The Bruised Princess

A desperate girl on a stormy night...


Rachel is searching for sanctuary from her abusive father, but finds herself a guest in the castle instead. Why does everyone assume she is important, and why do they insist that she sleep on an enormous mattress tower?


Can she unravel the mystery and find a happy ending, or will she be trapped in something even worse? See for yourself in this romantic retelling of The Princess and the Pea.


The Bruised Princess is book three in the Once Upon a Short Story collection.

Discover a unique twist on your favorite fairy tales with these standalone adventures!


This short story of 6,500 words (about 25 pages) was originally given as a gift to my newsletter subscribers. Trigger warning: contains mentions of physical and verbal abuse.