Writer

Excerpt from: The Discontented Princess

 

By Jennifer Foxhoven (Published under Jennifer Alexander)

 

` Once upon a time, in a place unknown to common folk like us, there was a beautiful pink castle with diamond studded spiral staircases and frescos of precious things like unicorns and happy little fairies. There were rooms devoted to art and music. Other chambers were set for tasks such as needlework or spinning straw into gold. It was all custom-built to make one princess very, very happy. The trouble was that Princess Leila did not care for her poufy canopy bed. She was not enchanted by magic gardens or bioluminescent flowers. She did not give a hoot about her Pegasus pony, nor did she want a pair of solid gold stilettos. In fact, she often felt as if she were living in someone else’s fantasy; some little girl who still dreamed of things like happily ever after. Leila knew better or at least she thought she did.

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Leila was tired of Prince Perfect always chasing after her, trying to impress her with his heroic deeds. What did she care if he could slay a dragon or beat all the other princes at Pegasus Polo? Did that really make him a better man than any other? She was convinced it did not but it was too late. Her father had announced her betrothal that very night at dinner. She was shocked though she knew she shouldn’t have been. It was always presumed that she would marry Prince Perfect.

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That was why she found herself wandering The Forest of Petrified Fungus at sunset. She had never been there before. It was awe inspiring. Giant mushrooms towered above her like mighty trees scaled in skin the texture of polished bone. The surface of the fungi was nacreous and took on a pinkish tint against the setting sun. Humongous blue spores danced through the air like bubbles that left trails of sapphire colored powder below...