The Elven Prince
The Elven Prince
O
nce upon a time there was a Kingdom in the South known for its beautiful and fertile lands. The King of this land had a daughter named Nyota. She was as beautiful and bright as the stars from which she received her name.
Nyota was no ordinary Princess. Where the princesses of neighboring kingdoms loved silks and jewels, Nyota loved her land and its people. And books. Nyota was never without a book.
She rose early and went to the stables and fields, helping in the birthing season or at harvest time. In the rainy season she rode on her prized mare, visiting the old and the sick, bringing medicines and balms.
In the evenings she studied her books, learning of other lands and tongues, hoping to be of use to her father when he dealt with their neighbors in trade and diplomacy. Her heart longed to visit these far off lands, to see the wide world with her own eyes instead of pictures in a book.
One day, the King decided his daughter should wed. Nyota wept bitter tears.
“Papa, have I displeased you that you would send me away?”
“No, my child, but as I am King, I must keep peace with our neighbors. By marrying you to one of their sons, we will have a strong alliance.”
“But Papa, what if I should hate him? Would you send me away to be miserable?”
“No, my child! You may choose the Prince that you shall wed. I will invite all the sons of Kings to the palace and I shall hold a Grand Ball. You shall dance with the princes and choose who you like the best.”
Nyota nodded sadly and went to her room. She loved her father the King very much, and she wished to do her duty to her people. But her heart was sore at the thought of leaving her beloved family and home, to be married to a stranger who did not love her.
But Nyota was strong; she soon dried her tears and went to the window to look out over the lands. The moon was rising over the fields.
“Oh, Mother Moon,” she whispered, “Please help me chose the Prince who will be the best of husbands, the one who I could love and who will love me.”
She sighed and turned away to prepare for bed.
As she slept, the light of Mother Moon fell through her window and lit upon her face.
“Ah, she is lovely,” said a voice. Suddenly the voice had a body and it jumped upon the bed! “Wake up, lovely Princess! Wake up!”
Nyota awoke and jumped nearly to the ceiling with her fright. She looked at the figure on the bed. A fairy! Green-skinned and red-haired, the fairy giggled with delight.
“Ah, Princess! I am Gaila and I have been sent from Mother Moon to help you chose the Prince for you!”
Nyota’s shock turned to joy, and she ran to the fairy who hugged her tight. “Pretty Princess,” Gaila said, “Do not be sad to leave your home. You have always wished for adventure.”
“Oh, Gaila,” said Nyota, “My wish was to see the world, not to marry some silly Prince only to be shut up in an old castle far from home.”
Gaila took Nyota’s hands in hers. “Tell me what you hope your Prince will be.”
“He will be kind and fair in his dealings with his people. He will be wise and brave and strong. He will not crave fame or fortune for selfish means, but for the good of his kingdom. And most of all, he will love me as I am, not seek to dress me in silks for his own amusement, or wish for me to be silent as a stone. He will accept me and my books and my conversation and be glad of it.”
Gaila looked down at the earnest face before her. “Oh Princess, you ask for much in this world,” she said quietly. Then her face brightened. “But I shall do my best, and you must rest!” She unfurled her wings and flew to the window. “I will see you at the ball!” she cried as she flew away.
Nyota ran to the window and watched the fairy fly into the night sky. Then she went to bed with a smile.
The day of the ball dawned bright and fair. Nyota rose and went to the stables and fields as she always did, helping and visiting. When the sun was high, she returned home to prepare. Her father had sent her a gown of silk and lace and precious stones. She tore it to pieces and with her own hands made it into a simple dress. She turned away the jewels, wearing only a bright stone she found in the fields on a ribbon around her neck. She did not wear a crown, but a garland of spring flowers that grew wild at the gates of the castle.
She looked at herself in the mirror. “There,” she said, satisfied. “He shall see me as I am.”
When the appointed hour approached, Nyota entered the ballroom with trepidation. Would Gaila be there? Was her visit all a dream? She walked to her father’s side, and he shook his head at his daughter’s attire, but smiled because he loved her. He silenced the musicians and began to speak.
“My Lords and Ladies, I present to you my daughter, Princess Nyota!” The assembled guests applauded and the musicians began anew. Oh, but where was Gaila?
The King roused her from her thoughts as he brought a young man to meet her.
“My daughter, I present to you Prince James.” The young man bowed and took her hand. He was handsome and funny and danced very well, but he held her too close and seemed to think far too well of himself.
Her next dance was with Prince Hikaru. His dark looks were stunning, but he was young, and while he was kind and gentle, did not seem ready to marry.
The next was Prince Leonard. He was tall and polite, but seemed angry that his father made him come looking for a wife.
She then danced with Montgomery, who was a man unafraid to get his hands dirty. He laughed at his own stumbling around the dance floor and, unfortunately, smelled too much of ale.
Then there was sweet Pavel. Oh, but he was just a boy, blushing and stuttering through their dance.
Suddenly Nyota heard a familiar voice at her ear. “Pretty Princess, I cannot choose for you. But I beg you to look beyond what you see and to hear what is not spoken.”
“Gaila?” Nyota whispered. But her father was leading another man before her. “My daughter, I present Prince Spock, of the Elven Kingdom.”
Oh! He was handsome. But he did not smile. She sighed and let him lead her to the dance floor. He moved with such grace! He held her neither too near nor too far. And his eyes! His eyes were dark as the night but warm and kind. He wore a simple tunic, adorned only with his clan name. Oh, how different from the fops and fancies around her!
At last he spoke. “I understand that you enjoy reading, Princess. Pray, what do you study?” His voice was rich and deep. She swallowed before answering, but soon their conversation became easy. They discussed husbandry and agriculture, languages and customs. Before she knew it, the dance was ended and she stood there looking at him, breathless. He took her hand and all at once her mind was filled with images of his home, of the music he played upon his harp, of the large library he loved. And then she saw herself as he saw her, lovely and clever, generous, and kind. All too soon, her father arrived to drag her away to another partner.
Finally the dancing was over and the guests retired to their rooms. She followed her father to his study and sat at his feet as she had done as a child.
The kind old King took her hand spoke softly. “So, my daughter, have you chosen?”
“I have, father. I choose the Elven Prince.”
“But daughter, their ways are not our ways. They neither smile nor frown. It is true they are a peaceful people and that they never lie, but why would you choose such a man?”
“Because the Fairy Gaila bade me look beyond what I see and to hear what is not spoken,” she said. “When I looked and when I listened, I saw what a good and kind man he is, and that he would care for me as you cared for Mama.”
The King searched his daughters face and saw it to be true. He called for the Prince of the Elves to be brought before him.
When the Prince arrived, he bowed before the King and his daughter.
“Prince Spock,” the old King said. “My daughter has chosen you to be her husband. Is it your wish to be bound to her?”
“It is, Your Highness.”
“And why do you wish to wed a human?”
“It matters not that she is human. I wish to wed a kind woman, with wit and curiosity, who is not overfond of jewels and gold, for while my Kingdom has much wealth, we do not place our love of it above our love for our people. I seek a woman with the poise to meet with the Kings and Queens of nations, and not too proud to mix with farmers and masons. Someone who will ride across the lands with me, seeking new peoples, new knowledge. This is what I seek, Your Highness, and this is what your daughter brings.”
The king nodded solemnly, for he knew that these things were true. He asked one last question.
“And what will you give my daughter through this bond?”
“I will cherish her. I will share all that I have and all that I am with her. The gifts of the Elves are many, good King, and all of these will be hers. She will want for naught, and we shall grow in wisdom together.”
“Well, then,” said the King, “If this is your choice as it is hers, you may wed.”
So it was on a glorious spring day in the forest of the Elves that Princess Nyota married Prince Spock. The Fairy Gaila was there to bestow many blessings, and the Elves welcomed Nyota into their realm with many gifts.
Spock and Nyota shared adventures as they traveled through the many known lands, and met people of all sorts and made many friends. When they became King and Queen of the Elven Kingdom, they ruled with kindness and their people prospered. Their children grew up as good and as wise as their parents, and when Nyota, who lived the short life of a human, died in her husband’s arms, he chose to follow her into their next adventure in the hereafter.
O
nce upon a time there was a Kingdom in the South known for its beautiful and fertile lands. The King of this land had a daughter named Nyota. She was as beautiful and bright as the stars from which she received her name.
Nyota was no ordinary Princess. Where the princesses of neighboring kingdoms loved silks and jewels, Nyota loved her land and its people. And books. Nyota was never without a book.
She rose early and went to the stables and fields, helping in the birthing season or at harvest time. In the rainy season she rode on her prized mare, visiting the old and the sick, bringing medicines and balms.
In the evenings she studied her books, learning of other lands and tongues, hoping to be of use to her father when he dealt with their neighbors in trade and diplomacy. Her heart longed to visit these far off lands, to see the wide world with her own eyes instead of pictures in a book.
One day, the King decided his daughter should wed. Nyota wept bitter tears.
“Papa, have I displeased you that you would send me away?”
“No, my child, but as I am King, I must keep peace with our neighbors. By marrying you to one of their sons, we will have a strong alliance.”
“But Papa, what if I should hate him? Would you send me away to be miserable?”
“No, my child! You may choose the Prince that you shall wed. I will invite all the sons of Kings to the palace and I shall hold a Grand Ball. You shall dance with the princes and choose who you like the best.”
Nyota nodded sadly and went to her room. She loved her father the King very much, and she wished to do her duty to her people. But her heart was sore at the thought of leaving her beloved family and home, to be married to a stranger who did not love her.
But Nyota was strong; she soon dried her tears and went to the window to look out over the lands. The moon was rising over the fields.
“Oh, Mother Moon,” she whispered, “Please help me chose the Prince who will be the best of husbands, the one who I could love and who will love me.”
She sighed and turned away to prepare for bed.
As she slept, the light of Mother Moon fell through her window and lit upon her face.
“Ah, she is lovely,” said a voice. Suddenly the voice had a body and it jumped upon the bed! “Wake up, lovely Princess! Wake up!”
Nyota awoke and jumped nearly to the ceiling with her fright. She looked at the figure on the bed. A fairy! Green-skinned and red-haired, the fairy giggled with delight.
“Ah, Princess! I am Gaila and I have been sent from Mother Moon to help you chose the Prince for you!”
Nyota’s shock turned to joy, and she ran to the fairy who hugged her tight. “Pretty Princess,” Gaila said, “Do not be sad to leave your home. You have always wished for adventure.”
“Oh, Gaila,” said Nyota, “My wish was to see the world, not to marry some silly Prince only to be shut up in an old castle far from home.”
Gaila took Nyota’s hands in hers. “Tell me what you hope your Prince will be.”
“He will be kind and fair in his dealings with his people. He will be wise and brave and strong. He will not crave fame or fortune for selfish means, but for the good of his kingdom. And most of all, he will love me as I am, not seek to dress me in silks for his own amusement, or wish for me to be silent as a stone. He will accept me and my books and my conversation and be glad of it.”
Gaila looked down at the earnest face before her. “Oh Princess, you ask for much in this world,” she said quietly. Then her face brightened. “But I shall do my best, and you must rest!” She unfurled her wings and flew to the window. “I will see you at the ball!” she cried as she flew away.
Nyota ran to the window and watched the fairy fly into the night sky. Then she went to bed with a smile.
The day of the ball dawned bright and fair. Nyota rose and went to the stables and fields as she always did, helping and visiting. When the sun was high, she returned home to prepare. Her father had sent her a gown of silk and lace and precious stones. She tore it to pieces and with her own hands made it into a simple dress. She turned away the jewels, wearing only a bright stone she found in the fields on a ribbon around her neck. She did not wear a crown, but a garland of spring flowers that grew wild at the gates of the castle.
She looked at herself in the mirror. “There,” she said, satisfied. “He shall see me as I am.”
When the appointed hour approached, Nyota entered the ballroom with trepidation. Would Gaila be there? Was her visit all a dream? She walked to her father’s side, and he shook his head at his daughter’s attire, but smiled because he loved her. He silenced the musicians and began to speak.
“My Lords and Ladies, I present to you my daughter, Princess Nyota!” The assembled guests applauded and the musicians began anew. Oh, but where was Gaila?
The King roused her from her thoughts as he brought a young man to meet her.
“My daughter, I present to you Prince James.” The young man bowed and took her hand. He was handsome and funny and danced very well, but he held her too close and seemed to think far too well of himself.
Her next dance was with Prince Hikaru. His dark looks were stunning, but he was young, and while he was kind and gentle, did not seem ready to marry.
The next was Prince Leonard. He was tall and polite, but seemed angry that his father made him come looking for a wife.
She then danced with Montgomery, who was a man unafraid to get his hands dirty. He laughed at his own stumbling around the dance floor and, unfortunately, smelled too much of ale.
Then there was sweet Pavel. Oh, but he was just a boy, blushing and stuttering through their dance.
Suddenly Nyota heard a familiar voice at her ear. “Pretty Princess, I cannot choose for you. But I beg you to look beyond what you see and to hear what is not spoken.”
“Gaila?” Nyota whispered. But her father was leading another man before her. “My daughter, I present Prince Spock, of the Elven Kingdom.”
Oh! He was handsome. But he did not smile. She sighed and let him lead her to the dance floor. He moved with such grace! He held her neither too near nor too far. And his eyes! His eyes were dark as the night but warm and kind. He wore a simple tunic, adorned only with his clan name. Oh, how different from the fops and fancies around her!
At last he spoke. “I understand that you enjoy reading, Princess. Pray, what do you study?” His voice was rich and deep. She swallowed before answering, but soon their conversation became easy. They discussed husbandry and agriculture, languages and customs. Before she knew it, the dance was ended and she stood there looking at him, breathless. He took her hand and all at once her mind was filled with images of his home, of the music he played upon his harp, of the large library he loved. And then she saw herself as he saw her, lovely and clever, generous, and kind. All too soon, her father arrived to drag her away to another partner.
Finally the dancing was over and the guests retired to their rooms. She followed her father to his study and sat at his feet as she had done as a child.
The kind old King took her hand spoke softly. “So, my daughter, have you chosen?”
“I have, father. I choose the Elven Prince.”
“But daughter, their ways are not our ways. They neither smile nor frown. It is true they are a peaceful people and that they never lie, but why would you choose such a man?”
“Because the Fairy Gaila bade me look beyond what I see and to hear what is not spoken,” she said. “When I looked and when I listened, I saw what a good and kind man he is, and that he would care for me as you cared for Mama.”
The King searched his daughters face and saw it to be true. He called for the Prince of the Elves to be brought before him.
When the Prince arrived, he bowed before the King and his daughter.
“Prince Spock,” the old King said. “My daughter has chosen you to be her husband. Is it your wish to be bound to her?”
“It is, Your Highness.”
“And why do you wish to wed a human?”
“It matters not that she is human. I wish to wed a kind woman, with wit and curiosity, who is not overfond of jewels and gold, for while my Kingdom has much wealth, we do not place our love of it above our love for our people. I seek a woman with the poise to meet with the Kings and Queens of nations, and not too proud to mix with farmers and masons. Someone who will ride across the lands with me, seeking new peoples, new knowledge. This is what I seek, Your Highness, and this is what your daughter brings.”
The king nodded solemnly, for he knew that these things were true. He asked one last question.
“And what will you give my daughter through this bond?”
“I will cherish her. I will share all that I have and all that I am with her. The gifts of the Elves are many, good King, and all of these will be hers. She will want for naught, and we shall grow in wisdom together.”
“Well, then,” said the King, “If this is your choice as it is hers, you may wed.”
So it was on a glorious spring day in the forest of the Elves that Princess Nyota married Prince Spock. The Fairy Gaila was there to bestow many blessings, and the Elves welcomed Nyota into their realm with many gifts.
Spock and Nyota shared adventures as they traveled through the many known lands, and met people of all sorts and made many friends. When they became King and Queen of the Elven Kingdom, they ruled with kindness and their people prospered. Their children grew up as good and as wise as their parents, and when Nyota, who lived the short life of a human, died in her husband’s arms, he chose to follow her into their next adventure in the hereafter.