The Clockwork Princess

3. An Accidental Discovery

Days later, the Princess had returned to her cheerful self. After breakfast, she and her ladies-in-waiting were about to go riding, as usual. The Princess was waiting for Daisy, her favorite horse, to be saddled. While she waited two new Princesses arrived,. Prince Oblo of France and Prince Kickca of America ,they walked stiffly towards her. Clearly they wanted to go with her on the ride.

Prince Kickca was incredibly tall and thin. He looked like a long stick wearing a blue uniform. He was so thin that the Princess thought that if he rode too fast the wind might snap him in two. He had a face that was so narrow that the Princess wondered if there was enough room to smile. Rumor was that when he opened his mouth, people had been known to freeze on the spot,. They would be shocked by his terrible teeth. They looked like a gruesome rainbow of yellow, brown and black. It was said that as a child, he only brushed his teeth for just three seconds every other day and never on holidays.

Prince Oblo was a huge, young man. The Princess thought he would be too heavy for two horses let alone one. This was made worse by him insisting on wearing clothes that were too sizes to small for him. To be polite, the Princess agreed that he could come along. Prince Kicka was so thin and tall, the Princess thought no horse could carry him so she agreed that he too could come.

As it was, Prince Oblo had brought with him a huge shire horse about the size of a small elephant. Prince Kickca, brought his own, very short horse too. The horse was so small that when he sat on it Prince Kickca was the same height as the Princess mounted on Daisy, her horse.

So it was that the Princess, the ladies-in-waiting and the Princess all rode off towards the royal parks. As they rode the Princess discovered that Prince Obol was very boring and Prince Kicka could only talk about his carriages.

The Princess was desperate to get rid of both the Princes. Then she noticed a field beyond that had high fence.

'Follow me!' she challenged them both 'The first one to catch me can dance with me tonight' she promised. The princess was a very excellent rider and knew no one could catch her.

The Princess rode Daisy, at full speed, towards the gate. As Daisy jumped the Princess lost her balance and started flying through the air. Crunch. The Princess landed on the ground and was sent spinning like a very surprised coin rolling on its side. Finally, she came to a stop, lying in a deep dark ditch. Lady Jane-Grace was the first to arrive, followed by Prince Kickca and Prince Oblo, waddling up behind him.

'Your Highness! Are you alright?' shouted Lady Jane-Grace, pulling the Princess out of the ditch.

'Oww. My foot' moaned the Princess.

'Let's get your riding boot off highness' Lady Jane-Grace said.

She tried to pull the Princes's black riding boot off, but it was stuck.

'Help me' said Lady Jane-Grace to Prince Oblo who grabbed onto the boot too.

They both pulled the Princes's black riding boot, but it was still stuck.

'Help me' said Prince Oblo to Prince Kicka. Who grabbed on to Prince Oblo.

The all pulled the Princes's riding boot, with one huge heave the boot came off and they all went flying through the air. They all landed in a heap on top of each other.

'I say!' said Prince Kickca, his narrow face horror-struck. He looked as if a giant snowball had been shoved down the back of his neck while in bed. Everyone stared, equally aghast, at the Princess's foot: instead of exposed blood and sinew, it gleamed faintly, like old gold. It only took a second for them to realize that the inside of the Princess's foot her ankle was made from complex, brass clockwork.

'What happened to my foot?' the Princess exclaimed