Masha du Toit

*continued from The Troll Princess Part 1 and The Troll Princess Part 2.*

The next morning Emma woke from powerful dreams of fish mince.  Something was tickling nose.  She opened her eyes to find Ratkin peering closely at her face.  Emma sat up.  “Hungry?”  It was late morning.  She must have overslept.

She washed and dressed and made her way to the breakfast room. There was no one there.  The food was untouched and nearly cold.  Emma served herself  porridge and the kitten was soon deeply engaged in a plate of salmon.

Things were unusually quiet for this time of the morning.  Usually by this time,  King was pacing the room, followed by his chief minister attempting to organize his schedule.  Cook would be barely containing his irritation at the Queen’s leisurely suggestions for tonight’s menu. And what about all those human servants and men-at-arm?  Where was Prince Gregory? More

* continues from The Troll Princess Part 1 *

The next morning Emma woke to a loud banging and a roar from her father. Then the sound of the stage coach rattling away into the distance. There was a knock on her door, and her maidservant put her head around the door.

“You better get up. That princey fellow has done a runner. Need help dressing?”

She found her father pacing in the breakfast room, holding a newspaper.
“Look at this.” He ground his teeth. More

Once upon a time there was a Troll Princess.  She was the only child of the Troll King and the Troll Queen, and her name was Princess Emma.

One day Emma was busy in her work room when she got a message to attend her parents in the throne room.  Emma wondered a little as she made her way through the castle.  “Its probably something to do with my birthday,” she thought.  She would be turning eighteen soon and her parents were full of plans and excitement for the party.

“I was already married to your father when I turned eighteen,” said her mother.  “Its time for us to choose you a husband.”

Emma listened absently as her parents discussed her options.   They had some very particular ideas on who her future husband should be.  After all, one day, he would be the King, and rule at their daughter’s side. He had to be a prince, of course.  And more than that – he had to be a human prince.

“So clever, you know, humans”  said her father.  He liked to think of himself as an enlightened, modern ruler. “They are the coming thing.  So many of them around these days, too.”

“And so…delicate,”  said her mother.  “So soft.” More