Hopefully xah would get angry for my double posting.
I was thinking that a catch phrase for the series would be:
Before Disney convinced us that all princesses had happy endings, the Grimm brothers told us otherwise.
And maybe,
The message was clear: princes aren't the solution to everything.
What if their unique dispositions were received differently by their families? How would fate have twisted then?
Also for the pearl princess as a backstory, her birth was received happily until her father realized how her ability could ruin the world. With a sad heart, he isolated her. I could actually make this one a happy story by having the pearls crushed and turned into medicine or toothpaste. Meh. I need to dwell on it more.
Edit:
So I started it. Yay. I figured I could turn it into the princess becoming an assassin because was trained to hide her emotions. Here's the beginning
Every kingdom joyously awaits the arrival of their heir.
Whether the child be male or female didn't matter to the king, just so long as they were alive. It would be his first, and it's birthright would be the kingdom, regardless of gender.
He embodied the disposition all men did when it came to their child's birth. Pacing about restlessly and wincing every time his wife cried out, no one anticipated the birth with more joy than him.
Finally, a child's wail joined with his wife's. A girl, from the sound of it. Then there was a strange noise that followed, not that it registered with the proud papa. Taking his daughter in his arms, he stroked her sparse blonde hair.
The peculiar plinking noises caught his attention. His beloved baby was crying tears of pearls. As the tears rolled off her eyes, they solidified upon contact with the air. They promptly fell off her cheeks without leaving a trail of wetness behind.
Such a situation didn't bother her father who continued to rub his face against hers.
"Honey..." his beautiful but exhausted wife started, "is everything all right? I hear something odd." Those few words took almost all her energy. She couldn't see due to an accident but her hearing was sharp.
"Hm? Our daughter is adorable as expected," he squealed.
"Your majesties." Three men entered the room with a bow. Other than the king, they held the highest positions as his advisors. "We heard that the child was born. How fares it?"
All of them gasped at the sight of a babe with a precious gem pouring from her face. "How can this be?" One wondered aloud.
"A travesty! Travesty! This shall ruin the kingdom. Nay. That would be too optimistic. I daresay, the world!"
Anger coagulated in the king's heart. It was soon calmed by logic. His advisors wouldn't say such a thing without reason. "What do you mean? Explain."
They could tell that their ruler was feeling impatient. Though he was kind and just, he would be merciless to fools who spoke rashly.
"Please stay your anger. We meant no insult. Only that the child has a-" curse was the word they wished to use, "talent. One that could devastate our world."
"My child would not desire such a thing," he interjected while glancing at his wife. She didn't need to hear this but in her dazed state, she didn't comprehend anything.
"Of course not," they agreed. "But think about our kingdom's economy."
There was no need to elaborate. He understood the situation perfectly. "The world would have difficulty handling this child. Even though you're my child," he whispered to his now sleeping daughter.
Gesturing to his advisors, they all exited the bedroom. The king carried his treasure that could unintentionally send the world into a depression out. Following closely was the midwife with the fallen pearls. She was the most trusted of servants and like her ancestors, had the honored position of delivering royalty into the world
"What should be done?" Fear for his daughter was strong but his responsibilities to his kingdom clutched at him.
Though death wasn't an option anyone wanted to consider, it was a strong possibility. It would destroy the royal marriage and cause public distrust.
"Send her away. Announce that the birth was a miscarriage. Have her raised as a commoner. Don't allow her to interact with people lest she be taken advantage of. Teach her to hide her emotions."
Every word that they spoke made their liege's face paler. But, as despair filled him, he knew it was probably the best solution. "Can I entrust my daughter to you, Matilda?"
Matilda the midwife knew what he was asking. Her family would likely disown her for her 'failure' and she would have to disappear. She alone would be responsible for girl's upbringing. "Yes. I will send the pearls on a monthly basis until there is no need."
Nodding, the king agreed. "Please make haste."
The whole kingdom went into mourning over the loss of the heir apparent. The queen almost followed in a fit of hysterics and depression.
Meanwhile, Matilda was grateful that she had strong arms. Since leaving the castle, the baby woke up and slept intermittently and cried often. There was quite a heavy load of pearls in her bag and not only a few travelers noticed.
Soon Matilda reached her destination. It was a small cottage within walking distance of a village. So that robbers couldn't get ahold of the pearls, she buried them in the forest. Until the king's messengers sent for them, she kept them there.
Luckily, the messenger came within a day or two of her arrival. Matilda suspected that a few of the too curious travelers were handled by them.
"Thank you for this," accepted Matilda. In the package she received was a week's worth of food and clothing for both of them. The bag she gave him contained several pounds of pearls. It was enough to buy out the kingdom. "Are you feeling well? Need some tea?" She asked because he was nervous.
"What? No! His majesty ordered me to be home immediately after giving you this. He must be suffering so much now."
'You have no idea,' Matilda thought.
No?