I held my daughter in my lap as I read the ever-so-famous book The Prince and the Thief. My daughter Cecilia only ever heard of the book.
"Once upon a time," it read, "a prince with blond hair and blue eyes watched his father rule the nation of Marmador. Girls would come from all over the world to visit the future king, in hopes of becoming future queen. Over and over again the prince rejected them. They were all 'not talented enough, pretty enough, sounded annoying' and the list went on. One day a young girl from a foreign place came. Rain. She had ashy dark hair and blue eyes. fuller lips and tan skin. The prince found her captivating. 'Still, there must be a catch. A flaw.' He thought. Her voice was beautiful and she was nothing short of graceful. She could write and read war speeches and gain peace. She could dance and paint and sing. He never found one thing she could not do. Finally, as he was to become king, he announced their marriage.
On their wedding day Rain walked the isle in a fitted wedding dress lined with white and gold lace. Not long after, they had a son. He has blue eyes and Rain's hair. His father and the kingdom rejoiced. Until their was an attack.
It was a stormy night and full of chaos. Little prince Jack was taken by some of the raiders. They stood for peace and never were granted it. They took their son and looked after him, teaching him of all the wrongs of the kingdom and why it should be righted.
The King and Queen were at a lost. After some time, they chose to have another son to rule after them. The next son had three older sisters, all of which took after their mother in grace and talent. He thought that the oldest would take rule but he, like his father, rejected many. He hoped if he did not find a wife, he would not become king. His father would not have that. He set for a wife for his second son and arranged their marriage date. The son was furious.
One their wedding date, however, his older brother showed. He was leading the raiders to attempt a peace treaty with the next king. His brother looked him up and down. He recognised him and knew not of why. He rejected and war began. Jack imprisoned his brother and mother. He then killed his father. He took the throne and tried to take one of his sisters as a wife. As things got worse, the woman who raised Jack told him who he was.
Guilt started to seep in. He set free his kin and became a decent king, and told his brother his tale. As his brother was imprisoned, however, he plotted revenge. He decided Jack could not be trusted and he killed his brother in his sleep. He decided he would be a better king, and he was. And so the tale is meant to end in tragedy of the killed, but it goes on. The new king had a son, and so the story will one day be continued."
"Mommy, why does it end so terribly?"
"Because not all stories have a good ending. This book wasn't so good though, was it?"
"Nope! Sorry mommy."
"It's fine, sweety. Not all books are interesting. We can just return or sell the book if we don't want to keep it."
"Ok."