- peacock princess -

okay, finished (this version, probably I do another, coloured in traditional way...). Sorry for all mistakes, but I hope that you know what I mean... Even if this story is long, please, read it...
or better not x]

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Once upon a time lived... a princess. She wasn't the most beautiful, and she was too young to be wise.
Her parents had decided to send her to other country, to present her on emperor's court, which was famous for elegance.
Princess, even if she was a bit provincial, was really nice and modest; she quickly adapted to court's custom and became popular among oldest princesses. Time passed by; little princess grown up. She knew a lot, not only about literature and art, but also fashion and personal relationships; every courtier and every prince was anxious to please her.
One evening, on carnival ball, she noticed a new face amongst crowd - it was emperor's son, who came back from a long journey. He was the most elegant young man on court, but also the most intelligent and sense.
'His manners, his opinions - does he really exist?' - she said.

But Prince didn't took note of her; not in this way, she was interested in. Of course, he talk with her, and dance, but she was only one of many princesses.
She fall in love with him; she tried to focus his attention on her, but it didn't work.

Soon was talked on the court, that emperors's son had engaged with princess from nearby kingdom. Do you know, how she felt? It was something horrible. But she dissemble her true feelings, hoping, that nobody noticed what she fell about him. Hoping, that his wife will be better than she is.

But this hope failed, when engaged princess came to the court. Of course, when she accompanied prince, she was the modest young lady she had ever seen. But when he left her with other ladies, she shown her true face, all her arrogance.
Prince didn't noticed it. Bad princess played her part excellent. Nobody could believe, how she really is.

One day, when our princess and her beloved walked in the garden and talked about many things waiting for his fiancee, he mentioned, that the worst thing is woman's behaviour is coquerty and frivolity. Now she understand, why he didn't take care about her; even if she wasn't so bad, he doesn't know about it. Her attitude was similar to other princesses, without guarantee, that she's wiser.

Her days became full of shame and pain. One moonless night, when she felt that she cannot bear it anymore, princess run away. In the darkness she cursed herself and her vanity. And then...
She felt, that her hands became smaller, her legs - thinner, her nose - longer. When she tried to say something, instead of her voice it was heard crying, despairing and full of sorrow.
She became a peacock.
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