Oh Brother

In a two-for-one kind of deal, The Skeptic at this last party also doubled as The Brother character.

He was hesitant to greet me and address me as Princess Belle. He also had no qualms about voicing his disbelief of my past when I was reading the Beauty and the Beast story. He asked, “Did you REALLY do all that?” and squinted at me accusingly. Of course I did! Look, there are pictures right here of me talking to a dresser and drinking out of an enchanted tea cup! There was even a movie about it! Duh! (I said all that in one word! “Yes.”)

He also had reservations about me reading my own story and seemed to think it was a little self-centered of me, which I didn’t help by telling him it was my favorite. I mean, it does have far-off places, daring sword fights, magic spells and a prince in disguise! ;)

I gotta give him props though. As doubtful as he was, he was sly about it and never spilled to beans to his little sister and her friends.

Still, he didn’t quite know how to act around me. It’s an odd confusion I see in a lot of kids at these parties. He was mature enough to think twice about this woman in a big dress who calls herself a princess, but also couldn’t (or wasn’t ready to) detach from the childish fantasy of it all. Can’t really blame him for wanting to keep that kind magic in his life. What I wouldn’t give to be 4 again and not be concerned with jobs that suck, cars that break down, and boyfriends that cheat on you! But to instead focus on princesses that fall in love, pumpkin’s that turn into carriages and princes that break spells with kisses. Sigh.

All that loveliness aside, it’s clear the 4-year-old Princess does have at least one major thing to worry about: The Brother. The Brother at the previous party staged a pirate attack on us, and this past lead a one man military ambush on me and my entourage during our “Princess Parade”. Neither were successful encounters for the boys (One little girl told me, “Hang on Belle, the machine gun is back”, and motioned for me to stay put while they chased him off!). Clearly pirates and army men are no match for princesses!
What do older brothers have against princesses anyway?