No Common Princess
Chapter 1
The waves crash against the rocks, sending a light, salty spray to splash against my face. I inhale the fresh, salty air, glorifying in the wilds of the ocean. My name is Andromeda, and this is my home, the Island of Iopa. I have lived here all my life, although I one day dream of sailing away to foreign lands, meeting strange people and learning about their culture.
"Andromeda!" I turn to see my nursemaid struggling to climb the rocks that my nimble feet had so easily ascended. I sigh, and reluctantly hasten to go back to the palace, and my lessons.
That was the last hint of freedom I've had for ten years. I have been imprisoned inside my own palace because of my beauty. Frankly, I would give Mother my looks in exchange for the enjoyment of exploring among the rocks and caverns, dreaming of one day leaving for good.
"Andromeda!" I look up sharply to see my nursemaid-turned-governess glaring at me. "Pay attention!"
She continues on. "Now we turn to the latest heroes…"
I sigh. This is how it is every day. She always drones on about heroes, telling me to pick a husband one day that's even half as fine as they. But I don't want a husband, at least not for awhile yet… all the men I know are stiff and snobby. Father is the noblest one I know, and the only comfort I have in my palace prison. He's been teaching me archery and swordplay, something that keeps me entertained, if nothing else. He's also been teaching me about chivalry and being a noble ruler. It's everything I need to know to become queen one day, if Mother doesn't marry me off to the next prince she sees first.
"Andromeda, who did Perseus slay?"
"Huh?" I jump in my seat, startled.
"Not paying attention again, I see." She turns and closes the shutters in the room, my only glimpse of the sea, and the only glimpse of freedom I have.
"Oh, open them, please!" I beg. I'm surprised I haven't pined away already. She shakes her head stubbornly. "I'm determined that you will learn today, dear," she says. "Especially as your mother has invited him to the feast this evening, along with your soon-to-be-fiancé."
I groan. My soon-to-be-fiancé is some prince or something of that sort. His name is so complicated I just call him Highness. He's a royal pain who much reminds me of a sheep in wolf's clothing, bragging about how brave he is, but then just hiding behind his royal father when he's in danger. I detest him, and Mother knows that.
"Now come along, we must get you all dressed up," my teacher says, and I glance up to realize that she had finished the lesson. I get up and reluctantly follow her, just as I followed her to my jail ten years before.
In my chambers, she drags the comb through my unruly raven curls, causing me to yelp. "Danna, don't do that!" I mutter angrily.
"How do you manage to get such tangled hair when you don't even go outside the palace walls anymore?" she asks through gritted teeth, using all the strength she can muster to guide the comb through my untamed locks.
Finally, an hour and twenty curses later, I am ready, but not happy. I have on a silken dress that accentuates my tiny curves, and my hair has been braided and wrapped around my head, and Danna has left a few tendrils to fall down, tickling my neck, and giving me a soft, feminine look. She has powdered my cheeks until I started coughing, and my lashes look to be a few centimetres longer than they already are. My lips are outlined with a pomegranate colour, and my sea green eyes stand out like a woman among a bunch of men. The woman in the mirror is a stranger, not the girl who likes to be free to roam among the rocks and sally with the gulls. I am afraid to leave my chambers. I don't want to attract the hearts of men I do not know, I don't want to end up engaged to someone I hate. I want to choose my destiny. But I fear I shall not have the liberty to have my wish granted.
"Come now, don't be so shy," Danna says impatiently, pulling me along the corridor. I trip on the hem of my dress, falling to the ground.
"You silly girl," Danna chides me, and my face burns as I see guests turn to look in our direction. I hastily stand up and hurry away with Danna, but not before I catch a glimpse of Highness out of the corner of my eye. He's smirking, enjoying my pain. I clench my fists together in anger, determined not to give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry.
At the banquet hall, Danna deposits me at the end of the table with all the young men, telling me to behave and look pretty. I'm terrified, of all the eyes turning to stare at me, and what all the minds are thinking. I gulp, and sit up straight, staring them all in the eyes, even though it's hard to do without blushing.
Suddenly the room goes quiet, and I know my royal parents have arrived. Mother starts down the banquet hall steps first, pausing now and then to let people admire her beauty. My stomach rumbles, and I duck my head as some of the men turn to stare at me, smirks on their cruel faces.
Then Father comes, and I look up, hoping to catch eye contact, praying that he'll realize that I'm in a horrible state. But he's too busy making sure Mother doesn't flirt herself to death with some of the nobles. I sigh and start to eat once they have. I'm not quite sure if I'm supposed to eat with tiny bites or not, but since I'm supposed to be dainty and fragile, I take moderate bites, swallowing each one before starting another. It's a painful way to eat, especially when you're ravenous, but I wasn't going to risk embarrassing myself in front of so many people. Suddenly I realize that all the young men are staring at me, and I look up, glaring. One of them, a handsome one with startling blue eyes, smiles kindly at me. I blink in surprise, and give a tentative smile back. Then he goes back to eating, while some start to jeer at me.
One of them nudges my arm so that I spill soup on my lap, and another asks me if I think I am too good to talk to them. I feel my heart pounding rapidly in fear.
"Stop that this instant. Is that any way to treat a lady?" The teasing stops when the blue eyed youth speaks up in my defence.
"What do you know, Perseus? It's not like you have ever had the favour of a lady before."
"But I also haven't left her to rot," Perseus retorted.
My head is spinning. I have Perseus on my side?
Then I feel angry at him for saying something. "I was fine without your help," I mutter. He cocks an eyebrow. "Really?" he asks, his tone disbelieving. I hear a few snickers, and glare. "Yes, really," I spit. "You men are all alike, pigs and fools, feasting off of my misery. I hope you all burn in Tarturus."
There are a few collective gasps as I stand up and stalk out of the hall, leaving my mother writhing in rage at my rashness, and my father shaking his head sadly. Not to mention I've probably made a few enemies of the surrounding countries. This day can't get much worse.
I run through the palace, grabbing my skirt and lifting it up so as not to trip. I run out into the gardens, and towards the castle wall. I try vainly to climb the wall, but slide down to the ground. In my anger and pain, I wrap my arms around myself and bury my head in them, sobbing.
My tears trickle down my face, washing my makeup away like rain, and the liner stings my eyes, but I don't care. All the emotional torment is being flooded away, and as I sigh and lean back against the garden wall, I feel stronger than ever before.
I close my eyes, but suddenly hear the rustle of grass close by. My eyes jerk open as I hastily look around, hoping to catch sight of my stalker. Then, right before my eyes, alights the figure of a man, who sits down beside me. I know enough from the stories that this is Perseus, the man with the flying shoes of Hermes himself.
"What are you doing here?" I mutter. Up close it's plain to see that he must cause a lot of girls' hearts to throb. Aside from having the bluest eyes you have ever seen, he has golden locks that shone like the sun. I avoid his eyes, ashamed of my behaviour earlier.
"Listen," he begins. "I'd like to apologize for the way I and my comrades behaved earlier." I nod.
"I'm sorry for being so rude as to say… what I did."
"We might have deserved it." We smile at each other, and I quickly look away, blushing, but I'm grateful that he understands.
"So, Perseus, I've heard a lot about you… but what's true? What's the real story?"
"I'll gladly tell you, but only if you grace me with your own story."
"I don't have much of one, and it's long and tedious."
He smiles, showing teeth that make the purest pearl ashamed to shine. "That's fine, we have lots of time."
A/n: I hope you like my story. I always loved the story of Perseus and Andromeda, and this story is to personalize it, and show how hard it is to be a girl when your mother is jealous of you, and you've lost the freedom you loved so much. Please review!