Two Princesses

Once upon a time in a far off land, two princesses were born in neighboring kingdoms. They were not born on the same day or even in the same year, but close enough to serve. Over time they grew, quite unaware of one another. They crawled and they walked and they ran. One day much to the Kings' and Queens' surprise the coos turned to gurgles which turned into babble which turned into words which turned into sentences which one day would be songs! One was shy and reserved; the other was fussy and demanding (not always a bad thing!). One had fair hair that glistened in the sun like spun gold; the other, hair as dark and rich as the finest chocolate. Two princesses could not have been more different!
As afore mentioned, the princesses resided in neighboring kingdoms. The reward for their precocious maturity was the title of their respective kingdoms. The fair haired was known as The Princess of Candleberry, and the one who possessed the rich tresses was known as The Princess of Beaconsfield. Since early childhood, the royal families gathered together at the sacred stone. Being in the presence of the stone gave one stength, peace, and vast knowledge and understanding. The princesses were taught to respect and love the stone, it's history, and all of its promise. So they did. However, they were not in awe of each other what-so-ever. It was hard to notice the other with all the individualized attention which showered them, for they were quite precious and even strange. If their eyes did meet, there were no smiles, rather out-stuck tongues and a smirk.
When the princesses blossomed into fair young ladies, it became known that their destinies were tied to the sacred stone and that their lives would be drawn together for good. They were not fond of each other or the thought of coexisting in their devotion to the sacred stone. To make matters worse, they both sang to the stone. How could they be competing for their destiny like this? It hardly seemed fair. The Princess of Candleberry despised sharing her song with the Princess of Beaconsfield. Everyone knew that she was far too shy and timid to do any real good in the name of the stone! The stone deserved loud, distinctive and strong melodies that pierced the silence. Who was this other to whom she was compared? There was hardly a comparison, she thought,and resented the Princess of Beaconsfield for it. Now, the Princess of Beaconsfield may have been hurt by this if she had cared much what the Princess of Candleberry thought. But, she didn't. She could not understand why such loud braying was so highly regarded. The stone deserved a gentle, soft and sincere melody to waft just above it as if it were a dream. The Princess of Beaconsfield believed her song to be more powerful, because she was in tune with the stone. It was her belief in the stone that gave her purpose and the gift of song. It was her duty to give back to the stone what she had been given. Not a good set up for the Princesses, at all. Yet, they had to make the best of this awful situation or risk losing their stake in the stone all together. So, on the exterior, they ever so slightly began to soften.

To be continued...