Miracle Issue 6 ‘
The Fate of The Great Little Princess -Olga Kolesnikova My heavy eyelids peeled away with difficulty, revealing to the world two olive orbs staring with wonder and uncertainty at the scene before them. Grey sand littered with dry seaweed and driftwood, huge black rocks in places, and further away, rows of bleak trees, ugly in their nakedness; pale grey skeletons reaching their numerous twisted arms to the dark sky as if in desperate prayer. I have heard of this place before, but never cared to, unlike many others, come up to the surface and see it for myself. I was not interested in the surface world: what queen would I be if I did not give my full attention to my own realm? I was passionate about my land, my people. It was this passion that had resulted in my waking up here. I was a warrior queen: known widely as the “Great Little Princess”: for, despite my youth and my small size, I was strong, I was brave, I was proud, and I was fully and completely enveloped in my kingdom’s affairs and the well-being of my people. However, I had lost perhaps the most important battle of my life. I was advised, often advised by my late father’s wise councilors that war with so great a nation was madness: we had neither the numbers nor the skill. But my pride had
blinded me, I regret it now. We had lost, I was captured by the enemy, and my country was left widely unprotected. I had hoped they would kill me, rid me of the shame of this failure, the knowledge that I had betrayed my people’s faith in me, but they were not so merciful. Exile: that was to be my punishment. After swallowing the inky-black mixture that was forced down my throat, I had lost consciousness, and regained it only moments ago. Now, the initial astonishment had subsided and I was aware of the burning sensation in my eyes: I blinked repeatedly and hot water poured down my cheeks. An icy, razor-sharp wind was tearing mercilessly at my bare skin, the air was dry; my lungs seemed filled with needles. Why was this world so full of pain? I lowered my watery eyes, and the blurry image that now floated before me shocked me to the core, shook the foundations of my being, though I had expected it. Two ugly pale sticks were stretched out on the sand, deformed and pathetic. My powerful silver tail was gone; I would never again see its smooth scales sparkle in the rays of light, distorted by their journey through masses of salt water. But I was not one to despair or give up,
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