The Princess, the Pageboy, and the Three Impossible Tasks

Once upon a time, in a land that didn’t quite belong to the past or the present, there lived a young woman named Princess Melody. She was as radiant as a full moon on a clear night, with golden hair that shimmered like sunlit silk and a spirit that refused to be tamed. But unlike the usual fairy tale princesses, Melody had no desire to follow the path carved out for her—marriage, obedience, and the production of heirs.

In her world, being born a girl meant one thing: marry well, bear sons, and never question the hand you were dealt. It didn’t matter whether you were a peasant’s daughter or royal by blood. Melody, however, had other plans. When she turned eighteen—the age when every eligible suitor lined up for her hand—she devised a clever solution: three impossible tasks. Tasks so daunting that no man would dare attempt them, let alone complete them. That, she believed, would preserve her freedom.

But Princess Melody was not just clever—she was beautiful, and beauty has a way of stirring even the most foolish hopes. One by one, princes came, saw her, and failed miserably.

Then came Prince Melvin.

Or rather, his pageboy did.

The prince, more interested in the cuteness of their shared nickname “Mel & Mel” than in Melody herself, sent his servant to undertake the trials in his place. That servant was Harold—or so everyone believed. In truth, Harold was Harmony, a girl in disguise. Like Melody, Harmony refused to accept the roles society had written for her. She wore a mustache and a tunic, not to deceive for deceit’s sake, but to chase a future of her own making.

Though Harmony’s disguise fooled many, her heart remained kind and true. Along her journey to the castle, she saved a gasping fish that had leapt too far from its river. She freed a young fox from a cruel hunter’s snare. And when she spotted boys about to smoke out a beehive, she intervened and spared the buzzing hive from destruction.

At last, Harmony arrived at Princess Melody’s castle. Upon seeing her, Melody was—just for a moment—captivated by this determined “young man.” She explained the first task: retrieve an emerald ring from the bottom of the Fallin River, so named because anyone who stepped too close tended to fall in.

Standing at the river’s edge, Harmony understood why no one had succeeded. The current was a roaring fury, and the ring, swallowed by its depths. But fate rewarded kindness. The very fish she’d saved earlier surfaced and offered to dive. Moments later, the emerald ring glistened in Harmony’s hand.

Melody was shocked—but there were still two tasks to go.

The second challenge? Find her ruby ring buried somewhere in a massive forest.

“And where, exactly?” Harmony asked.

“If I knew,” Melody smirked, “what would be the challenge?”

Again, help came in unexpected forms. The young fox she’d rescued returned—this time with his family and a host of woodland creatures. Together, they scouted, sniffed, and dug until the ruby was uncovered. Harmony thanked them all and headed back.

Now visibly irritated and more than a little impressed, Princess Melody delivered her final challenge: retrieve her diamond ring, stolen by a fearsome giant who dwelled in the mountains.

Harmony hesitated. Giants were not to be taken lightly. But before she could retreat, a familiar buzzing circled her head. The bee she had saved had brought the entire hive. United, they followed her into the giant’s cave.

“I’ve come for the princess’s ring!” Harmony declared.

“Get lost!” growled the giant.

“You leave me no choice,” she said. And the bees swarmed.

The giant, swatting and wailing, shouted, “I’m allergic! Take it! Take the ring!”

Ring in hand, Harmony returned once more.

Princess Melody, now in her nightgown and undone hair, marched into the throne room, enraged.

“You weren’t supposed to actually do it!” she shouted. “These tasks were meant to be impossible!”

“I get it,” Harmony said softly. “I don’t want to marry some guy and become property either.”

With that, she removed her fake mustache.

Silence fell.

Then came laughter. Melody’s face softened. She wasn’t just relieved—she was delighted. Here was someone who saw her not as a trophy, but as a person. Someone she could be herself with.

They stayed up that night, not as princess and servant, but as two young women who had spent their lives wearing masks.

Days later, Prince Melvin received a letter. It read:

Dear Prince Melvin,

I vowed not to return unless I won Princess Melody’s hand for you. I did not. In fact, I’ve won it for myself. So I won’t be returning.

Next time you want to marry someone, maybe try doing it yourself.

Sincerely,
Soon-to-be Prince ‘Harold’

Prince Melvin took it in stride. He later married a princess named Melanie, and they too became “Mel & Mel.”

But the truly happy ending? That belonged to Melody and Harmony—two women who had challenged fate, tradition, and expectations—and found something even rarer than magic: each other.

Moral of the Story:

True courage isn’t about defeating giants—it’s about defying expectations. When you live authentically and act with kindness, love will find you, even in the most unlikely of places.