Once upon a time, a beautiful girl came across an enchanted castle in her wanderings. She had turned herself around in the forest on the way back to her village, and was in desperate need of rest. She sought sanctuary in this haven, relieved to be safe from the dangers of the forest, but also wary of her good fortune.
Although it was winter outside the castle grounds, the court was green and full of life. The woman found refuge in a lush garden that lay within the stone walls, and meandered through the colorful flowers until a particular blossom caught her eye. It was whiter than snow and softer than silk. She ran her fingers over the petals, amazed that such a beautiful flower could exist. Hoping to bring it back to her own garden, she plucked it from the ground and put it in her pocket. Suddenly, a deep voice rang out from the bushes.
"Hello."
She gasped and stumbled backwards, trampling the flowerbed by accident.
"Careful!"
"I'm sorry," she quavered, "I didn't know anyone lived here. It's so far from the village, and-"
"You're from the village?" the voice asked, "Oh, this is perfect! Tell me: what is your name?"
"Claire," she squeaked.
"Claire . . . Claire . . . That's a wonderful name! I'm Owen. I am the master of this castle."
Claire gulped.
"That's nice, but I really should be going . . ."
"No! You can't leave now! Won't you stay for supper, at least?"
Claire moved slowly towards the gate.
"I can't. I have to be home before dark."
"You can sleep over."
"I don't want to."
"Why not?"
"We're strangers."
"We don't have to be."
Claire reached into her pocket with shaking hands.
"Look, I'm sorry to have bothered you. I'll give back your flower, and-"
As soon as she revealed the blossom, there was a shocked gasp from the bushes.
"Where did you find that?!"
"In the garden."
"Liar! You stole it from my tower, you thief!"
She scoffed with offense, furrowing her brow.
"No, I didn't. I picked this here, not in some tower. Flowers can look alike, you know."
There was a stunned silence.
"You found another one? I didn't know there were two . . . Hand it over."
Claire frowned.
"Don't be rude. You ought to apologize for calling me a liar and a thief."
"Just give me the flower."
"I won't."
"I need it."
"Maybe I should tear it up . . ."
"NO!"
Suddenly, a massive figure burst out of the foliage. Claire shrieked and dropped the flower, which the red giant scooped up with worry.
"Careful, or you'll break it! Do you know how valuable this is?!"
Claire fell back with shock. The horned monster blinked twice, then realized he was in full view.
"Don't run . . ."
Claire crawled backwards a little faster. The animal charged towards her and cut her off.
"Don't be afraid. I didn't mean to shout. You're still invited to supper . . ."
Claire shook her head with her eyes closed tight.
"I can't stay!"
"You have to."
He reached for her, and she gave a frightened whine.
"Don't eat me!"
He pulled his head back with surprise.
"Eat you? Oh, no, no, no, no. You're misunderstanding me. I'm a herbivore. I just thought you might be hungry, and it gets very lo-"
She made a dash for the gate. The dinosaur stomped his foot, and it closed suddenly, as if by magic.
"Look, if you're not going to cooperate, I'll have to force you to stay. I promise, you'll change your mind. I have salad and wine and cheese cubes with those little swords in them . . ."
Claire was curled up in a ball on the ground. She hugged her knees and whimpered feebly. The monster tapped her lightly with his front foot, then picked her up by her shirt collar.
"Let's go inside," he mumbled through a mouthful of cotton, "I'll have a room made up for you."
This is not going well.
Shut up.
