An Old-Fashioned Unicorn's Guide to Courtship
http://coyotewildmag.com/2008/august/brennan_old-fashioned_unicorn.html

Ethel wore an extremely large pince-nez kept attached by a chain wrapped round her horn. The first thing she ever said to Alicia was: "Tell me, my dear, have you ever let a prince try to fit his glass slipper on you?"

"Brianna refused to dance at all. She threw her ball dress out the window and went riding and said we were oppressed by the tyranny of an unjust patriarchal system. Why isn't she in trouble?"

Faced with compulsory unicorn chaperones and a dozen perfect princesses, Alicia should have just given up and gone home then.

"The slumber test is a great tradition of our Academy," the duchess observed. "My personal friend Aurora of course holds the all-time record. I myself slept for a most refreshing year. I see that you lasted ten minutes, and were discovered creeping down the stairs." "I had insomnia," Alicia muttered. "I was just going to get some hot milk. And perhaps a biscuit."

Can Alicia, a decidedly ordinary princess, pass the Princess Academy and save her kingdom? In which here are unicorns as chaperons, accountants that only look like frogs, and a lot of adventuring.

Hysterical parody of the traditional "fairy-tale princess" story. The characters are believable, even as stereotypes. The plot is good, and the ending does not disappoint. Highly recommended.

A short story by Sarah Rees Brennan