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- Story Listed as: Fiction For Adults
- Theme: Family & Friends
- Subject: Aging / Maturity
- Published: 09/01/2021
The Royal Tutor
Born 1997, F, from MO, United StatesChapter 1
It was a late night in a land that had been ruled by a king or queen for ages. In the palace throne room, the king rubbed his temples with his pointer and middle finger as he groaned. “That child of mine has thrown out fifteen tutors that I have picked out for her,” he complained, “She seems to have no taste for learning even though it is a must that she does learn as much as possible.” The advisor had wisely kept silent until he had an idea so he said, “Your grace… may I suggest a tutor?” King Nicholas looked at him and replied, “Suggest away. I am open to any option.” “I know of one tutor that may please you and her ladyship,” the advisor told the king and that made the king sit up, “He is a fine tutor because he taught my own children when he was just a child himself and he has been teaching others who cannot afford education. He is a kind, considerate man who always puts others ahead of himself. He is young, but he is very smart and always willing to help those who do not understand what other tutors have taught so they have a great understanding of the lesson.” “I must send for him at this very minute,” the king decided, “My daughter will be most happy that he is young and smart so she will, hopefully, be pleased. Guards! Bring him to me at once!” Two guards went out into the village to a nicely kept home with a lush, green lawn in front.
Quickly, they went up to the door and knocked then an elderly woman answered. The next day, Princess Sophie, the youngest princess who was soon to be eighteen years old, was at her desk trying to read a map that she had no idea how to read when she got a knock at her door. “Yes?” she called. A servant came in and said, “Milady, your sister, Princess Sophina, wishes to speak to you.” Princess Sophie gave a nod then told the servant, “Send her in.” The servant curtsied then left and in stepped the other princess. Princess Sophina was about two years older than Princess Sophie, but they looked very much alike. They only way you could tell them apart was their hair color. Princess Sophina had pretty red hair and Princess Sophie had dirty blonde hair. They both had their mother’s pretty green eyes, her fair skin, their father’s full lips and the same brown eyebrows. Both were equally the most beautiful in the kingdom, but their personalities were completely different.
Princess Sophina was sweet, kind, and gentle, but she was wise for her age. Princess Sophie was, however, spoiled, a complainer, sweet when she felt like it and never said ‘Please’ or ‘Thank you’. She could be rude and snotty, but that’s when you got her angry and she did have a short fuse. “I am glad you are up,” said Princess Sophina, “Father wants you to meet the new tutor that he hired for you.” Princess Sophie groaned then complained, “That’s the sixteenth tutor he’s hired for me. I don’t wanna another tutor. I hate tutors.” Princess Sophina sighed then replied, “I do not care if you hate tutors and father said he is not replacing this tutor to suit your ungrateful wishes. He is tired of your whining and complaining so he found just the tutor that can teach you a lesson about behaving. Now, come on!” Without waiting a response from her younger sister, Princess Sophina grabbed Sophie’s hand and pulled her out of the room to the royal library. “He’s in here?” Princess Sophie asked her elder sister, “He must be old and ugly and, to make matters worse, a book worm.” “Hush,” her sister said then she opened the door and pulled her sister into the room. At the table in the middle of the library sat a man with dark brown hair and slightly tan skin.
The princesses walked over to her and Princess Sophina cleared her throat loudly. The man turned his head and revealed he was wearing light brown glasses in front of his milk chocolate brown eyes. “Oh, sorry,” he said in a deep, smooth voice, “I did not hear your approach.” He pushed back the chair after putting a bookmark in the place he was in a book then stood up, walked around the chair, pushed it in and said, “Hello, your highnesses. You are princesses, right?” Princess Sophina smiled and replied, “Yes, we are princesses. You are the new tutor, are you not?” The man smiled and said, “Yes and my name is Caden. As for being a tutor, I would not consider myself a tutor because I learn along with the students.” The elder princess giggled then said in a flirty way, “You must be a good tutor if you learn along with the ones you are teaching.” He ducked his head in embarrassment and replied, “There is always an opportunity to learn if you know when it is there. If you mess up then you learn or there are other ways to learn.” Caden smiled and asked cheerfully, “So which one of the princesses am I teaching? Your father said I was teaching his youngest, but since I have never seen the royal family in person, I have no idea who that is.” Princess Sophina pointed to her sister and said, “This is her. You probably heard about all the tutors she has gone through and that father has finally gotten fed up with her attitude.”
He turned his gaze to the younger sister and said, “So you are the one that has gone through fifteen tutors in the last month. You are Princess Sophie, right?” The younger princess looked at him and replied rudely, “Yeah that’s me. What’s it to you?” Caden raised an eyebrow and commented, “I see the king was not kidding. You really are an arrogant child.” Suddenly angry, Princess Sophie snapped, “I’m not arrogant and I’m not a child. I’m almost eighteen years old and deserve to be treated like an adult. What does that word even mean?!” Caden narrowed his eyes, which intimidated the young princess, and he said, “Listen really carefully because things seem to go through one of those ears and out the other. I have one rule in my teaching and that is: If you want respect from me, you are going to have to earn it because I do not tolerate rude people who are mean to good adults that have families to worry about while you have practically nothing to worry over. So, ‘princess’, suck up that attitude because if I have to, I will report it to your father, and he will deal with you. I know he does not like how you treat others so shut that mouth of yours and get over yourself. The lesson starts at eight a.m. tomorrow in here so do not be late.” Princess Sophie was silent with shock because no one had ever told her off before, but then Princess Sophina asked, “Do you always wear glasses?”
He turned his gaze to the older one of the sisters and replied, “No, I just use them for reading small writing or print.” “What do you look like without them?” the elder princess asked. “Well,” Caden said, “I will take them off so you can see.” He reached up to his glasses and took them off then looked at the princesses. To say the princesses were surprised was an understatement; they were astonished. Caden was actually really, really handsome without his glasses, not that he wasn’t handsome with them, but all the other tutors were mostly old; not him. He was the most handsome man of all the men either of the girls had seen. He lowered his gaze in embarrassment at their stares and, breaking the silence, said, “I know. I look a lot different without them. I do not look bad, do I?” Princess Sophina quickly replied without thinking, “Of course you do not look bad. You look very handsome. I mean, you probably hear that a lot, but it is true. You do not look even close to the word handsome because you look so great. I am sorry. I am talking too much so I will be quiet now.”
Caden chuckled at her and said, “Well, thanks. Now I know why I was always being flirted with by the girls I was teaching.” The elder princess asked teasingly, “Did any catch your eye?” He chuckled again and said, “Not really. I guess I was so focused on helping others that I never really had time to think about it.” Both princesses were surprised, but then Caden said, “I had better get back to studying. I hope you both have a good rest of the day.” He gave a slight bow then pulled out the chair while they walked away and sat down in it. Once they were outside the library, Princess Sophina commented happily, “He is really cute. I could not believe I made a fool of myself when I first saw him. I have never acted like that around any man before.” Princess Sophie looked at her sister and said, “I can’t believe anyone would act stupidly over a man. What do people see in him anyway?” Her elder sister looked at her and replied, “You obviously know nothing about men or romance. With him… well, you will have to figure out what people see in him yourself because he is going to be teaching you for a while, but in order to do that… you will have to shape up your attitude in order for him to even like you and then he might open up some.”
Princess Sophie raised an eyebrow in challenge and asked, “You expect me to fall in love with him? Well, I won’t. I refuse to have any feelings for him after he called me arrogant. What does that even mean?” Her elder sister chuckled then said, “You can look that up in a dictionary yourself, but I do not expect you to fall in love with him. Once you know him, it might be hard not to. I have heard about how good he is to others from father’s advisor and how kind he is, but he is right when he says he does not like people being mean to others, no matter what level they are in the kingdom, he will stand up to the one receiving the mean treatment.” The younger princess just rolled her eyes in response then they went about their day until dinner was ready and she found out that her new tutor was going to be joining them. He quietly ate and so did everyone else until King Nicholas cleared his mouth and asked, “So Caden, how many people have you tutored? I heard that you have tutored many people in the past.” Caden looked at the king, swallowed then answered, “I am not sure how many people I have taught, but I guess it is a lot. I do not really keep track because they are people and not tallies to make myself seem better than I am.” “How long have you tutored people?” asked the king’s eldest son. Caden thought for a couple minutes before he said, “I have been teaching since I was nine years old, but then I started with homeless children that could not afford educations because their parents were so poor.”
“Who did you teach after that?” Princess Sophina asked him. “After that, poor adults heard I was teaching for free and asked for me to teach them so they could get back on their feet and start again,” Caden told them, “I was glad to help them, so I did not charge them for anything. A lot of them were able to get good jobs and get their lives back then came to find me to pay me, but I refused and said to see them so happy again was all I wanted. Some of them had families of their own and asked me to teach their children when they were old enough and I agreed.” “Were your parents proud?” the king asked and Caden went quiet for a little bit. “My mother was, but my father… well, I like to think that he is proud of me because he… died when I was nine,” Caden explained sadly, “My aunt was the one who paid for my education and let us stay in her house because we could not afford to have our own. When my aunt died, we got her house and I continued to teach to support my mother and myself.” “How old were you when she died?” Princess Sophina asked.
“I was nineteen,” Caden told her. “I am sorry your father and aunt died,” the princess said sincerely, “Is your mother alright staying at your home alone?” He shrugged and replied, “I am not sure if she would be because we always have friends staying there so she gets the help she needs when she needs it.” “You have friends staying with you?” the eldest prince asked. Caden nodded and replied, “Yes. My mother, also, wanted to help the less fortunate so we opened up our home to those who needed shelter and food until they are able to support themselves.” “That doesn’t seem like a smart idea at all,” Princess Sophie said rudely, “Having filthy, ragged strangers staying in your home sounds stupid and worthless.” Before the king could rebuke his daughter, Caden’s patience snapped so he retorted, “How would you feel if you had nothing, but the clothes on your back and your family?” “My father’s fortune will never run dry, so I’ll always have everything I want,” the princess said disrespectfully. “What if he died and left you with nothing and you had to support your siblings?” he asked.
Suddenly as her anger came, it was gone, and she was able to think clearly. “I didn’t think about that,” she said softly. “Of course you did not,” Caden said, “I have seen what happens to those who lose everything and have to be homeless then watch their families starve. Some die and some do not, but would you not wish someone would help you and your family until you could help them yourself?” This time, for once, the princess was not able to come up with a rude response, so she sat quietly and ate her food without saying another word for the rest of the evening. Later, the king thanked his advisor again for knowing of such a fine tutor who would put his youngest daughter in her place for the first time in her life. That night when Princess Sophie was preparing for bed, she thought about those who did not have the things she had then got into bed and ended up crying herself to sleep thinking about how horrible it was to starve on the streets with no shelter or anything.
Chapter 2
The next day, Caden was in the library reading a book when the doors opened, and the youngest princess came in. He raised his gaze from the page he was reading, put the bookmark in his spot, closed the book then stood up and gave a slight bow, bending at his waist, saying, “Your highness.” It was obvious to her that he hadn’t forgiven her for her mean words from last night by his tone and the look on his face when she approached. Princess Sophie walked until she was right in front of him and for a short while, they looked each other in the eyes. When a few minutes had passed by, the youngest princess said, “Caden… I… need to apologize to you for what I said yesterday at dinner and… I need to apologize for my rude tone towards you and your friends. It was wrong and I’m sorry.” He seemed surprised by her words and then replied, “Thank you for your apology.” “Am… am I forgiven?” she asked hesitantly.
Caden looked thoughtful for a minute then looked her in the eyes and said, “Yes, but you realize that those people you insulted thought very highly of you and your family.” The princess looked surprised then looked down at the floor and said, “I doubt they think that of me. I mean, I’ve gotten rid of fifteen tutors and was always mean to everyone.” A smile grew on her tutor’s face and he told her, “Not everyone knows about you throwing out fifteen tutors. Also, everyone can change their ways if they truly wish it. It will take time and effort, but in the end, it will be worth it.” She looked at him, surprised, then looked back at the ground and thought for a couple minutes then looked at him with a decided look and said, “I do want to be treated like an adult, but I don’t really know what I can do to change my behavior.” “I can teach you how to behave like an adult and how to react smartly when someone says something mean to you,” Caden told her and she smiled. “I’d like that,” she said.
Her tutor smiled, but didn’t know why then replied, “Well, let us begin today with proper manners then once that is learned, we will start on…” He told her the lessons he had planned for that week then they began the first lesson of the day. Soon, the week was over, and they began the lessons for the next week. Before either knew it, a month had gone by and she was getting used to saying “Please” and “Thank you”, which surprised her family and the servants of the palace. Several months had gone by when the king announced at dinner that he was going to hosting a ball and the royal children were excited while Caden was a little nervous when the king said he was invited to attend. The next day, Princess Sophie was mentally planning in her head what she would look like when she entered the library and found that Caden wasn’t there. She went to find her father and he said, “My dear, Caden is probably in bed still because his mother had an uneasy night last night and he was awake with her all night.” Concerned, Princess Sophie asked, “Is his mother alright now? She’ll be okay?” The king sighed and replied, “I do not know, Sophie. You would have to ask him yourself and he could probably tell you how she is.” After that, the youngest princess left the room and went to Caden’s bedroom then quietly opened the door and found him still asleep in his bed.
She silently went over to his bedside and gently shook him whispering, “Caden. Caden, wake up.” He stirred slightly so she quit shaking him, opened his eyes a little bit then looked up at her and smiled saying, “Hi, princess.” Caden sat up as she said, “Sorry to wake you up, but I had to know something.” He replied, “Ask away.” “Well, I was wondering how your mother was doing,” she told him, “Is she okay? I heard she had a rough night last night.” Caden said, “She just had a cough that kept her up, so I came home to keep an eye on her and she had been given some medicine to help her sleep. That is all the fuss was over.” “I hope she’ll be okay now,” replied the princess. He sighed and said, “I hope so, too.” She thought about leaving so he could go back to sleep, but then he asked, “What time is it?” “I think about nine something,” she replied. “I should probably get up then,” Caden said then she left to go read a book in the library. After he was done getting ready and ate something, he met her in the library and surprised her by saying, “It is a nice day so why do we not take the lesson outside?” “Okay,” she replied, and he grabbed a few books then they went out to the gardens and sat down on a bench. “Are you going to be attending the ball?” she asked him. “I do not know,” he replied. “Why?” she asked. “Well,” he said hesitantly, “I… I do not know how to dance.”
Surprised, she asked, “Really? You never learned?” “No,” he told her, “I was busy on focusing on my studies and helping others learn so I never thought it would be needed.” He seemed rather embarrassed by admitting that, but then the princess surprised him by saying, “Well, that can be changed.” Confused, he asked, “How?” She smiled at him and said, “I can teach you how to dance.” Caden looked beyond surprised until she asked, “Well? What do you think?” “I… I do not know,” he said, “A student teaching a teacher? That would be a first, I think.” Princess Sophie smiled then playfully poked his shoulder as she replied, “I know, but aren’t you the one who said that a teacher learns along with the student?” He smiled and said, “I did, but I never thought I would actually learn something like this.” “I bet you didn’t, but didn’t you say that there are always chances to learn?” she asked, trying to smother her smile from growing bigger. Caden couldn’t help chuckling then he asked, “So you are quoting me now?” “Yes, I am much wiser that I can quote you,” she replied. “Wow,” he said, “Not so much an arrogant child, are you?”
Princess Sophie playfully shoved him and said, “Not anymore, but I still have a bit of a feisty side.” “At least it is not a conceited side,” he teased with a smile. “Hey! I was never conceited,” she said, pretending to take offense, then she tickled his ribs, but was surprised to see him laugh and squirm. Once he managed to escape her tickling fingers, he said, “Do not do that. Right there is a very sensitive spot.” Princess Sophie grinned evilly and asked, “Really? Now I have a way to get what I want.” Caden narrowed his eyes and said, “You would not dare.” The princess laughed and replied, “I actually would.” “Okay then I will not attend the ball,” he said. “Okay,” she smiled and replied, “Then you’re asking for this.” Realizing what she was going to do, Caden exclaimed, “Do not dare!” She tickled his ribs while he squirmed and laughed then he pleaded, “Stop it!” Princess Sophie chuckled then said, “I will if you promise to attend the ball.” “Okay! Okay! I promise,” he managed to say then she stopped, and he regained control of himself. Princess Sophie smiled and commented, “I never knew tutors could be so ticklish, but now I know they can be.” He looked at her and said, “Well, this tutor is very ticklish, but it's been awhile since I've been tickled so my spots may have gotten worse.”
She smiled and asked, “Oh really? You have some tickle spots?” “Yes,” he responded, “I have quite a few.” “How many would you say you have?” she asked him. “Ummmm,” he said, thinking, “I would say I have about ten.” “Where are they?” she asked him, trying not to smile. “See if I can remember where they are,” Caden said, “I think my spots are my ribs, which you already know, my stomach, the sides of my stomach, my underarms, my neck, my thighs, behind my knees, my calves, my ankles and my feet.” Princess Sophie’s lips broke out in a big smile then she giggled and said, “You shouldn’t have told me, but now I definitely have a way to get you to do what I want.” Realizing what he had just done, he pleaded, “Please do not tickle me. I hate it.” “Seems like you were enjoying yourself a second ago,” she pointed out. He knew he couldn’t lie so he said, “Okay, fine. I do like it, but I do not like it overdone.” Princess Sophie giggled again then promised, “I won’t over do it because I know you might actually end up hating it. Anyway, we need to get to the lesson for today.” Caden smiled then he began teaching her the lesson he had prepared and soon it was over so they both had the rest of the day to do what they both needed to do.
Chapter 3
When the day of the ball arrived, everyone invited held their breath in anticipation and excitement, especially the royal children. Caden entered the ballroom feeling very nervous, but excited. The royal family were introduced to everyone at the ball, but Princess Sophie stayed with Caden the whole time and dance with him some of the dances then she talked with him quite a bit. When the ball was almost over, a servant quickly came over to Caden and whispered something in his ear at which his eyes widened with shock and horror. Once the servant left, Princess Sophie asked him, “What was that about?” He looked at her, still in shock, and didn’t say anything until she asked, “Caden? Are you okay?” He told her quickly, “I need to go.” He quickly left before she could reply, and she spent the rest of the ball worrying about him.
That night, she couldn’t sleep because she was still worried sick about him and wondered why he looked so shocked and horrified. When she went into the library the next day to see if he was there, she discovered that he was not, so she went to his room and saw he was not there either. The princess went to the throne room and saw her father there then she asked him, “Where is Caden?” Her father looked at her with saddened eyes and said, “My little dove, we need to talk.” She walked over to him and she asked, “Is something wrong? Is Caden alright? Or is something wrong with his mother?” The king stood up and pulled her into a hug then, while hugging her, said, “Caden won’t be teaching you anymore.” “Why? Is he okay?” she asked. He put his hands on her shoulders, looked her in the eyes and said, “My dove… Caden left to go see his mother because she had died, but on the way, he was hit and killed by a six-horse carriage. He didn’t suffer long so that was good, but by the time help came, he was already gone.”
The princess heard his last words echo in her ears as she pulled away and big tears grew in her eyes then they spilled over. Her father pulled her back into his arms and she just buried her head in his shoulder and cried. Under her direction, Caden and his mother were buried in the garden near her mother and she vowed to continue his work to help others, so she did. She became known as The Princess of the Generosity and she continued to teach others and pay for the homeless’ tutors so they could get back on their feet to start again. Princess Sophie always kept Caden in her heart throughout her life and she would always be found standing by his grave speaking to him as though he was still alive and telling him about her work. She never forgot him, and she always kept her promise to him. This is where this story ends so I shall end it with the final words, and they are: The End.
The Royal Tutor(Odette Rivers)
Chapter 1
It was a late night in a land that had been ruled by a king or queen for ages. In the palace throne room, the king rubbed his temples with his pointer and middle finger as he groaned. “That child of mine has thrown out fifteen tutors that I have picked out for her,” he complained, “She seems to have no taste for learning even though it is a must that she does learn as much as possible.” The advisor had wisely kept silent until he had an idea so he said, “Your grace… may I suggest a tutor?” King Nicholas looked at him and replied, “Suggest away. I am open to any option.” “I know of one tutor that may please you and her ladyship,” the advisor told the king and that made the king sit up, “He is a fine tutor because he taught my own children when he was just a child himself and he has been teaching others who cannot afford education. He is a kind, considerate man who always puts others ahead of himself. He is young, but he is very smart and always willing to help those who do not understand what other tutors have taught so they have a great understanding of the lesson.” “I must send for him at this very minute,” the king decided, “My daughter will be most happy that he is young and smart so she will, hopefully, be pleased. Guards! Bring him to me at once!” Two guards went out into the village to a nicely kept home with a lush, green lawn in front.
Quickly, they went up to the door and knocked then an elderly woman answered. The next day, Princess Sophie, the youngest princess who was soon to be eighteen years old, was at her desk trying to read a map that she had no idea how to read when she got a knock at her door. “Yes?” she called. A servant came in and said, “Milady, your sister, Princess Sophina, wishes to speak to you.” Princess Sophie gave a nod then told the servant, “Send her in.” The servant curtsied then left and in stepped the other princess. Princess Sophina was about two years older than Princess Sophie, but they looked very much alike. They only way you could tell them apart was their hair color. Princess Sophina had pretty red hair and Princess Sophie had dirty blonde hair. They both had their mother’s pretty green eyes, her fair skin, their father’s full lips and the same brown eyebrows. Both were equally the most beautiful in the kingdom, but their personalities were completely different.
Princess Sophina was sweet, kind, and gentle, but she was wise for her age. Princess Sophie was, however, spoiled, a complainer, sweet when she felt like it and never said ‘Please’ or ‘Thank you’. She could be rude and snotty, but that’s when you got her angry and she did have a short fuse. “I am glad you are up,” said Princess Sophina, “Father wants you to meet the new tutor that he hired for you.” Princess Sophie groaned then complained, “That’s the sixteenth tutor he’s hired for me. I don’t wanna another tutor. I hate tutors.” Princess Sophina sighed then replied, “I do not care if you hate tutors and father said he is not replacing this tutor to suit your ungrateful wishes. He is tired of your whining and complaining so he found just the tutor that can teach you a lesson about behaving. Now, come on!” Without waiting a response from her younger sister, Princess Sophina grabbed Sophie’s hand and pulled her out of the room to the royal library. “He’s in here?” Princess Sophie asked her elder sister, “He must be old and ugly and, to make matters worse, a book worm.” “Hush,” her sister said then she opened the door and pulled her sister into the room. At the table in the middle of the library sat a man with dark brown hair and slightly tan skin.
The princesses walked over to her and Princess Sophina cleared her throat loudly. The man turned his head and revealed he was wearing light brown glasses in front of his milk chocolate brown eyes. “Oh, sorry,” he said in a deep, smooth voice, “I did not hear your approach.” He pushed back the chair after putting a bookmark in the place he was in a book then stood up, walked around the chair, pushed it in and said, “Hello, your highnesses. You are princesses, right?” Princess Sophina smiled and replied, “Yes, we are princesses. You are the new tutor, are you not?” The man smiled and said, “Yes and my name is Caden. As for being a tutor, I would not consider myself a tutor because I learn along with the students.” The elder princess giggled then said in a flirty way, “You must be a good tutor if you learn along with the ones you are teaching.” He ducked his head in embarrassment and replied, “There is always an opportunity to learn if you know when it is there. If you mess up then you learn or there are other ways to learn.” Caden smiled and asked cheerfully, “So which one of the princesses am I teaching? Your father said I was teaching his youngest, but since I have never seen the royal family in person, I have no idea who that is.” Princess Sophina pointed to her sister and said, “This is her. You probably heard about all the tutors she has gone through and that father has finally gotten fed up with her attitude.”
He turned his gaze to the younger sister and said, “So you are the one that has gone through fifteen tutors in the last month. You are Princess Sophie, right?” The younger princess looked at him and replied rudely, “Yeah that’s me. What’s it to you?” Caden raised an eyebrow and commented, “I see the king was not kidding. You really are an arrogant child.” Suddenly angry, Princess Sophie snapped, “I’m not arrogant and I’m not a child. I’m almost eighteen years old and deserve to be treated like an adult. What does that word even mean?!” Caden narrowed his eyes, which intimidated the young princess, and he said, “Listen really carefully because things seem to go through one of those ears and out the other. I have one rule in my teaching and that is: If you want respect from me, you are going to have to earn it because I do not tolerate rude people who are mean to good adults that have families to worry about while you have practically nothing to worry over. So, ‘princess’, suck up that attitude because if I have to, I will report it to your father, and he will deal with you. I know he does not like how you treat others so shut that mouth of yours and get over yourself. The lesson starts at eight a.m. tomorrow in here so do not be late.” Princess Sophie was silent with shock because no one had ever told her off before, but then Princess Sophina asked, “Do you always wear glasses?”
He turned his gaze to the older one of the sisters and replied, “No, I just use them for reading small writing or print.” “What do you look like without them?” the elder princess asked. “Well,” Caden said, “I will take them off so you can see.” He reached up to his glasses and took them off then looked at the princesses. To say the princesses were surprised was an understatement; they were astonished. Caden was actually really, really handsome without his glasses, not that he wasn’t handsome with them, but all the other tutors were mostly old; not him. He was the most handsome man of all the men either of the girls had seen. He lowered his gaze in embarrassment at their stares and, breaking the silence, said, “I know. I look a lot different without them. I do not look bad, do I?” Princess Sophina quickly replied without thinking, “Of course you do not look bad. You look very handsome. I mean, you probably hear that a lot, but it is true. You do not look even close to the word handsome because you look so great. I am sorry. I am talking too much so I will be quiet now.”
Caden chuckled at her and said, “Well, thanks. Now I know why I was always being flirted with by the girls I was teaching.” The elder princess asked teasingly, “Did any catch your eye?” He chuckled again and said, “Not really. I guess I was so focused on helping others that I never really had time to think about it.” Both princesses were surprised, but then Caden said, “I had better get back to studying. I hope you both have a good rest of the day.” He gave a slight bow then pulled out the chair while they walked away and sat down in it. Once they were outside the library, Princess Sophina commented happily, “He is really cute. I could not believe I made a fool of myself when I first saw him. I have never acted like that around any man before.” Princess Sophie looked at her sister and said, “I can’t believe anyone would act stupidly over a man. What do people see in him anyway?” Her elder sister looked at her and replied, “You obviously know nothing about men or romance. With him… well, you will have to figure out what people see in him yourself because he is going to be teaching you for a while, but in order to do that… you will have to shape up your attitude in order for him to even like you and then he might open up some.”
Princess Sophie raised an eyebrow in challenge and asked, “You expect me to fall in love with him? Well, I won’t. I refuse to have any feelings for him after he called me arrogant. What does that even mean?” Her elder sister chuckled then said, “You can look that up in a dictionary yourself, but I do not expect you to fall in love with him. Once you know him, it might be hard not to. I have heard about how good he is to others from father’s advisor and how kind he is, but he is right when he says he does not like people being mean to others, no matter what level they are in the kingdom, he will stand up to the one receiving the mean treatment.” The younger princess just rolled her eyes in response then they went about their day until dinner was ready and she found out that her new tutor was going to be joining them. He quietly ate and so did everyone else until King Nicholas cleared his mouth and asked, “So Caden, how many people have you tutored? I heard that you have tutored many people in the past.” Caden looked at the king, swallowed then answered, “I am not sure how many people I have taught, but I guess it is a lot. I do not really keep track because they are people and not tallies to make myself seem better than I am.” “How long have you tutored people?” asked the king’s eldest son. Caden thought for a couple minutes before he said, “I have been teaching since I was nine years old, but then I started with homeless children that could not afford educations because their parents were so poor.”
“Who did you teach after that?” Princess Sophina asked him. “After that, poor adults heard I was teaching for free and asked for me to teach them so they could get back on their feet and start again,” Caden told them, “I was glad to help them, so I did not charge them for anything. A lot of them were able to get good jobs and get their lives back then came to find me to pay me, but I refused and said to see them so happy again was all I wanted. Some of them had families of their own and asked me to teach their children when they were old enough and I agreed.” “Were your parents proud?” the king asked and Caden went quiet for a little bit. “My mother was, but my father… well, I like to think that he is proud of me because he… died when I was nine,” Caden explained sadly, “My aunt was the one who paid for my education and let us stay in her house because we could not afford to have our own. When my aunt died, we got her house and I continued to teach to support my mother and myself.” “How old were you when she died?” Princess Sophina asked.
“I was nineteen,” Caden told her. “I am sorry your father and aunt died,” the princess said sincerely, “Is your mother alright staying at your home alone?” He shrugged and replied, “I am not sure if she would be because we always have friends staying there so she gets the help she needs when she needs it.” “You have friends staying with you?” the eldest prince asked. Caden nodded and replied, “Yes. My mother, also, wanted to help the less fortunate so we opened up our home to those who needed shelter and food until they are able to support themselves.” “That doesn’t seem like a smart idea at all,” Princess Sophie said rudely, “Having filthy, ragged strangers staying in your home sounds stupid and worthless.” Before the king could rebuke his daughter, Caden’s patience snapped so he retorted, “How would you feel if you had nothing, but the clothes on your back and your family?” “My father’s fortune will never run dry, so I’ll always have everything I want,” the princess said disrespectfully. “What if he died and left you with nothing and you had to support your siblings?” he asked.
Suddenly as her anger came, it was gone, and she was able to think clearly. “I didn’t think about that,” she said softly. “Of course you did not,” Caden said, “I have seen what happens to those who lose everything and have to be homeless then watch their families starve. Some die and some do not, but would you not wish someone would help you and your family until you could help them yourself?” This time, for once, the princess was not able to come up with a rude response, so she sat quietly and ate her food without saying another word for the rest of the evening. Later, the king thanked his advisor again for knowing of such a fine tutor who would put his youngest daughter in her place for the first time in her life. That night when Princess Sophie was preparing for bed, she thought about those who did not have the things she had then got into bed and ended up crying herself to sleep thinking about how horrible it was to starve on the streets with no shelter or anything.
Chapter 2
The next day, Caden was in the library reading a book when the doors opened, and the youngest princess came in. He raised his gaze from the page he was reading, put the bookmark in his spot, closed the book then stood up and gave a slight bow, bending at his waist, saying, “Your highness.” It was obvious to her that he hadn’t forgiven her for her mean words from last night by his tone and the look on his face when she approached. Princess Sophie walked until she was right in front of him and for a short while, they looked each other in the eyes. When a few minutes had passed by, the youngest princess said, “Caden… I… need to apologize to you for what I said yesterday at dinner and… I need to apologize for my rude tone towards you and your friends. It was wrong and I’m sorry.” He seemed surprised by her words and then replied, “Thank you for your apology.” “Am… am I forgiven?” she asked hesitantly.
Caden looked thoughtful for a minute then looked her in the eyes and said, “Yes, but you realize that those people you insulted thought very highly of you and your family.” The princess looked surprised then looked down at the floor and said, “I doubt they think that of me. I mean, I’ve gotten rid of fifteen tutors and was always mean to everyone.” A smile grew on her tutor’s face and he told her, “Not everyone knows about you throwing out fifteen tutors. Also, everyone can change their ways if they truly wish it. It will take time and effort, but in the end, it will be worth it.” She looked at him, surprised, then looked back at the ground and thought for a couple minutes then looked at him with a decided look and said, “I do want to be treated like an adult, but I don’t really know what I can do to change my behavior.” “I can teach you how to behave like an adult and how to react smartly when someone says something mean to you,” Caden told her and she smiled. “I’d like that,” she said.
Her tutor smiled, but didn’t know why then replied, “Well, let us begin today with proper manners then once that is learned, we will start on…” He told her the lessons he had planned for that week then they began the first lesson of the day. Soon, the week was over, and they began the lessons for the next week. Before either knew it, a month had gone by and she was getting used to saying “Please” and “Thank you”, which surprised her family and the servants of the palace. Several months had gone by when the king announced at dinner that he was going to hosting a ball and the royal children were excited while Caden was a little nervous when the king said he was invited to attend. The next day, Princess Sophie was mentally planning in her head what she would look like when she entered the library and found that Caden wasn’t there. She went to find her father and he said, “My dear, Caden is probably in bed still because his mother had an uneasy night last night and he was awake with her all night.” Concerned, Princess Sophie asked, “Is his mother alright now? She’ll be okay?” The king sighed and replied, “I do not know, Sophie. You would have to ask him yourself and he could probably tell you how she is.” After that, the youngest princess left the room and went to Caden’s bedroom then quietly opened the door and found him still asleep in his bed.
She silently went over to his bedside and gently shook him whispering, “Caden. Caden, wake up.” He stirred slightly so she quit shaking him, opened his eyes a little bit then looked up at her and smiled saying, “Hi, princess.” Caden sat up as she said, “Sorry to wake you up, but I had to know something.” He replied, “Ask away.” “Well, I was wondering how your mother was doing,” she told him, “Is she okay? I heard she had a rough night last night.” Caden said, “She just had a cough that kept her up, so I came home to keep an eye on her and she had been given some medicine to help her sleep. That is all the fuss was over.” “I hope she’ll be okay now,” replied the princess. He sighed and said, “I hope so, too.” She thought about leaving so he could go back to sleep, but then he asked, “What time is it?” “I think about nine something,” she replied. “I should probably get up then,” Caden said then she left to go read a book in the library. After he was done getting ready and ate something, he met her in the library and surprised her by saying, “It is a nice day so why do we not take the lesson outside?” “Okay,” she replied, and he grabbed a few books then they went out to the gardens and sat down on a bench. “Are you going to be attending the ball?” she asked him. “I do not know,” he replied. “Why?” she asked. “Well,” he said hesitantly, “I… I do not know how to dance.”
Surprised, she asked, “Really? You never learned?” “No,” he told her, “I was busy on focusing on my studies and helping others learn so I never thought it would be needed.” He seemed rather embarrassed by admitting that, but then the princess surprised him by saying, “Well, that can be changed.” Confused, he asked, “How?” She smiled at him and said, “I can teach you how to dance.” Caden looked beyond surprised until she asked, “Well? What do you think?” “I… I do not know,” he said, “A student teaching a teacher? That would be a first, I think.” Princess Sophie smiled then playfully poked his shoulder as she replied, “I know, but aren’t you the one who said that a teacher learns along with the student?” He smiled and said, “I did, but I never thought I would actually learn something like this.” “I bet you didn’t, but didn’t you say that there are always chances to learn?” she asked, trying to smother her smile from growing bigger. Caden couldn’t help chuckling then he asked, “So you are quoting me now?” “Yes, I am much wiser that I can quote you,” she replied. “Wow,” he said, “Not so much an arrogant child, are you?”
Princess Sophie playfully shoved him and said, “Not anymore, but I still have a bit of a feisty side.” “At least it is not a conceited side,” he teased with a smile. “Hey! I was never conceited,” she said, pretending to take offense, then she tickled his ribs, but was surprised to see him laugh and squirm. Once he managed to escape her tickling fingers, he said, “Do not do that. Right there is a very sensitive spot.” Princess Sophie grinned evilly and asked, “Really? Now I have a way to get what I want.” Caden narrowed his eyes and said, “You would not dare.” The princess laughed and replied, “I actually would.” “Okay then I will not attend the ball,” he said. “Okay,” she smiled and replied, “Then you’re asking for this.” Realizing what she was going to do, Caden exclaimed, “Do not dare!” She tickled his ribs while he squirmed and laughed then he pleaded, “Stop it!” Princess Sophie chuckled then said, “I will if you promise to attend the ball.” “Okay! Okay! I promise,” he managed to say then she stopped, and he regained control of himself. Princess Sophie smiled and commented, “I never knew tutors could be so ticklish, but now I know they can be.” He looked at her and said, “Well, this tutor is very ticklish, but it's been awhile since I've been tickled so my spots may have gotten worse.”
She smiled and asked, “Oh really? You have some tickle spots?” “Yes,” he responded, “I have quite a few.” “How many would you say you have?” she asked him. “Ummmm,” he said, thinking, “I would say I have about ten.” “Where are they?” she asked him, trying not to smile. “See if I can remember where they are,” Caden said, “I think my spots are my ribs, which you already know, my stomach, the sides of my stomach, my underarms, my neck, my thighs, behind my knees, my calves, my ankles and my feet.” Princess Sophie’s lips broke out in a big smile then she giggled and said, “You shouldn’t have told me, but now I definitely have a way to get you to do what I want.” Realizing what he had just done, he pleaded, “Please do not tickle me. I hate it.” “Seems like you were enjoying yourself a second ago,” she pointed out. He knew he couldn’t lie so he said, “Okay, fine. I do like it, but I do not like it overdone.” Princess Sophie giggled again then promised, “I won’t over do it because I know you might actually end up hating it. Anyway, we need to get to the lesson for today.” Caden smiled then he began teaching her the lesson he had prepared and soon it was over so they both had the rest of the day to do what they both needed to do.
Chapter 3
When the day of the ball arrived, everyone invited held their breath in anticipation and excitement, especially the royal children. Caden entered the ballroom feeling very nervous, but excited. The royal family were introduced to everyone at the ball, but Princess Sophie stayed with Caden the whole time and dance with him some of the dances then she talked with him quite a bit. When the ball was almost over, a servant quickly came over to Caden and whispered something in his ear at which his eyes widened with shock and horror. Once the servant left, Princess Sophie asked him, “What was that about?” He looked at her, still in shock, and didn’t say anything until she asked, “Caden? Are you okay?” He told her quickly, “I need to go.” He quickly left before she could reply, and she spent the rest of the ball worrying about him.
That night, she couldn’t sleep because she was still worried sick about him and wondered why he looked so shocked and horrified. When she went into the library the next day to see if he was there, she discovered that he was not, so she went to his room and saw he was not there either. The princess went to the throne room and saw her father there then she asked him, “Where is Caden?” Her father looked at her with saddened eyes and said, “My little dove, we need to talk.” She walked over to him and she asked, “Is something wrong? Is Caden alright? Or is something wrong with his mother?” The king stood up and pulled her into a hug then, while hugging her, said, “Caden won’t be teaching you anymore.” “Why? Is he okay?” she asked. He put his hands on her shoulders, looked her in the eyes and said, “My dove… Caden left to go see his mother because she had died, but on the way, he was hit and killed by a six-horse carriage. He didn’t suffer long so that was good, but by the time help came, he was already gone.”
The princess heard his last words echo in her ears as she pulled away and big tears grew in her eyes then they spilled over. Her father pulled her back into his arms and she just buried her head in his shoulder and cried. Under her direction, Caden and his mother were buried in the garden near her mother and she vowed to continue his work to help others, so she did. She became known as The Princess of the Generosity and she continued to teach others and pay for the homeless’ tutors so they could get back on their feet to start again. Princess Sophie always kept Caden in her heart throughout her life and she would always be found standing by his grave speaking to him as though he was still alive and telling him about her work. She never forgot him, and she always kept her promise to him. This is where this story ends so I shall end it with the final words, and they are: The End.
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Shirley Smothers
10/09/2022What a great story. We all should be kinder and generous to others. Loved this.
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Help Us Understand What's Happening
Lillian Kazmierczak
10/08/2022This was beautiful story. The twist was so sad. The princesses redemption was a lovely tribute to Caden. Congratulations on short story star of the day!
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