Some Are Born Princesses

Posted on Feb 16, 2017 @ 12:55pm by Ensign Sofia Andersson & Iphigenia Bonviva
Edited on on Feb 16, 2017 @ 12:55pm

Mission: Holodeck Havoc

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"Some Are Born Princesses..."
(continued from the talented Ranjani's "Some Ice Please!")
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Location: USS PHOENIX
Scene: Holodeck 8 (“The Library”)

“I don’t think you understand,” the Librarian explained. “We need a Princess.” When the doctor simply stared back she clarified. “And that is you.”

Sofia Andersson, M.D. looked at the Librarian; even with her uncomfort over her past nothing was lending itself into thinking that royalty was a necessary step in her career path or step for redemption. “I am a trained medical doctor and an officer of Starfleet. I am not now, nor ever have been or will be, a member of a monarchy.”

The Librarian gave a pitying smile. “Let’s review. We have innocent females--”

“Hey who are you calling innocent females,” Iphie yelled from the center of the Library from where she was trying to bounce out.

The Librarian gave a small huff of annoyance and continued on, “We are in an isolated tower that is surrounded by a woodland environment with no way in or out.” As she watched Sofia, who went running to a high window to study this she continued on, “It’s the perfect environment to keep a Princess isolated.”

Sofia looked out and then walked back to the center to the Library. When she first came into the Library she had been so consumed with the inside that she never thought to look out; or perhaps with all that had been going on it was more likely that the outside of the Library’s walls had changed. “You’re not going to get out,” she said to Iphie.

“I heard,” the Bolian/Human woman said as she bounced down. It took two more bounces before she could get her way over to the center railing and hoist herself over. “Ooof,” the cerulean woman heaved. Sitting down on the ground she tucked her legs under she asked, “So you’re a Princess?”

“I don’t understand, that’s not what this is supposed to be about,” Sofia sighed.

The Librarian peered over at the women, shook her head (not so much that her severe bun loosened) and snapped her fingers. Instantly a tome appeared in her hands, and the pages quickly turned on their own until they stopped on the right page. “Right here we go, we are in an amalgamation of traditional Terran fairytales with roles to be assigned. As such there is the role of the Princess.”

“What does that mean? To be a Princess?” Sofia asked.

When the Librarian looked blankly at the question, the bartender/chef piggybacked on that question with her own, “Am I bowing from now on when I’m serving her a drink?”

The Librarian sighed again. “The Princess is the female who is the most beautiful under the sun; the most charming, with talents so fair that it will inspire an army from far and wide to fight for her.”

“Dudette, what ever happened for ‘truth, justice and the Federation way’?” Iphie asked.

The Librarian was learning to ignore Iphie. “The army will be lead by the young Prince. Or the most handsome man who is spontaneously inspired by the Princess’ plight and legend of beauty and talents to go off into battle.”

When silence descended upon the library the Librarian gave a look at Sofia, “We need this to continue. There must be a Princess; otherwise there is no reason for the fighting.”

Sofia sighed and leaned on a table as she thought through what she remembered from stories from so long ago. “But there are more than just the Prince and Princess in the fairytales. And even more than just nameless armies and enemies. There’s more than what you’re just telling us.”

The Librarian hedged at that. “Yes...sometimes there can be other characters.” As the pages danced she looked down, “Here we go, there’s a fairy godmother who can be a mentor to the Princess. There are various assistants or sidekicks, if you prefer the colloquialism.”

“I think I’m a sidekick,” Iphie grinned.

Sofia frowned at that as she began to pace. “Actually you could be a Princess. Either of us could be.” Looking at the Librarian she said, “Correct?”

The Librarian became quite vexed at that as her brow furrowed.

“The requirements for a Princess are single female of marriageable age,” Sofia continued on. “It was meant to encourage ideals of femininity. Right?”

The Librarian tapped her foot. “You are correct, the Princess is meant to an ideal of femininity for a muse.”

*THUMP -- THUMP -- THUMP*

All three woman turned around to see a dragon jump up and down waving its tiny hands. “Sparky?” Iphie asked, her confusion etched on her face.

“Well there is precedent for *that*,” the Librarian admitted.

“THERE IS?” Sofia and Iphie said at the same time.

The Librarian nodded as if this was normal. “Typically it’s a prince, but there’s nothing saying it can’t be a princess trapped in another form, in this case a dragon. Then our fairy tale the Prince would be fighting for his Princess trapped as a dragon and would free her with a kiss.”

Sofia looked at Iphie, “Did you know your dragon was a female?”

“I’m not the most observant when it comes to these things,” Iphie admitted.

“Pick a Princess, pick a Fairy Godmother and Pick a SideKick; the Fairy Tale needs needs you,” the Librarian said as she slammed her book closed.

If the situation had not been so beyond absorbed Sofia would have likely laughed the entire ordeal off. Here she was, trapped in a fairy tale tower asked to make a decision as to who would take on the role of the Princess, Fairy Godmother and Sidekick. Again, the Chief Medical Officer felt the need to laugh but instead simply looked at Iphie and the dragon.

"This is ridiculous," the blonde haired Doctor sighed drawing a disapproving glare from both the Librarian and her shipmate.

"There is nothing ridiculous about this," the Librarian angrily pointed out while thumping the closed book with her index finger. "The book and story demand that you make a decision."

"I think you better do as you are told," Iphie sighed giving the Librarian a sideways glance waiting to see if the book would be literally thrown at the blonde haired Doctor.

Sofia gave her surroundings another careful scrutiny. This situation truly had the potential of going anywhere forcing the Chief Medical Officer to think well outside of the proverbial box. Although she would need to assign these three roles, the fact remained that each individual would retain their personal identity and skills, this needed to be the basis upon which she would make these decisions.

"The role of the sidekick is to be right in the middle of the action, either helping or hindering the final outcome during the story but in the end providing the crucial assistance needed for a happy ending," Sofia reasoned out loud. "Based on that along, it would make sense for our friendly neighbourhood dragon to take on that role. Of the three of us she will be the most likely to overcome whatever obstacles will be thrown at us."

The Librarian smiled as she placed her flat hand on the book as if sealing the decision that had been made through some magical ritual. "It is done, now you need to provide for the Fairy Godmother and Princess."

"The Princess is meant to be the focus of the story, the one that in most fairy tales is unable to resolve the situation that she finds herself in on her own," Sofia continued her out loud reasoning. "The Fairy Godmother is there to offer encouragement, moral support as well as assistance when things are at their darkest. I believe that as a Medical Officer my skills and knowledge would be better served as the latter, leaving you to be the Princess," the Doctor concluded offering an open hand to the sitting Iphie.

"Great," Iphie sighed as she rolled her eyes.

Before anything more could be said, the Librarian placed her flat hand on the book once more, a delighted smile on her lips. "Done and done!"

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NRPG:

Thank you Sarah, you are an angel.

Let it be known that Sofia refused to be a Princess, at least this time around. One of the reasons being that I have written for far too many "damsel in distress" over the years, so I figured that this was a good chance to avoid doing it again. Nothing like branching out. ;)

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This joint post submitted to you by:

Sarah Albertini-Bond

~writing for~

Xana Bonviva



and



Tiffany Reeve

Ensign Sofia Andersson
Assistant Chief Medical Officer

USS PHOENIX