I, Princess Penelope IIV, am stuck in a tower. Yes, the kind of tower one would think of when they think of Princesses. As per usual, I was placed her by an evil witch, and told I could not escape until my very own Prince Charming came to save me.

That was when I was thirteen. Thirty years have passed and I am now forty three. My Prince Charming has not come for me, and I suspect that he never will. No Prince Charming in their right mind would willingly risk their life to save a forty three year old lady. Prince Charmings save young maidens, and I no longer fit into that category.

Since no Prince Charming will save me, I will save myself. Of course, that will be no easy feat. As one would expect, my tower is guarded by a fierce beast, a dragon. It’s deafening roars shake the tower, and if that isn’t bad enough, the dragon has a fiery breath and scorches everything it touches.

Although, the dragon isn’t the worst of my foes. The terrain is unforgiving. It is dry, rocky, and filled with treaterous beasts, ones that I could not hope to best. Water is scarce, and so is vegetation. Even if I managed to evade the beasts and the dragon, I would be faced with a lack of water and food.

I wished I had thought to escape many years earlier. Before the dragon grew to what it is today, there had been a lush, green forest filled with spirits, fairies, and fruit. It would have been easier to escape then, but alas. I had waited too long, holding onto the false hope that I would one day be rescued by my very own Prince Charming.