THE EDUCATION OF AMELIA
In a far off kingdom, called Elsinore, a long time ago, lived a lovely princess by the name of Amelia.
She was the favourite of all the court, and the apple of the King’s eye.
Unfortunately, the King’s new wife, the beauteous but deceitful Malavica, was consumed with jealousy of her.
The King, a weak man, was easily swayed by his wife, who one day said to him,
“My Lord, it is time for your daughter to learn the ancient arts of royalty. I propose that we send her to the best finishing school in the land.”
“But my dear,” said he, “I want her near to me.”
“Sire,” retorted Malavica, “it is for her own good and will be the making of her. Trust me.”
And so it came to pass that Amelia was taken off to a dark and gloomy castle in the mountains, and enrolled in the 'Ladies’ Academy' finishing course.
What the King did not know, and Amelia was soon to find out, was that the school was run by an old colleague of Malavica, a ferocious woman called Draconia.
Amelia was forced to live in a cold cell, with only a candle for light. She was woken at 5 o’clock every morning and forced to wash the stone floor of the dining hall; breakfast was a thin soup, there was no lunch, and dinner was bread and cheese; and the lessons in ladylike deportment consisted of learning to sew and reading in Latin.
“How is my daughter doing?” asked the King.
“Wonderfully,” said Malavica, with a sly smile.
“When can I see her?”
“Shortly. Be patient.”
But when a year had come and gone, the King became deeply worried.
“I must see the princess,” he said. “Allow me at least to visit her.”
“My Lord, if you interfere now, it could ruin the effect of all that splendid teaching,” she replied.
A second year came and went, and by now the King was in the deepest distress. He took to his bed and fretted, for the pain of separation was making him poorly.
While Malavica gave the outward show of sympathy, inwardly she was jubilant.
A third year went by, and by now the King was gravely ill.
He summoned the court to him, and said,
“I fear I am dying. But there is one thing I will do before I go: I will see my beloved daughter once more. Arrange it.”
Malavica pleaded. She begged.
But the King was adamant.
And so, days later, a carriage bearing him wound its way into the mountains, and finally arrived at the forbidding gate of the 'Ladies’ Academy'.
When the King saw his daughter at last, he was horrified, for she was pale and dirty, her beautiful eyes had a haunted look and she was dressed in rags.
“My darling,” said the King, “what has happened?”
When she told him, the King was furious. He ordered the cavalcade back to the palace.
“Where is the Queen?” he bellowed.
“My Lord, she has gone,” stuttered a servant.
Sure enough, Malavica was nowhere to be found, and the crown jewels were also missing.
But the princess was back with her father, whose health improved immediately, and they both lived happily ever after.
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