PRINCESS FLORA is the soon-to-be ruler of a vast kingdom that her family has taken faithful care of for centuries. She has been surrounded by love her whole life, and while this has spoiled her in some ways, in other ways it has taught her to show everything around her the same love. She looks at the future optimistically and-

No, hang on. That’s not really compelling. Let me- One moment.

PRINCESS FLORA is the daughter of a Queen who rules her kingdom well, but rules her home life harshly. Princess Flora is under a lot of pressure to put out a perfect image to the world, and so that’s what she does, and she is hailed by the citizens despite it all being a facade and-

What on earth am I writing? I can’t write fantasy. I can’t even write a kingdom name. This is ridiculous. Let me just-

PRINCESS FLORENCE is not really a princess. But she might as well be one, seeing how every extravagant party stops the moment she enters, everyone gazing at her and wishing they could be her or be with her-

No, this doesn’t make sense, where is the depth? Nobody is like this in real life.

FLORENCE SULLIVAN is a sweet-faced, popular college student-

No.

FLORENCE OF MISTPLAINS is a legendary warrior, heralded by all-

No.

FLORA is a well-loved folk singer who exploded into the mainstream when-

No, no, no, no, no-

FLORENCE is just some girl. Okay? She’s just some girl. I don’t care.

I don’t-

Nothing is right.

Nothing is true.

I don’t know what’s true. I wasn’t freaking there. 

I wasn’t there and this is not creative writing, Tell me, Florence,

What’s it really like for you?

Do you have a story for me to tell? Get off my chest? Tell me, Florence,

Who did you think I was when you met me?
Did you mess me up in your head a million times like this,

A fictional character, who did you think I was? Tell me, Flora,

Did you want to fight me? Because I wanted to fight you

Knock that beauty right out of your soul

Rip your flower crown to shreds and bury it and

How hard is it to write an antagonist?

It shouldn’t be this hard

You messed everything up, you made me wrong

You threw me off my path to goodness and 

I have been searching for it for months

And I cannot find it because

You picked all the flowers for your stupid flower crown.

Tell me, Florence, Flora, whoever the hell you are,

Tell me who the hell you are

Tell me you didn’t mean to do this to me

Tell me you didn’t mean for everyone to love you

Tell me you didn’t want to be showered in flowers

And stared at like a sunset

And have vegan glitter poured on you

Until you shone like Venus

Tell me you didn’t want it

So I know that maybe I could have had it

Or don’t tell me

And I’ll figure out how to write an antagonist eventually

And when I produce this stupid play 

You will come watch it

And see how much it hurts to be the peasant, the patron, the person in the shadows

You will come watch it, I know you will, and you will know, Florence, you will know.

The flowers will grow back soon,

But not soon enough.