There was one a princess named Petal. She was best friends with a sea monster. His name was Henry.

Petal and Henry swam in the moat. They had tea parties on the drawbridge. They told each other stories in the coral caves.

But no one besides Petal had ever seen Henry. So no one believed he was real.

Petal’s younger brothers were known as the Princes. They had twin dragons as pets. When they rode them through the kingdom, everyone cheered.

Petal’s older sister was called Queen-to-Bea. She had a talking bird as a pet. It sat on her shoulder and told jokes. Everyone laughed.

People laughed at Petal too, but not in a good way. 

“How’s your imaginary friend today?” Queen-to-Bea taunted. 

“Silly smelly seaweed socks,” sang the Princes.

Petal was sad.  “Why won’t you show yourself?” she asked Henry.  But she knew the reason. 

Henry liked his quiet life in the moat.  He wasn’t flashy, like the dragons. He wasn’t quick witted, like the bird. He liked swimming and drinking tea and telling stories.

Henry knew that if the kingdom discovered he was real they would pry him out from under his rock. They would blind him with camera flashes.  That is not the life he wanted. 

Still, Petal couldn’t help but hope that Henry would show himself. She wanted to prove to everyone that she wasn’t telling lies.

One day Queen-to-Bea’s bird told the funniest joke. Everyone fell over themselves laughing.  One of the laughers stepped on the dragons’ tails. The castle went up in flames.

Petal ran to the moat to get Henry to help. But then she turned around. She went to get the hose instead.

Henry heard the commotion. He saw that Petal was in danger. He rose from the moat and sprayed water on the castle. He put out the fire and saved the day!

“Was that your sea monster?” asked Queen-to-Be. “How wonderful!” 

“Super cool!” shouted the Princes.  The dragons were grateful. The bird was speechless.

“No, no,” said Petal.  “Your eyes were mistaken. I put out the fire with my hose.”

Everyone thought that they had seen a sea monster. But Petal convinced them that he wasn’t real after all.

“You’re good storyteller Petal,” said Queen-to-Be. 

“Yes,” said the Princes.  “All those years we thought your sea monster stories were true.”

Petal became known throughout the kingdom for her stories. She wasn’t laughed at again. She enjoyed telling stories to everyone. But her favorite stories were the ones she told in the coral caves to her very best friend.