The magic no longer flowed through her family’s veins. It had died out generations ago. Or at least what they’d been told. And now magic is forbidden by order of her father, the King, and punishable by death. How will she hide the fact that she can suddenly talk to animals? 

Seventeen years ago King Arthur and Queen Rose had a beautiful baby girl and named her Penelope. Unfortunately, the Queen didn’t make it through childbirth. So to this day princess, Penelope lives with her father, maids, and butlers. King Arthur promised to never remarry and has kept his promise. He lives with grief and a broken heart. Penelope on the other hand is positive and does anything she can to help cheer people up. 

Queen Rose would write in journals for years. She would write about stories she heard and about what her life was like every day. As soon as Penelope could read her father gave her the journals. Penelope started reading them and didn’t ever want to stop. By reading them she felt close to her mother even though they had never got to meet. While reading the journals Penelope learned that all the girls in her family in past generations had magic power. By the time her mother was born though the magic had died out. That is until Queen Rose became pregnant with Penelope. Throughout the entire pregnancy, she had a feeling, a good feeling, that the baby she was carrying was different and special. After the first-trimester queen Rose also got the magic power of healing. 

The day Queen Rose went into labor and gave birth to Princess Penelope was the best yet worst day for the King. During childbirth there were complications. Both the Queen and Princess were at high risk of death. The Queen decided to use all of her energy and magic to save Penelope but that meant she wouldn’t have any left for herself. The nurse held out Penelope to Rose. she quickly took her from the nurse with tears in her eyes. As soon as Penelope was in her arms they both lit up, but only for a moment. Almost immediately Rose lost consciousness and was gone before the doctor could do anything. That was the day King Arthur made magic forbidden.

On Penelope’s seventeenth birthday she got the power to talk to animals. That was last week. She knows that she can’t keep it a secret forever. What will her father do though? Penelope sits in her room with the window open, so if any animals want to come to talk to her they can. Penelope made friends with a bird named Phoenix and a bunny named Honey that comes to see her every day now.

Phoenix and Honey come to Penelope’s window. “Hello, Penelope!” Honey says. 

“Oh, hello Honey. Hello Phoenix.”

“How are you doing?” Honey asks.

“I’m doing alright.”

“Have you talked to your father?” Phoenix asked.

“No. How am I supposed to tell him when he kills anyone that uses their magic?”

“When have you ever seen or heard your father sentence someone to death?”

“Never, but I knew a lady that used her magic every day. She was one of our maids. I haven’t seen her in weeks. The king probably caught her.”

“I don’t think the king would ever kill anyone,” Honey exclaimed. 

“Penelope, you need to tell him. He won’t do anything to you, you’re his daughter.” Phoenix explained. “How about at dinner tonight? We can even be there.”

“Okay, I’ll do it.”

Later that night Penelope was sitting at the table with the King. “Father?” 

“Penelope?” 

“I have something I need to tell you.”

“Okay, you can tell me anything.”

“Well, this might be hard to hear.” King Arthur sat up straight in his chair and made eye contact with Penelope. She didn’t know any other way to say it than to say it forward. Penelope takes a deep breath and looks down at the table. 

“I have a magic power.” There was a moment of silence. 

“What is your power?”

“I can talk to animals.”

The king stood up out of his chair and walked away without saying anything. Penelope only sat at the table for a moment after her father left. Then she went to her room to go to bed. The next morning a maid knocked on Penelope's door. 

“The King would like to see you before breakfast Princess Penelope. He wants you to meet him in his office.”

“Okay, can you tell him that I’ll be there in a few minutes?”

“Yes, your highness.”

“Thank you!”

Penelope got ready for the day and headed to her father’s office. She knocked on the door and slowly walked in with her head down. 

“Penelope. You know I love you right?”

“Yes, father.”

“After breakfast, there will be a car outside waiting for you. A maid is packing your bags right now. You’re going to a farm. I’ve sent every other person that has used their magic, so you won’t be alone.”

“Oh, okay. How long will I be staying there?”

“I don’t know sweetheart. I’m sorry.”

Penelope stayed quiet as she walked out. Penelope got to the table for breakfast. Neither of them talked to each other. Penelope ate some but mostly picked at her food. They finished breakfast, and Penelope stood up and walked to her bedroom. She stood in her doorway then walked down the hall to Queen Rose’s office and the room she passed away in. She only stood in the doorways for a moment then walked to the front of the palace. The doors opened, a car was sitting at the end of the steps. King Arthur walked up to Penelope. 

“Your bags are in the car. I love you, Penelope. I will always love you.”

Penelope didn’t say anything. She stared at the car with her eyes welling up.

“I’m sorry Penelope.” King Arthur said with a quaver in his voice. 

Penelope didn’t answer, she kept quiet and walked to the car. Still walking with proper posture but blurry vision and wet cheeks. A butler opened the car door. Penelope got in, closed the door. No one made eye contact and the car drove off. 

A few days pass. Penelope has gotten comfortable and gets along with everyone else at the farm. One morning everyone was eating breakfast when the phone rang. The maid, Mary, who worked at the palace picked the phone up off the wall and answered with “Hello?”. She didn’t speak for a couple of minutes. Then hung up the phone without saying a word to the person on the other end. “Penelope. That was your father. He wants you to get your bags packed back up. There will be a car picking you up in a couple of hours.”

“Oh, alright. Did he say anything else?”

“No.” 

After breakfast, everyone helped Penelope get packed. They finished just in time for lunch. Everyone was talking amongst themselves and saying how much they love having Penelope at the 

farm. After lunch, the car arrived. Penelope’s bags were packed into the car and she was on her way back home. 

Penelope got home and dinner was ready for her. She sat down at the table with the King. “I missed you, Penelope.”

“I missed you too.”

“I’ve thought about some stuff. I know you’ve read your mother’s journals and know that you know magic power runs in the family. You also know why I made magic forbidden.”

“Yes, father.”

“I have decided that I will allow magic, for everyone.”

“Wait, what?”

“I will make an announcement tomorrow morning. Everyone that is at the farm will be able to come back to town.”

Penelope got up from the table, ran to the other side, and hugged the King.