There once was a Princess named Melody. When she was five years old she accidentally fell into the river and almost drowned. As the only child and sole heir to the throne, if Melody had died the whole kingdom would have been in a state of disaster. Melody's near death experience frightened her slightly insane father the King so much that he decided to lock her in the tower until it was time for her to inherit the throne (which would be in her 25 birthday) It was the king's way of keeping her safe and out of trouble.Ten years passed as Melody grew up in the tower. She was approaching her fifteenth birthday, and knew next to nothing about the outside world. Her tower had everything she needed for life. It consisted of three rooms, a bedroom, bathroom, and sitting room. Her parents came to visit her often, as did the servants in the castle, who felt sorry for the imprisoned princess. She had a tutor who came to teach her three times a week, and she had more books than she would ever have time to read, but books could not replace people and Melody was lonely. She had only one window that looked out upon the city streets, far, far below her tower room, and she would sit at the window for hours, just watching the people go by.
One day, as Melody was reading in her sitting room she heard a "tap, tap, tap" on the window. She looked in surprise to see a pigeon fluttering around outside of her window apparently trying to get in. Melody had never thought about opening her window before, after all it was a long way to the ground and she was a little nervous about heights, but she decided that the pigeon must have an extremely good reason for wanting into her tower so she decided to let it in.
She opened the window and the pigeon fluttered in and landed on her settee. It sat there and stared at her and Melody stared back, until she noticed a note attached to its leg. She took it off, opened it up and read, "I've noticed that you are always up in the tower and I was wondering if you ever get to come out. If you look out your window I am the one on the ground waving at you. Send a note back with Chester (my pigeon) Sincerely, Paul"
Melody walked over to the window and looked out. Sure enough there was a boy standing over by a tree, waving up at her. She nervously waved back. She found a pen and some paper and penned a reply. Her note read; "Dear Paul, if you don't know, my name is Melody and I am the princess. I am not allowed to come out of my tower until I turn 25 at which time I will become the ruler of the land and take the place of my father and mother. It has to be this way because as my father says whenever I ask him if I can come out, I am 'a very clumsy girl. Prone to getting herself killed.' I haven't had an accident in ten years. I have been locked up in this tower. Thank you for writing to me as it gets very lonely up here. Sincerely, Princess Melody. P.S. Your pigeon is amazing!"
Melody rolled up the note and attached it to Chester's leg. She then picked him up and threw him out the window. He fluttered back down to Paul. Paul quickly read her note and wrote another one. He attached it to Chester who flew back up to Melody's window. His note read; "I have to leave now, but I will write back later."
Melody sent Chester back down and waved goodbye.
That evening when her parents came to visit her, Melody asked her father if she might not have some children her own age come up and visit her in the tower. "Like someone from the village," she said.
Her father and mother looked horrified. "Why would you want contact with those peasants darling?" her father asked. "They are so far below you."
"But I'm lonely," Melody protested. "I want a friend."
"We're your friends dear," her mother said.
"Yes, now do not disgrace yourself by wanting to fraternize with those peasants Melody," her father continued. "You are destined for greater things."
With that her parents kissed her goodnight and left a bewildered Melody all alone again. She decided that if she had to go another ten years without having any friends she would simply go insane. Despite what her parents said, she continued to write to Paul.
As the years passed, she and Paul became good friends. Although they could never speak to each other, they communicated through Chester almost everyday. The pigeon also became friends with Melody.
As Melody grew up and approached twenty-one years old she became quite beautiful. It wasn't long before princes from other lands heard of the beautiful princess who was locked in the tower and inquired about her to her father.
The king, knowing that when his daughter assumed the throne she would need a husband, permitted these princes to come and visit his daughter in her tower.
Melody was quite unsure of what to do with her when the gentlemen came calling. She was always very polite and courteous, but being locked up in tower for so long, she often found herself at a loss for something to say. The princes would talk about horseback riding, hunting, great banquets and dances. Melody knew nothing about such things, save in her books, and could only listen politely as they described their adventures.
Most of the princes, though impressed with Melody's beauty, didn't see how a princess who was locked in a tower her whole life, could ever make a good queen. After visiting with her, most moved on to other things and Melody began to wonder if she would ever be married.
Her father would hear none of it. His beautiful daughter was perfect and he would find a prince for her to marry. At last he found the perfect man. He was a prince from a faraway land and he informed his daughter that this prince was having a hard time finding and wife and would love to marry Melody. The king cautioned her to be especially nice to this prince.
When the prince came calling Melody was horrified. She immediately understood why he couldn't find a wife. Not only was he ugly with a crooked nose and beady eyes, but he was mean as well. He taunted her and made fun of her naivety about things of the outside world, and yet still wanted to marry her! He asked her father for her hand and he immediately consented if the prince was content to wait until Melody turned twenty-five. The prince agreed and the deal was finalized.
Melody was crushed. She would rather spend the rest of her life in the tower than with that man. She told Paul how upset she was in her next letter. He sent back this short reply; "I have a plan"
Melody had no idea what Paul was talking about, but she was consoled by the fact that she wouldn't have to marry the prince for another four years. Perhaps by that time something would happen to prevent it.
Weeks went by, and Melody hadn't heard anything from Paul since his "I have a plan letter." She was very worried, but there was nothing she could do. She couldn't tell her father, for her communication with Paul was a secret.
Weeks turned into months and months turned into a year and still no word from Paul. Melody was beginning to think that her father had found out about their letters and thrown Paul in the dungeon, or worse.
With each day her wedding got closer and closer (although it was still three years away) but Melody had nothing better to do than pace back and forth in her tower and worry. So she did.
One day while she was pacing back and forth her door opened and a young man entered. He was nice-looking and well dressed and looked like one of the palace servants, although Melody had never seen him before. "Hullo," she said. "Are you new here? I don't' believe we've met."
He gave her a funny look before saying "It's me...Paul."
"Paul?" she said staring at him before her face broke into a smile. She quickly ran over and hugged him saying "I don't' believe you're here!" She realized that she had only seen him from high up in her tower and hadn't had a clear picture of what he looked like.
"What happened?" she asked. "Where have you been?"
"I've been in a far off kingdom training to be a butler so that I could be employed here at the palace," he replied.
"And have you been?" she asked.
"I am Paul, you're new butler," he replied, giving a slight bow. Melody laughed for the first time in months.
After that Paul came to see Melody regularly. As her butler he was in charge of keeping her tower clean, bringing her meals most of the time, and bringing her anything else that she wanted. They were, however, unable to come up with a plan to keep Melody from marrying the prince.
One day Paul came in with some disturbing news. "The prince has asked your father to move up your wedding and your father has consented."
"Why wasn't I informed?" Melody gasped.
Paul shrugged. "The wedding is in a month," he said grimly.
"This is horrible, Paul!" Melody exclaimed.
"Not necessarily," Paul said. "I think I know of a way for you to escape. In three weeks the king is throwing a party for the prince. It is going to be huge, with almost everyone in the kingdom invited. The guards will have their hands full with the party. I can come up and get you and we can slip away unnoticed."
"Do you really think it will work?" Melody asked.
"It's worth a try."
Three weeks passed. The night of the party Melody was up in her tower waiting for Paul. She packed everything she wanted to keep into a bag and put on a dark cloak over her dress. She was ready. Around midnight, Paul crept up to the tower. The party was still in full swing.
"Are you ready?" he asked Melody.
She nodded and exited the tower for the first time in seventeen years.
As they escaped Melody kept trying to look around at the palace but Paul always tugged at her hand and urged her on. They crept through the halls and out to the stable where they could here the music from the party inside.
As Paul led Melody to the stall where his horse was kept they suddenly heard a loud "Ahem!"
They turned toward the corner where the noise had come from and saw none other than the king emerge from the shadows!
"What are you doing out here father?" she gasped.
He cocked his head to the side and stared at them as if trying to understand the situation. "Escaping from the party," he finally said. "You know how much I hate those things. But the real question is, what are you doing out here?"
Melody clutched Paul's hand tighter and tried to hide behind him. Paul stood up straight and looked the king in the eye.
"Your daughter hates being locked up in that tower," he said. "What's more, she hates the man you've picked for her to marry."
The king narrowed his eyes at Paul. "So you're kidnapping her?"
"No, I'm rescuing her."
"Well, then go ahead. I'm not stopping you."
Paul did a double take and Melody's eyes widened in surprise.
"The only reason I keep her in that tower," the king continued. "Is because the people don't want to see their princess injured. And she's only getting married because it's the law. I would love to keep the throne for another thirty or so years. The people can't blame me if the princess is kidnapped so why shouldn't I let you leave?"
Melody smiled and ran over to give her father a hug and a kiss.
"Come visit us," the king said.
"I will," Melody promised.
She and Paul got on Paul's horse and rode back to the village and to freedom.
So Melody the princess became Melody the peasant and she was all the more happy because of it. She did everything that she never got to do as a child and loved her newfound freedom. The king and queen ruled for many years with Melody secretly coming to visit them, but having no desire to rule the kingdom. When the king got to old his thrown was given to a nephew of his.
The mean ugly prince eventually found a princess as mean and ugly as he was and they ruled their kingdom as well as two mean people possibly could.
Melody and Paul eventually realized that they were in love and decided to get married on Melody's twenty-fifth birthday. They had three children who were allowed to run and play and grow up as normal children should.
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