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Hael rearranged herself. Her arm had fallen asleep, there was something scratchy under her leg that her skirt was not protecting her from very well, and in general, this was just plain Not Comfortable. Her father swore that this was the solution to her problems, but Hael couldn’t imagine how. She once again stretched out her hand toward the road, managing a very feeble “Help me!”
There was no response, just like the last fifteen times she’d tried today. If no one would stop, then how could she get help? According to her father, it had to be today, there was a special magic about today. The only thing she could think of to do was to sing about her troubles. About the father who had once doted on her, but ever since he remarried, had gotten distant and never had time for her anymore. About the stepmother who, in front of her father, was all sweetness and light, but whenever she thought she could get away with it cruelly mistreated Hael, forcing her to scrub floors by hand or wear old clothes or go without dessert while her own daughter was allowed to do whatever she wanted and never had to work at all. She even made Hael get rid of the cute woodland animals she’d kept in a room in the basement to talk to as her only friends. Hael sang about each of them in turn, the squirrels and the birds and the mice who had always been there for her. Where were they now, she wondered? Were they mad that they’d been put back outside?
She was just singing about her yearning for love when she heard a horse coming down the road. She stopped and immediately rearranged herself in her position of helplessness in the ditch, arm stretched out. “Help me…”
It was quite the surprise when the woman hopped off the horse and crouched beside the ditch. “Princess Hael? What are you doing in a ditch? Should I go inform your father?”
“No, no, Father sent me out here,” Hael corrected, and the strange woman’s eyebrows nearly flew off her face. “You see, it’s time for my hero to find me and come save me from my cruel life! I hope you won’t scare him off…”
The woman snorted. “Your cruel life. Yeah. So cruel. You’re rich, beautiful, your father loves you, your stepmother’s a decent person, and you have the cutest baby sister ever. What in the world is your hero supposed to save you from?”
“My father never has time for me anymore, my stepmother isn’t who you think she is, my little sister gets treated like a baby when it’s convenient for her and like she’s the same age as me when that’s convenient, and I may be rich and beautiful but what good does that do me when I’m not happy? When nothing I have is mine and I have no way to get anything that can’t be taken away? When my father’s solution to this is to go lay in a ditch until a hero comes along?” Hael paused for breath. Right now felt like another good time to break into song… but fuck that. “So look, I don’t know how much of a solution it is, but it’s the only one I’ve got. I need you to go away so my hero can find me.”
The strange woman was now staring at her, mouth hanging open. “I… I’d never thought of you as having problems, but you really do, don’t you. Come with me. Let’s get you somewhere we can talk.”
Hael shook her head. “No! I can’t leave! What if I miss my hero?”
“All right, fine, we can stay here to talk.” She grabbed a feed bag for her horse and then settled on the ground beside Hael. “Talk to me. When did your father stop having time for you?”
“About the time he married my stepmother.” Hael glanced nervously at the road. This woman was starting to annoy her. She couldn’t miss her chance, but she couldn’t force the woman to leave, either, could she?
“Uh-huh.” She raised an eyebrow, giving Hael an unimpressed look. “Now, maybe my memory’s faulty, but didn’t that happen around the time your grandfather died and he got made king?”
“Well, yes, but…”
“I’m not meaning to invalidate your pain at not being as central in your father’s life as you had been, but it sounds like you’re blaming your stepmother when really it’s just that your father had to step up and become king. You still deserve his attention, but he’s the king. There are a ton of things demanding his attention.” Hael tilted her head, eyes widening at the thought. Maybe… maybe she hadn’t been fair about it? “And then, you were what, seven? Eight?”
“Seven.” What that had to do with anything, Hael had no idea.
“So about the time you were starting your formal education. I’m sure with everything else it felt like your father was just handing you off, but it would have happened with or without him becoming king and getting remarried. Everyone goes through it.”
“I…” This strange woman had a point, really. Blaming her stepmother for stealing her father’s attention wasn’t entirely fair. Of course, that still left her spoiled brat of a little sister…
Thinking of. “How old’s your sister? Didn’t she just turn seven?”
“Yes…” And now Hael could feel the trap spring shut. Of course her little sister was being spoiled and never had to do anything, from Hael’s perspective; she was so much younger and hadn’t started her school yet.
“Obviously, I’m not there and don’t know. It’s entirely possible your stepmother is actually spoiling your sister and even when her school starts she won’t be held to the same expectations you are. She may well be getting away with stuff that you never would have even if your mom had lived and you didn’t have a stepmother. But it’s also possible your problems with your stepmother are blowing things out of proportion, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, I guess so.” Hael shifted uncomfortably. Blaming everything on her evil stepmother had been so easy, and it meant her hero would have an easy time identifying and solving her problems. What happened now? What was she supposed to tell her hero when he came?
“Hey, I have a question.” Hael nodded for her to continue. “When your father dies, aren’t you the one who’s going to take over? Since you don’t have any brothers, and it’s not likely for your stepmother to have any more kids?”
Hael scratched her head. “Yeah, I guess, why?”
“Because if lying in a ditch and waiting for some big strong man to show up and save you from all your problems seemed like an actual good idea, then this kingdom is doomed when you take charge. Why aren’t you getting trained to solve your own problems and rule this place?”
Hael’s first reaction was offense. How dare this strange woman judge her like that? But the more she thought about it, the more she realized – the woman had a point. But what could she do about it? “I don’t know. I need training, obviously, but how do I… I should go to my father. Ask him why I’m not being trained.”
“You should. Forget your hero. Go to your father and demand training to solve your own problems.”
“I will!” Hael got to her feet, carefully brushing off her dress. She then looked at… “I’m sorry, I never got your name.”
“Hannah.”
“Hannah, will you come with me? I’ll do the talking, but I would appreciate the moral support. Please?”
Hannah smiled. “Sure. Can you ride?” Hael nodded, so Hannah whistled for her horse. “Take my horse, Princess. I’ll walk beside you, and we can come up with arguments you can use.”