Once upon a time Nella comes upon a wounded stranger that turns out to be the prince of the large kingdom she and her family reside in. While restoring him back to health, Nella and the prince fall in love and become inseparable until the prince’s entourage come looking for him. While he’s gone, the prince is attacked by an evil beast seeking revenge and is left with magical wounds that cannot heal. Nella takes it upon herself to find a cure and save the life of her true love.

As the days go by the prince grows fonder and fonder of the four women. One day Nella asks the prince to help her harvest the honeydew.

“Signora, no disrespect, but I am a prince. Not even two weeks ago I was off slaying a beast.”

“Then this should be very easy for you, your majesty.” She beckons him with her pruning knife. Nella shows him how to hold the knife and where to cut on the vine. They harvest the ones that are the right color and size and pile them high into wood crates. She grabs a cutting knife and one of the fruits to places it on a side table. “You know what’s nice about being a farmer?” she cuts it down the middle, spreading it open and exposing its tender flesh. “You get to enjoy produce at its freshest.” She cuts the melon into cubes and separates them from the rind, holding a piece out for the prince. He takes her in. Her brown skin glimmers gold in the sunlight, the white fabric of her dress draping and caressing her body, the way her hips move as she sits down in a chair. The prince moves closer and she holds the fruit to his lips. The green flesh glistens and its juices slide down her fingers. The prince holds Nella’s wrist still and looks her in the eyes as he eats the melon. “How is it?” she asks.

“Delicious.”

Genre: Fairy Tale

Word Count: 5,273

Characters:

Nella, a humble honeydew farmer who will risk her life to save her love

The Prince, ogre-slayer and heir to the throne, he doesn’t expect to find true love on a journey to slay a beast

Alba and Katherine, Nella’s older sisters who, despite their fear, stand by Nella to save the prince

Mother, Nella, Alba and Kathrine’s mother, maker of delicious food

The King, the prince’s loving father

The Ogre, terrifying and murderous, seeks vengeance for its fallen ogress

Publication Status: Unpublished, seeking publication