Elle Vampa

One day, the Princess stopped singing.

And with each day that passed, her castle grew a little quieter, darker, colder. Sadder. More lifeless.

Like a virus that spread itself all over the castle.

The changes happened imperceptibly slow, so much so that the Princess would never even have noticed them at all, if not for that faithful day.

Because one day, one of her beloved Ferocious Beasts fell ill.

And no matter how hard the Princess tried, her dearest friend wouldn’t stop being miserable.

Instead of keeping her company, on top of her shoulder, as she roamed the castle halls, he isolated himself.

Instead of playing with her, enjoying the rustling sound of her dress as she swept past him, he curled himself up to sleep.

And instead of mischievously trying to forage all the goods in the castle for himself to eat, he turned up his nose to anything his mistress offered him. He didn’t even mind if his brother took it all!

Growing desperate by her continuously failing attempts to cure her precious Beast, the Princess went to seek help from The Whisperer, the spirit of a wise woman who spoke the language of the animals.

The Whisperer lived in a hidden tower in the castle only the Princess knew how to get to. And that day, she rushed up to her spirit guide as fast as she could.

The Princess kept her hands protectively wrapped around her sick Ferocious Beast while his healthy brother silently kept watch – his sharp nails nervously leaving scratch marks in her right shoulder, although she didn’t notice.

“Dear Whisperer, please help me. My friend won’t eat, he won’t play. All he does is sleep. I worry so much about him, he’s been nothing but lethargic and aloof lately. Can you tell me if he’s in pain?”

Although nothing seemed to happen, the Princess knew she wasn’t alone in the tower.

From out of the shadows two bright green eyes opened and a soft voice echoed in her head: He is in pain. But it is not physical.

The Princess softly pressed her hands to her heart and kept her sick Ferocious Beast there.

“What can I do to help him?”

 A dog barked – the Whisperer was never alone.

Sing.

The Princess fell to her knees and cried.

She cried as much and as long until she was completely empty. Through her tears she looked at the sick animal in her hands.

As he looked up at her, she gave him the first smile she had worn in a long time.

“I am sorry,” she said, “I have been so busy with being strong, I forgot to be happy, too.”

She kissed his little head and he purred.

That day, the Princess started singing again.

The same day, her Ferocious Beast ate. A day later he played with her. And if you’d see her now, roaming her castle halls, you’d notice a happy Ferocious Beast sitting on each one of her shoulders.