HEADS AND HEARTS

In the Palace of the Kingdom of Everywhere and Nowhere, the king and queen pray for a third child, one with a purity of soul. A girl who sees the prince and the pauper as two friends, indifferent to their garb, wealth or position. They have a son and a daughter already. The son is cheerful, playful and occasionally mischievous, but without malice. The daughter is unkind, self-centred and haughty. Without discussing it with each other, they pray to Daphne, Goddess of Poetry, and Deep But Redeemable Sorrow. The heartfelt sincerity in two prayers with identical wording, who join hands to approach the goddess, is noted by the magical and powerful Irresistible Forces, Fate in particular. The Goddess answers their prayers. A child is born and is loved by all for her innocence and sweetness of nature. She meets Ben, son of the Head Gardener and finds they share a love of poetry and their view of the world. A deep, natural friendship forms, until the princess reaches marriageable age. At their first Christmas, they exchange presents in a corner of the kitchens where the staff all watch quietly and tearfully, unnoticed by the children who are absorbed in each other. The children are moved by the gifts received. Each one is accompanied by a poem and has touched the receiver emotionally. None are just a gift for gift’s sake. As the years pass, the friendship deepens into a natural love, but with early adulthood comes angst, paranoia and self-doubt and the princess is increasingly troubled by anxieties and fears encouraged by the darker Irresistible Forces, like Jealousy and Pride. The clashes between her head and her heart are won more often by her head. Eventually, she decides to leave Ben and marry a kind prince from a nearby land. He is a good man, and both know that while there is a strong friendship and respect in the relationship, there is no love. She chose this path ostensibly for reasons of political alliance. In reality, it was for her own emotional safety. At the wedding, in the height of winter, none of the palace staff attend as they, having watched the children grow up as the closest of friends, won’t be seen to support the marriage. Magical forces interrupt the ceremony and the princess realises her mistake but there seems no way to correct it. Father Time intervenes. Time is wound back briefly and the interruption occurs again but this time with a different outcome. The conclusion uses a number of presents from their first meeting.