It was family TV time in the Patel household as young Ruby sat on the couch between her parents, Mohammad and Diya. The movie for that evening was some sort of a period piece in which Ruby held very little interest: something about a princess coming of an age of which the king and queen felt she was ready to be betrothed, and a competition of sorts was held among the kingdom's most valiant knights to see who among them could prove themselves worthy of receiving the princess's hand. Okay, some of the action among the knights did catch Ruby's attention. The jousting? The archery? The sword fights? Those were kind of cool. It appeared to be quite a fierce competition to see who would win the fair princess's hand, but even so, one thing about this feature made little sense to the Indian teen: did the princess have absolutely no say in to whom she wished to be betrothed? Was is absolutely necessary for the king and queen to choose on her behalf without so much as consulting with her about her own wishes and desires? Then again, this movie took place in a different time in which different customs were observed and practiced… something that Ruby saw for herself in her own parents. That was not to say she saw her parents as ancient dinosaurs with a regressive mentality, but they were incredibly traditional in their Hindu upbringing, despite the fact that both of them were born and raised in the United States, not India from where Ruby's great-grandparents immigrated long, long ago. Ruby herself was steeped in western culture, and as such, did not really see eye-to-eye with her parents on a lot of things… if she were to be honest, she could almost see her own parents arranging such a marriage for her some time down the line – perhaps to some wealthy Indian prince. In fact, if this were medieval times, she could most certainly see her parents arranging such a marriage for her to a knight in shining armor – a thought that seemed to linger in her calm mind as boredom soon sent her into dreamland.
There was a buzz within the arena as the people of the kingdom witnessed the competition among the knights to see who among them would win the hand of the fair Princess Ruby; a spectacle overseen by not only the princess herself, but her parents, King Mohammad and Queen Diya, the three of whom watched from the cubiculum, or imperial box, if you will. There was one knight in particular who appeared to repeatedly come out victorious in these competitions, and that Sir Spencer, the kingdom's bravest, fiercest, most heroic knight. It was small wonder; Sir Spencer was not one to back down from a challenge, and had fought off many adversaries who posed some sort of a threat to their happy, peaceful kingdom. The other knights did not stand a chance against him. Many were knocked off of their horses during the jousting competition; many failed to achieve the number of bullseyes as he during the archery; many had to admit defeat during the sword fights. Indeed, King Mohammad and Queen Diya felt a swelling sense of confidence that Sir Spencer was the knight most worthy to receive the hand of their daughter… and even Princess Ruby could see herself being betrothed to such a valiant knight as he.
As the other knights reluctantly admitted defeat, Sir Spencer presented himself before the royal family, removed his helmet from his armor, and showed his respect by bowing and lowering to one knee.
"Sir Spencer, you have time and again proven yourself to be our most valiant knight," began Queen Diya. "That was quite the impressive display down there."
"Indeed," agreed King Mohammad. "You have also proven that you are most worthy of accepting the princess's hand."
"Sweet!" Sir Spencer exclaimed in delight as he pumped his fist into the air, while those in the stands cheered for the princess and the knight.
A most brave, heroic, gallant, valiant knight to be betrothed to; what princess could ask for more? As per custom, Princess Ruby was just about to toss a handkerchief out to Sir Spencer –a token, if you will- but just before such a token left her hand…
"WAIT!" A squeaky voiced called out, and to the astonishment of everyone in the arena, the kingdom's court jester dashed into the scene to address the royal family.
"You dare to interrupt our proceedings, jester?" King Mohammad chastised.
"Yeah, sorry about that, your majesties," apologized Jester Luan. "But, a new challenger approaches!"
The kingdom erupted into a collective gasp as another knight entered the arena. Or tried to, anyway. Something about the manner in which this knight walked seemed indicative of not being accustomed to walking around in a suit of metal armor. With each awkward stride the knight took, minor bursts of laughter could be heard from up in the stands; even Sir Spencer and Princess Ruby were unable to resist a giggle or two, though neither the king nor queen were amused.
"Is this some sort of joke on your part, jester?" Queen Diya demanded to know.
"Oh, trust me, this is no joke, your majesty," insisted Jester Luan. "This is the real deal."
"The real deal?" Sir Spencer responded with a hearty and haughty, "Ha! I believe I have already proven who the real deal is around here. You're a day late and a farthing short, buddy. Besides, you really think you could go up against me?"
The other knight's response was but a mere shrug. While still in possession of mild amusement, Sir Spencer turned to address the royal family once again.
"With the king and queen's permission, I wish to accept the challenge," requested Sir Spencer; after all, his refusal to back away from any challenge presented to him was paramount to his reputation as the kingdom's bravest knight.
The king and queen exchanged looks of consternation with one another before they decided to comply with their brave knight's request.
"Granted," said King Mohammad.
"Alright, buddy, let me show you what a real knight is capable of," taunted Sir Spencer as he grabbed hold of a nearby archery set and marched his way further out into one side of the arena, from where he would fire his ammo at a row of targets affixed to bales of hay on the opposite side. "Watch this: a bullseye every time!"
Just like that, Sir Spencer drew each arrow taught and released it from his bow, one after another, successfully striking each target across the arena dead in the center. The crowd cheered and applauded Sir Spencer's amazing feat; Princess Ruby was all the more impressed with him.
"Care to beat that?" Sir Spencer continued to taunt.
Reluctantly, the other knight took hold of another archery set, though the awkward handling of such seemed indicative that this knight had never even picked up a bow and arrow set before. Those in the stands began to duck to cover as the other knight's clear lack of aim resulted in the arrows firing in different directions, seemingly flying every which way except at the actual targets. One such arrow not only was sent flying out of the arena, but it whizzed its way into town, whereupon the local merchant, who at that moment made the rounds pushing his Ye(e) Old(e) Flippee(e) Cart(e) to sell his wares to villagers, had the misfortune to be struck by such a rogue arrow.
"YEOW!" Mr. Flip cried out. "HOLY NACHOS, I'VE GOT AN ARROW IN MY BUTT!"
"A little near-sighted, are we, buddy?" Sir Spencer continued to taunt; the shoulders of his opponent rolled in embarrassment. "Its okay; maybe your skillset lies in another area… let's see how you can handle a mighty sword!"
With that, Sir Spencer effortlessly drew his sword from the sash attached to his armor and bore it against his challenger. The other knight, however, struggled to imitate Sir Spencer's actions; the weapon was surprisingly heavy and took some effort to remove from the sash, which ended up being flung aside.
"Get on guard, and en guarde!" Sir Spencer proclaimed as he swung his vorbal blade snicker-snack.
Such actions were, again, rather effortless for such a skilled knight, and Sir Spencer barely had to put up a fight as he successfully sent the sword flying right out of the hands of the other knight. The other knight took off in a mad panic as Sir Spencer gave chase while swinging his blade. Laughter erupted from the stands like a live studio audience at the taping of a television sitcom; even Princess Ruby could hold back no laughter of her own, though neither King Mohammad nor Queen Diya were the least bit amused.
"Swords not your thing, either, huh?" Sir Spencer posed when he saw that his opponent barely put up any fight whatsoever. "Is there even any point in jousting?"
There may not have been. Shortly thereafter, Sir Spencer managed to mount his horse in a single leap; pretty impressive, considering his burly, athletic build and stature. The other knight, however, struggled to climb atop another horse, clearly annoying the agitated equine in the process. With lances in hand, the two knights charged toward each other, though the long and awkward weapon proved difficult to maintain a grip on, and as such, was dropped out of the hand of the other knight, leaving the opponent completely defenseless, as Sir Spencer had no problem whatsoever in knocking the other knight off the horse with his lance. As before, the arena was filled with laughter over such an amusing spectacle, though King Mohammad and Queen Diya grew irate. After dismounting his horse, Sir Spencer approached the other knight who lay on the ground like an overturned insect attempting to return to its legs.
"Even the jester would've been a better sparring partner," said Sir Spencer while he pressed his foot into the chest of his opponent.
"Low blow there," commented Jester Luan.
"ENOUGH!" King Mohammad called out, which effectively silenced the crowd. "This farce shall not continue!"
"You there!" Queen Diya pointed to the crippled knight under Sir Spencer's foot. "Advance and be recognized!"
After Sir Spencer stepped aside, the other knight managed to return to an upright position, and hesitantly trudged closer to the imperial box where the royal family sat. All who witnessed were most curious to see the knight's true identity and none more so than Princess Ruby, who had to wonder just who this pathetic loser was who thought they could take on the greatest knight the kingdom had ever seen. With shaking hands, the helmet was removed from the rest of the knight's armor. Everyone and I mean everyone in the arena reacted with a collective loud gasp that could have broken the sound barrier to see who was inside the suit of armor, because this knight was no knight at all. It wasn't even a man. It was a lady. And not just any lady. This lady was a commoner.
"LADY SHANNON?!" The royal family gasped in unison.
Nobody could believe it, especially not Princess Ruby. Her lady-in-waiting, her own personal servant, she was the one who challenged Sir Spencer for her hand?
"Lady Shannon… you DARE make a mockery of the princess's betrothal?!" Queen Diya barked.
"N-n-no, your majesty…" croaked Lady Shannon, the only person in this entire kingdom who, for whatever reason, spoke in a sophisticated British accent that sounded so melodious to Princess Ruby's ear. "I-I assure twas not my intention to…"
"SILENCE! We shall have no more of this!" King Mohammad interrupted before he loudly bellowed his next decree: "OFF WITH HER HEAD!"
A hush fell over the arena, and Lady Shannon trembled in fear as she witnessed a burly, menacing man whose head was covered in a black shroud march into the arena wielding a large ax. She quickly came to regret the stunt she just pulled, seeing that it would cost her her very life; clearly she did not think this through… if she even thought clearly at all. She was petrified as she found herself seized by a pair of royal guards who marched her over to the chopping block.
"Have you any last words?" Queen Diya offered.
"If… if only I may explain myself to my princess…" requested Lady Shannon.
"LET THE LADY SPEAK! LET THE LADY SPEAK!" Jester Luan chanted as slowly, little by little, the rest of the kingdom joined in, cheering for Lady Shannon to be granted such a request.
King Mohammad and Queen Diya were skeptical in granting such a request, but Lady Shannon's saving grace was the princess she proudly served.
"I'll, like, hear her out," said Princess Ruby.
"Very well, dear," conceded Queen Diya before she called Lady Shannon forward again. "Advance, Lady Shannon, and speak your piece."
The guards released Lady Shannon from their grasp and allowed to approach the cubiculum once more. To say that she was nervous and on edge would be an understatement; she served this princess so faithfully for so long, but now, she was terrified to even face her again. Not knowing what else to do, Lady Shannon bowed her head to show her respect to her princess as she began her testimony…
"My princess… my fair princess… I humbly plead for thy forgiveness for the dishonor I hath wrought… I assure my princess, twas not my intention," pleaded Lady Shannon. "My princess… please understand… I hath served thee faithfully for yonks… truthfully, I say unto my fair, true princess, it doth bringeth me a sense of fulfillment and purpose to meet thy every desire."
It was true. Despite being a commoner, Lady Shannon was far more fortunate than others of her class in the kingdom, and to be able to faithfully serve Princess Ruby, see to her every need, and provide her with whatever she desired, instilled in Lady Shannon a sense of purpose in her life.
"My princess, twas thee who once said unto me that my servitude doth bringeth you companionship. Truthfully, I sayeth unto my princess, that my feelings of companionship mirror thine own."
It was also true that regardless of Lady Shannon's class or position, Princess Ruby came to regard her as more than just her personal servant. While the king and queen tended to matters of the kingdom, and other workers had their own duties to tend to within the royal palace, Princess Ruby was often left to her own devices. To be served by Lady Shannon throughout each and every day was among the only consistent and regular human interaction Princess Ruby was treated to, and as such, regarded Lady Shannon's servitude and loyalty as companionship.
"I speaketh not just to adorn my princess with empty flatter, for truthfully I also sayeth unto my princess that thou is whom I have greatly admired for so long… dare I even sayeth I worship the very ground upon which my princess treads?"
By now, Princess Ruby was stunned to hear of her lady-in-waiting's declaration of devotion was also a confession of deep admiration.
"My princess… my fair, fair, beautiful princess… 'twould bringeth me much joy if the companionship shared between both of thus were to evolve into courtship…" Lady Shannon finished her testimony.
"Ha! Fat chance, peasant girl!" Sir Spencer spat. "To the victor belong the spoils!"
"Sir Spencer is correct," declared the king. "He has proven himself to the queen and I that he is the one most worthy and deserved of receiving our daughter's hand."
"May I have the floor?" Jester Luan interjected. "I promise to give it back."
"You wish to address the king and queen once again, jester?" King Mohammad queried.
"I mean, let's look at this way," began Jester Luan. "It's the princess's future… it's the princess's life… shouldn't it be the princess's choice?"
A metaphoric curve ball was thrown. To everyone's amazement, King Mohammad and Queen Diya agreed to the terms, however they held confidence that their princess's mind had already been made up for her.
"Amazingly, the jester does make a point," noted King Mohammad.
"Very well, we shall allow Princess Ruby to choose among these two suitors," conceded Queen Diya. "The king and I trust she will choose wisely."
Princess Ruby was blindsided. All of her life, the king and queen made every choice in her life on her behalf, and her betrothal was no exception. Now, it was her who had to choose as to whom she wished to be betrothed. It was quite an agonizing decision. Princess Ruby grew up under the expectation that she be betrothed to somebody of high importance in the kingdom; somebody of stature and breeding, and the dashing Sir Spencer fit the bill to a tee. However, she also found herself considering her lady-in-waiting's testimony regarding the companionship shared between the two of them. To be betrothed to a mere commoner would be a trade-down for such a refined princess – a princess whose betrothed-to-be should be somebody who would be able to protect her from harm and danger in a way only a knight in shining of honor could.
It was a no-brainer.
"I have, like, made my choice," proclaimed Princess Ruby.
With that, the princess hoisted herself onto the ledge of the cubiculum and took the plunge. It all seemed to happen in slow motion, as Princess Ruby soared to the ground below, the veils of her frockery and the braid of her hair billowing in the breeze like the tails on a kite. The entire kingdom watched in awe as the princess finally landed in the arms of whom she chose.
"I? My princess… it is I whom thou chooseth?" Lady Shannon asked to not only her astonishment, but that of everyone else in the kingdom – especially that of Sir Spencer, King Mohammad, and Queen Diya.
"Totally, my loyal, faithful, devoted lady-in-waiting," said Princess Ruby as she draped her arms around Lady Shannon's neck. "I've, like, thought about what you said about our companionship, and you are, like, so right… nobody has ever, like, given me as much companionship as you… like, whenever I'm lonely and need somebody, you're always there for me."
"Tis my duty, my princess," noted Lady Shannon.
"Yeah, but you know, like, the whole idea of being betrothed is, like, to be together forever, right?" Princess Ruby continued. "Like, what's together-foreverness without companionship?"
Princess Ruby looked deeply into Lady Shannon's eyes and began to caress the back of her head and neck, mesmerized by the feeling of how, for a peasant girl, her brown, curly hair was so soft and fluffy.
"Lady Shannon… my fair, fair lady… I choose you…" declared Princess Ruby.
"Oh… oh, thank you… thank you, my princess…" Lady Shannon joyfully sobbed as her eyes began to mist.
"I am no longer your princess… I am your bride…" said Princess Ruby as she cupped her hands around Lady Shannon's freckled cheeks and rewarded her fair lady with a kiss.
Almost everyone in the arena was rendered speechless… though, it appeared the king had something to say as he stepped out of the cubiculum, approached the princess, and attempted to grab her attention by shaking her shoulder.
"Ruby… Ruby… Ruby…"
The next thing the Indian teen knew she was being awoken by her father gently shaking her shoulder.
"Ruby… Ruby…"
"Hmm? What?" She responded when she realized where she was.
"Are you sleepy, Ruby?" Mohammad asked his daughter.
Ruby nearly forgot her lack of interest in the movie she watched with her parents bored her into slumber, although she didn't want to quite admit to such.
"Oh… yeah… guess school's been, like, kinda rough lately…" lied Ruby with a yawn.
"Don't you have an Algebra test tomorrow?" Diya asked.
"Yeah, unfortunately…" replied Ruby; she never looked forward to tests or exams, especially in boring subjects such as Algebra.
"Perhaps it would be best to get to bed early tonight," suggested Diya.
"Very wise," agreed Mohammad. "Get some extra rest, to ensure that your mind is thoroughly refreshed and recharged, so you can maintain all of the focus you need on getting through your test tomorrow."
"Yeah, good idea," agreed Ruby as she arose from the couch and bade her parents a good night with a quick hug. "Night, fam."
Mohammad and Diya wished their daughter a good night's sleep as she made her way toward her bedroom to turn it in for the night… well, right after she put in a quick call to her beloved girlfriend, Shannon, and share the exhilarating dream she just had while all of the details were still fresh in her mind.
The idea of this fantasy has been in my mind for a long time, I was never entirely sure how to execute such. Admittedly, this feels more like the sort of fantasy that Shannon would have, but for whatever reason, I really wanted it to be Ruby's. I considered that, perhaps, it could be some sort of creative writing assignment, or maybe a submission for another one of Mrs. Bernardo's playwriting contests, but Ruby doesn't strike me as the type to be motivated to write anything, let alone interested in period pieces. I finally settled on it being a dream she had while falling asleep during family move night.