Miranda rolled over lazily and moaned. Looking out of her sunny
window, she grumbled a bit and dove back under the covers. She didn't want
to get up. She heard Rose come in but she pretended to be asleep. Maybe
she'd leave her be. No such luck.
"Miss Miranda, Miss Miranda!" Rose cried, shaking her. "Wake up Miss Miranda! You have to get ready for the suitors!" Miranda grumbled and sat up, rubbing her eyes.
"I'm up! I'm up!" She snapped grouchily, angry her sleep was interrupted. She felt her way out of bed and Rose pulled a dress on her.
"Wake up!" Rose exclaimed, forcefully brushing her hair. She pushed her a little and Miranda nodded over, waking up a little more. The pain she felt from the brushing was enough to wake her up.
"Ouch! Will you be a little gentler, please, Rose?" She snapped once again, wincing at the pain it was causing her. "God! You know Rose, I am a princess, and if you displease me even once I could have you fired, or even killed. So don't get on my bad side."
Miranda was a beautiful but haughty Princess of the kingdom of Geraldia, and every suitor form across the land came to seek her hand. Most were very handsome, charming men, but Miranda turned her nose up at all of them, insisting they were not good enough.
Every day it was the same ritual; the long line of suitors would file in, carrying all of their goods to woo the beautiful woman. Every day they would come in, dressed in their finery, standing in rank order: Kings, princes, dukes, earls. She would walk regally in, dressed in only the finest clothing. She would pass by every man and face each one, finding in him some flaw and making sport of it.
Rose finished brushing her long dark blonde hair and put it up in an elegant style. Miranda stood up and walked to the door, awaiting the suitors. She was in an especially bad mood this morning, and couldn't wait to see what the day's suitors brought her.
She waltzed down the stairs and met the long line of men. She came first upon the lowest ranks, the earls and dukes. She went up to the first man and laughed.
"Ha! He's as round as a tub!" She jeered, looking at his enormous bulk. She went on to the next man, who was quite tall. "What a maypole!" She again laughed. She continued, the next man being very short. "Dumpling!" She cried. The fourth was too pale; she called out, "Wallface!" The fifth was too red, she called him cockscomb.
Oh and on she went, until she reached the end of the line, having insulted each suitor personally. She came to the last man, the one of highest rank. She looked him up and down as he bowed. Despite his fine clothes and his handsome face, Miranda saw his flaw.
"He has no beard!" She giggled, looking at the stubble on his face. "Such a powerful King and all he has is a little stubble? Ha! I shall call him Lack- beard!" She taunted and teased him, circling him and jeering. She went on teasing the King, humbling the kind man until he was completely humiliated. However, he stood unfeeling as if the words weren't piercing his heart. Her father and Mother were leaning over the balcony watching the scene unfold.
"Miranda!" Her father cried. "What on earth are you doing to that kind King? Ungrateful wench!" He stormed down the stairs. "You don't deserve any of these kind gentlemen! By my word as a king I swear I will marry you to the next beggar that comes by this castle!"
"Miss Miranda, Miss Miranda!" Rose cried, shaking her. "Wake up Miss Miranda! You have to get ready for the suitors!" Miranda grumbled and sat up, rubbing her eyes.
"I'm up! I'm up!" She snapped grouchily, angry her sleep was interrupted. She felt her way out of bed and Rose pulled a dress on her.
"Wake up!" Rose exclaimed, forcefully brushing her hair. She pushed her a little and Miranda nodded over, waking up a little more. The pain she felt from the brushing was enough to wake her up.
"Ouch! Will you be a little gentler, please, Rose?" She snapped once again, wincing at the pain it was causing her. "God! You know Rose, I am a princess, and if you displease me even once I could have you fired, or even killed. So don't get on my bad side."
Miranda was a beautiful but haughty Princess of the kingdom of Geraldia, and every suitor form across the land came to seek her hand. Most were very handsome, charming men, but Miranda turned her nose up at all of them, insisting they were not good enough.
Every day it was the same ritual; the long line of suitors would file in, carrying all of their goods to woo the beautiful woman. Every day they would come in, dressed in their finery, standing in rank order: Kings, princes, dukes, earls. She would walk regally in, dressed in only the finest clothing. She would pass by every man and face each one, finding in him some flaw and making sport of it.
Rose finished brushing her long dark blonde hair and put it up in an elegant style. Miranda stood up and walked to the door, awaiting the suitors. She was in an especially bad mood this morning, and couldn't wait to see what the day's suitors brought her.
She waltzed down the stairs and met the long line of men. She came first upon the lowest ranks, the earls and dukes. She went up to the first man and laughed.
"Ha! He's as round as a tub!" She jeered, looking at his enormous bulk. She went on to the next man, who was quite tall. "What a maypole!" She again laughed. She continued, the next man being very short. "Dumpling!" She cried. The fourth was too pale; she called out, "Wallface!" The fifth was too red, she called him cockscomb.
Oh and on she went, until she reached the end of the line, having insulted each suitor personally. She came to the last man, the one of highest rank. She looked him up and down as he bowed. Despite his fine clothes and his handsome face, Miranda saw his flaw.
"He has no beard!" She giggled, looking at the stubble on his face. "Such a powerful King and all he has is a little stubble? Ha! I shall call him Lack- beard!" She taunted and teased him, circling him and jeering. She went on teasing the King, humbling the kind man until he was completely humiliated. However, he stood unfeeling as if the words weren't piercing his heart. Her father and Mother were leaning over the balcony watching the scene unfold.
"Miranda!" Her father cried. "What on earth are you doing to that kind King? Ungrateful wench!" He stormed down the stairs. "You don't deserve any of these kind gentlemen! By my word as a king I swear I will marry you to the next beggar that comes by this castle!"