[Original: Fiction] "Sara of Shady Hills" [Sara & Romaine, G]
Title: Sara of Shady Hills
Prompt: writerverse challenge #12 modern fairy tale
Word Count: 1,268
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: original
Pairings: classic fairytale ending
Summary: It starts and ends as many fairytales do- it’s just the middle that’s a little different.
Note(s): originally posted to the writerverse wv_library
Sara of Shady Hills
Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, there lived a brave king and his wise queen. A few years after they had been married, the queen gave birth to their first child, a baby girl, and they named her Sara.
The new princess had skin the color of fresh cream, eyes the color of a calm ocean and curls of hair the color of a new copper penny. The entire kingdom loved her immediately, but no one was more enraptured than her father, who could often be found in the castle gardens, simply walking with her.
Seeing the tiny, fragile life, he could not help thinking of all the terrible dangers there were out in the world, even for a princess. For just a moment, he wanted to build an impenetrable tower where he could lock her away, safe from every danger.
The king laughed to himself. How would his Sara learn to rule the kingdom if she spent her entire life in a tower? No, he and the queen would simply have to teach her to be stronger than the dangers and then she would be safe, no matter where she went.
Years passed, and the princess grew into a young woman. Her skin was still pale, from mornings spent embroidering with her mother, but it was covered in freckles from afternoons riding with her father. She learned grace and poise during morning dances, and she learned skill and balance at afternoon sword lessons. She learned how to fix her hair for a state dinner and how to pin it up under her jousting helmet. She could deflect flirtations or arrows with the same easy smile.
Just after her sixteenth birthday, Princess Sara decided that she would go out into the neighboring kingdoms and do some great deeds. Her parents were worried, of course- the king had seen even more of the world’s dangers since she had been born- but they also knew that they would have to let their princess go.
So, the queen packed her daughter some warm clothes and healthy snacks, and the king oiled her armor and polished her shield, and both of them watched from the parapets until she had ridden out of sight.
Sara had never been out on her own before and several times, when the woods got particularly dark, she considered going back. But she knew that if she sent word, her parents would send the entire Royal Guard to help her, and the thought made her braver.
One day, she came upon a clearing in the forest, where she was a tall, slender tower. Sara was fascinated- she thought towers like that were only a story, a threat her father used to make her eat her greens.
In this tower, lived another princess who had hair like spun gold. Her name was Romaine, and she was waiting for her prince to come and save her. When she discovered that Sara was not her prince, she was quite put out, but after a few minutes, Romaine decided that she had spent enough time in the tower for her liking.
Sara suggested that she could let down her hair, but the other princess kept it in shoulder-length curls. After a few shouted knot-tying lessons, the two girls were able to rig a rope-and-pulley system and lower Romaine to the ground.
Saving a princess was a great deed, Sara thought. She could go home, now, if she wanted. But surely there were other people who needed her help? She decided that she would take Romaine home, then set out again- but the other princess didn’t want to go.
Her father would simply send her back to the tower, she explained, and Sara was more than happy to have her along, even if she did have to rescue her (again) from no less than three so-called noble young men who each claimed to be her prince.
So, the two girls rode on. As they rode, the forest seemed… less alive, somehow. Soon, there were as many dead trees as live ones, and Sara would have sworn that the grass seemed burnt. They came into a clearing, where an armored knight was sitting against a tree.
He struggled to his feet when he saw them. “A princess!” he cried, spotting Romaine. “Please, you must help me!”
The knight was actually a prince- Prince Henry- and his younger brother, Prince Aidan, had been kidnapped by a fierce dragon. Henry had tried to free his brother, but the dragon had forced him to retreat. The dragon told him that he would only release Aidan if a princess came to ask for his freedom.
“I don’t know what to do,” he finished. “I must free my brother, but how can I ask a lady to risk such danger for a man she does not know?”
Romaine smiled at him. “I think we might have a solution.”
Henry frowned, confused, so she pointed over to where Sara was already removing her armor. She ducked behind her horse, and emerged wearing the gown her mother had packed her. It was a little wrinkled, but it would do.
“How do I look?” she asked.
“Like a princess,” breathed Henry.
“Not quite,” said Romaine. She pulled the delicate golden crown from her own hair and settled it on the other girl’s head. “Prince Henry, may I present Her Highness, Crown Princess Sara, of the Shady Hills?”
When they reached the entrance to the dragon’s lair, Sara gave Romaine her sword. “Be careful,” the blonde told her.
Sara smiled, and walked into the cave.
“Hello?” she called. “Sir Dragon? Prince Aidan?”
“Who goes there?” rumbled a voice, like the rock itself was speaking.
“Princess Sara,” she replied. “I’m here to ask for Aidan’s freedom.”
“What?” said a new voice. Sara rounded a bend in the cave and came out into a large cavern. A golden-scaled dragon, about the size of an elephant, sat against one wall. Beside it/him was a young man, who looked so much like Henry that he had to be Aidan.
And between them, sat a carved marble chess set.
“Are you really here to rescue me?” asked Aidan.
Sara frowned and crossed her arms. “You’re not even a captive, are you?” she demanded. “Your brother is worried about you!”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “But I wasn’t going to marry that… anyway, Shimmer agreed to help.”
“Indeed,” said the dragon. “He knew that Princess Melinda would not risk encountering an evil dragon.”
Sara snorted. “You don’t seem that evil to me. And you’re losing, by the way.”
The dragon, Shimmer, glanced down at the chessboard and quickly moved his bishop. “Check.”
Aidan said goodbye to the dragon and followed Sara out of the cave. Romaine and Henry were waiting outside, sitting very close together. The younger prince explained what had happened, and his brother promised that he would not make Aidan spend any more time with Melinda.
The two princes invited the princesses back to their castle, where their parents, the king and queen, thanked them both. Afterwards, Sara took Romaine back home, where the blonde explained to her father that she would be staying out of her tower, and continuing to travel the world with her new friend.
Sara and Romaine were frequently joined in their travels by Henry and Aidan- and as these things often happen, over time, they fell in love. In a beautiful double wedding, Sara married Aidan, and Romaine married Henry. And they all lived happily ever after.
Until, of course, their children grew up and started causing trouble of their own.
THE END
Current Mood:
cold
Prompt: writerverse challenge #12 modern fairy tale
Word Count: 1,268
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: original
Pairings: classic fairytale ending
Summary: It starts and ends as many fairytales do- it’s just the middle that’s a little different.
Note(s): originally posted to the writerverse wv_library
Sara of Shady Hills
Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, there lived a brave king and his wise queen. A few years after they had been married, the queen gave birth to their first child, a baby girl, and they named her Sara.
The new princess had skin the color of fresh cream, eyes the color of a calm ocean and curls of hair the color of a new copper penny. The entire kingdom loved her immediately, but no one was more enraptured than her father, who could often be found in the castle gardens, simply walking with her.
Seeing the tiny, fragile life, he could not help thinking of all the terrible dangers there were out in the world, even for a princess. For just a moment, he wanted to build an impenetrable tower where he could lock her away, safe from every danger.
The king laughed to himself. How would his Sara learn to rule the kingdom if she spent her entire life in a tower? No, he and the queen would simply have to teach her to be stronger than the dangers and then she would be safe, no matter where she went.
Years passed, and the princess grew into a young woman. Her skin was still pale, from mornings spent embroidering with her mother, but it was covered in freckles from afternoons riding with her father. She learned grace and poise during morning dances, and she learned skill and balance at afternoon sword lessons. She learned how to fix her hair for a state dinner and how to pin it up under her jousting helmet. She could deflect flirtations or arrows with the same easy smile.
Just after her sixteenth birthday, Princess Sara decided that she would go out into the neighboring kingdoms and do some great deeds. Her parents were worried, of course- the king had seen even more of the world’s dangers since she had been born- but they also knew that they would have to let their princess go.
So, the queen packed her daughter some warm clothes and healthy snacks, and the king oiled her armor and polished her shield, and both of them watched from the parapets until she had ridden out of sight.
Sara had never been out on her own before and several times, when the woods got particularly dark, she considered going back. But she knew that if she sent word, her parents would send the entire Royal Guard to help her, and the thought made her braver.
One day, she came upon a clearing in the forest, where she was a tall, slender tower. Sara was fascinated- she thought towers like that were only a story, a threat her father used to make her eat her greens.
In this tower, lived another princess who had hair like spun gold. Her name was Romaine, and she was waiting for her prince to come and save her. When she discovered that Sara was not her prince, she was quite put out, but after a few minutes, Romaine decided that she had spent enough time in the tower for her liking.
Sara suggested that she could let down her hair, but the other princess kept it in shoulder-length curls. After a few shouted knot-tying lessons, the two girls were able to rig a rope-and-pulley system and lower Romaine to the ground.
Saving a princess was a great deed, Sara thought. She could go home, now, if she wanted. But surely there were other people who needed her help? She decided that she would take Romaine home, then set out again- but the other princess didn’t want to go.
Her father would simply send her back to the tower, she explained, and Sara was more than happy to have her along, even if she did have to rescue her (again) from no less than three so-called noble young men who each claimed to be her prince.
So, the two girls rode on. As they rode, the forest seemed… less alive, somehow. Soon, there were as many dead trees as live ones, and Sara would have sworn that the grass seemed burnt. They came into a clearing, where an armored knight was sitting against a tree.
He struggled to his feet when he saw them. “A princess!” he cried, spotting Romaine. “Please, you must help me!”
The knight was actually a prince- Prince Henry- and his younger brother, Prince Aidan, had been kidnapped by a fierce dragon. Henry had tried to free his brother, but the dragon had forced him to retreat. The dragon told him that he would only release Aidan if a princess came to ask for his freedom.
“I don’t know what to do,” he finished. “I must free my brother, but how can I ask a lady to risk such danger for a man she does not know?”
Romaine smiled at him. “I think we might have a solution.”
Henry frowned, confused, so she pointed over to where Sara was already removing her armor. She ducked behind her horse, and emerged wearing the gown her mother had packed her. It was a little wrinkled, but it would do.
“How do I look?” she asked.
“Like a princess,” breathed Henry.
“Not quite,” said Romaine. She pulled the delicate golden crown from her own hair and settled it on the other girl’s head. “Prince Henry, may I present Her Highness, Crown Princess Sara, of the Shady Hills?”
When they reached the entrance to the dragon’s lair, Sara gave Romaine her sword. “Be careful,” the blonde told her.
Sara smiled, and walked into the cave.
“Hello?” she called. “Sir Dragon? Prince Aidan?”
“Who goes there?” rumbled a voice, like the rock itself was speaking.
“Princess Sara,” she replied. “I’m here to ask for Aidan’s freedom.”
“What?” said a new voice. Sara rounded a bend in the cave and came out into a large cavern. A golden-scaled dragon, about the size of an elephant, sat against one wall. Beside it/him was a young man, who looked so much like Henry that he had to be Aidan.
And between them, sat a carved marble chess set.
“Are you really here to rescue me?” asked Aidan.
Sara frowned and crossed her arms. “You’re not even a captive, are you?” she demanded. “Your brother is worried about you!”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “But I wasn’t going to marry that… anyway, Shimmer agreed to help.”
“Indeed,” said the dragon. “He knew that Princess Melinda would not risk encountering an evil dragon.”
Sara snorted. “You don’t seem that evil to me. And you’re losing, by the way.”
The dragon, Shimmer, glanced down at the chessboard and quickly moved his bishop. “Check.”
Aidan said goodbye to the dragon and followed Sara out of the cave. Romaine and Henry were waiting outside, sitting very close together. The younger prince explained what had happened, and his brother promised that he would not make Aidan spend any more time with Melinda.
The two princes invited the princesses back to their castle, where their parents, the king and queen, thanked them both. Afterwards, Sara took Romaine back home, where the blonde explained to her father that she would be staying out of her tower, and continuing to travel the world with her new friend.
Sara and Romaine were frequently joined in their travels by Henry and Aidan- and as these things often happen, over time, they fell in love. In a beautiful double wedding, Sara married Aidan, and Romaine married Henry. And they all lived happily ever after.
Until, of course, their children grew up and started causing trouble of their own.
THE END
Current Mood:
cold