Once Upon A Time… (Part 3)

And here is the final installment in my fairy tale for Fairy Tale Day. If you missed the first two parts, you can find them here: Part 1 and Part 2.

Part 3

The next morning, Maria reached into the SATCHEL she had packed and pulled out the lovely new dress the medicine woman had given her. A deep purple with golden roses embroidered across the dress, it was finer than any anything Maria had ever owned.

“We can’t have our princess looking like a peasant,” the old woman had said.

After she was dressed, Maria went out and found the medicine woman. Today they were going to find Edward’s real parents. They rode out to the very edge of the castle grounds where a tiny cottage stood up against the wall.

At first, Maria thought there was no way in, for all she could see where great GREEN bushes. But when they got a little closer, she could see a simple wooden DOOR. Once they reached the door, the medicine woman dismounted.

“Wait here,” she told Maria. She went and knocked on the door. It opened just a crack, and then the medicine woman disappeared behind it.

After what seemed like forever, the medicine woman came out. She smiled and nodded at Maria before climbing onto her horse.

As they headed back to the castle, Maria admired the beautiful LANDSCAPE, all green and bright, with the castle rising up from it like a shimmering jewel. She couldn’t believe she was the true heir to it all.

That night the king held a grand party. All the nobles of the land were there. The villagers gathered their instruments and entered the ballroom to play. They had only finished one song when Will stepped forward.

“And now we present to you the true heir, the Princess Maria!” Gasps and whispers filled the ballroom.

The medicine woman came forward and told what the king had done all those years ago. When she had finished, a CLOAKED FIGURE stepped out of the SHADOWS and pushed through the crowd. He stopped before the king.

“Is this true?” he asked.

The king tried to speak, but his throat closed up and he could only nod. The figure threw back his hood and everyone knew why the king couldn’t speak. The cloaked man was the great wizard Griffin. No one dared question him.

Griffin reached out his HAND to Maria. “Come, Princess. It is time to reclaim your throne.” Cheers filled the ballroom, and the party resumed.

The next day the king sent out a royal proclamation stating that Maria was his true heir and would be treated as such. The punishment for rising up against Princess Maria would be DEATH. Edward was reunited with his real parents, and the king was reprimanded for his lies. A council was formed to keep him in line. And Princess Maria had a life she’d never dreamed possible. Eventually she married Will, and they lived happily ever after.

Advertisement

Once Upon a Time… (Part 2)

This is the second part of my fairy tale for National Fairy Tale Day. If you missed the first part you can check it out here: here.

Part 2

They went deep into the forest and Will instructed them to HIDE. After what seemed like hours, the sound of dragons and soldiers fighting faded. Will rounded everyone back up and they trudged on through the forest.

Soon joyful MUSIC drifted toward them. Will guided the travelers closer to the sound. They broke through the trees and entered the very village where Will had left the princess. The villagers were celebrating the discovery of the princess. They were pleased to see that the king’s spoiled son wasn’t the only choice to rule the kingdom.

Will found Maria in the medicine woman’s cottage packing a bag.

“What are you doing?” he asked her.

“I’ve spent long enough doing nothing. Now I have chance to do something, and I’m taking it,” she replied.

“What exactly are you going to do?” 

“I’m going to face my father and ask him why he abandoned me and my mother in a tower for all these years.” She brushed past Will and yanked open the cottage door.

Will grabbed her arm halting her exit. “While I love your ADVENTUROUS spirit, you can’t just go charging into the palace. It was chaos when we left. You’re going to have to have a plan, and some help.”

Maria stopped. She sighed and dropped her bag to the floor. “I suppose you’re right,” she said. She crossed her arms. “And I suppose you have such a plan?” she asked.

Will nodded and explained his plan.

The villagers helped the visitors gather all the musical instruments to be found. They crammed themselves and the instruments into the five wagons the little village owned. The few people who wouldn’t fit in the wagons rode horses and mules. It was nearly sunset by the time they reached the capital.

CAPTIVATED by the castle stretching up into the sky, Maria pulled her mount to a stop and stared. Will pulled her forward, not wanting to draw unwanted attention to their caravan. He didn’t stop until they reached the castle guards.

“We’re here to play for the king. We’re the largest musical group in the land.” Will told the guards.

The biggest guard gave an EVIL laugh. “And you think you can just waltz in through the main entrance? Because you’re the ‘largest musical group in the land’?”

The rest of the guards roared with laughter. Maria clutched Will’s arm, afraid they wouldn’t even gain entrance to the palace.

“You’ve got to go the back entrance like the rest of the kings servants.” The guard jerked his thumb in the general direction of the back of the castle. The caravan started that way as the guard muttered, “Morons.”

At the back entrance, a guard motioned them in. He directed them to a stable where they would spend the night. Once everyone had settled in, Maria turned to Will.

“So this is good, right? We’re in.”

“Yeah, it worked great. They certainly didn’t suspect a thing. It was almost like we were protected by an invisible MAGICAL SHIELD.”

Even though his words were convincing, his face wasn’t. He stared into the FLAMES as he stirred the fire.

“You’d better get some sleep, Maria. You have a big day tomorrow. I’ll keep watch out here.”

Maria didn’t want to leave him there, but what could she do? Sitting up all night wouldn’t prepare her for tomorrow, so she got up and went into the stable to sleep.

I apologize to those who were waiting to see this yesterday. I’ve been ill and was unable to post. Part 3 will go up tomorrow.

Once Upon A Time…

In honor of National Fairy Tale Day, I am posting one of my own fairy tales. 🙂 This tale was created last summer when I participated in an instagram writing challenge – #onceuponyourstory. It was so much fun! There was a prompt for each day, and you added to your story using these prompts.

I had so many ideas while I created this story – ways to turn it into a novel and even ideas for other novels. It was a great writing exercise.

Since it’s a bit longer than an ordinary blog post, I’ve split it into three parts, and the next two parts I’ll post tomorrow and Wednesday. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Also, if you’re on Instagram, (I’m @charityrau), today is the last chance to enter my giveaway there for a copy of Cinderella’s Dress by Shonna Slayton as well as some other goodies.

Part 1

Once upon a time, a servant girl bore the king a child. Angry that the child was a daughter and not a son, the king banished the servant and the baby to the TALLEST TOWER in the kingdom.

The same night, another BABY WAS BORN in the cottage of the castle’s groundskeeper. The groundskeeper and his wife were thrilled as they had given up all hope of ever having a child. When the king heard that this child was a boy, he sent his soldiers to seize the baby, for he had proclaimed to the entire kingdom that his barren wife was going to have a child. Having banished the baby girl that was to be the “queen’s child”, he needed a baby to present to the kingdom.

He demanded that the baby’s parents and everyone else involved in his plotting keep their silence. Death would be the penalty for a wagging tongue. But even the threat of death can’t keep some secrets.

The next morning, the king declared there would be a three day FEAST to celebrate his son’s birth. He invited everyone in the land, and the party was a great success. No one suspected that the baby wasn’t truly a prince.

The king named his stolen child Edward, and on Edward’s eighteenth birthday the king threw a massive party. RED, WHITE AND BLUE flags flew throughout the entire kingdom. All MEN OF ELIGIBLE age were invited to come and compete for a chance to become a knight.

Meanwhile, in the tower, the servant girl still lived with her daughter. Even more misfortune had befallen the servant, for she had become gravely ill. Her daughter pleaded with the guards to bring help. Most ignored her pleas, but the new guard on the night watch, Will, took mercy upon her and went for help. By the time he brought the old medicine woman to the tower, it was too late.

The medicine woman recognized the girl’s mother for she had been the one who had delivered the girl so many years ago at the palace.

“You’re the true heir -the only offspring of the king. What is your name, child?” 

“Maria, ma’am. But what am I to do now? No one would ever believe that I’m heir to the throne.” Tears trickled down her face as she looked down at her worn dress. “I can’t stay in this tower any longer. Without my mother, I’ll go crazy.”

“Don’t worry, dear. You can come with me,” the medicine woman said.
Then the medicine woman and Will formed a plan. They would spread Maria’s story throughout the kingdom in hopes of rallying the people to her side.

Will headed for the palace to compete in the knights competition and to gather some knights willing to fight for Maria.

He reached the castle just in time for the sword fights. All participants were divided into two teams and were lined up facing each other. Will took his position in line. SWORDS CLASHED as the two lines charged one another.

BLOOD spilled as the fights raged on, but when it was over, Will was still standing. He passed through the rest of the soldiers and found some willing to fight for Maria. The king was often unfair, so it wasn’t hard to find those willing to stand against him. The willing ones would all meet together under the cover of night to make a plan.

Word had spread quickly and people were already questioning Edward’s right to the CROWN. The king was furious. He called for all his soldiers and commanded them to seize anyone who said his son wasn’t the true heir. With soldiers searching everywhere, Will knew they had to MOVE QUICKLY.

The people were all ready and waiting at the inn where Will had asked them to meet.

“The king is searching for us. We have to leave town now! ” He explained as gathered everyone up and led them out into the streets. He cleared a narrow path through a SEA OF PEOPLE, hoping they could leave the city gates before the guards found them. They reached the gates and just made it through, when there was a shout behind them.

“That’s them! The people that was speaking against the kings son!”

Will looked back. A weathered old man in rags was yanking on a soldier”s arm and pointing at them. The soldier yelled for his comrades and they all charged out of the gates.

Will scrambled onward trying to think of how they could escape capture. It seemed impossible. Then a sudden BURST OF LIGHT shot across the sky. There was a roar like thunder. Will looked up.

A herd of DRAGONS filled the SKY. Their scales sparkled in the sunlight, a rainbow of blue, green and gold. Will had never seen anything so beautiful or so fearsome. He stumbled BACKWARDS, keeping his eyes on the dragons. They swooped down.

Their targets were the king’s soldiers. Will realized this was his chance.

“INTO THE WOODS!” He yelled as he turned and led the way.