I feel that I should prove that I have not been totally worthless as of late....
So, to prove that I have indeed been working on things, even original things, I will now post the culmination of that work. Inspired partially by Shrek, partially by nature, and partially by lack of sleep, I present to you an untitled fairy tale in the style of Hans Christian Anderson. I'm working on the illustrations as well and they will join the story online as soon as they are completed.
I'll warn you, it's a tad long (about 10 pages).
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, in a time when dragons still roamed the skies and dwarves mined the grounds, in a land where animals presented themselves to royalty and young knights quested for beautiful damsels, there lived a prince.
This prince was not unlike many others. He was handsome, charming, the pride of every maiden’s dreams. He alone was the heir to his kingdom, which stretched from the towering mountains in the west to the glittering river in the east. His was the largest kingdom in the land and he was envied by every other lord and nobleman in the land.
The time was fast approaching on this prince to find a bride to be his queen. His mother had died when he was very young and now his father, too, was growing older and weak. Time and again, the king urged his son to take one princess or another, but the prince would have none of them. He was always disinterested in their giggling fantasies and though each one was beautiful, the prince never saw them as such. Each night, the king would invite a princess to dine at the palace in hopes that his son would fall in love with her, but each night, the prince turned the girl away, saying that though she was lovely, she would never be his queen.
One night, after a very long and dull dinner, the prince went up to his chambers and began to weep. He looked to the stars and begged the gods for mercy on him. “Surely there must be a maiden for me,” he cried, “Let me see her in a vision so that I may know she is the one.” Still weeping, the prince climbed into his bed and slowly fell asleep. That very night, the prince had a dream. A young maiden with golden waves of hair and rose petal lips beckoned him forward. She was the surely the loveliest maiden in all the world with skin fairer than freshly fallen snow and lightly blushing cheeks. Her sapphire eyes danced in the light of his dream as she gently pulled him into a waltz. The prince was enthralled by this maiden who laughed and danced on tiny feet. Her diamond dress spun around him as she laid her hands on his shoulders. “You!” the prince cried, “You shall be my queen!” But as he pulled her in to kiss her, the prince awoke, for morning had arrived. However, the prince was filled with joy that he knew the face of his future queen. Dressing in his finest, he ran downstairs to meet his father.
Now the king, who knew nothing of the prince’s vision, was overjoyed to see his son so happy. Upon seeing the prince, dressed in silky brocade and a velvet cloak, the king ran over to his son and embraced him.
“Father,” said the prince, pulling back from the hug to look the king in the eyes, “I have seen my queen in a vision and I must go find her for she is the loveliest maid in all the earth and I am in love with her.”
But at this the king despaired, for though the kingdom was safe, the lands beyond were not and the king feared that his son may never reach his queen and the kingdom would fall to ruin. The king begged his son to remain home, but the prince was adamant.
“I must go find her, father!” the prince implored.
“But what if she is already on her way to find you?” the king replied slyly, for he was devising a plan to keep his son safely within the boundaries of the kingdom, “For I have invited princesses from every corner of the land to come and dine with you. How much easier it would be if she were to come safely here than if you were to go and find her and bring her back to the kingdom yourself.”
The prince, though disheartened, considered this and conceded that this was the safer course of action, and the king was once again overjoyed. That afternoon an announcement was made that the prince had decided on a queen and merely awaited her arrival to the palace. The kingdom rejoiced and a celebration was thrown in the prince’s honor. Peasants and royalty alike danced in the streets and all speculated on the beauty of the future queen. The prince wandered slowly through the crowd picking up on bits of conversation along the way. He wondered, perhaps, if anyone in the kingdom had heard of his lovely maiden before.
“Perhaps she is the enchanting red haired princess from the Spanish province,” an old man croaked.
“She must be the dark-skinned beauty from the south,” a mother gossiped while nursing her newborn.
“I hear that she is more beautiful than all the other princesses together!” A young girl sighed.
“Perhaps,” an old hag droned, “she is not a princess at all.”
The prince started. Surely his beautiful maiden was a princess. No ordinary damsel could compare with her radiance. But the hag went on.
“There is rumor of an enchantress of great power in these very woods. She is said to be more beautiful than all the flowers of the castle garden and fairer than the moon and stars on a crystal night. It is she who has brought peace to the kingdom all these long years. She would make a lovely queen.”
The prince was certain at once that this enchantress was his maiden, and still he trusted his dream for it had been sent to him by the gods. An enchantress who hailed peace would not bewitch a prince for a husband, for surely she would not need to. His heart leapt with joy as he raced back to his father to share the good news.
“Father, my love is closer than I could have dreamed!” He cried, “I must go and find her!”
Again, the king was worried, and again he tried to convince his son to remain within the kingdom.
“But I shall not even leave the kingdom, father. I am only going into our own woods to find my love for she is here already.”
The king was not certain at all what to make of this, but the thought made him uneasy. He was frightened that perhaps some devil in the woods would trick his son and the kingdom would fall to ruin.
“It is getting dark and soon night will fall. It is too late to search for your love tonight, and if she is in the woods then she will not have left by morning. Please, stay in the palace tonight and look for her in the morning.”
The prince was heartbroken and, though he understood his father’s pleas, he did not like having to wait.
“What if I were to send two pages to find her and tell her that I am coming, so she shall not be so shocked to see me.” The prince asked craftily, hoping to sneak out of the palace himself in a page’s uniform.
The king considered this for a moment and agreed, on the condition that he chose the pages and saw them off. Crestfallen, the prince agreed to this. In an instant, all the pages of the castle were called and two of the fittest, handsomest pages were chosen to seek out the enchantress.
“Go at once and bring message that the prince wishes to marry her.”
They rushed out of the castle as night was falling and trekked down to the village. Upon arriving at the woods, they spotted a small, run down cottage nestled in the trees. Believing this to be the cottage they sought, they knocked on the door.
“We bring message from his highness, the king of--”
Looking down, the pages stopped short. An old woman of fifty years had answered the door. Confused, the pages exchanged glances. Surely this was not the beautiful enchantress the prince had spoken of.
“We are searching for the enchantress of these woods. Do you know where we may find her?”
The old woman smiled up at them and nodded. She brushed a bit of dirt off of her apron before stepping outside to greet the pages properly.
“Of course. The enchantress resides much deeper into the woods than this for she does not like to be disturbed by the common people of the town who would use her magic for menial things that they should be doing themselves. I live in this cottage with my daughter for just that reason. The enchantress has blessed the soil here so that my herbs and vegetables will grow and I may sell them to the village. In return, I prepare small charms for the villagers and turn away those who do not understand the true value of her magic. Just follow the path behind my house here to see her. I am certain that she will take a message from the king.” The old woman smiled and retreated into her house.
The pages sighed and began to search for the path. Upon finding it and seeing its great length, they began to despair, for they feared they would not return by morning. They trudged down the path, becoming more and more worried about the time. The sky continued to darken until they could barely see the path in front of them. Eventually, however, they came across the outline of a decrepit house.
“This must be the right cottage,” they assured themselves before walking up to the door and knocking. The door was swung open at once, but the enchantress stood far enough beyond the frame that they could barely see more than an outline of her form.
“We come from the palace outside of the woods, bearing a message that the prince of the land wishes you to be his queen.”
At first, the enchantress said nothing, and the pages, being quite sure that she had heard the message, were uncertain as to what to do.
Finally, she said, in a clear and beautiful voice, “Ask the prince this, if the world’s loveliest maiden were lying bleeding in the road, still and silent, would he stop to help her?” the pages were stunned at the oddity of this request and began to protest, but the enchantress cut them off saying, “He may not see me until he has proven himself to me. Ask him that question and return tomorrow night with his answer.” The enchantress then shut the door, leaving the pages no choice but to follow through with her request.
The pages returned to the edge of the town by daybreak and went, gloomily, back to the castle. They shook with fright as they arrived at the palace for they knew that the prince would be very disappointed at their news.
When they arrived, they found the castle in a cheery mood. The prince had dreamt of his enchantress again and was waiting impatiently for news of her. The pages approached his throne with great caution.
“What news do you bring of her?” The prince asked excitedly of the pages. They exchanged a final nervous glance before replying.
“The enchantress received your proposal and requests an answer to a question of her own,” the first page quivered.
“Yes, yes, but when may I see her?” the prince inquired.
“She insists that you must prove yourself before you may see her.” The prince’s face fell at the second page’s words.
“And how do I do that?” the prince asked nervously. He was beginning to fear that the enchantress would not be his bride after all.
“She requests your answer to a question of hers,” the first page continued, gaining confidence, “she wishes to know whether you would help the world’s loveliest maiden if she were lying bleeding in the road, still and silent.”
The prince started and replied that yes, of course he would help such a maiden. He then ordered the tired pages back to the enchantress at once for her response. Sighing, the pages complied and headed back out the palace gates. Though they were able to reach the woods again, they feared going to see the enchantress, for she had requested the prince’s reply at nighttime, not during the day. As they approached the forest, they again spotted the old woman’s cottage nestled in the trees near the edge.
“Let us stop there and ask her what to do for she knows the enchantress and will help us decide what is to be done.” The pages said to each other. Quickly, they went over to the cottage and knocked on the door. When the old woman answered the door, they told her of their plight.
“Then you must wait until nightfall to see her,” the old woman replied at once, “Come, and I shall give you both refreshments. You may dine with me and my daughter until the time comes for you to leave.” The pages thanked the old woman graciously, promising her part of their pay for her services. She assured them that such generosity would not be necessary and she could spare food enough for them.
From that time until nightfall, the pages dined on vegetables and bread at the old woman’s meager table. The food was fresh and the kitchen was clean and, although they were both accustomed to the food of the palace, they found the common items delicious and told the old woman so. She thanked them and told them that their kind words would not go unrewarded.
It was nearing dusk when the old woman’s daughter returned home from the forest and met the pages. She was dirty from her long day in the woods. Her cheeks were stained with dust and her long braided hair hung in golden wisps around her pale and gentle face. Each page in turn told her that she was beautiful and, blushing, she thanked each of them kindly, assuring them that she was no more than a common damsel of the town. At this time, the old woman told the pages that it would now be safe for them to continue on their way to the enchantress. Again they thanked her for her hospitality, and then they set out on their way, feeling relieved and confident about their journey.
By the time they reached the enchantress’s house, night had fallen and once again they could see only an outline of her cottage. Once more, they knocked politely on the door and once again she answered promptly, standing far enough beyond the frame that they could only just see an outline of her form. They told her immediately of the prince’s eager response, but before they could ask if the prince would be allowed to see her, she cut them off.
“I expected such a response. Now go and ask the prince this: if the world’s ugliest hag were lying in the road with a thorn in her foot, begging for aid, would he help her as well?” the pages again began to protest, for they feared that the prince’s patience would soon begin to falter, but again, the enchantress cut them off. “Return tomorrow night with his answer and I will then decide if I shall marry him or not.” She then shut the door, and again the pages had no choice but to comply with her request.
The pages returned to the castle at daybreak, fearful that the prince would be angry. They found him in the dining hall eating his breakfast with a smile, for he had again dreamt of his enchantress all through the night. Upon seeing the pages, he beamed and stood to greet them.
“What news do you bring of her?” he asked excitedly.
“Another question, your majesty,” the first page said. The prince’s face fell once more, but the second page was quick to reassure him that as soon as the answer to this question was received, the enchantress would make her decision about the marriage. The prince’s heart leapt for joy and he immediately began planning the wedding in his mind, forgetting that the enchantress had yet to accept his proposal. The pages noticed this and tried to alert him to his misconception, but he paid no heed.
Finally, the second page said, “At least you must answer her question, majesty.” The prince merely waved a dismissive hand as a signal to ask the question and be done with the matter.
“She asks,” the first page began hesitantly, “whether you would stop to aid the world’s ugliest hag were she lying in the road with a thorn in her foot, begging for help, as you stopped to aid the lovely maiden before.”
The prince rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. “Yes,” he sighed, “I suppose I would be obliged to help her as well.” The prince then dismissed the pages, willing them to bring back the enchantress’s answer before daybreak on the following day as he wished very much to wed her on his twenty-first birthday, now only four days hence. The pages left immediately, promising to return at daybreak, and the prince left for his chambers where he would spend the rest of the day planning the wedding.
Once more, the pages arrived at the edge of the forest at noontime, knowing full well that it was far too early to visit the enchantress, so once more they knocked on the door of the old woman’s cottage. Once more she invited them inside and gave them fresh vegetables and bread from her table, and once more they promised to give her part of their pay.
As dusk began to approach, the first page asked the old woman, “What does your daughter do all day in the woods?” She laughed lightly before replying.
“Why she gathers herbs and aids the enchantress with everyday chores. Long ago, the enchantress sought a servant girl to help her with her housework, and my dear daughter offered to assist her. They are rather fond of each other. The enchantress has promised her a bright future for her good works.” The pages, unsure what to make of all this, merely nodded. Soon after, the girl arrived, dirty from another day of hard work and the pages bid the two farewell.
Again, it was dark when they reached the now familiar outline of the enchantress’s home. They knocked politely on the door and waited for the answer. This time, the enchantress did not fully open the door, but merely cracked it enough to see the pages and hear their voices. They could not see her at all.
“Good enchantress, the prince responds that he would help the hag as well and requests your hand in marriage.” The enchantress was silent for a moment, as though deep in thought.
“Was he as willing to help the hag as he was the maid? Did he seem at all interested in her well being?” Her voice had become sharp and lost much of its clear beauty. The pages exchanged worried looks, knowing full well that the prince had not answered the question truthfully. However, both were too afraid of the powerful enchantress to lie for their prince.
“No, he did not seem as interested,” the second page whispered. Although neither could see the enchantress, both could feel her anger seeping into the night.
“Tell your prince this: the thorn in the hag’s foot was from a witch’s garden and highly poisonous. She would perish within the hour if it was not plucked from her flesh. The maiden merely had cut her finger on a chipped jewel in her dress and had fainted at the sight of her own blood. Tell him also that I decline his request of marriage and will not allow him to see me.” She then shut the door before either page could protest. Worried and heartbroken, they returned to the castle.
When they entered through the palace gates, the prince ran out to meet them and embraced them both at once. He did not notice their sullen faces nor their heavy hearts as he began to speak of his most recent dream of the enchantress he loved so dearly and his plans for the wedding, now only three days away. When the pages told him, therefore, that the enchantress had declined his request, his heart fell. But he was so set on having his lovely enchantress as his queen that he resolved to find another way to seek her out.
“I will go and find her myself, for surely she cannot refuse me to my face,” the prince began, walking quickly to the palace gates, but the pages were quick to stop him.
“She still refuses to see you,” they reminded him, “You must not cross such a powerful enchantress!” Angrily, the prince turned back to the castle and began to pace, thinking all the while of how to win her for his queen. It was around this time that the king, upon seeing the commotion by the palace wall, came out to greet the pages and ask for news of the maiden. He too was heartbroken when he was told that she had declined to marry his son and refused to see him.
“I will not let her go, Father!” the prince insisted, “She is my morning joy and my afternoon glory. She is my flower at dusk and my pleasure in the night. Surely there must be a way to seek her out and win her for my bride!”
The king, being much older and more experienced with romance, thought the matter through and was able to soon propose a course of action.
“We shall hold a ball at the palace two evenings hence, a masque at which everyone must hide their face to attend. We shall invite every damsel, princess and maiden in the land to attend it. The one you pick at that ball shall be your bride. Send the pages back to your maiden and see if she will agree to come. Surely you shall be able to pick her from the other maids.” The prince rejoiced at his father’s suggestion and embraced him heartily, telling the pages to take his message swiftly to the enchantress and return without delay.
They did so, this time passing straight by the old woman’s cottage to go into the forest. They had only gone a little ways down the path to the enchantress’s house when they met a stranger wrapped in a hooded velvet cloak.
“Dear pages,” the stranger said, “what news do you now bring so eagerly from the palace?”
The pages recognized the clear, beautiful voice of the enchantress at once and told her every detail of the ball. The enchantress nodded lightly, the hood concealing her face and her thoughts.
“It is true that a masque complies with my request that the prince not see me yet. Tell me, how does the prince refer to me?” The pages smiled.
“His lovely enchantress,” the first page offered.
“His beautiful bride,” the second page added.
“His dazzling maid.”
“His wondrous damsel.”
“Very well,” the enchantress said, “I shall attend and I agree to marry the prince if he is able to pick me from the crowd.”
The pages nodded at once and turned back to the edge of the forest. They were nearing the edge when it suddenly occurred to them that they had not yet seen the enchantress herself as she was always cloaked in velvet or in darkness.
“It will not matter as the prince will know her at once,” they told themselves, “He will not need our help in identifying her.” Passing back by the old woman’s cottage, it occurred to them to invite her and her daughter to the masque as well.
“She has been so kind. It is only fair to let her come and eat from the royal table as we have eaten from hers.” They knocked on the door and formally invited both the old woman and her absent daughter to the masque. The old woman was quick to assure the pages of their attendance and thanked them generously for their thoughtfulness. The pages then returned to the palace to aid the other servants in readying the castle for the ball.
The prince was informed immediately of the enchantress’s response and his heart leapt for joy. He spent all that night and the next day overseeing every slight detail of the ball. He picked the finest decorations and the richest foods. He employed the best caterers and designers until the palace itself seemed to sparkle with twilight. Throughout the land, people dropped their work and rejoiced at the sight of it. Fathers bragged about their daughters’ chances of marriage while young men eagerly discussed those who might not be chosen. Mothers and daughters, maids and damsels, common girls and princesses all picked their best dresses and formed elaborate masks that glittered with jewels and lace, all hoping to please the prince so that he might chose them over another.
When the night of the masque arrived, the whole of the palace was twittering with excitement. None but the prince had ever seen this maiden, though nearly all had heard of her beauty. Servants and noblemen alike watched the palace gates closely for her. The prince, too, watched the gates, but he was obliged to dance with every girl until he found his maiden. One by one, he waltzed with them, each more beautiful than the next. One, with a mask of rubies and midnight hair told him he was the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on. Another, with platinum locks and a blue veil lined in pure gold, said that he was the most charming. Still another, draped in pearls that lined her mask and filled her bright red curls, fainted dead away in his arms. But it was while he was dancing with a brunette maiden, who wore a mask of emerald silk and silver lace, that he saw his love.
Dressed from head to toe in diamonds with a sparkling white mask and loosely flowing blonde curls, she stepped gracefully into the courtyard. Everyone who saw her knew at once that this must be the prince’s maiden as her beauty was unsurpassed by all the other ladies in the land. The prince ran up to her at once, leaving the brunette standing alone where she was without a second glance, and swept her into his arms.
“You,” he said, “You are the enchantress of my dreams. You are my lovely maiden. You alone shall be my queen.” The maiden blushed behind her mask, the light rose of her cheeks spilling softly onto her face and neck, but said nothing. The prince set her lightly back on the ground and kneeled before her. Finally, she spoke.
“Are you certain that it is me whom you search for and not one of these others? For we have only just met and know nothing of each other.” The prince looked into her eyes and she saw the love he held for her and at once she trusted in him.
“Yes,” he assured her, “I am certain that you alone are my enchantress. None in this land could ever match your beauty and grace. I choose you to be my bride.” With these words, every maid and damsel, every common girl and princess removed their masks, both disappointed that they had not been chosen and amazed at the beauty of this maiden.
The last in the crowd to remove her mask was the brunette maid whom the prince had been dancing with. She was not as beautiful as many of the other ladies, though her silken dress was fine and her hair was soft and rich, the color of tilled earth in the afternoon sun. Her skin was not pale, but dusty and bright, tanned from the sun. As she removed her mask, she spoke in a clear, beautiful voice so that all could hear her.
“Listen well, dear prince,” she said, “the choice you have made is fine and fair. The maid you have chosen will be a good queen to your kingdom and you shall love her all your days, but let this be a lesson to you. What you pine for and what you truly seek are often not the same, for I am the enchantress that you sent for so often.”
The prince was stunned at this revelation and urged the maiden to remove her sparkling mask. As she did, he saw that she was, indeed, the maiden from his dreams. The pages, who were watching with the other servants, quickly recognized her as the lovely daughter of the old woman by the forest. They assured the prince that she was kind and that the enchantress spoke the truth, but the prince hardly listened to them, for he could not look away from his beautiful queen, so deep was his love for her. The wedding was proclaimed that night and all who were at the palace were invited to attend. Only the enchantress did not come, though she gave her blessing to the couple and to the kingdom, which prospered for many long and happy years. The old woman was invited to stay at the palace where she, too, happily lived out the rest of her days. And the prince and his maiden ruled in peace and love for all their long and joyful lives.
Critique?
I'll warn you, it's a tad long (about 10 pages).
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, in a time when dragons still roamed the skies and dwarves mined the grounds, in a land where animals presented themselves to royalty and young knights quested for beautiful damsels, there lived a prince.
This prince was not unlike many others. He was handsome, charming, the pride of every maiden’s dreams. He alone was the heir to his kingdom, which stretched from the towering mountains in the west to the glittering river in the east. His was the largest kingdom in the land and he was envied by every other lord and nobleman in the land.
The time was fast approaching on this prince to find a bride to be his queen. His mother had died when he was very young and now his father, too, was growing older and weak. Time and again, the king urged his son to take one princess or another, but the prince would have none of them. He was always disinterested in their giggling fantasies and though each one was beautiful, the prince never saw them as such. Each night, the king would invite a princess to dine at the palace in hopes that his son would fall in love with her, but each night, the prince turned the girl away, saying that though she was lovely, she would never be his queen.
One night, after a very long and dull dinner, the prince went up to his chambers and began to weep. He looked to the stars and begged the gods for mercy on him. “Surely there must be a maiden for me,” he cried, “Let me see her in a vision so that I may know she is the one.” Still weeping, the prince climbed into his bed and slowly fell asleep. That very night, the prince had a dream. A young maiden with golden waves of hair and rose petal lips beckoned him forward. She was the surely the loveliest maiden in all the world with skin fairer than freshly fallen snow and lightly blushing cheeks. Her sapphire eyes danced in the light of his dream as she gently pulled him into a waltz. The prince was enthralled by this maiden who laughed and danced on tiny feet. Her diamond dress spun around him as she laid her hands on his shoulders. “You!” the prince cried, “You shall be my queen!” But as he pulled her in to kiss her, the prince awoke, for morning had arrived. However, the prince was filled with joy that he knew the face of his future queen. Dressing in his finest, he ran downstairs to meet his father.
Now the king, who knew nothing of the prince’s vision, was overjoyed to see his son so happy. Upon seeing the prince, dressed in silky brocade and a velvet cloak, the king ran over to his son and embraced him.
“Father,” said the prince, pulling back from the hug to look the king in the eyes, “I have seen my queen in a vision and I must go find her for she is the loveliest maid in all the earth and I am in love with her.”
But at this the king despaired, for though the kingdom was safe, the lands beyond were not and the king feared that his son may never reach his queen and the kingdom would fall to ruin. The king begged his son to remain home, but the prince was adamant.
“I must go find her, father!” the prince implored.
“But what if she is already on her way to find you?” the king replied slyly, for he was devising a plan to keep his son safely within the boundaries of the kingdom, “For I have invited princesses from every corner of the land to come and dine with you. How much easier it would be if she were to come safely here than if you were to go and find her and bring her back to the kingdom yourself.”
The prince, though disheartened, considered this and conceded that this was the safer course of action, and the king was once again overjoyed. That afternoon an announcement was made that the prince had decided on a queen and merely awaited her arrival to the palace. The kingdom rejoiced and a celebration was thrown in the prince’s honor. Peasants and royalty alike danced in the streets and all speculated on the beauty of the future queen. The prince wandered slowly through the crowd picking up on bits of conversation along the way. He wondered, perhaps, if anyone in the kingdom had heard of his lovely maiden before.
“Perhaps she is the enchanting red haired princess from the Spanish province,” an old man croaked.
“She must be the dark-skinned beauty from the south,” a mother gossiped while nursing her newborn.
“I hear that she is more beautiful than all the other princesses together!” A young girl sighed.
“Perhaps,” an old hag droned, “she is not a princess at all.”
The prince started. Surely his beautiful maiden was a princess. No ordinary damsel could compare with her radiance. But the hag went on.
“There is rumor of an enchantress of great power in these very woods. She is said to be more beautiful than all the flowers of the castle garden and fairer than the moon and stars on a crystal night. It is she who has brought peace to the kingdom all these long years. She would make a lovely queen.”
The prince was certain at once that this enchantress was his maiden, and still he trusted his dream for it had been sent to him by the gods. An enchantress who hailed peace would not bewitch a prince for a husband, for surely she would not need to. His heart leapt with joy as he raced back to his father to share the good news.
“Father, my love is closer than I could have dreamed!” He cried, “I must go and find her!”
Again, the king was worried, and again he tried to convince his son to remain within the kingdom.
“But I shall not even leave the kingdom, father. I am only going into our own woods to find my love for she is here already.”
The king was not certain at all what to make of this, but the thought made him uneasy. He was frightened that perhaps some devil in the woods would trick his son and the kingdom would fall to ruin.
“It is getting dark and soon night will fall. It is too late to search for your love tonight, and if she is in the woods then she will not have left by morning. Please, stay in the palace tonight and look for her in the morning.”
The prince was heartbroken and, though he understood his father’s pleas, he did not like having to wait.
“What if I were to send two pages to find her and tell her that I am coming, so she shall not be so shocked to see me.” The prince asked craftily, hoping to sneak out of the palace himself in a page’s uniform.
The king considered this for a moment and agreed, on the condition that he chose the pages and saw them off. Crestfallen, the prince agreed to this. In an instant, all the pages of the castle were called and two of the fittest, handsomest pages were chosen to seek out the enchantress.
“Go at once and bring message that the prince wishes to marry her.”
They rushed out of the castle as night was falling and trekked down to the village. Upon arriving at the woods, they spotted a small, run down cottage nestled in the trees. Believing this to be the cottage they sought, they knocked on the door.
“We bring message from his highness, the king of--”
Looking down, the pages stopped short. An old woman of fifty years had answered the door. Confused, the pages exchanged glances. Surely this was not the beautiful enchantress the prince had spoken of.
“We are searching for the enchantress of these woods. Do you know where we may find her?”
The old woman smiled up at them and nodded. She brushed a bit of dirt off of her apron before stepping outside to greet the pages properly.
“Of course. The enchantress resides much deeper into the woods than this for she does not like to be disturbed by the common people of the town who would use her magic for menial things that they should be doing themselves. I live in this cottage with my daughter for just that reason. The enchantress has blessed the soil here so that my herbs and vegetables will grow and I may sell them to the village. In return, I prepare small charms for the villagers and turn away those who do not understand the true value of her magic. Just follow the path behind my house here to see her. I am certain that she will take a message from the king.” The old woman smiled and retreated into her house.
The pages sighed and began to search for the path. Upon finding it and seeing its great length, they began to despair, for they feared they would not return by morning. They trudged down the path, becoming more and more worried about the time. The sky continued to darken until they could barely see the path in front of them. Eventually, however, they came across the outline of a decrepit house.
“This must be the right cottage,” they assured themselves before walking up to the door and knocking. The door was swung open at once, but the enchantress stood far enough beyond the frame that they could barely see more than an outline of her form.
“We come from the palace outside of the woods, bearing a message that the prince of the land wishes you to be his queen.”
At first, the enchantress said nothing, and the pages, being quite sure that she had heard the message, were uncertain as to what to do.
Finally, she said, in a clear and beautiful voice, “Ask the prince this, if the world’s loveliest maiden were lying bleeding in the road, still and silent, would he stop to help her?” the pages were stunned at the oddity of this request and began to protest, but the enchantress cut them off saying, “He may not see me until he has proven himself to me. Ask him that question and return tomorrow night with his answer.” The enchantress then shut the door, leaving the pages no choice but to follow through with her request.
The pages returned to the edge of the town by daybreak and went, gloomily, back to the castle. They shook with fright as they arrived at the palace for they knew that the prince would be very disappointed at their news.
When they arrived, they found the castle in a cheery mood. The prince had dreamt of his enchantress again and was waiting impatiently for news of her. The pages approached his throne with great caution.
“What news do you bring of her?” The prince asked excitedly of the pages. They exchanged a final nervous glance before replying.
“The enchantress received your proposal and requests an answer to a question of her own,” the first page quivered.
“Yes, yes, but when may I see her?” the prince inquired.
“She insists that you must prove yourself before you may see her.” The prince’s face fell at the second page’s words.
“And how do I do that?” the prince asked nervously. He was beginning to fear that the enchantress would not be his bride after all.
“She requests your answer to a question of hers,” the first page continued, gaining confidence, “she wishes to know whether you would help the world’s loveliest maiden if she were lying bleeding in the road, still and silent.”
The prince started and replied that yes, of course he would help such a maiden. He then ordered the tired pages back to the enchantress at once for her response. Sighing, the pages complied and headed back out the palace gates. Though they were able to reach the woods again, they feared going to see the enchantress, for she had requested the prince’s reply at nighttime, not during the day. As they approached the forest, they again spotted the old woman’s cottage nestled in the trees near the edge.
“Let us stop there and ask her what to do for she knows the enchantress and will help us decide what is to be done.” The pages said to each other. Quickly, they went over to the cottage and knocked on the door. When the old woman answered the door, they told her of their plight.
“Then you must wait until nightfall to see her,” the old woman replied at once, “Come, and I shall give you both refreshments. You may dine with me and my daughter until the time comes for you to leave.” The pages thanked the old woman graciously, promising her part of their pay for her services. She assured them that such generosity would not be necessary and she could spare food enough for them.
From that time until nightfall, the pages dined on vegetables and bread at the old woman’s meager table. The food was fresh and the kitchen was clean and, although they were both accustomed to the food of the palace, they found the common items delicious and told the old woman so. She thanked them and told them that their kind words would not go unrewarded.
It was nearing dusk when the old woman’s daughter returned home from the forest and met the pages. She was dirty from her long day in the woods. Her cheeks were stained with dust and her long braided hair hung in golden wisps around her pale and gentle face. Each page in turn told her that she was beautiful and, blushing, she thanked each of them kindly, assuring them that she was no more than a common damsel of the town. At this time, the old woman told the pages that it would now be safe for them to continue on their way to the enchantress. Again they thanked her for her hospitality, and then they set out on their way, feeling relieved and confident about their journey.
By the time they reached the enchantress’s house, night had fallen and once again they could see only an outline of her cottage. Once more, they knocked politely on the door and once again she answered promptly, standing far enough beyond the frame that they could only just see an outline of her form. They told her immediately of the prince’s eager response, but before they could ask if the prince would be allowed to see her, she cut them off.
“I expected such a response. Now go and ask the prince this: if the world’s ugliest hag were lying in the road with a thorn in her foot, begging for aid, would he help her as well?” the pages again began to protest, for they feared that the prince’s patience would soon begin to falter, but again, the enchantress cut them off. “Return tomorrow night with his answer and I will then decide if I shall marry him or not.” She then shut the door, and again the pages had no choice but to comply with her request.
The pages returned to the castle at daybreak, fearful that the prince would be angry. They found him in the dining hall eating his breakfast with a smile, for he had again dreamt of his enchantress all through the night. Upon seeing the pages, he beamed and stood to greet them.
“What news do you bring of her?” he asked excitedly.
“Another question, your majesty,” the first page said. The prince’s face fell once more, but the second page was quick to reassure him that as soon as the answer to this question was received, the enchantress would make her decision about the marriage. The prince’s heart leapt for joy and he immediately began planning the wedding in his mind, forgetting that the enchantress had yet to accept his proposal. The pages noticed this and tried to alert him to his misconception, but he paid no heed.
Finally, the second page said, “At least you must answer her question, majesty.” The prince merely waved a dismissive hand as a signal to ask the question and be done with the matter.
“She asks,” the first page began hesitantly, “whether you would stop to aid the world’s ugliest hag were she lying in the road with a thorn in her foot, begging for help, as you stopped to aid the lovely maiden before.”
The prince rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. “Yes,” he sighed, “I suppose I would be obliged to help her as well.” The prince then dismissed the pages, willing them to bring back the enchantress’s answer before daybreak on the following day as he wished very much to wed her on his twenty-first birthday, now only four days hence. The pages left immediately, promising to return at daybreak, and the prince left for his chambers where he would spend the rest of the day planning the wedding.
Once more, the pages arrived at the edge of the forest at noontime, knowing full well that it was far too early to visit the enchantress, so once more they knocked on the door of the old woman’s cottage. Once more she invited them inside and gave them fresh vegetables and bread from her table, and once more they promised to give her part of their pay.
As dusk began to approach, the first page asked the old woman, “What does your daughter do all day in the woods?” She laughed lightly before replying.
“Why she gathers herbs and aids the enchantress with everyday chores. Long ago, the enchantress sought a servant girl to help her with her housework, and my dear daughter offered to assist her. They are rather fond of each other. The enchantress has promised her a bright future for her good works.” The pages, unsure what to make of all this, merely nodded. Soon after, the girl arrived, dirty from another day of hard work and the pages bid the two farewell.
Again, it was dark when they reached the now familiar outline of the enchantress’s home. They knocked politely on the door and waited for the answer. This time, the enchantress did not fully open the door, but merely cracked it enough to see the pages and hear their voices. They could not see her at all.
“Good enchantress, the prince responds that he would help the hag as well and requests your hand in marriage.” The enchantress was silent for a moment, as though deep in thought.
“Was he as willing to help the hag as he was the maid? Did he seem at all interested in her well being?” Her voice had become sharp and lost much of its clear beauty. The pages exchanged worried looks, knowing full well that the prince had not answered the question truthfully. However, both were too afraid of the powerful enchantress to lie for their prince.
“No, he did not seem as interested,” the second page whispered. Although neither could see the enchantress, both could feel her anger seeping into the night.
“Tell your prince this: the thorn in the hag’s foot was from a witch’s garden and highly poisonous. She would perish within the hour if it was not plucked from her flesh. The maiden merely had cut her finger on a chipped jewel in her dress and had fainted at the sight of her own blood. Tell him also that I decline his request of marriage and will not allow him to see me.” She then shut the door before either page could protest. Worried and heartbroken, they returned to the castle.
When they entered through the palace gates, the prince ran out to meet them and embraced them both at once. He did not notice their sullen faces nor their heavy hearts as he began to speak of his most recent dream of the enchantress he loved so dearly and his plans for the wedding, now only three days away. When the pages told him, therefore, that the enchantress had declined his request, his heart fell. But he was so set on having his lovely enchantress as his queen that he resolved to find another way to seek her out.
“I will go and find her myself, for surely she cannot refuse me to my face,” the prince began, walking quickly to the palace gates, but the pages were quick to stop him.
“She still refuses to see you,” they reminded him, “You must not cross such a powerful enchantress!” Angrily, the prince turned back to the castle and began to pace, thinking all the while of how to win her for his queen. It was around this time that the king, upon seeing the commotion by the palace wall, came out to greet the pages and ask for news of the maiden. He too was heartbroken when he was told that she had declined to marry his son and refused to see him.
“I will not let her go, Father!” the prince insisted, “She is my morning joy and my afternoon glory. She is my flower at dusk and my pleasure in the night. Surely there must be a way to seek her out and win her for my bride!”
The king, being much older and more experienced with romance, thought the matter through and was able to soon propose a course of action.
“We shall hold a ball at the palace two evenings hence, a masque at which everyone must hide their face to attend. We shall invite every damsel, princess and maiden in the land to attend it. The one you pick at that ball shall be your bride. Send the pages back to your maiden and see if she will agree to come. Surely you shall be able to pick her from the other maids.” The prince rejoiced at his father’s suggestion and embraced him heartily, telling the pages to take his message swiftly to the enchantress and return without delay.
They did so, this time passing straight by the old woman’s cottage to go into the forest. They had only gone a little ways down the path to the enchantress’s house when they met a stranger wrapped in a hooded velvet cloak.
“Dear pages,” the stranger said, “what news do you now bring so eagerly from the palace?”
The pages recognized the clear, beautiful voice of the enchantress at once and told her every detail of the ball. The enchantress nodded lightly, the hood concealing her face and her thoughts.
“It is true that a masque complies with my request that the prince not see me yet. Tell me, how does the prince refer to me?” The pages smiled.
“His lovely enchantress,” the first page offered.
“His beautiful bride,” the second page added.
“His dazzling maid.”
“His wondrous damsel.”
“Very well,” the enchantress said, “I shall attend and I agree to marry the prince if he is able to pick me from the crowd.”
The pages nodded at once and turned back to the edge of the forest. They were nearing the edge when it suddenly occurred to them that they had not yet seen the enchantress herself as she was always cloaked in velvet or in darkness.
“It will not matter as the prince will know her at once,” they told themselves, “He will not need our help in identifying her.” Passing back by the old woman’s cottage, it occurred to them to invite her and her daughter to the masque as well.
“She has been so kind. It is only fair to let her come and eat from the royal table as we have eaten from hers.” They knocked on the door and formally invited both the old woman and her absent daughter to the masque. The old woman was quick to assure the pages of their attendance and thanked them generously for their thoughtfulness. The pages then returned to the palace to aid the other servants in readying the castle for the ball.
The prince was informed immediately of the enchantress’s response and his heart leapt for joy. He spent all that night and the next day overseeing every slight detail of the ball. He picked the finest decorations and the richest foods. He employed the best caterers and designers until the palace itself seemed to sparkle with twilight. Throughout the land, people dropped their work and rejoiced at the sight of it. Fathers bragged about their daughters’ chances of marriage while young men eagerly discussed those who might not be chosen. Mothers and daughters, maids and damsels, common girls and princesses all picked their best dresses and formed elaborate masks that glittered with jewels and lace, all hoping to please the prince so that he might chose them over another.
When the night of the masque arrived, the whole of the palace was twittering with excitement. None but the prince had ever seen this maiden, though nearly all had heard of her beauty. Servants and noblemen alike watched the palace gates closely for her. The prince, too, watched the gates, but he was obliged to dance with every girl until he found his maiden. One by one, he waltzed with them, each more beautiful than the next. One, with a mask of rubies and midnight hair told him he was the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on. Another, with platinum locks and a blue veil lined in pure gold, said that he was the most charming. Still another, draped in pearls that lined her mask and filled her bright red curls, fainted dead away in his arms. But it was while he was dancing with a brunette maiden, who wore a mask of emerald silk and silver lace, that he saw his love.
Dressed from head to toe in diamonds with a sparkling white mask and loosely flowing blonde curls, she stepped gracefully into the courtyard. Everyone who saw her knew at once that this must be the prince’s maiden as her beauty was unsurpassed by all the other ladies in the land. The prince ran up to her at once, leaving the brunette standing alone where she was without a second glance, and swept her into his arms.
“You,” he said, “You are the enchantress of my dreams. You are my lovely maiden. You alone shall be my queen.” The maiden blushed behind her mask, the light rose of her cheeks spilling softly onto her face and neck, but said nothing. The prince set her lightly back on the ground and kneeled before her. Finally, she spoke.
“Are you certain that it is me whom you search for and not one of these others? For we have only just met and know nothing of each other.” The prince looked into her eyes and she saw the love he held for her and at once she trusted in him.
“Yes,” he assured her, “I am certain that you alone are my enchantress. None in this land could ever match your beauty and grace. I choose you to be my bride.” With these words, every maid and damsel, every common girl and princess removed their masks, both disappointed that they had not been chosen and amazed at the beauty of this maiden.
The last in the crowd to remove her mask was the brunette maid whom the prince had been dancing with. She was not as beautiful as many of the other ladies, though her silken dress was fine and her hair was soft and rich, the color of tilled earth in the afternoon sun. Her skin was not pale, but dusty and bright, tanned from the sun. As she removed her mask, she spoke in a clear, beautiful voice so that all could hear her.
“Listen well, dear prince,” she said, “the choice you have made is fine and fair. The maid you have chosen will be a good queen to your kingdom and you shall love her all your days, but let this be a lesson to you. What you pine for and what you truly seek are often not the same, for I am the enchantress that you sent for so often.”
The prince was stunned at this revelation and urged the maiden to remove her sparkling mask. As she did, he saw that she was, indeed, the maiden from his dreams. The pages, who were watching with the other servants, quickly recognized her as the lovely daughter of the old woman by the forest. They assured the prince that she was kind and that the enchantress spoke the truth, but the prince hardly listened to them, for he could not look away from his beautiful queen, so deep was his love for her. The wedding was proclaimed that night and all who were at the palace were invited to attend. Only the enchantress did not come, though she gave her blessing to the couple and to the kingdom, which prospered for many long and happy years. The old woman was invited to stay at the palace where she, too, happily lived out the rest of her days. And the prince and his maiden ruled in peace and love for all their long and joyful lives.
Critique?