The Princess of Four Feet Squared

Have a free story!

Considering it doesn’t fit in any current book anthologies, is pretty much chic lit (but not Asian, so I can’t send it somewhere) and a waste if I didn’t put it up to be read…

So yes, I wrote this quite a long while back. It doesn’t fit any of the current genres to submit to and was more like a prelude if I wanted to continue it into a full length novel. Meh, I cleaned it up a tiny bit but it’s still rough. If you’re bored, feel free to read it.

By the way, yes you can actually buy the plots of land. You’d be called a laird or lady though. Being a princess is totally fiction which this story is.

The Princess of Four Feet Squared

by Sarah C“`

It started one night, well, morning if you want to be technical about it (2 A.M. to be exact), that my cell phone started to ring.

Now, for all matters and purposes, calling me at 2 A.M. will not get a logical and sensible me.

“Good day, this is William Hatcher of Hatcher and Prachett law firm, am I speaking to a Kristina Mullins?” the voice said chirpily.

Yes, that’s my name. Kristina Mullins. A bit ordinary if you think about it.

“Mmm… mmm? Yes?” I groaned into the tiny metallic phone.

“Oh good! I’m here to talk about your plot of property in Scotland…” he had said and started to ramble about some nonsense that I couldn’t be bothered to hear.

By this time however, I had started to grope my pillow once more and started snoring. I think it was then that he realized about the time zone difference we had.

It was only at the end of the month that I had a look at my phone bill to learn how long he had rambled on while I was asleep.

That however, was a prelude to my problems.

It was only 9A.M. on a Saturday, no less, that a business suited woman knocked the door of my apartment (well, technically my parents’ but let’s ignore that).

“Yes?” my mother went as she opened the door to the stranger.

“Good day madam, are you Kristina Mullins by chance?” the lady inquired politely.

Mind you, I was in my favourite sushi pajamas and pink rabbit slippers when I went to the living room, called upon by my mother.

“This is Kristina Mullins, my daughter”, my mother said as she raised an eyebrow at my attire.

It’s not as if I knew there was to be a visitor that morning anyway.

“Ah, good morning… I’m Chelsea Cunningham of Hatcher and Prachett, I’m here about the call you received last night?” she asked unsurely, stepping inside.

My mother made some tea while I stared at the lady blankly as she sat down in the living room chair. She was quite pretty even if she had a bit of dominatrix scary thing going about her.

I tried to remember what she was babbling about. A call? It was only after a minute that I gasped.

“Ok, I thought I dreamt that up!” I exclaimed, nearly spilling my mug of tea that my mother gave me a minute ago before going off to wake my brother in his room upstairs.

“No… no you didn’t. I’m here from the local branch of the law firm though… the main office is in London. I’ve come here because of a very important issue. My papers here tell me that you’re a princess…” she explained, raising an eyebrow at me.

“A what?” I shrieked.

That wasn’t right. I wasn’t related to any sort of royalty at all.

“You. Are. A. Princess” the lawyer said, giving me a rather disdainful look.

“Well, since when?” I asked incredulously.

“Let’s see… since ten years ago… your grandparents apparently bought you a plot of land?” Chelsea stated, ruffling through her papers from her briefcase.

It was true, I did remember that my grandparents had bought me one of those ‘buy a plot of land and be a princess’ things. I didn’t know it was real.

I was merely eight then and was on a ‘pretty princess’ binge that they bought it for my birthday. Though, it just cost me a hundred dollars to keep it year after year.

I didn’t want to lose the gift my grandparents gave me, especially when they passed away about three years ago.

Fine.

I knew the plot of land was real, I didn’t know the title of princess was!

“I remember, it’s just a plot of land about four feet squared… so what about it now?” I frowned.

I mean, it was pretty shocking to know that I was a real princess.

“Well, our client, the descendant of the land has bought up all the leases back except yours… he wishes to buy it and we, of Hatcher and Prachett are here to represent him to purchase it at a reasonable price. If you sign here, you’ll be paid twice the amount you’ve kept it for of all the years you’ve owned it” Chelsea replied seriously.

Frowning, I looked at her as I considered my options. I didn’t want to lose my land even if it wasn’t that much and that the money was more than satisfactory for it’s measly size.

The main issue was that it was a gift and having a princess title was pretty cool.

“Can I speak directly with your client then? I don’t wish to sell if I don’t meet your client first” I stated stubbornly.

The lawyer glared at me for a moment before she sighed.

“You’ll have to meet him in Scotland then” she replied, placing back the papers in her briefcase.

“Well, I won’t sell anything if I won’t meet him then. I’m sure he’d be able to more than afford my trip there then?” I grinned.

If her client went through all the trouble to contact her just to buy a small plot of land, he probably would be willing and rich enough to pay for it.

Raising an eyebrow yet again, Chelsea Cunningham smiled a little.

“I’ll make arrangements for my client to meet the princess of four feet squared then” she grinned and stood up.

And that was how I was known as the Princess of Four Feet Squared.