The Musketeer and The Princess
A Short Story
A biting wind swept through the streets on the harsh, cold evening of December 2000, the glow from the chandelier casting warm, inviting light across the toy store’s wooden shelves. I stood on a pedestal in my royal attire beside the reason for my existence. Her pale face seemed almost ethereal under the store lights, her glossy lips curved in a perpetual smile, red cheeks vibrant with a touch of paint, and brunette curls cascading gracefully to her shoulders. She was my princess, my life, and I was but a mere musketeer.
With every flick of the switch, I would come to life, twirling around her in protective stances, my sword slicing through the air, while she gracefully twirled, her dress flowing like a river of silk. One day, a woman came in, bought us, and gifted us to her daughter. The child's smile lit up her face as she held us close and placed us on her study table.
Happiness is short-lived, though. One day, her older brother sneaked into the room and grabbed me by my head. The room erupted into chaos as his hand snatched me up, my world spinning before darkness consumed me. In a frenzied struggle, he hurled me through the window, my body plummeting into the cold, unforgiving embrace of the sewers below.
I was carried by dark, murky waters, passing through dumps and carnage until I got stuck in a pile of junk, thinking of her. Her thoughts were enough to carry me through this darkness. I looked at the stars above, so numerous and tempting yet so far, while I lay surrounded by waste.
"What are you doing here, huh? You seem alone. Did someone reject you too? Let's be friends, shall we?" said a man as he picked me up from the filth and put me in his overcoat pocket. He placed me on a table, brought a cloth, brush, and polish, and started caring for me.
"There you are! What an exquisite piece... I bet even a princess would be head over heels for you. Strange, though, don't you think? The two of us finding each other... Let's make the best of it, what do you say?"
If anything, I wanted to thank him. Even though I wished to return to my princess, I found a strange loneliness in his smile, so I decided to stay by his side, standing tall on his working desk in Vincent's Toy Shop, hoping my princess would arrive someday…
A whole year passed, and I started enjoying my time at the toy shop. One day, a girl came into the shop with something in her hand. She was average height, with long brunette-coloured hair that fell below her shoulders. They were arranged in choppy, textured layers with shorter, voluminous pieces at the top and longer, wispy ends giving a wild, edgy look to her oval face and big, black eyes.
"Can you fix her?" she said laying down something on the table. Pieces and gears clanking against each other and the wood.
"I don't know... She's too damaged."
"Can't you do anything? I beg you.
"Give me a day to figure it out."
"Ok. And what about the costs?" she said with a tinge of worry and a frown on her forehead.
“Don’t worry. We can figure it out after I can fix it.”
As she left, I saw something on her face similar to what I had seen in Vincent’s. Not a lot of adults fuss over toys and trivial things. They seemed to be the only ones who cared and I could deduce the reason for their loneliness. He spread the thing over the working table. One look and I knew it was her; my heart shattered into a thousand glass pieces. I started shouting at him.
"You can fix her, right? Just like you did with me. Please, I don't ask for anything, just fix her. Just let my princess be as beautiful as she once was," I cried out knowing that he couldn’t listen.
He kept working throughout the night, and as the first rays of the sun barged in through the ceiling window, illuminating the shop, I couldn't believe my eyes. She stood there, as elegant as a swan. I was impressed by his craftsmanship. The girl came in the evening to pick her up, and as she picked her up, a smile spread across her face.
"Can I ask you where did you find her?"
"In the trash of the house I work in. The master brought a set, but first, the musketeer disappeared, and now she was in this state. I thought she should have a second chance; they looked so beautiful together."
"Why not place her beside my musketeer? He deserves a second chance too."
“Oh my! That’s a wonderful piece. Where did you find him?”
“He was lying in a dump in the sewer waters.”
“…”
Instead of answering, she placed the princess beside me, and I couldn't differentiate between reality and a dream anymore.
"How have you been, Alexander?"
"You know my name, princess?"
"Why would I forget the person who has always been with me? I felt so alone when you left."
"I'm sorry, my princess. I will be by your side from now on," I said.
"How much for the repair?" the girl asked Vincent as she unzipped her purse.
"Don't worry about it. Just take the musketeer along."
"Still. I don't feel good leeching off you."
"If that’s the case then a dinner would be good enough. I haven't eaten in two days."
"Ah! I'm sorry. Let's get to the nearest restaurant."
"Yeah, sure."
As they left, I saw smiles on their faces. They weren't alone any longer, just like us. They had finally met.