That morning, the princess woke up, as usual, late. The sun was already high, but this time, she had no choice — the day of her great "punishment" had arrived.
She yawned, stretched dramatically, and walked down to the dining hall with the most regal, proud face she could muster. "Mother," she announced boldly, "I will return in thirty days — wiser, stronger, and in a much better position than you can imagine!"
The Empress arched an eyebrow. "We'll see about that."
Her father, however, had quietly planned to make this journey less terrifying. Earlier, without the Empress knowing, he had slipped some food to his daughter and whispered to her:
"Don't worry, daughter. I'll be your backup. The kingdom won't know that you're using someone else's identity. 😉 Tomorrow, one of my trusted men will take you safely to a neighboring kingdom where you can spend your thirty days without danger."
The princess grinned in relief, imagining herself walking into this "safe" kingdom and breezing through the challenge. Easy peasy, she thought, my father's got my back.
The Empress, however, was not to be fooled. She took every coin, jewel, and bit of wealth from the princess, leaving only enough for travel expenses. The princess tried to hide a gasp but maintained her proud, royal composure.
Before leaving, the princess leaned toward her father and whispered, "Father, make sure the man you send with me carries extra money, just in case."
Her father gave a small, secretive nod. "Don't worry, daughter, he will have everything you need."
But the Empress had sharp eyes. Something about the secretive glance between father and daughter seemed… fishy. She narrowed her gaze, suspicious that her daughter might be scheming something behind her back.
Undeterred, the princess left the palace with her head held high, a sense of pride in every step, and a tiny spark of mischief in her heart. She thought: Thirty days… this will be fun, and my father is watching my back. Nothing can go wrong now!
Little did she know… the real adventure was only just beginning.
She thought to herself, "In the palace, Mother scolded me constantly. Outside, with Father's help, I'll enjoy full royal facilities and finally have some fun!"