The princess wandered deeper into Auroria's bustling streets when suddenly— grrrrowl! Her stomach roared like an angry lion.
She sniffed the air. The smell of fried bread and spiced stew danced around her nose. Her eyes locked onto a food stall piled high with golden, crispy treats.
She froze.
Her royal pride whispered: A princess must never drool in public.
But her stomach shouted louder: FOOD!
She clutched her belly, trying to keep her composure. "Control yourself," she muttered dramatically. "You are a royal. You can survive without food… maybe… possibly… not really."
Just as she was about to give up and march back to the palace to beg forgiveness from her mother, a cheerful voice called out:
"Little girl! Come here! You want something to eat?"
The princess blinked, pointing to herself. "M-me?"
Her face screamed YES, YES, PLEASE GIVE ME EVERYTHING YOU HAVE!
But her mouth said firmly, "No, thank you."
The shopkeeper chuckled, seeing right through her.
"Don't be shy. You don't have to pay. Eat, child! You look new here — if you don't eat now, you may not get anything later."
Her eyes sparkled. She almost bowed right there on the dusty street. "Th-thank you, sir! You are like… like… a god to me!"
The kind shopkeeper placed a warm bread roll in her hands. The princess held it as if it were a priceless jewel, whispering a prayer of gratitude before taking the first bite.
"Tell me, little one," the man asked, "where are you from? Why did you come here? Do you have any relatives in Auroria?"
The princess swallowed, then shook her head. "No… no relatives. I don't know anyone here. Actually, I don't even know what this place is called."
The shopkeeper's eyebrows shot up. "You don't know where you are?"
The princess smiled sheepishly, crumbs clinging to her lips. "No… but whatever this place is, it's already much kinder than I imagined."
And with that, she took another giant bite, savoring every crumb as if it were the grandest royal feast.
---
✨ To be continued…