The Title: The cowgirl Princess
Author: ken_r AKA ken242 AKA Kenneth Renouard
Rating: Mostly teen to mature
Genera: AU no aliens
Conventional couples.
Disclaimer: the characters are all Roswell and only being borrowed as in actors. The songs are marked with their addresses, but I changed some words to reflect the way I originally learned them.
Dedicated to: Sucide_Eagle_Rath and her “Cowboy and his Filly”
Summary: Liz, a New Yorker, who fantasizes when she is nervous, scared or confused. If you haven’t read the Secret Life of Walter Mitty, you should. I had to, so should you.
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Cafe/6821/thurber.html
Like Walter, Liz uses her fantasies to help her get through life. As the story progresses, you will see when the fantasy dissolves, leaving Liz dealing with real life. She comes to terms and, then, the question is can she fall in love with a cowboy when her family is against every move?
The Cowgirl Princess
Liz Parker was from a wealthy family who lived in New York City. She was used to the crowds of the city. Her arrival in the southwest was a shock while still in the plane.
Liz had taken a late evening flight. She had a window seat and the view of the land below her was fantastic. The lights of life below were like a fantasy. Liz, with her imagination, was making up stories as they flew.
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The Princess was enthralled as she flew on her personal dragon. The breeze in her face and the smells from below were exciting as she traveled from the land of “There” to the new land of “Here.” The dragon could be counted on to swoop close to the earth where she could see the inhabitants, all knowing the colors of the royal beast and would wave assured that someone from the royal house was passing. The people of the land all were traveling with their magic vehicles. The glow from which made traces when seen from above.
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Liz leaned back in her seat as the stewardess came by offering drinks and snacks. Liz’s ticket was clearly marked that she was only 18, so the only offering she was given was juice or soft drinks. She did accept a custard cup of pudding and, then, looked again out the window at the sight below.
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From time to time, the dragon would stop and the peasants would crowd around all vying to offer Princess Elizabeth dainty foods and special wines. It was almost a contest as to what she would accept. The dragon, then, would be off again into the clear cool sky.
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Liz felt the need and she nudged the man in the outside seat. He smiled and closing his laptop and pulling out the earplugs to his Ipod, he moved so she could make her way out to the aisle and back to the restrooms. Liz was wishing she had not drunk those ice teas while sitting in the cafeteria back at the airport.
Liz had been listening to a young businessman as he talked of his exploits. This had been good entertainment for the time she had to spend waiting for her flight. Once back from the restroom, Liz had to, again, stand before the man with a ipod and laptop as he smiled and, again, rearranged his things so she could scoot back into her place. He then went back to his Ipod and laptop and she went back to her fairyland that acted as a retreat whenever she was scared, nervous or bored.
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Princess Elizabeth’s head was swimming with the heady wine she had been offered. It would have been a trial to not fall off the royal dragon except that no dragon working for the royal family had ever lost a passenger, especially when it was the royal heir herself. Elizabeth had drunk and eaten much that her subjects had thrust upon her.
There was a moment when the logic in Liz asked why the princess in the story didn’t ever have to go to the bathroom and why the royal heir always hsd the right to drink whatever she wanted, no matter what her age. Oh well, stories weren’t made of beautiful maidens having to hit the toilet or feel an upset tummy from eating and drinking too much rich food or drink. The royal princess didn’t have to worry about her weight, either. She could munch on bon-bons all day and not gain an ounce.
Looking down the princess could see the blinking lights illuminatiing the royal high way. She could see the large fields of light where her subjects gathered, awaiting the chance to see the royal dragon.
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The stewardess came by and Liz waved to catch her attention. “Excuse me, where are we about now?” she asked.
The stewardess didn’t bother looking out the window but rather glanced at her watch. “We are still in Texas, but in five minutes we should be over New Mexico.
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The princess relaxed. Her father’s realm extended for as far as one could travel. She would always be safe within this realm. Elizabeth, again, leaned over and looked down from her dragon. Her heart was almost stuck in her throat. There was almost nothing below. The sparkling lights she had been watching, as her subjects noted her path, were gone.
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Liz waved to the stewardess, “Ma’am, what happened to the lights below us? Are we in a storm or something?” she inquired.
The stewardess laughed, “No, this is New Mexico. It is pretty sparsely populated down there.”
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The Princess Elizabeth gazed on the demonic realm of the monsters. No more did she feel the comfort of the citizens who almost worshipped her father and thus her. Below, she could imagine that in the dark there were things just waiting to eat a virgin princess. Liz was wishing she had taken that midnight boat ride, alone with Stewart, the last week of school. Virgins were in demand and Liz was sure that the monsters didn’t have all that many of them.
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It wasn’t that late, but for farm people in the rural area below, the chickens and the cows, not to mention the other chores, all demanded that they would be finished before school tomorrow. This made the house lights be turned out earlier than in the more urban areas.
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As the dragon silently flew across the damned land below, Princess Elizabeth saw lights wink out. She could imagine that the attacks of the demons must be killing those below. There were still a few single lights that were lined up like dotted lines with a long distance between the dots. Those must be people of virtue trying to find a haven of safety before being devoured by the demons, who must be pillaging the territory below. Princess Elizabeth shivered. That a land of such travesty could exist so close to her daddy’s realm was scary.
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The gentleman sitting with the Ipod and laptop had seen Liz shiver. “Miss, are you all right? If you are cold, I can catch the stewardess and ask for a blanket for you,” he offered.
Liz nodded her thanks, “I am Okay. I was just looking at the land below. It seems so desolate.”
The man leaned over across Liz and gazed down. “Thank God, I am so tired of the crowded cities. It is great to be back in the ‘Land of Enchantment’ where I belong.
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Princess Elizabeth thought that was what was wrong with the land. It was enchanted by an evil ogre or maybe a raiding party of orcs. Liz, sometimes, got her fantasy lands mixed up. The princess wondered what would become of her once the dragon landed. How would she survive in this land of enchanted mystery?
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The plane landed and Liz managed to get her luggage onto a cart with the help of a skycap, one of those men who were employed by the airline to assist passengers with their bags. She was resting beside the cart when a tall blonde sat down beside her.
“Hi, my name is Isabel. Are you going to the college?”
Liz nodded. She was a little fearful. She didn’t really know what to expect in this land.
“What motel are you staying at? You know that you can’t get into a room at the college until morning,” Isabel continued.
No, she didn’t know that. Or at least Liz hadn’t thought that the college dorm would be closed to admittance until morning. She sat there thinking about what she was going to do. “I guess, I will have to get a motel room until morning,” she said thoughtfully.
Isabel laughed, “Well, good luck on that one! Most of the motel rooms have been booked up since the first of August. This is Las Cruces. When the parents are bringing or visiting their children, you can bank on almost every place to be filled weeks in advanced.”
Now Liz was a little frightened. She could handle the situation back east. If she needed a hotel room, she would just ask the desk manager to find one if his establishment was filled. Here, the thought that there might not be such an animal, as an empty room, was frightening.
Isabel watching her expression said. “Look, I know we don’t know each other yet, but my name is Isabel Evans. I am a junior at the college. I’m studying graphic design. My boyfriend won’t be here until tomorrow either. I have a room and they don’t charge anymore for double occupancy than they do for one. Why don’t you just share a room with me?”
That easy, Liz met a friend and found a room at the same time.
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Princess Elizabeth got down off the dragon. Those, who were supposed to meet her, had left word that they couldn’t see her until morning. She stood trying to think what she would do. Suddenly, a maiden of station came by, seeing the royal princess destitute, as far as rooming, she offered to share her abode. Princess Elizabeth couldn’t help but accept such a generous offer. This just showed that Elizabeth’s station was recognized even in this enchanted oasis. There had been someone willing to take care of her.
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Isabel tossed her luggage onto Liz’s cart and they pushed it to the curb. Isabel put two fingers in her mouth and let loose with a piercing whistle. Quickly, a cab came to the curb. Isabel looked at Liz, “The whistle comes from practice. It gets the attention of a cowboy, even across a herd of crying cows.”
The cabbie quickly took the girls to the Motel 6 right across the street from the college.
Isabel had showered first and suggested Liz follow. “A hot shower sure takes out the kinks from sitting that long on a plane.”
When they were sitting in on their respective beds dressed in gowns Isabel started talking, “I live on a ranch just outside of Roswell. Sorry for the un-lady like whistle but some times you have to be loud to get someone to pay attention. I just got back from Florida. I attended a seminar there on graphic arts; I think I said that was my major. Now, I have to wait for my boyfriend. He has the key to our apartment. We thought I would not get in until tomorrow.”
Liz looked at Isabel, “You share an apartment with your boyfriend?”
Isabel laughed, “Yes, it can be dangerous for a girl alone on campus. This way I have someone who will walk me to functions at night. We will probably get married when we get through undergraduate school.”
Liz asked, “What do your parents say? I can’t imagine what mine would say if I told them I was moving in with a boy.”
“Mom didn’t say much, but Dad thought it was a good idea. Alex is a saddle bronc rider. He is stone tough and there aren’t many people who could take him in a fair fight. If he was allowed to fight unfair and dirty, he would clean their plow immediately,” Isabel related.
Liz just said, “Wow, you seem so, so…real, like out of a movie. I hope I do not get into trouble living in the dorm.”
Isabel reached across to take the papers Liz had been looking at, “Let’s see you have the Montgomery dorm. That is a party dorm. I hope you don’t intend to get much sleep.”
Liz had a hard look on her face, “Oh, that is bad! I have a grade point average to keep up or my daddy will suspend my tuition. They don’t tell you these things when you sign up. I just signed up for the Montgomery dorm because it sounded formal and all, named after the English general of W.W.II.
Isabel laughed again, “No, it was named after Cliff Montgomery, the tight end who was charged with steroid use last year in pro-football. He was known as the biggest party man on campus when he was a senior.”
She looked at Liz. Liz was clearly worried, “Isabel, what will happen if I can’t study there? I came to college to work, not play. My daddy has plenty of money, but he also has little patience. He expects success.”
Isabel frowned, “There is a solution. My brother owns a house right across from the campus. He has three other rooms besides his for rent. Right now, there is Maria, she is a girl we all knew in high school, Michael Guerin, another friend from high school and the last time I talked to him, he had one more room for rent. The house has four bedrooms and two bathrooms. You would have kitchen privileges along with a study room and they aren’t into parties. When they do want to go to parties, Michael and Max all go to the dorms. Seems they can always get a party there and leave when they want quiet.”
Liz looked at Isabel, “I don’t know. Sharing an apartment with men doesn’t sound very safe to me.”
Isabel answered, “Naw, it is safe. Maria has always had her eye on Michael and if he were to get out of line, well, in that couple, it is surely Maria who wears the spurs! Now, my brother is very shy, usually, and besides, if you were a friend of mine, he would be very careful how he treated you. Michael and Max are bull riders and they have landed on their heads so many times that they are known for being tough. No one would mess with them or anyone under their protection.”