This is Anthology 1
being the first part of the Disney Princess Anthology
PRINCESS SNOW WHITE
"Is life like a dream? Could it be like a nightmare? Does everything make sense? Does nothing? Why am I here? Why do I exist?" (1969).
Some people have recently asked about the circumstances for me leaving my royal family behind. Some have even critisized me. But why would I want to live a life of empty luxury? Can earthly riches blind a man in a way that makes him do less than good, or even evil, deeds? I was fortunate to have my stepmother around. Without her, I'd still be sitting on the Genova throne like a lame duck.
You might see her as very cruel, but in fact Agatha (her name) wanted me to live an independent life, free from the doldrums that come with royalty. She did marry my father, the king, but only because she fell in love with him. (It was said that my mother died giving birth to me, so I don't have a mom). She was the only open sorceress, and goddess-follower, among priests and god-followers whom if she hadn't married, they'd would have her dead. Of course, I wasn't allowed to visit that side of her until I was seven, but first let me tell you of my childhood before that would happen.
My step-mom did make me do all the hard labours in the castle (very much a dirty white with some splendid window paintings) explaining that most of the commoners had to undergo that "undesirable" element. It did make me hate her for some time, but after awhile, I got used to it. I became physically stronger than any other woman in the castle. Talk about already being a bohemian! It had it's benefits, I could outrun any bullying boy if I wanted to. I could even beat him up (though I wasn't into violence and stuff). But at six, I wanted to wear the shirt and trousers (so I could work comfortably) when my "attendants" wanted me in a dress.
One time, during my free time in the castle (I was now seven years old), I decided to roam the castle freely, as pure child's play. I went into the basement room (there was only one room in the basement of the castle, and it was well kept secret, until I discovered it quite on accident). The basement room, as I realized, was a secret laboatory for my stepmom to practice weilding her spells. The room itself was weird and creepy (compared to a chapel that was nearby). My stepmom was there creating something with glowing green goo and an apple. She saw me, but instead of scorning me, as I expected, she gave me a hug, knowing that I wasn't offended with the sight (I've been told that Christ was the only way). Then she told me some of the stuff she knew about as if I would be her apprentice one day (I was too scared to try it, since it involved giving part of my life force to cast it). Needless to say, I didn't became like her, but it did encourage me to finally run off, which became my favorite moment since it was the day I gained my freedom.
So, where did I left to? I followed the trail of the runaway Irishmen to America. I basically trailed my way to the ship (it was very small and ruddy compared to the Olympic). The ship I boarded landed on Ellis Island on a September in the year 1899, a year which most of it's citizens still were accustomed to the Victorian way of life (if you can't picture the scene, well read a Dickens novel). I entered the States alone, which to their eyes was both strange and welcome, since I was being read as a bachelorette (there was still some sexual element though very stinted).
Using the valuables I carried over from my old royal family, I decided to start up my own coffee shop in what would be Times Square. The patrons there did somehow minded that I was alone and without a man on this, but their worries were taken care of, since my coffees were regarded as the best. The enterprise did not make any money in the beginning so I lived in the shop. The money then came in slowly and then started to accelerate to the point I was able to by a flat space right next to the shop. The flat was like the flat Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson would have on Baker St.
The money would continue to come, but it got to be very boring. So, by 1910, I decided to take up painting as a main occupation while hiring another woman to be the server in the coffee house. That way, I would retrain a part of the profits while not having to be bothered by people constantly (the shop was open everyday except Sundays). I still had my painting supplies from my childhood. I painted one just out of imagination. It was crap. I was rusted from painting. I decided I needed practice. So I just began painting up scenery from New York life. I don't have the originals with me, but they included a couple riding a bike in the streets with autos, a group of people running away from an incoming trolley. They were nice.
I already had a group of friends before Bellene the writer/reader came in. She was well supported of my efforts to create worthwhile pieces, but at the same time she wasn't well interested in the arts, save literature, prose, poetry, etc. I could read many times a piece without a slight understanding (I didn't get a chance of reading as I was distracted by many people, not just the royals). There were many other differences between us, such as the style of dressing. Belle's was more elaborate compared to my style of a simple white flannel with occasional paint stains. She actually knew more than I did (or so I thought). The differences didn't actually matter much.
The twenties hit, and somehow I got swept by a need to change my style to a more flashy one. Plus I also got into hard drinks such as whisky. I would go in a flapper and go to a bar (called speakeasies, they were those illegal places). I've met the other two Princesses Abbuderi and Ella (they were already in New York in a different area) once while having Canadian beer. Belle was just sitting down to a book ocassionally coming to a drink of red wine. A band was performing hot jazz, and Ella and Abbu had come in. I in a drunken state came up to the stage and began to sing. I sang so hard that my clothes started to fall apart. I kept singing until I sobered up and by that time I began to hear sirens. We were all in a huge panic, but there was a small hidden compartment were we could hide until the bust was over. We all hid there.
It was the most embarrassing moment for all of us, but it was the first time we thought of a group for all artists. We thought of calling ourselves the Halobytes, a rubbish name, then the Yorkers, cliched, and then finally the Princesses, what were were or were were going to become. At that time, Ariel, Taye, Pocahontas, and Mulan, the non-white Princesses, had not yet known us until later.
Around that time, I got to know Walt Disney after a heated debate with his old distributor's husband (named Charles Mintz) that resulted in the loss of the right to make Oswald cartoons (I was a hugh cartoon fan). He stayed at my old coffee shop when I came in. We just had a friendly talk, more along the lines of our personal lives. Walt saw me as a great artist, but his old bias towards women in general prevented him from hiring me. I would soon work for Disney, along with the other Princesses, as "Walt Disney's Princesses" or later known, the Disney Princesses.