with black spots that faded into a bright orange on its head, the same black spots adorning him. “You can talk?”
The frog chuckled. “Of course I can. All animals here can talk. Some are just quieter than others.”
“What’s your name?” she asked.
He grinned at her as best as a frog could. “Jupuxfred.”
She arched an eyebrow. “That’s quite the mouthful…”
He chuckled again. “You can call me Pux.” he said. “You’re the Princess, aren’t you?”
She nodded. “My name is Shazrina.”
He jumped towards her and she held out her hand, allowing him to land there. “A pleasure, princess.”
Shazrina chuckled. “I’ve never met an animal that talks.”
“Then you must not meet many animals.”
She let out a snort of laughter and brought him a little closer to examine him. “I guess not.” Shazrina noticed the way he jumped towards her and raised himself up towards her shoulder. “Where are you from?”
“The rainy area of the forest.” he explained. “But sometimes I like to go exploring.”
She nodded. Shazrina could appreciate the sentiment. “Well, Pux, we should explore together. I’ve never seen this part of the forest.”
Pux nodded, agreeing happily. He told her the direction she should go in and she started walking again. They continued their conversation as they walked, each learning about the other. He told her about the adventures he had been having on her side of the forest and of all the different things on his side of the forest. She told him of everything that she had been learning and how much she enjoyed living with the fae.
“There’s a place I know that I think you would like!” he exclaimed after a long conversation.
“Really?” she asked. “Where?”
He chuckled. “I can’t take you there now. You should get back to the Godmother. But it’s a beautiful place, full of music and dancing and laughter.”
She smiled at the thought. “That sounds wonderful!”
“Oh, it is.” he agreed. “But for now, I’ll leave you to your studies.” With that, he said a quick goodbye to the princess, hopping down off her shoulder and back onto the ground. “I’ll see you again tomorrow?”
She nodded happily. “Oh, definitely!”
The next few days flew by in a blur. Shazrina kept her outings with Pux a secret from Godmother, as Pux was showing her places in the forest where Shazrina had been forbidden to go, as she wasn’t ready to see it. She enjoyed her time with Pux more than she had enjoyed the company of anyone else. As their friendship grew, she saw the other, more mischievous side of him, as they snuck out to a festival one evening.
It was in the rainy side of the forest, where Pux was from. As always, he sat on her shoulder as Shazrina walked, following his directions.
“Does it rain all the time here?” she asked, ducking under the large leaves of the trees in order to keep the falling water off of her.
He shrugged, nodding to a path that was hidden from view. “Not all the time, no.” he said. “Sometimes we can see the sun. But that doesn’t happen often. The trees are too big.”
Shazrina nodded as she made her way through the maze of jungle, ducking under vines and climbing over fallen logs. “How much farther do we have to go?”
“Not far, princess.”
She rolled her eyes. No matter what she told him, he refused to call her anything else besides the nickname he had given her. She neglected to tell him that it sent a pang of sadness through her heart, making her think of home. It made him happy. So, she was happy.
When she finally climbed out of the brush, her eyes widened as she stared at the scene in front of her. The jungle canopy served to keep the floor beneath dry. There was a group of dwarves standing to the far right, all playing a different type of instrument to keep the music going as elves danced and pixies flew close to the canopy, their bright colors lighting up the world beneath them. Gnomes sat over to the left, using their illusions to entertain the children, who were laughing and watching them in wonder. Shazrina turned in a circle, taking all of it in. She hadn’t seen a gathering that fantastic in a long time. Even the parties her parents would have were never as grand as this.
“Well? What do you think?” Pux asked.
She grinned as she turned her head to look down at him. “This is amazing, Pux. Thank you for bringing me here.”
She jumped in surprise as an elf grabbed her hand, pulling her into the throng of dancing. She laughed as she allowed herself to be sucked into the festivities, losing all sense of time. As long as she made it back before the sun began to rise, she would be okay. She lost herself in the sound of music, letting the adventurous teenager within her take over for a few hours. She needed as much entertainment as she could get. Her lessons with the Fairy Godmother were more rigorous than she had expected, and it was beginning to take its toll on her.
By the end of the next week, Shazrina was a little confused. Time seemed to be passing slower than she originally thought. Her lessons had gotten more exciting, going from simple wand usage to complex illusions and spells. Her adventures with Pux were becoming a part of her daily routine and she enjoyed every moment she had to spend with him. But at the same time, she was worried about her parents and was hoping she could be done with all of this soon.
One evening, she and Pux were walking close to the fae kingdom, on a path that led to a stream beside an old well. She sat on a fallen log with a sigh, running her hand through her hair. “I can’t wait to become a fairy, Pux.” she said.
He hopped down from her shoulder onto the log she was seated on. “I know, princess. But it will all be behind you before you know it!”
She nodded in agreement, letting out a satisfied breath as she stretched out. Just then, she heard a rustling in the leaves and she looked around to place the sound. “Hello?” she called.
Pux looked up from the spot where he had curled up, blinking slowly as a fawn approached from the other side of the stream. Shazrina let out a small coo, a smile crossing her face.
“Hey there, sweetheart,” she said, leaning forward a bit. The fawn still held its spots, and its big, black eyes were wide with curiosity.
“I haven’t seen you here before,” the fawn said, cocking her head to the side. “What’s your name?”
Shazrina was a little taken aback by the sudden voice coming from the deer, but then she remembered what Pux had told her. All animals could talk, some were just quieter than others. “My name is Shazrina.”
The fawn’s ears twitched and she came a little closer. “Oh, you’re the one that Godmother is teaching!” she exclaimed.
Shazrina giggled and nodded. “Yes.”
The fawn cocked her head. “You must miss your home sometimes,” Shazrina nodded in agreement, saying, “Yes, sometimes I do. But I do love living here. This is a beautiful world, too!”
The fawn leapt over the stream, landing directly in front of the princess. “That’s very kind of you princess. But you must be missing the king and the queen. Why don’t you just use a spell to get done quicker?” she asked, confusion taking over her expression.
Shazrina frowned. “There’s no such spell!” she exclaimed. “What’s your name, little one?”
“Masa. And how do you know? Have you tried?”
The princess shook her head. She had thought about it many times, of course, and she thought it would be much easier than what she was going through at the moment. But she didn’t want to do anything that might upset her Godmother. The wise old fairy had been so kind to her, and patient in her teachings. Shazrina didn’t want to take that for granted. But she also wanted to go home to relieve the worry that her parents surely felt.
“No, I haven’t.”
Masa danced with her front hooves, throwing her head back a bit. “I know a spell that can help you!” she said excitedly. “I overheard some fairies talking about it earlier.”
Shazrina narrowed her eyes, not quite believing it. “Really?”
The fawn nodded enthusiastically. “Yes! All you have to do is repeat after me.”
“I don’t know…” she said, unsure of what to do. She glanced down at Pux, who had his eyes narrowed. “What do you think, Pux?”
He looked up to her. “I don’t think this is a good idea, princess. I don’t want you to leave me and go back to your world.”
She laughed. “Oh Pux, don’t be so sentimental. I am not going to go without you.” She tucked her bottom lip between her teeth as she thought it over. It was an appealing offer, one that she would find hard to refuse. It would make everything so much easier, and she wouldn’t have to spend the long time in her training. “Okay.” she finally agreed.
Masa danced in excitement, letting out a chortle. “Repeat after me,” she said.
“Spells of fire spells of hell
As you see so shall you tell
As you hear so shall you learn
As you fall so shall you rise
As you sleep so shall you wake
Chances are but a piece of cake
All you need is to eat the cake
Spells of fire Spells of hell”
Shazrina did as she was told, reciting the words with the fawn. There was a rustle of wind and then suddenly Pux let out a terrified yelp. Her head whipped around, eyes wide with fear. “Pux?!” she exclaimed.
He was slowly fading from view, his terrified voice turning to an echo in the wind. She dropped to her knees in front of the spot he had just occupied, sobs flying from her mouth. “Pux!”
She turned back to Masa, tears in her eyes. “Why would you do such a thing?!” she demanded.
The fawn let out a dark chuckle, slowly changing her shape. She disappeared in a burst of dark red light, reappearing as a dark fairy in front of her. “You don’t deserve the attention and praise that you’re getting.” she snarled. “You needed to be taught a lesson.” And with that, she turned and flew away, leaving Shazrina on her knees in the forest, sobs racking her body.
After she managed to compose herself, she unsteadily rose to her feet, her knees wobbling as she stood. With her vision blurred, she managed to stumble her way back to the fairy godmother and poured her heart out.
“I understand your pain, child.” the wise fairy told her. “But you must understand that while this is a world of magic and fairies, there are still many dangers lurking that you need to be aware of. Appearances can be deceptive; and you can’t always believe what you see!
“Is there anything I can do to get Pux back?” Shazrina asked, mourning the loss of her friend.
The Godmother looked at the remorse the young girl showed, the pain she felt, and the guilt that riddled her. She took pity on her young prodigy. “There is one way. But I’m afraid its a difficult choice.”
Shazrina nodded eagerly. “Anything for Pux.”
It took Godmother a moment to respond, wanting to make sure that Shazrina was going to be willing to hear what she had to say.“You must leave this world and return to yours. You can never be a part of the Fae Kingdom. The spell can be reversed only by giving up on what you desired for when you chose to use the spell.”
Shazrina was taken aback at what she heard, but she somehow managed to wipe the tears from her eyes and nod sadly, resigning herself to the fact that she would never see her beloved fae world again. But deep inside she knew, the sacrifice she was going to make was going to be worth saving Jupuxfred.
“Goodbye, child.”
Shazrina took a deep breath and closed her eyes, feeling a whip of wind crash around her. When she opened her eyes, she was standing at the edge of the woods, brown leaves rusting around her. Much to her surprise, she was wearing the same clothes she had first discovered the Fae Kingdom in. And the castle gate wasn’t far from where she was standing. Wrapping her arms around her middle, she made her way inside, shivering slightly at the cold fall air.
When she was barely inside the castle walls, her mother and father came running out to meet her, and a sudden pang struck her heart. Tears welled up in her eyes as she realized how much she missed them. She collapsed into their arms as they all wept, holding her close and pressing kisses to her forehead.
When asked about where she had disappeared to, she simply said she was lost. That she had gone for a walk and become disoriented. It wasn’t a complete lie, which made her feel the slightest bit better, but her heart ached at the thought of leaving all the fae she had come to know and love behind. Especially Pux. She would miss him the most.
Later that evening, after the evening meal and the festivities that celebrated her return had ended, Shazrina found herself seeking the solitude of her room. She numbly sat on her bed, hands folded across her lap as she stared blankly at the wall in front of her. It was all slowly sinking in and she realized she was probably in shock. She was once again forever stuck in the walls of the castle where she would never be able to reach her destiny.
Sitting there, lost in thought as she watched the candle burn down, she was suddenly jerked out of her thoughts by a tapping at her window. Still a little dazed, she stood and made her way over to the frosty pane, her eyes skimming the area to see who was there. When she saw no one, she heard another knock.
“Down here, princess!”
Her eyes widened as she practically threw open the window, getting down on her knees to come face to face with the small frog that had become her best friend. “Pux!” she exclaimed, a smile taking over her features. “You’re alright!”
He laughed and hopped up onto her shoulder. “Of course I am, silly.”
“But...but the spell…”
Pux shook his head with a broad smile. “Fairy Godmother reversed it.”
She wanted so badly to hug him but settled for a pat on his head, not sure if his small body could handle a hug. “I’m so happy, Pux.”
He chuckled. “I know. I am too.”
Then she frowned. “But I can’t go on our adventures anymore. I can’t enter the Fae Kingdom.”
Pux shrugged. “Then I’ll come to visit you here. After all, what is a princess without her frog?”
Later that evening, long after Pux had returned to his world and Shazrina was fast asleep, a crystal blue glow could be seen from the crack under her door. Inside the room, the princess was lying in her bed, sleeping peacefully as two large, crystalline wings were forming on her back.
Meanwhile, in the Fae Kingdom, Pux hopped over to the Fairy Godmother, his head cocked to the side. “I wanted to say thank you, Godmother.”
The wise fairy smiled at him. “It wasn’t my doing, Jupuxfred. It was Shazrina. While we all make mistakes, we can always learn from them, and sometimes, change the outcome if we are willing enough.”
And so began the story of Shazrina, Princess of two worlds.