The Humble PrincessA Story by Omegax45 A young princess, banished from her kingdom, leaves her life in the hands of a traveler. Can she find the courage to protect what she earned, or will her humbleness make her lose it all? The
Humble Princess by
Omegax45 Once, there was a
kingdom upon a vast island that was ruled by a tyrant of a king named Marcus. He taxed his citizens heavily and demanded
absolute loyalty, or else fear his harsh punishments. The people disliked their king and his eldest
daughter Selene, who was so prideful and haughty that every person she laid
eyes on that were not her father she would insult greatly. The only one of the royal family they did
like was the youngest daughter Luna, for she was the daughter of their late
queen and she was so humble and kind.
However, it was this humbleness of hers that Princess Selene used to her
advantage, insulting and ordering around her servants without so much as a
complaint from their mistress. Even more
distressing was when King Marcus wished for his daughters to marry and every
present and letter of courting the haughty princess would either destroy or
send a horrific reply of rejection. She
even did the same to her sister's gifts of courtship, but made the replies of
rejection even worse than her own. No
matter how many times Princess Luna pleaded to her father, the king always
favored Princess Selene and let her do as she pleased. Eventually, the young princess didn't
bothered to try. The people wanted to
usurp their tyrant king and place Princess Luna on the throne, but King Marcus
wasn't all that evil. He had won many
wars that were started by other nations that sought to seize their kingdom and
the kingdom begun to grow quite richly due to an increase of visitors. Thus, the people remain undecided as to what
to do. One day, Princess Selene
was looking over her balcony and enjoying the warmth of the sun when her eyes
caught something shiny. She searched for
the source and saw a man sitting with a group of cattle, a bobbin of gold
thread in his hand. The man was dressed
in clothes that had seen better days, the sign of a poor traveler taking a
rest. If he was what she assumed him to
be, then how could he afford a bobbin of gold?
Not knowing irritated her, so she sent one of her maids to see if he
would sell the bobbin to her. The maid
returned and said the traveler would only speak to her. Nearly fuming, the princess came down to him. "How much does it
cost," she asked. "My price is to lie
at the foot of Her Highness' bed tonight," the traveler replied simply. "For shame, to ask
to dirty the foot of my bed! You might
even try to lay harm to me while I rest!
I will give you twenty pieces of gold for the bobbin instead!" "No," the
traveler answered, "I have no need of money. My price is to sleep at the foot of your bed,
and you have my word that I shall not bring any form of harm to you while you
sleep. If it be too much for you, Then I
shall keep my bobbin. Be quick with your
decision, for I am leaving on the morrow." Princess Selene was
furious. No one had ever dared to defy
her anything. Who did this traveler
thought himself to be? She was the
princess of the kingdom and the next in line to the throne! She would not bow down to any commoner's
demands like her sister- A sudden thought crossed
her mind, making her smile. She told the
traveler to come to the back door at midnight and her maid will lead her to her
room. The traveler agreed and left to
parts unknown. Princess Selene returned
to the castle and instructed Princess Luna's ladies-in waiting that a man had
their mistress' permission to sleep at the foot of her bed and they must guard
her all night to make certain that the man did not take advantage of her. She then told her maid to lead the traveler
to Princess Luna's room at midnight, but make sure that the traveler did not
know that the room belonged to her sister and not her. All of the servants agreed, for they knew
what would happen to them if they disobeyed.
Princess Selene laughed with glee with her plan; to trick the traveler and humiliate her
sister and get the bobbin of gold in one fell swoop. Upon midnight, the
traveler arrived and the maid led him to the young princess' room. Princess Luna was fast asleep, the covers
over her head to hide her face. All
eight of her ladies-in-waiting were sitting around her, each holding a lit
candle and trying to hide their exhaustion.
"What's with the
ladies," the traveler asked curiously. "They are to
protect Her Highness in case you do break your word and try to harm Her
Highness while she rest," the maid answered. "I suppose Her
Highness has no trust that I would not be a pervert." "Your request does
invoke suspicion." "I guess so." The traveler curled up by
the foot of the bed and fell asleep. The
ladies-in-waiting did their best to stay awake, eager to protect their mistress
should the traveler prove to be an enemy.
However, the days spent slaving over Princess Selene's orders without
Princess Luna's knowing, especially of hours before, had made them so tired
that they fell asleep one-by-one. Their
exhaustion made it impossible for them to wake in time to awaken their mistress
at the appointed hour of dawn, nor to awaken the traveler and usher him out. King Marcus was very
irritated the next morning when Princess Luna did not come down for breakfast. Princess Selene couldn't keep her excitement
contained, for she knew that her father hates tardiness. The king questioned the servants where his
young daughter was and, when he received no answer, he stormed upstairs and
headed to Princess Luna's bedroom. Not
wanting to miss the show, his eldest daughter followed right behind him. Meanwhile, Princess Luna
awoke to sunlight shining upon her eyelids, the covers having fell from her
face sometime during the night. She sat
up and stretched, taking in her surroundings for a moment before her eyes
widened and all traces of sleep dispelled from her in an instant. Surrounding her bed were all of her
ladies-in-waiting, deeply asleep and appeared to not be awaking anytime
soon. What's more, at the foot of her
bed was a stranger she had never seen before, slowly awakening from his
slumber. He wore strange and worn
clothing that were covered in dirt and other kinds of filth, a strange cap upon
his head that fell down his back yet allowed his light color bangs to peep out. He looked around in confusion before their
eyes met, each a mirror of fear and shock. "You're not
Princess-" "Who are you,"
Princess Luna cried out, cutting him off, "and what did you do to my
ladies-in-waiting?!" Suddenly, the door burst
opened and barging in was King Marcus and a smirking Princess Selene. "Oh ho," the
king angrily boomed, "So THIS is your type! What a wretched daughter you are, sleeping
with filthy commoners and your own servants!
Get dress! I will meet out your
punishment in the throne room! "You leave at once
commoner," he turned to the traveler, spitting out the word 'commoner'
like a filthy word, "If you are not gone within a few minutes, I shall
have the guards throw you out, if you are still alive after they beat you for
soiling my daughter, a princess of this realm!" With that, King Marcus stormed
out of the room, leaving a grinning Princess Selene alone with the frightened
princess, the angry traveler, and the suddenly awake ladies-in-waiting. "I shall escort you
out," she told the traveler, "We still have some business to
discuss." Reluctantly, the
traveler followed, casting a sympathetic glance to Princess Luna before
leaving. The young princess got dress
with the help of her frightened ladies-in-waiting, still confused and scared of
what her father had planned for her. They
arrived at the throne room with a few moments, the High Council chatting with King
Marcus over different matters. "SILENCE," the
king roared, then glared at Princess
Luna, "To think a child of mine would allow such filth to lie so close to
her as to poison her! I will not be
related to such a vile creature!" "But Father-" "I will not hear
it! As of today, you are stripped of
your title as princess, your servants, your possessions, and citizenship. You are hereby banished from the kingdom and
all the provinces henceforth! Be off the
island in five days, or else the guards will throw you in the dungeons and you
will be executed!" "Please reconsider
Your Majesty," one of the ladies-in-waiting cried out, "Lady Selene
ordered us to let the traveler in without Lady Luna knowing! It was not Lady-" "A true monarch would
know who to trust under her rule, and a true servant would take order only from
their master. It is further proof of how
Luna is not fit to be royal blood, and all of you are not fit to serve the
royal family!" "Strip me of all I
have," Luna declared, feeling a small bit of courage for the first time in
her life, "but please spare my servants.
They have nowhere to go and are not responsible for-" "Silence,
commoner! They are no longer your
servants. They will be punished
accordingly. Learn your new place
quickly, for it may spare you life. Now
be gone before the day is out! "Oh, before you do,
strip out of that garment and those jewels.
They are not fit for one of your... status. The head maid will give you attire that is
more... proper." Some of the servants and
members of the High Council snickered while the ladies-in-waiting began to
cry. Her bravado long gone, Luna slowly
followed the head maid out, her eyes full of despair yet not one single tear
fell. She was dressed in a thin cotton
dress with a wood shawl, an old cloak and worn cloth shoes with thin leather
soles that once belonged to the head maid's daughter long ago. "Here," the
head maid gave the former princess a pouch, "This should be enough until
you reach the mainland. I also hid your
precious heirloom in a pocket of the
cloak. I'm sorry I couldn't do anymore
than this. Your mother in Heaven is
weeping for your misfortune, but I hope this is more than enough to repay the
debt I owed to her. I only wish I could
do more..." "I know. This is more than enough. I thank you for everything. Please stay safe, both you and everyone else
here." "Be safe, my
lady." Luna opened the door and
stepped outside, no one recognizing her in such an outfit. She heard her sister's voice and turned her
head to see both her and the traveler arguing from a short distance. "You tricked
me," the traveler accused. "You said your
price was to sleep at the foot of Her Highness' bed for the bobbin of
gold," Princess Selene pointed out, not at all feeling guilty for her
trick, "You never declared which Highness whose bed you wished to sleep at
the foot of. Therefore, you were not
tricked." "You sister is
being punished for your trickery." "And I should
worry? The brat never learns to be
cautious, even around her own kin. She
deserves whatever fate is bestowed upon her.
Now, for the bobbin..." The traveler scowled,
but handed the bobbin of gold over.
Princess Selene squealed, and ran back inside the castle without a
backwards' glance. The traveler sighed,
then turned to leave when he saw the princess he woke up next to walking
away. He found it odd for her to be in
commoner's clothes and not having any servants or guards around, but upon
seeing her leaving the kingdom did he understood. What kind of king would banish his own
daughter, when she wasn't at fault? He
decides to follow her, a pang of guilt in his chest for being part of the cause
of her banishment. Luna followed the dirt
trails left behind by travelers, ignoring the rocks that pushed through the
soles of her shoes and hurt her feet, until she arrived in a village before
dusk. The traveler watched her requested
a simple room and a small meal for the night.
He thought for certain that she would request the best room and a large
meal, especially the meal since she may not have eaten since yesterday. He was truly curious of that strange
princess. He requested a room and
decided that he should keep following her. The next day, Luna
bought a bit of food and began traveling again.
She had no idea that the traveler was following her, keeping his
distance as he observed her. Unlike
other royals that he had heard of, the former princess carefully spent her
money, staying in the simple rooms of the inns she stopped at and buying just
enough fruit and bread to last her until she reached the next village. He was impressed with her. They soon reached a village port, where he
saw her looking troubled as she talked to a ferry man for a trip to the main
land. "I'm sorry miss,"
he told her, "I won't be taking anyone to the main land until
tomorrow. The fee will be five coppers,
and I will need that before we depart." "I understand. I will be here tomorrow." "Be early. I won't wait." Luna left the port, but
she didn't go to the inn or the food stands.
Despite her careful spending, five coppers were all she had left. The simplest of things were expensive, the
fancier things with a hefty price tag that only the richest nobles could
afford. Staying in the village port to
make a bit of money was out of the question, for she would be arrested if the
royal guards found her here the day after tomorrow. She did not want to part with her precious
heirloom. It meant so much to her, and
to sell it would break her. Without a
choice, she had to go without a room or a meal that night. Luna went to the
outskirts of the village port and curled up next to a tall tree as night
arrived. She buried herself into the
cloak that barely kept the cold away and tried to ignore the growling of her
belly for food. She did not know how the
poor can managed it, for she found it be unbearable. Since birth, she didn't
went without, even when her sister was at her worst. She remembered her late mother's sweet songs
and pain hit her heart. She missed her
mother dearly. Her father she never
became attached to. Always favoring his
first daughter, he was more of a provider to Luna, nothing more. Perhaps that was why he hated her so, for she
did not show him enough from all of her attempts to bond with him of any love
she had for him. It had at one time made
her sad that he would not acknowledge that love, but that was a long time ago. A single tear fell down her cheek before
exhaustion finally claimed her. Moments after she fell
asleep, bandits attacked her and demanded everything she had. Luna was so frightened that she did not move
or speak. The bandits grew angry and the
leader took out a knife while his men held her down. She tried to scream for help, but they
covered her mouth to silence her. Suddenly, the bandits
cried out as they were attacked, their victim unable to see who came to her aid
and curled up in a ball. Screams,
curses, and clangs filled the night air before the leader ordered a retreat and
the bandits scattered into the night. "A smart traveler
knows better than to sleep out here all alone.
You have no guards to protect you now, so you best learn how to avoid
such confrontations." Recognizing the voice,
Luna lifted her head to see her savior to indeed be the traveler that slept at
the foot of her bed days before. He lit
a lamp to give them light and he sat by her, cleaning the blood that dripped
from his sword. "Have you been following me," she asked,
pulling her cloak tight around her. "What do you mean? I'm merely heading back to my kingdom. Thanks to your wicked sister, my bobbin of
gold is gone and I no longer can afford to continue my travels." "You and I are both
the victims of my sister's wickedness.
My father had stripped me of my title and possessions, and I must leave
the island by tomorrow to avoid being thrown into the dungeons and
executed." Executed on top of
banishment? He had heard the rumors, but
still... "May haps the
reason other than my visit for your banishment is your reaction to the suitors
that sought your hand in marriage? The
prince of my kingdom thought you to be obscenely harsh." "Again, my sister
and her wickedness. No matter how
secretive I was, she always tore my letters of response or apologies apart, and
sent such disgusting letters with my own seal in their place. She claims that I am too soft to give a
proper response and I should be more demanding.
If only I had a letter of her own writing, I can prove how her
handwriting and my own differ, proving my innocence." "And your original
response, if I may ask?" "... I don't think
that it matters anymore. I wanted to
thank him for the gift he sent me and if I may visit his kingdom to speak to
him in person. I wanted to get to know
him and meet royals other than those of my family. I... I wanted to travel and see the different
kingdoms and make friends. I tired of
living in the castle every single day, watching everyone know how to cook and
clean while I simply sit and either read or sew. I... Do ignore me. It seems I am full of complaints for one that
did not do without most of her life." "It is not
unusual. It seems royals complain
despite having anything they could want." "It matters not to
have everything if what one truly wants is out of reach. I try to merely accept what I have and be
grateful, but not all the finest jewels and dresses didn't appease me." "Even so," the
traveler put his sword away, "you are still foolish for sleeping out here
like that. Why did you not sleep at the
inn?" "I only have enough
for either the ferry or the inn. It was
one or the other. No matter how careful
I spent the bit of money I was given by the head maid, things just seemed to be
expensive. Or perhaps it's just
me..." "No, for I've seen
it too. The prices around here are more
so than in other kingdoms. Once you
reach the main land, you'll have nothing and must beg for food with the closest
town miles away. What then?" The former princess did
not answer. She knew not the lay of the
lands beyond her own, for her tutor only taught her the layout of the island
and of the province islands nearby. Her
stomach decided to remind her at that moment that she had no dinner that night,
causing her cheeks to color in shame.
The traveler sighed. "I tell you
what. I will help you. I will take you to my kingdom. You will stay with me and earn your
keep." "But I-" "You don't have a
choice if you wish to live to a ripe old age.
I repaid my debt of having you banished by saving your life from those
bandits. I could easily leave you here
for death or worse, and I'm feeling generous.
Do not let pride get the better of you." "It's not
pride," Luna muttered, her shivering becoming worse before she could
finish. "Come here,"
the traveler pulled her to him, ignoring her small cry of protest,
"Princess, you're like ice! These
clothes are far too thin for sleeping outdoors!" "They're all I
have," Luna mumbled, resisting the urge to bury her head into the warmth
of his chest. "Here," the
traveler situated them to lie on the ground, "Sharing body heat is the
best method when sleeping outdoors." "Didn't you say
that sleeping outdoors is a bad idea?" "It's too late to
get a room at the inn, and the bandits are gone. Sleep now.
I'll protect you." Luna tried to say
something but a yawn escaped her lips.
She had no more energy for anything and promptly fell asleep. The traveler chuckled and reached over to
blow out the lamp before falling asleep. Luna stayed with the
traveler, following him to his kingdom.
She started to notice things about him she did not before. He was young, a few years older than her at
best. He had the start of a beard
grazing his sculpted jaw, his eyes full of wisdom and a youth that had yet to
vanish. His clothes barely hid the
immense strength she had felt days before.
She blushed whenever she thought about it, but had to remind herself
that she did not know him well and he did not find her attractive at all. The only thing he felt for her was pity and a
sense of obligation to help her. She
was, after all, a helpless and useless former princess that didn't know how to
fend for herself. What common man would
want with her? "We are here,"
the traveler said after a few days' travel, both of them staring at a large
castle by the lake in the forest, "There lies the castle of my kingdom's
royal family." "It's a beautiful
castle and land," Luna commented in awe, "More beautiful than any
painting I've ever seen." "Come. My home is not far now." They continued through
the forest until they reached a small hut near a dirt road leading into
town. They went inside to find the place
full of dust and the furnishings old and simple. "It may not be the
lavished castle you're used to," the traveler explained, "but it's my
home and I expect you to treat it respectively.
Now, we need to get the dust clean, a fire started, and the evening meal
cooked. I shall get the firewood. You start the cleaning." "I
understand," Luna replied. She took
a broom to sweep as the traveler gathered firewood. Upon his return, he taught her how to start a
fire and cook their small meal before they went to bed. The traveler awoke her the next morning to do
the housework. Luna was a fast learner
at the chores she did almost every day, doing so without so much as a
complaint. The traveler was
impressed. "Our provisions are
running low," he told her one day, "We will need to work to buy what
we need. Begging will only do so little
for us. I will head to the nearby village
to work, but what to find for you..." "I shall go into
town and search for work," Luna placed on her cloak and headed for the
door. "Do not stay out
too late. Bandits come out at
night." The former princess
traveled to town, finding herself overwhelmed by the bustling activity around
her. What could she do? All she knew was how to sew and stitch small
patterns, but not how to make clothes. "Hello there." She turned to see an
elderly woman with a basket of bread on one arm waving at her. "H-hello,"
Luna stuttered in greeting. "I haven't seen you
before. You must be new to our fable
kingdom." "Y-yeah. I just moved in a few days ago." "No need to be so
shy. Everyone's friendly here. You're going to love living in our
kingdom. Here, have some of my husband's
fresh-baked bread. It's the best in
town." "I thank you, but I
do not have any money. I just came into
town to look for work." "Oh dear. You came here without a position? Well dear, I might be able to help you out. "You see, my
husband's last assistant left us after we found him stealing our wares. Can you knead dough?" "I have not tried,
but I would love to learn how." "Ah, a youth
wanting to learn is so hard to come by these days. You are a rare one indeed." From that day on, Luna
began making bread as the baker's assistant.
She received three coppers and a few loaves of bread as payment every
day. The traveler told her that he had
gotten work as a wood cutter and would bring home a few bits of meat and a
couple coppers. They would save the
coppers if they can and make their meals of the bread and meat, sometimes
finding fresh berries in the forest that weren't poisonous. The townspeople became
quite curious of the former princess, who looked so happy covered in flour and
smelling like buttermilk. They had never
seen anyone so happy and hard at work for someone her age. Most youths would rather be out and playing
instead of learning to work and earn their keep. Luna even earned a few admirers, but they
were soon chased off upon learning that she was living with the traveler. The traveler himself was happy to see his
charge hard at work and looking like her spirit was carefree. They spent their evenings talking about their
day while having their evening meal before going to bed. A few weeks later, the
town seamstress came by and took one look at Luna and declared loudly: "You! You are the one I need!" Luna looked confused,
but soon found herself at the seamstress' shop and being measured for a
dress. The seamstress had been in need
of a model to help with her dress ideas and Luna happened to had the perfect
body shape for it. She paid the former
princess six coppers and a few scraps of cloth for each session, which did not
interfere with her job with the baker thankfully. Luna felt so happy with her string of luck
and she thought to make a gift for the traveler for bringing such happiness to
her. A new cloak, perhaps. His own had a few holes in it. As she pondered on the color, a sudden
thought struck her. She did not know his
name. "What's that,"
the traveler blinked at her during their evening meal, "You want to know
my name?" Luna nodded. "Heh. We've been together for a whole month and now
you ask. You know, my rude princess, I
don't feel incline to tell you, especially since I don't know your name either." "Luna." "Huh," the
traveler looked up and began to regret his earlier words. His companion was staring at her meal sadly,
almost as if she was deciding whether or not to finish eating. Why did he do that? That's right.
He was falling for her each day, and he did not want her to know. Still... "I am princess no
longer. The king of my former kingdom
stripped me of that title, remember? I
am a mere commoner, like you." "If I recall there
was a rumor going around that your former king is not of royal blood at
all. That the late queen was tricked by
a commoner to marry her." "... 'Tis
true. My father and sister did trick my
mother. I overheard the High Council
under my mother's rule speak so when I was young. My father was so kind, but quickly changed
after my mother's passing. The High
Council sought out his kingdom and family to find out why, only to learn that
he had tricked us all. They said that he
was a simple commoner from lands unknown and that he pretended to be a prince,
my sister a princess, in search of a bride after his late wife's passing. They had talked about finding a way to usurp
my father and sister while I remain to take the throne, despite my half royal
and half commoner blood. " "What
happened?" "I don't know. The High Council disappeared and a new one
took its place one day. They never spoke
of removing my father and my sister since.
In fact, they seemed to only agree to whatever my father tells
them." They both fell silent,
the crackling fire the only sound in the small hut. They cleaned their plates upon finishing and
laid down in their beds of straw, Luna cursing herself a fool to think she
could be anything but a bother to the traveler. "Link." "Huh," she sat
up to look at the traveler, who had his back to her. "My name is
Link," he repeated, "and... I'm sorry for earlier... Luna." The former princess
could not believe her ears as hope filled her.
Her traveler had a name.
Link. An unique name, and somehow
suited her companion. Upon asking the
seamstress how to make a cloak the next day, the seamstress handed her a few
folds of thick wool to Luna and told her that she would teach her. Luna tried to pay for the cloth, but the
seamstress stated that she had no need of it, as she found out her model had
been playing with her daughter during her lunch breaks while she had been
busy. The seamstress considered the
cloth and the lessons as a form of payment for watching over her precious
child. They worked together,
Luna guessing Link's measurements. Her
years of sewing small latches came in handy as she learned how to create a hood
and how much length she needed for each section of cloth. After a few weeks of trail-and-error, they
had the cloak almost finished. They kept
the cloak at the shop, waiting for Link's return from his latest travels to
present it to him. The rainy season had
arrived, the skies covered with dark clouds almost every day. Luna was on break from kneading the dough as
she looked outside. Today was the
anniversary of her mother's death, a day that filled her with sadness and
longing. She wanted to visit her
mother's grave to tell her all that had happened to her, but she could
not. The grave was back in her former
kingdom, and she was not allowed to return.
All she had left was her heirloom, which she rarely took out. She was afraid that someone would steal it or
recognize her former status. Her former
kingdom was not liked by many, and she did not want to lose the friends she had
made here upon learning the truth about her former status. The need to see the heirloom, however, was
great today. Perhaps a quick look would
satisfy it. "A hah!" Luna looked up in horror
and shock to see Princess Selene in the bakery before her, flanked by two
soldiers from their kingdom. "Who would've
thought that you were so wicked," Princess Selene announced loudly with
sinister glee, "Not only do you let filthy commoners sleep at the foot of
your bed, but you are also a thief!" "I am no
thief," Luna defended as the baker and his wife walked up to them,
"If any be a thief, it's you!" "How dare you
accuse a royal princess of theft you worthless whelp!
We may be sisters of blood, but you will remember your lower
status!" "What does Her Highness mean," the
baker asked Luna, seeing fear and shame in her eyes along with a brief moment
of guilt. "Before us is my
half sister Princess Selene," Luna lowered her head, "I am... was,
Princess Luna, daughter of the late Queen Emma and the Current King
Marcus. I was stripped of my title and
banished due to Her Highness' wickedness." "You were banished
because you let a dirt-poor commoner sleep at the foot of your bed along with
your servants," Princess Selene stated. "Because you
tricked the poor traveler that asked to sleep at the foot of your bed so you may take his bobbin of
gold for yourself." "Enough. You reek of the filth around here. Return to me the treasure that you have
stolen and I might spare you." "I have stolen not
one ounce of the treasure of our kingdom upon my banishment. Father had made certain of that." "You dare to call
the king of our lands by such personal names?!
Your wickedness knows no end! And
what is that sticking out of your pocket?!" Luna looked to her dress
to see a bit of a small pouch sticking out of her pocket. Oh no. "Give it
here," Princess Selene launched herself at her sister and the two
struggled. Hair was pulled, clothes
torn, and scratches decorated their skin.
The baker and his wife tried to stop them, but the soldiers would not
let them pass. As Princess Selene grabbed
the corner of the pouch, she screeched as she felt someone pulled on her hair
and dress. "You let Luna
go!" Said woman's eyes went
wide. No! The seamstress' daughter had attacked
Princess Selene! "You little
brat," the princess growled and threw the young child onto the floor,
grabbing a whip from one of her soldiers, "How dare you assault a member
of royalty?!" The young girl trembled
on the floor, terrified. Any type of
attack on a royal member was grounds for immediate punishment, even
execution. Princess Selene lifted the
whip and brought it down hard. The
seamstress' daughter closed her eyes and cried out in fright, but no pain came
to her. "Luna," the
baker's wife cried out, the child opening her eyes to see the former princess
shielding her. Luna's eyes were shut
tight as she gritted her teeth against the fiery pain, the back of her dress
cut open to reveal a dark red line upon her pale skin. "Does no one in
this kingdom know how to respect royalty," Princess Selene screeched,
whipping her sister's back angrily, "You have truly fell from grace dear
sister, protecting filthy and disrespectful commoners from their rightful
punishments! I am ashamed to call you
family!" "Please stop You
Highness," the baker pleaded, watching his dear apprentice losing strength
as blood seeped her tattered dress, "She is your sister! You're killing her!" "I have no
sister!!" The whip was suddenly
caught before it came down again, and the enraged princess turned to see a
knight of the kingdom's royal guard behind her, helmet mask down to prevent his
face from being seen. "That is
enough," the knight stated, "Any citizen that breaks the law
will be judged by the ruling royal family
before being punished. This be not your
kingdom, so do oblige by our ways. Any
further insubordination will result in your exile." "Hmph,"
Princess Selene took the whip back, looking a the pouch in her hand, "I
already got what I wanted. My business
is finished here. Do be kind and get rid
of this trash for me. It will only
tarnish your kingdom further. I have a
wedding to prepare." Without another word,
she and her soldiers left. Luna panted
for a moment, the pain excruciating, before she lost consciousness. "Luna," the
seamstress' daughter began to cry, the baker and his wife carrying their
assistant to a bed and tending to her injuries.
The seamstress came by a second later in search of her daughter, and was
in tears upon hearing what had transpired.
"I'm sorry,"
they turned to see Luna awake, having overheard everything, "I know you
all hate... my family and kingdom... and I deceived you without-" "Hush now
dear," the seamstress lightly scolded, "We now know the truth, and
you deceive us not. You don't have the
title of princess anymore, so you are not.
You have saved my daughter, and you have my gratitude eternal." "I'm afraid time is
not in our hands," the knight suddenly said, "A situation has
occurred at the castle, and the royal family is in need of both the seamstress
and this girl." "I believe I owe
you my life for stopping Her Highness Selene," Luna bowed her head
slightly, "I am yours. What need
would you have of this former royal?" "The young prince
is to be wed in three day's time to a princess of the west, but the princess
and her seamstress are delayed due to a monsoon. His Majesty cannot delay the wedding, as
guests both royal and noble have arrived for the celebration. Therefore, my fellow knights and I have been
sent to find a substitute that matches the princess' physique and pretend to be
her." And so, against her
friends' protest, Luna agreed to be the princess' substitute. She was best suited for the job. She knew the way a royal must act, and thus
would not appear suspicious to the guests.
The seamstress was concerned about the former princess' bandages
showing, but the knight assured her that the cloths at the palace was thick
enough so the bandages would not show. There was also the concern about Princess
Selene making a scene, and the knight claimed that the ladies-in-waiting would
disguise Luna's face with makeup and a thick veil. In essence, no one would recognize her. With everything planned,
it was late into the evening. Luna was
sent home with a new dress and enough food to last a few days, despite her
protests. She reached for her coin
purse, but discovered it missing. The
baker believed that Princess Selene may have taken it during the struggle. The knight said she would be compensated for
the loss after the wedding. Luna and the seamstress
worked on the wedding dress once the cloth was delivered to the shop, being
very careful of the details. The young
model ignored the pain of her wounds as best as she could, only grateful that
Link hadn't returned yet and questioned her about it. She did not know how to keep her pain a
secret from him or how he would react.
She did not know if her affections towards the traveler were love or
not, but she did know that she could not part from him. Upon bidding goodnight,
Luna returned to the hut. Tomorrow was
the wedding day, and she hoped that Link would not be back until after the
wedding was over. However, it seemed that
her string of good luck had come to an end upon entering the hut. Link was sitting by the lit fireplace, an
angry scowl upon his face. "Rumors have been
going around the kingdom. Are they true
about you substituting for the princess on the morrow?" How did he...? 'Twas supposed to be a secret! If only she had asked the knight of his name,
so she may inquire upon their next meeting. " 'Tis true,"
she lowered her head, "A knight had asked of me to be Her Highness'
substitute due to the monsoon that had delayed her." "And you think you
can in your condition," Link's voice rose higher as he stood, "The
baker had informed me of what had transpired while I had been away." " 'Tis no
longer hurts. I shall be fine." "You fool." Luna closed her eyes,
fear and dread filling her being. She
was, indeed, a fool. She tried her best
at every opportunity, and she still angered the one she loved most. Yes, now at that time she can admit it to
herself. She expected him to throw her
out and she had to find a new place to live, just like how her father had. It was, after all, what she deserved for
being so weak and useless. She did not, however,
expected Link to walk over and hold her close to him, arms avoiding her tender
back with care. She opened her eyes wide
to see his face scrunched up tight, as if he were in pain. "Do you have any
clue as to what you do to me? How much
it hurts that I cannot protect you when you willingly throw yourself in
danger? If your wicked sister exposes
you, our kind king will be forced to publicly punish you." "I know royals,
being one myself once upon a time. How
they eat, how to act, how to walk. If
she were to accuse me, the other royals will find the accusations invalid. Any other from the kingdom, and they would be
the ones to be punished. A royal's eyes
are sharp, so no amount of acting would go unnoticed." "Luna..." "Indeed, I am a
fool. But I am a fool that loves your
kingdom so. That loves the people
so. Above all, that loves you so." "Luna...! How... Why... I'm just a-" "-a man that has
given me more than what this unworthy woman deserves. I'm a failure as a royal, a failure as a
commoner. If there be of any use of
me-" "Stop saying
that," Link yelled, forcing her to look into his tearful eyes, "If
one of us be a failure, 'tis I. Not an
ounce of your being is malicious and evil like your sister. You be a rare treasure, a pearl from the
deepest part of the sea. You deserve
more than what I had offered, for your soul is so pure and kind. You need only the strength of confidence in
yourself, the confidence that you were denied by those that cast you
aside. With it, you can prove yourself
better than them, yet even without it, I still love you for all that you are,
faults and all." "Link....you..."
Luna felt fresh tears fill her eyes, a sense of joy warming her being clashing
with the guilt of being the source of his suffering. Link cursed silently for letting his feelings
for her slip, but he no longer care.
After her declaration, how could he hold himself back anymore? Their eyes met for the
briefest of moments before they closed the gap between them in a kiss. The former princess knew not how to kiss
passionately, but the traveler showed her how.
He refused to release her that evening as they ate their evening meal,
both retiring to the same bed. Come dawn the next day,
Luna was at the door presenting Link with his new cloak. The traveler had no words to say at such a
well-thought gift, but became confused as he found a pouch in one of the
cloak's pockets. Inside was a beautiful
necklace of white gold and diamonds, a blue sapphire teardrop in the center. "This is what my
sister desired so much so that she whipped me," Luna explained, "My
mother gave me this necklace upon her death bed, and told me to give it to the
one I wish to wed. Upon our vows, the
one I to wed is to place this upon my neck as a vow of everlasting love. It was a tradition passed down upon my
mother's family, now to me." "I shall forever
treasure it," Link held it close to his heart, "Let this mess be done
with soon, so we are to be wed." The two parted with a
kiss before Luna met up with the seamstress and the knight, a carriage awaiting
them. They traveled quick to the castle
and made their way in through the back to avoid detection from the guests. They were taken to a room and Luna put on the
wedding dress after her bandages were checked, the seamstress making certain
that the dress fit perfectly. The
ladies-in-waiting arrived and did her hair and makeup before adding the heavy
veil upon her head. Satisfied with their
work, Luna was left alone. "Are you
nervous?" Luna looked up to see a
tall woman walking in, a page guiding her by her hand. She was awestruck, for she had heard of the
great Princess Alicia of the northern continents, but never dreamed of meeting
her in person. Despite being blind since
birth, she proved her worth as a wise and fierce princess. It was even said that both she and her
husband, the elder prince and heir to the kingdom's throne, had constant
matches of wit before they were wed. "Your High-" "Do not bow. The dress will wrinkle and the seamstress'
work for naught. As I have heard, you
were once a royal yourself. That is good, for several of our
guests are very critical and will keep watch upon you. More so will be that dreadful princess that
felt in the right to punish you while you were protecting a child." "I shall do my best
to hide the common blood within me. I
have a beloved to return to, and failure is an option not." "Good. If I may ask the name of your beloved?" "Link, Your
Highness." "Link,"
Princess Alicia blinked, then smiled, "A fine name. I do hope he feels fortunate to have a
wondrous woman like you to love him." "Nothing of me is
wondrous. I am just me, and nothing
more." "Fine words. Now, the bridesmaids will lead you out. You stay behind them. One the last bridesmaid walks down the aisle
to her place, wait a pause for the music to change before walking. Our customs are similar to the ones from the
isles, so fret not about unfamiliar exchanges. "I must be off
now. We are counting on you." "Yes, Your
Highness." Soon, the wedding began
in earnest. Luna waited as instructed
before heading down the aisle. She did
not let her eyes wander from the young prince that stood by the priest and the
knight that had rescued her. The prince
wore a traditional outfit that appeared snug upon his muscular frame, his face
near shining from a clean shave. He eyed
the substitute intensely, who did not break character as she stood by his
side. Luna was never more glad for the
practices her tutor made her do as a child, the priest reading the prayers and
asking if anyone objected before the speaking of the vows. None objected, and Luna felt slightly
safe. That was, until the prince brought
out a familiar necklace and lifted the veil to place it upon her neck. "I OBJECT!!!" "That necklace is a
sacred heirloom belonging to my fable kingdom!
It was stolen by my sister before her banishment and I demand that you
return it to me at once!" Was the necklace all she
cared about? Did she not know how much
she was embarrassing their father and
their kingdom? "Princess
Selene," the king interjected, "This is a grave accusation that you
have made on part of my son and your sister.
Have you proof of you words?" "Indeed I do, for
the thief is standing right next to your son!
That miserable wench not only allowed commoners to sleep in her room and
dare to steal from her own family, but she dares to steal the prince from his
proper bride! She has manipulated your
son and all of your kingdom, Your Majesty, and I do decree
that she should be tied to three horses and pulled to death!" Everyone was whispering
to each other now, the princess smug and full of victory. The prince went to speak, but Luna raised a
hand and stepped forward. "If I am to be
killed for the crime of theft, then you too must share my fate, dear
sister." "How dare you! I am no thief!" "Three days ago,
you attacked me at my place of work without evidence to prove that I was a
thief and you stole my coin purse from me." "You tricked me
when I sought the heirloom with your worthless coin purse and its few coppers,
but it matters not now the evidence lies upon your neck!" "You were there
when my mother and your stepmother gave me this heirloom upon my neck before
she died. It was not stolen, for 'tis
mine to begin with. By tradition upheld
by my mother and her family before, I gave it to the one I was to be wed, and he
gave it back upon the time of our vows." "Ho oh! How
delusional you are, most likely from spending too much time with that
disgusting traveler! You are not the princess
to be wed today, nor are you royalty to own that heirloom!" "Neither are you,
as you possess pure commoner blood from our father, I half royal from my
mother." "And I will not have
you speak so ill of my brother," the knight by the prince's side declared,
removing his helmet. The tall
knight-prince- had a sculpted face and hair a darker shade than the younger
prince, a slight shadow on the chiseled jaw.
"W-what is
this," Princess Selene shrieked in
shock, "Princes marrying commoners and dressing up as guards?! Are you to tell me next that the baker is in
fact your king?!!" "Perhaps you were
wise after all to claim this one as your wife," Princess Alicia commented
to the young prince, "For the one in the audience has a vile tongue to
speak of us so while she is a guest to our kingdom." "You-" "Permit me to
explain. Against my idea of declaring
war on your pitiful kingdom for you insolent letters that you sent with your
sister's seal upon them, my young brother-in-law decided to get revenge his way
upon the author of those letters. He
went to your kingdom in guise as a traveler to ask your father to aid him. However, you presented an opportunity when
your father turned him away, your wickedness leading up to this rightful
moment." "What are you
babbling about?! No prince came before
me! I would remember if..." Now that she had a good
look at the young prince, his familiar smirk and the hard eyes that glared upon her, her memory triggered and the pieces
fell together. "Wait... you?! You were the hideous traveler with the bobbin
of gold?! I should've known you to be
suspicious, for what commoner would have such a treasure..." "Ah," the
young prince finally spoke, "I am indeed the traveler that you came before
for a bobbin of gold, Link, son of King Edward and brother to the heir Prince
Leon. It was my intent to deceive you
under the impression that you were Princess Luna and teach you a lesson for
your haughtiness, but I have no need to anymore. Thanks to you, I have found my soul mate in
the form of your sister here, the true Princess Luna." "Ha! You think she will have you?! As humble and weak as she may be, you made
her sleep in the dirt and work to the bone for her keep. All the while you were laughing as you slept
in your plump bed and sat about while being pampered by your servants. No royal in her right mind would have such a wicked
one as you!" "I
would," Luna corrected, gazing upon Prince Link, "This man gave me
more than any title or riches ever could.
He had given me a true family, true friends, and confidence in myself. He gave me everything when I truly had
nothing. For that, I forgive him." "Hmph,"
Princess Selene threw her hair over her shoulders, "Then keep your pauper prince
and his farce kingdom. Return the
necklace to me, as it belongs in the hands of true royals and not commoners
pretending to be royals." "Speaking of
yourself," Prince Leon pointed out, "Rumors have spread of both you
and your commoner father tricking a royal into marriage and adoption in bid for
her throne. A witness had confessed of
the illicit affair. Three days ago, I had
been returning from a meeting with the other royal representatives when I came
upon you trying to whip a young child of our kingdom, our dear bride protecting
her from your wrath." "That filthy bat
attacked me, a royal princess! I was in
the right!" "Maybe so in your
kingdom, but here you are a royal princess in name only. That means your rights are limited. You do not possess the right to punish our
citizens as you please. Doing so is an
act of war." "Wait just a
moment! My sister is not a citizen of
this kingdom!" "But your true aim
was the child, a citizen of our kingdom, was it not?" "Er..." "If you are done
with these accusations without proof and insulting my kingdom and family,"
King Edward stated, "You may take your leave and prevent further
humiliation to yourself and your kingdom.
The necklace stays here, as it belongs to the bride and no other. Never again return to my kingdom, for you are
banished. Take your soldiers and be gone
from our lands before dusk." "Hmph. I could not stay here for even a moment
longer with such pigs. Very well. I shall wash my hands of you all, for I have
my own wedding to prepare for. Do not
expect an invite, for you shall get none.
Keep the damn necklace. It's
already a piece of trash from being tainted by your commoner ways." Without a backwards'
glance, Princess Selene took her soldiers and left. Many of the guests were content that the
disrespectful and delusional princess was finally gone. The wedding continued on, along with Luna's
coronation as princess of the kingdom.
The people celebrated with great joy all throughout the day for the new
royal couple. When given the chance,
Prince Link pulled Princess Luna aside, so they would be alone for a moment. It was time to confess everything from his
own words. He owed her that much. "I am sorry for deceiving
you," he confessed with guilt, "I had wanted to tell you everything
upon my return to you when visiting my family, but my brother forced my hand
upon finding you in danger. You were so
happy with the life of a commoner, and I only wanted to let that happiness live
a bit longer. I would've even gave up my
own status so-" "I knew." "Beg pardon?" "I knew all along
about you being the prince," Princess Luna confessed, "I played
ignorant upon learning the truth because I knew not your intent for me. Were you like my father and sister, who
sought my suffering as a form of entertainment?
Or, did you truly care for me despite how we came to be? The answer I knew not, but now it seemed my
curiosity was just rewarded. Despite the
charade, I could not stop myself from falling in love with you." "How..." Prince
Link uttered. He was so careful... "The night that you
saved m from the bandits. Light from the
lantern shone upon the crest on your sword.
I knew it to be from your kingdom, and only royals may carry such a
crest. That, and they say in rumors that
the young prince loves to travel. Hard
workers they may be, but my ladies-in-waiting did love to gossip." "I fear I was wrong
about you," her husband chuckled, "You are not really a mere humble princess, but a worthy adversary. Kind, courageous, brilliant, and indeed
cunning. 'Tis makes me love you all the
more." "And I too have an
itch for travel, if you remember that night we first slept in each other's
arms. Truly, I love our kingdom, but I
wish to not stay in one place for too long.
Will you have me upon your travels?" "Yes," the
prince held his wife, "As many as we can before our duty calls us
home." And so, Prince Link and
Princess Luna spent the rest of their days traveling to other kingdoms and enjoying
each other's company. They returned upon
the coronation of Prince Leon as he became king, joining his council and ensuring
the prosperity of the kingdom. The
baker, his wife, and the seamstress were rewarded greatly for their friendship
with Princess Luna, despite not wishing for any sort of reward. The seamstress' shop became very popular with
nobles and royals alike seeking her services for their outfits. The baker gained many young youths as
apprentices and his bakery grew quickly, the youths opening their own bakeries
throughout many kingdoms and spreading word about the baker and his wife's part
in the story of Princess Luna and Prince Link.
They left the bakery to their best apprentice upon their retirement. As for Princess Selene,
she married a king and thought to had become rich beyond her wildest
dreams. However, she had been tricked,
as the 'king' was, in fact, a commoner that had rallied a group of rebels that overthrew
both her and her tyrant father and banished them from the kingdom. The people of the kingdom declared the
commoner their new king, as they did not wish to beg Princess Luna to give up
her happiness and return to rule. The
princess did gave her blessing to the new king, who ruled wisely and
justly. And, for a time, peace
returned to these great kingdoms. The
End © 2014 Omegax45Author's Note
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2 Reviews  Last Updated on January 19, 2014 Tags: kingdoms, fables, princess, king, traveler, banishment, love, journey, deceivement Author |
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