Once upon a time, there lived a gorgeous princess from a far kingdom. As daddy’s only girl, she grew up spoiled and never had to care for anything but herself. Servants in the palace would say she was conceited in how she was immersed in herself and her desires. It led her to be oblivious and in turn, fail to notice the state of our kingdom. The princess had heard about the drought, but never imagined that the casualties were this bad. In shock, she began to think of when she ran from her princess’ duties and her ignorance.

             Our kingdom was experiencing the biggest heat wave in its history. The heat wave created a massive drought that caused our kingdoms’ economy and land to plummet. Nothing helped even with a fraction of the kingdom’s national treasure depleted. As the drought spread across the kingdom, father and mother needed help. Despite being childish and spoiled, she had responsibilities of her own. But like always, she would rather sleep or eat than look at documents other people could do. As in other people, I meant me. Whenever she declined, father made me take over my sisters’ tasks.

…

             Amid ignoring her responsibilities, she discovered a suspicious door in the back of her palace. The door was wooden, old, and had the stench of moss. The princess looked at me, and once again I had to do the heavy lifting. What sister uses their brother as their bodyguard?

Suddenly, a strange forest appeared. Without hesitation, the princess started following the mossy steps. Not knowing what, the princess felt something calling out to her. She walked for what seemed like forever until an old, abandoned tower appeared in front of us.

“How come I’ve never seen this place before,” the princess said running in excitement. The tall tower, hugged by vines, was surrounded by fields of vibrant flowers. The fresh gust of wind blew the scent of the flowers upwards, and sweet aroma filled the tower. Bees buzz and hop from flower to flower while the birds are singing to each other. A place that is not found anywhere else in the kingdom.

The princess looked outside the window and saw everything. From the royal palace to the outskirts of the kingdom, including places most affected by the drought. She paused. She was uncomfortable. Which was understandable as she wasn’t used to seeing this side of the kingdom. Men and women gamble, babies are tossed on the side of the road, and teenagers steal whatever they can to survive.

“So, this was the drought they were talking about.” the princess murmured. The nostalgic riverbed is now empty. Dry and brittle fields that were once full of crops, and crows eating away at those who didn’t survive. Just looking soured her mood and she returned to her palace.

…

The princess thought that it was no big deal but deep inside she knew. She knew it was a big crisis and here she was, enjoying her social events. To erase that sight from her memory she drowned herself back in her lavish lifestyle and did as she wanted. She hosted balls and had tea parties with other nobility to pass time. However, indulging in these activities was eating away at her consciousness.

Every time the princess drank fine tea or ate exported pastries, she wondered “Do my people have water to drink today?” or “Do they have enough food for the week?” The princess began having nightmares. People, half dead with arms and legs so tiny, would chase her in the forest saying it was her fault they ended up like this. These nightmares made her feel guilty like no other. Not knowing how to deal with this feeling, her health started deteriorating.

 After suffering from these nightmares for about a week, the princess realized how selfish and thoughtless she had been and wanted to help her people. She believed that it wasn’t right for her to handle this issue when she never cared for them in the first place. But she knew she had to do something even if it was small.

Unbeknownst to others, she sneakily arranged a carriage to the outskirts where the villages most affected by the drought were and snuck out of the castle. She went on a journey to see firsthand the situation of the villages that suffer the most from this natural disaster. She climbed mountains, walked through forests, and visited multiple towns and villages.

The princess, after seeing the people, had a change of heart. She was determined to see these people living with constant smiles on their faces. The princess who never did any “dirty” work or worked with others, teamed up with the villagers to help improve their living conditions. The princess stayed awake till sunrise to observe the conditions of the villages. She helped rebuild rundown houses, dig and create wells, and plant crops that withstand the harsh environment. The princess talked to the people of these towns and villages and was able to connect with them.

After carefully documenting her experiences, she decided to return to the kingdom. The princess said her goodbyes to the villagers and began her journey. The journey back wasn’t easy as she had nearly depleted all her savings, but the princess didn’t give up. When she returned, no one recognized the dirty and wise person in front of them.

“Father, I’ve decided to take part in the council meetings. I want to help the villages and the people during this crisis.” Everyone was shocked and speechless. They had wondered where the beautiful and snobby princess went and where did she go for her to change so drastically. However, our father was proud, for she had finally matured.