The beautiful Maiden

Once upon a time there was a beautiful maiden, but she was not just beautiful she was smart too, with a talent for healing. She lived on a farm with her father who she loved very much she dreamed of one day marrying a man who would treat her with love and with a gentle heart, just like in the fairy tales.

Once there was a handsome prince whose father was very old he dreamed of one day being a great king and would do anything to ensure his kingdom was great and that his power would last until the end of time. The princes father was old and had lead a peaceful rule and all of his subjects adored him, but he worried for his son so filled with greed, so he passed a law that his son could not ever become king without a bride that the king would approve of. He figured that a good wife would tame his sons greed, so he broke the news to his son, and immediately his son was outraged how could his father betray him like this, did he not trust him his own son. He killed one of his own servants just to vent. But quickly before his father would notice, regained his posture and began to scheme, he was a prince finding a worthy bride, would not be too difficult, he was a prince, after all.

So the prince gathered every soldier, messenger, servant, and peasants that he could pay and sent them to all corners of his father’s realm in search of the most beautiful most attractive, women they could find.

Months passed and many suitors appeared, but none were good enough for the king to give his ok. The prince would try so hard to con his father, claiming he loved this one or the next was his soul mate, it was like every other bride that came through was his destined soul mate, but his father was a clever man and saw through his ruse. He would not let these frauds become the future queen of his kingdom.

Almost a year had passed and the prince began to give up hope of ever gaining his father’s approval. One of the messengers had been away for many months he was dedicated to his kingdom and he had promised himself to never return home until he was certain he had found the right match for his beloved prince, with  no idea for the princes plans, he stumbled upon a humble farm being tilled by a grey old man. Hear ye hear ye he declared the prince of Lazeroth seeks a worthy bride to rule the kingdom at his side when his time to rule comes to pass, the grey old man declared with joy, for he was certain the perfect opportunity for his daughter had arrived, he was so afraid that she would be alone when he died since there farm was so far away from any town or city. Right away he ran to the house and gathered his beloved daughter. And told her of what had just been told to him. Of course she was excited that a prince would want to marry her, I mean every girl dreams of being a princess and the wife of a to be king, only neither of them had no idea of who the prince was really like. She did not want to leave her father but he insisted, saying because it would help her become an amazing women and reaching her fullest potential, but really It was because he was dying and did not want her to grieve for him, he never wanted to see her cry.

So the beautiful maiden went with the messenger and after a month they arrived at the kingdom of Lazeroth the home of the prince and his kind father. Right away she was showered with gifts just like the other suitors had been, but the prince was nowhere to be seen so she spent her time talking to his father, who reminded her of her own father she had left back on the farm. With his kind eyes and genuine smile. She felt right at home it wasn’t until that evening that the prince came down for supper, that he saw the beautiful maiden and was latterly swept off his feet, so potent was her beauty, he thought to himself with such looks she is sure to win my father’s heart. She had but not by her looks but with her kindness and her beautiful mind, and her genuine love for books just like the king, she even helped lessen the kings illness, and he knew this was the one that should be wed to his son. The prince walked over and said father, father this beautiful angel that has blessed us with her presence rather than watch over us from heaven, surely she is the one that should be my wife. The king agreed.

That week they were married. It was a beautiful ceremony, with doves and lanterns. With millions of candles and a beautiful wedding dress that none before have ever been made to match its splendor. She would be happy she thought, but only time would tell. Sadly the king grew sicker after the wedding and nothing the Beautiful maiden could do with all her talents made him any better. Every night she gave him medicine and every morning he grew sicker until one morning he did not awake at all and the next he died. She princess was grieved by the kings death they had become such great friends he was like a father to her, he reminded her so much of her real father. Strangely the prince did not cry he barley even seemed affected by his father’s death at the funeral that even her own father attended the prince did not even look at his father’s burial pedestal for even more than a moment at any time, he even told jokes to some of the nobles. And once it had ended and the maidens father returned home his once poetic personality and seemingly charming nature turned to one of greed and anger he no longer cared to speak to her and only wished from her selfish things, and in the mornings he wouldn’t even looked at her he only cared about one thing. Tending to his duties as king. It was not long before the prince who was now king began to strike at the maiden with fists over trifling issues. He would scream and beat her over the tiniest of details she had to hide all the marks of people would not speak of them. What had she gotten herself into she wondered. The princes anger grew worse as the kingdom quickly fell into poverty the people began to riot and martial law was ordered to keep the peace, but it did not stop the assignation attempts and every time something went wrong the now king would take it out on his princess. She began to fear for her life and so did her servants they cared for her because she was kind to them, so they helped her escape, among them was the loyal messenger that had found her at his father’s farm, he felt so guilty for bringing her hear to this castle of pain he had to make sure such a beautiful dove could be free, so that night the entire castle assisted in her escape while the king slept. They helped her get out from the stable chambers, the messenger rode with the now queen, riding out as fast as the horse would go, but the prince discovered right away what they were trying to do and summoned the guard arrows flew in their direction. The queen held tightly to the kindly messenger. His name was Guevara.  They came to a blockade armed with 20 royal guards Guevara told the queen to keep riding and he would make sure they would not stop her, as he stepped off he looked like a man with purpose, he drew from his scabbard a sword covered in rust but he held it like a veteran ready to charge into the blaze of battle the queen rode off and only looked back to see her protector charge into the fray of battle shouting loudly ready to redeem his lost honor. She rode and rode in fear of being brought back to that awful place she prayed for the servants and hoped the king would not be cruel to them for they had been so kind to her.  She kept going through forest and swamp, never stopping even after the horse shadow had become stuck in the swamp but she refused to leave him so she drew on hidden strength and pulled him through it until they, arrived at a clearing, she saw torches in the distance, she had come too far for it to be the royal guards and hoped it was a town out of the kings reach, she walked the horse up to the gates, and there the horse collapsed unconscious. She pounded on the great wooden gates begging for somebody to answer, please someone help me. She kept banging but she did not know it was the rule of this kingdom for the safety of the people that the gates not be opened for anyone. But her begging and pleading and banging of the gates was so loud and desperate that it aroused the suspicion of the guards of this town as well and in turn its ruler as well. He came down from his lofty castle and he himself rode to the gates and ordered the gate keeper to let the maiden in and for the horse so near death to be taken to the stables and cared for. As the gates were open  she too fell from exhaustion and the king took her to the castle himself. She did not wake for many weeks. He made sure his servants tended to her and made sure everything that could be done for her would be done for her. Every night he whispered poetry to her from his favorite books in hopes that it would lessen the fits she would have in her sleep and they did, as soon as the soft words left his lips her body would lay still and a smile would inch across her face. One day the maiden awoke in a great warm room with silk blankets and a servant sponging her face, she was afraid she was back in her kings castle and would soon be beaten but instead she saw another man with long brown hair, he was somewhat stalky but jolly at the same time, he was sitting in a chair at the foot of her bed reading a book titled Macbeth, she had read such a tale at the castle and loved the author. She thought this man can’t be so bad.

She did not speak she couldn’t her body had not yet recovered. The kindly king offered her his hand and led her down out of the room, at times he tripped and he always caught her, making sure that she knew he would take care of her, he did not speak he only smiled with such trusting eyes. Together through 2 giants doors they arrived in a mead hall and he sat her down at a table and said one word. Eat. Before her she saw every food imaginable, turkeys the sizes of barrels, pies and custards, egg mountains grains and breads of every shape and size and pies! She really loved pie, and fortunately the king did too. She ate with a vigor the king had never seen in a woman, first taking a slice of pie then breads with jam, she ate and ate for she had had nothing for a whole week but water fed from a sponge. After she had consumed 4 whole plates she was full, and whispered a thank you to the kind man at the other end of the table. The king for that’s who it was, answered with a gesture of his goblet and then took a sip. He said there is something I would like to show you, if you will follow me? The maiden was hesitant but he had no reason to distrust the kind jolly man, so she took and his and walked with him, into a large entryway, were there was a massive library, of every book of every shape and size and hundreds of scholars running about, while you were asleep he said I discovered that when I read to you, you no longer had bad dreams so I assume you love books. The maiden couldn’t help herself she hugged the king and without knowing what came over her she kissed him on his cheek, even with his jolly rosy cheeks it was evident that he was blushing, he was clearly smitten by this lovely women. So it went from there as later weeks and months came to pass the king and maiden fell in love, the proper way together they read books and would argue on who was the best writer, the king even shared his own fascination with writing she especially loved his fairy tails, they always had a happy ending but she liked how they were more relisting that anything else. She found herself loving him, and even adoring him wishing she could spend the rest of her life here. So she decided to tell him how she had escaped from the evil king and how he wanted to take her back to that awful place.

The kind king promised if she did not want to leave she never had to. As more than a year passed the kingdom of the good king received word that a great army was arriving in the land preparing for war on his kingdom, the beautiful maiden feared for her life, but the king promised she would be safe, before anything could be done he rode out alone on his horse to confront the wicked king who had hurt his beloved maiden. He would challenge him with honor king for king and the winner would take all.

                The evil king could not refuse such a blatant challenge even from such an odd king from such a pathetic kingdom. So he accepted there was no way he would lose, every duelist knew he was the greatest swordsmen in all the land, maybe even greater than the famed black knight. So together in arena of the good king they both drew swords with an audience made of many people from both kingdoms. Only one would walk out alive. Their swords clashed and sparks flew the ringing of the blades could be heard throughout the stadium once used for plays, was now an arena of death and spectacle.

The beautiful maiden prayed and prayed that her kindly king would win and for 3 days and nights they 2 kings fought thunder striking as their blows crashed the evil king began to fear for he had never met a man of such might and every strike that was blown the good kings confidence grew. For he was the black night, he made his kingdom by uniting the lands with strategy he never considered it a win if anyone died in the struggle he preferred diplomacy over violence and he was certainly the best, but he was certain that if a fight ever were to happen only his blood would be spilled so he also became the very best fighter in all the lands learning from every culture he visited to harness his skill he developed the reputation of his moniker the black knight.

On the third evening both kings were met with exhaustion hundreds of blades had broken beneath their blows and now they were merely brawling until the evil king fell and submitted, he knew he could not win. So as the good king stood and claimed his victory, he banished the evil king and took his titles from him and declared that both kingdoms would be joined in the marriage of him and his maiden. At that very moment the evil king drew a knife laced with poison. The very same poison he used to make his father sick only this was a more potent version and was sure to kill any whose blood it touched. The maiden saw this and screamed but the good king was too exhausted to react. As the evil king went to strike he was met by a women, not just any women it was the beautiful maiden, the good king feared she took the blow for him, but instead of her falling it was the evil king. She had pulled the very same knife he had given to her to keep herself safe, it was laced in gold and jewels and now kings blood. The evil king was no more.

The entire stadium rang out in rejoice they were free and they knew that all would be well. Days after the king had been resting and making sure the 2 kingdoms would be joined peacefully he was inspecting one of the dungeons and giving out pardons when he came across a ragged man in a cell with one hand. He asked the guard what this man’s crime was, the guard replied defying a king. It was Guevara the humble messenger, his now queen had told him of the man who risked his life so that she could escape. This man was in rages and smelled of sewage but still had such brightness in his eyes he immediately pardoned the man and had him bathed and clothed he fixed him with a golden prosthesis and made him the new captain of the joint royal army, and personal body guard to his queen. Sir W Guevara of the joint guard. He had regained his pride and honor as long as he held his title the land never knew loss at war and all the cadets never complained of mistreatment, he was even successful with the ladies. As for the kindly king and the beautiful maiden. They lived happily ever after.