The Girl Prince and Her Princess

This fairy tale novella (23,000 words) is set in the kingdoms of Athena and Qax. It's a magical brew of a big ol' juicy problem, generous dollops of secrets, castles, kings and queens, princesses and villains. The king and queen of Athena have a problem. They desperately need a son to marry off to Princess Vexa. She is the unsightly daughter of their neighbor, King Magnatus of Qax. If no prince is born, Magnatus will take over the peaceful Athena and what the heck, kill all the people of the kingdom. When Athena's rulers finally produce an offspring, the queen dies in childbirth. The king finds himself faced with the greatest challenge of all—a girl! Boys are scarce, and no one is willing to give up their son to replace the infant girl. The ruse is on. The sweet baby girl is named Alexandre and is raised to take on the manly duties of being a prince. Eighteen years later, it's wedding time. Can the deception continue?