You teared up, not wanting to hurt anyone's feelings. "Please don't take this the wrong way, I'm sure you're all very nice." you said. "But.... I just want to go home."
The queen sighed, hoping to have sparked your curiosity. "I am afraid that is impossible at this time, Mike Cutie." she said sadly. "You see, inside this story, you must meet three requirements in order to leave. I was hoping to entice you into one of those requirements to make your stay here more comfortable."
"Anything is possible, err, my queen." you said, frustrated but still polite. "You said it yourself."
"Yes, I said this." replied the queen, patiently. "I can send you back but, because you will be sent back early, without meeting any of the three requirements, you will become a girl for the rest of your life."
You gulped. "What kind of book did Hannah bring to school?"
Unknown to you, as the queen and her daughters carefully explained the truth, Hannah was having troubles of her own in the real world at school...
"Are you okay, Hannah?" asked Erin, one of Hannah's best friends.
Erin was a kind, lightly built seven year old girl with light brown hair and gentle green eyes. She and Hannah had been best friends with you since Kindergarten. Hannah turned to her, holding the reluctant princess story with a distraught look on her face as she cried.
"Erin, I made a terrible mistake!" she said. "Mike Cutie, he's inside the book!"
Erin looked at Hannah, confused. "Inside... the book?" she asked. "What are you talking about?"
Then, Hayley, Hannah's eldest sister, waved her hand and Erin walked away as if nothing had taken place before Hayley then grabbed the book from her grasp. "You brought this book to school!?" she asked, stunned and angered. "Are you completely out of your mind!?"
"I'm sorry, Hayley!" bawled Hannah, covering her face with her soiled hands. "Just help me get Mike out!"
Hayley paled considerably before turning red as she pried one hand away from Hannah's face. "Mike Cutie!?" she asked, quietly but enraged. "You put your best friend into the book!?"
"No!" whispered Hannah, distraught. "It was an accident!"
She then went on to quietly explain what had happened to which Hayley gave Hannah's wrist a turn, forcing her to wince from the pain. "Mom is not going to be happy, Hannah!" she hissed. "Especially since we all now must skip school for the day to clean up your mess!"
With that, she gave John and Harry a nod who dragged a struggling Karl and Greg along with them as they all walked away from the school as the first bell rang....
Back to you, inside the book, the queen and her daughters had finished explaining, leaving you pale with fright but also a quiver with curiosity. "My neighbors are witches and I am inside the pages of an enchanted book, designed to test a boy's resolve by making him a princess?" you asked.
"That is correct, Mike Cutie." replied the queen. "However, you were brought here by accident but must still be tested or leave here forever a girl, that is the conditions of the enchantment."
"What are the three conditions?" you asked, more shaken than curious.
The queen sighed. "One, learn what life is like as a girl by living a month here as my fourth daughter, that is the easiest of the three as you will return home yourself after that time." she replied. "Two, serve my daughters, hand and foot, as a handmaiden...not an easy task. Failure to please them will result in you being a girl forever."
"Then, what is the third condition?" you asked, hopeful.
"The third condition is the hardest, solve the mystery of the reluctant princess." explained the queen. "One of my daughters will go missing, you have to will take her place and try to solve who had kidnapped her and why." she then gave you a sad look. "If you fail to solve the mystery within thirty days, you will return home a girl in body and mind forever, Mike Cutie will die and Michelle Cutie will take his place...."
"You must chose quickly." added the eldest daughter. "If not, we will be forced to chose for you."
You could feel your heart pounding in your throat as the queen and the three princesses waited for your answer.
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