The Delicate Princess

The magnificent castle proudly stood on top of the hill. Its stone walls rose high into the sky, and its towers reached for the heavens. The castle was surrounded by a beautiful garden with fragrant flowers and lush trees. Fountains in the garden refreshed the air, and birdsong filled the space. Inside the castle were lavish halls, comfortable rooms, and secret passages. The walls were decorated with valuable paintings, and the floors were covered with soft carpets. Everything in the castle radiated luxury and comfort.

In this castle lived the old king. He was a wise and just ruler. He had ruled the kingdom for many years and his people loved him. His only daughter was Princess Anna. The queen had died when Anna was born, so the king, fearing that he would lose her too, gave her everything she could ever want. But Princess Anna’s capriciousness and fastidiousness increasingly worried him.

The king had never really disciplined his daughter and allowed her to do whatever she wanted. Princess Anna was used to being the one who gave the orders, and she did not respect her father or the inhabitants of the kingdom.

The old king decided to marry off his daughter, hoping that a good husband might change her ways.

The king arranged a grand ball at the castle, to which he invited all the princes, knights, and noble youths of the kingdom. The ballroom shone with lights and was filled with fragrant flowers, and the musicians played merry tunes. The princes and knights competed for Princess Anna’s hand, but she found none of them worthy of her. She made mocking remarks about their appearance, their clothes, and their manners. No one had a chance at the princess’s heart…

Princess Anna was furious at her father’s intentions. She did not want to get married, especially not to a prince or knight chosen by her father. She decided to get revenge on her father and do the worst thing she could imagine.

One day, Princess Anna secretly left the castle and went to the village. There she met a goatherd boy named Liam. Liam was not an ordinary goatherd. Although he was poor, he was proud of his heritage and his work.

Liam was a beautiful boy with blue eyes and dark hair. His face was sunburned from working outdoors. His clothes were simple but clean: he wore a shirt and trousers woven from coarse wool and worn leather shoes. He lived in a small, poor hut on the edge of the village. The roof of the hut was thatched, and the walls were made of clay. The house had only the bare necessities: a bed, a table, a few chairs, and a fireplace.

Princess Anna had noticed Liam before, when she rode out into the field with her companions. Liam was herding his goats and always whistled merrily. But now Princess Anna – just to spite her father – decided to marry him.

Princess Anna ordered the village priest to marry them in secret. The priest, though worried about the princess’s intentions, did not dare disobey her order. Thus, Princess Anna and Liam were secretly married.

The princess was happy to have gotten revenge on her father, but Liam was worried. He knew the king would be furious if he found out about their marriage. But Princess Anna reassured him and promised that everything would be fine.

The news spread like wildfire through the castle and the entire kingdom. The king was furious when he found out.

“How dare she?!”

He roared, smashing goblets in the throne room. “This marriage is invalid! I will never acknowledge it!”

The king sent a letter to Anna, harshly stating that he no longer wished to see her and that she was not to set foot in the castle!

Anna felt the weight of her actions for the first time. This was not what she had expected. Where would she live now? Not with Liam in his poor village hut? But there was no other way…

Anna trembled as she entered the humble hut. The dark room was simply furnished but clean. A simple bed stood in the corner. Anna’s stomach clenched with uncertainty.

“This can’t be real!” she whispered to herself. “I, Princess Anna, am supposed to spend the night here?”

Anna lay down on the hard bed, but she couldn’t sleep. The creaking of the hut, the howling of the wind, and the bleating of the goats all disturbed her. The princess, who had always slept on silk and soft feather pillows, now lay shivering in bed, lamenting the loss of her comfortable life.

The next few weeks were even harder. Anna was not used to physical labor, but she had to help Liam with the goats. She cooked, cleaned, washed, and went to bed tired every night. She missed the servants at the castle who had waited on her hand and foot.

Despite the initial difficulties, Anna slowly began to adapt to village life. She learned to cook in the oven, milk goats, and weed the garden. She was clumsy at first, but Liam patiently taught her and watched her progress with pride.

As Anna immersed herself more in village life, she began to appreciate the simple things. The taste of fresh goat’s milk, the smell of bread she had baked herself, the sunset over the field. The hard work filled her with joy, and she was proud of what she was doing.

Liam’s kindness and devotion gradually melted Anna’s heart. At first, she had only married him out of spite, but her feelings for Liam slowly turned to love. She admired Liam’s strength, courage, and honesty. Liam, in turn, happily discovered Anna’s kindness, humor, and intelligence.

One day, while they were working in the field, Liam took Anna’s hand.

“Thank you for being here with me,” he whispered. “You make me happy.”

Anna smiled and looked into Liam’s eyes. “I’m happy too,” she replied.

At that moment, Anna realized that she had found the happiness she had been searching for in vain at the castle. Liam’s love, the simplicity of village life, and the joy of hard work fulfilled her life.

The years passed, and Anna and Liam lived happily in the village. They had two beautiful children who brightened their home and their hearts.

The king, who had been keeping an eye on Anna’s new life, one day unexpectedly sent a messenger to them. The messenger read out the letter, in which the king forgave Anna and invited her, Liam, and the children to the castle. Anna was happy to accept the invitation, but Liam was worried. He feared that Anna’s happiness would vanish if she returned to her old life.

Anna convinced Liam that it would not be like that and that they should go to the castle.

When they arrived, the king greeted Anna with a warm embrace. He also welcomed the children with joy and spent time with them happily. Liam was initially tense, but the king’s kindness and openness quickly put him at ease.

The king acknowledged Liam as Anna’s husband and welcomed him into the family. Anna was happy that her family was finally together. During their time at the castle, Anna and Liam realized that happiness lies neither within the castle walls nor in the village hut, but in love and family.

In the end, Anna and Liam decided to continue their lives in the castle, in happiness. Perhaps they still live there, if they haven’t died since then.