• Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, a princess was born. The kingdom rejoiced the birth of the only child of their King and Queen. The newborn princess was the most beautiful baby, and everyone knew she’d grow to be a gorgeous woman. Her birth was celebrated with a grand feast to which the King invited all the nymphs, faeries, and nobles of the land. The guests ate the exquisite meal provided, then began to present their gifts to the princess. The King and Queen took their places at their thrones; their baby girl perched upon her mother’s lap with bright blue eyes watching curiously.
    Each guest took their turn to come before the monarchs and give their gift. Nobles presented physical gifts: gold, jewelry, clothing, furniture, or the promise of something marvelous when she was older. The nymphs gave her magical gifts such as beauty, grace, elegance, a gorgeous voice. Faeries gifted the princess with promises. She would find true love, she would be popular among her people, she would be wise and know how to rule her kingdom, and perhaps most importantly, she would not die by a mortal hand. The final faerie approached, and touched her hand to the infant’s cheek.
    “Princess, I know not what gift would benefit you most or what I could grant you that my sisters have not gifted upon you already. So, Princess, my gift to you is the promise that I shall grant you one wish within my power. All you must do is say my name. You will know it when the time comes,” the faerie promised before bowing low and returning to her seat.
    The feast ended soon after, the guests returning to their homes and the monarchs retreating with their daughter to their rooms. The baby was already fast asleep, dreaming of the splendors she had been given.

    Years passed and the princess slowly grew up. On the first warm day after a frigid winter, the princess played in the courtyard with the energy only a 10-year-old could have. She was surrounded by servants’ children, all chasing a puppy.
    The pup barked happily, tail wagging frantically as he darted between shrieking, giggling children. Bodies hit the ground when the stick the pup carried took their legs from under them, and the shrieks and laughs grew louder.
    “Princess!” A shout from the doorway halted the game.
    A tall upright woman, a royal tutor, stormed into the courtyard, roughly grabbed the princess by the wrist, and dragged her inside.
    “Not only are you skipping your lessons, you are doing so to play in the mud with a mutt and commoners. You are the Princess and Royal Heir. Do not degrade yourself by associating with those beneath you.”
    “No! I’m not any better than they are! I just have royal parents. And I don’t care about “Dining Etiquette”. I want to be outside for one day; you’ve locked me inside all winter!” The princess pulled back, wrenched her arm free.
    The tutor slapped her across the face. “Do not talk back to me. Do as you are told, child.”
    The princess glared, face smarting and tears stubbornly kept from spilling over. She turned and fled, hiding in the Queen’s private rooms.
    The next day the tutor was still employed, despite the Queen wishing otherwise. The princess had begged her mother not to dismiss the tutor.

    Eight years later the princess stood before the door to the throne room. A corset squeezed her into a tight beaded bodice, the color and beads reflecting the blue of her eyes. Layer upon layer of chiffon flowed over her hips to the ground and a tiara rested on her head. She was now eighteen and ready to be presented to Court as a grown woman.
    The doors opened and she fixed a perfect regal smile upon her face. Let the parade begin. She floated down the aisle, sank low before her parents.
    “Rise, and face the Court as the Princess Heir and newest member of Court,” the king said, smiling as he officially declared his daughter heir to the throne. The courtiers present bowed low in respect, then stood and applauded. The noise was deafening.
    The ‘celebrations’ began. The princess was paraded before the courtiers. She was introduced to nobility, both parties full of fake smiles and meaningless small talk. Boys flirted, hoping to make a good impression as potential suitors. She danced with them, her grace enhancing the awkwardness of the suitors who were unsure how to act with the Princess Heir in such a ceremonious setting.
    Soon enough it was over. The princess was free to flee to her rooms, escape the confines of her dress, and relax for the first time all day. With a sigh, she accepted that the next several years of her life would be filled with pomp, ceremony, meaningless conversations, extravagant bribes, and empty promises.

    The following day the courting began. Prince after prince was put before her. She allowed each a few days before turning them away.
    Her parents didn’t understand. Why would she not choose one? She was offered wealth and happiness from gorgeous, charming men, yet she turned them all away. Finally, the princess told her parents why.
    “You told me the faeries gave promises as their gifts to me, and that one promised I would find true love. I do not truly love any of these men. I will know who will be my prince when I meet him,” she said simply, a small smile resting upon her lips. She saw her parents look at each other, then back to her.
    “My dear, she promised true love, not love at first sight. Give your suitors enough time to allow love to blossom,” the queen said gently.
    “But Mother, no one put before me has interested me. None of the suitors can make me laugh, or make me truly happy when I’m with them. Perhaps I could befriend them and be happy. But I could never love any of the men sent before me,” the princess said quietly, turning away and leaving her parents to worry.

    Days later she was riding her horse when she saw him. In a forest clearing two knights were fighting in full armor. She gently pulled on the reigns and stopped to watch. One was a giant, standing at least six and a half feet tall while the other was just shy of six foot. The smaller one was agile and extremely fast, making up for the giant’s brute strength. The princess watched as the smaller knight’s blade slide through his opponent’s armor, the tip bursting through the back.
    With a single move the knight pulled his blade back, wiping the blood on the grass before sheathing his sword. He removed his helmet, bowing his head for a moment over the dead knight. Then he looked up.
    Piercing green eyes met her own and she froze. He wasn’t as gorgeous as the princes paraded before her, but he wasn’t ugly either. Hair fell in black waves to his shoulders and he was small of stature, but those eyes…
    “Princess! Forgive me; if I had known you were there I would have… Well, I would not have done a thing differently. May I ask why you are here?” the knight called, a grin flashing across his face.
    “I wish to ride through the forest. Is that not acceptable, Sir Knight?” she replied, nudging her mare into a trot. She stopped at the edge of the clearing where she could watch him more closely.
    “Of course not, milady. I only wished to know what would give me the honor of seeing you without the guards to make me look away. They don’t like a simple knight to stare at the Princess’s gorgeous eyes, you see. For no one but a prince is worthy enough to directly look upon such a beauty.” His voice was gentle and teasing, his eyes dancing with amusement and his grin growing when he heard her laugh.
    “But of course. For no knight is worthy unless he is lucky enough to find me alone,” she replied, smiling and letting herself truly show, not the proper woman she was in the castle.
    “Then thank the gods I was here, and not another knight, to be so honored as to look upon you.” With that the knight moved closer and helped her dismount. Grasping her hand, he led her to a lake, the waterfall roaring and casting a mist across the water. He took her to a large rock on the edge of the water where she could sit and watch and talk while he washed the blood from his armor and sword.

    Every day for the next two months she met him while on her rides or in various rooms in the castle. As her mother had told her, love didn’t come immediately, but blossomed slowly until a moonlit night at the lake, when her love burst into full bloom.
    She smiled, saying her goodbyes before she turned to return to her horse. He caught her hand and pulled her back. She turned to face him, to ask why he stopped her. Speech abandoned her when lips met hers, soft and warm and gentle.
    “I love you,” he murmured.
    Sparks had found handholds, a place to plant themselves and grow as coals, simmering in the background. Three words fanned the embers into an inferno, uncontrollable and unstoppable.
    She kissed him again and twined her arms around his neck, feeling lighter than air. Neither noticed a dark figure watching from the trees, and neither noticed him slip away into the darkness.

    The next day a knight wearing black armor rode into the town square, demanding an audience with the royal family. His demands were answered in the Throne Room.
    The King and Queen sat upon their thrones, their daughter seated between them one step lower. The kingdom’s courtiers had been summoned to attendance and the townspeople impatiently waited outside to watch the events unfold. Knights stood behind the monarchs and throughout the crowd, ready to defend their beloved royal family.
    The black knight threw open the doors and stormed in, the air darkening as he passed.
    “The princess is a whore! She courts her suitors, leads them to believe she loves them, that she is a pure and virtuous potential wife.” He sneered the words, scorn filling his voice. “She does all this, yet she has been dallying with a commoner!” he roared, pointing at the princess.
    A gasp arose from the crowd, murmurs weaving through the gathered courtiers. Their princess? Impossible. But no knight would be so foolish as to make such a claim without proof.
    None noticed how pale the princess had become or the ice filling her eyes and heart.
    “No! The princess has all the virtue she was born with! On my life, I swear it!” Her knight leapt to his feet, hand on his sword.
    “Do you challenge me boy? Do you dare challenge me to a duel?” the black knight taunted, eyes amused. His plan was unfolding perfectly.
    “For her? Anything! I’ll go to the ends of the earth for her! She has done nothing to tarnish her name!” None could doubt his conviction, and his love was obvious. But it was not out of place, for who didn’t love the princess?
    The crowd fell silent as the princess rose from her throne, walked down the dais steps to stand before her knight.
    “There is no way to avoid this, is there?” she asked softly, closing her eyes and sighing. She opened her eyes again, turned to face the room.
    “He shall be my champion. Tomorrow at noon they shall duel. The truth shall be decided by the highest court. May the gods grant victory to the rightful knight.” She spoke to the room, voice loud and clear as she delivered the traditional speech. There was nothing else she could do. She held herself with the air of all great queens as she spoke. Then she turned to her knight, tied her handkerchief to his armor when he knelt. She gently bid him rise, then stood on tiptoes to kiss him gently on the brow. “Gods bless, my love,” she breathed, meeting his gaze and allowing all her love to pour into him. With that she returned to her parents’ side, head held high.
    She showed no worry or concern over the outcome of the duel until that night, when she collapsed into tears on her bed. A knock at the door wrenched her from her worries. After climbing out of bed, she opened the door, saw her knight. And she fell into his arms.
    “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have called a duel. Please forgive me…”
    He wrapped his arms around her, pushed the door shut behind him. He kissed her forehead and held her against his chest.
    “You didn’t condemn me. I wouldn’t have it any other way, Highness. I love you; I would have challenged him if you had not done it for me. We will win, darling. It cannot be any other way,” he murmured, hating to see her cry. He gently tilted her chin up, wiped the tears from her cheeks. “I will not die tomorrow. I promise.” The conviction in his words soothed her as much as his embrace had.
    “If you die I’ll never forgive you…” she mumbled, drawing a smile from her knight.
    “Then I mustn’t give you anything to forgive.” He scooped her up in his arms, carried her to the bed, set her down gently, and sat down beside her.
    “Sleep love. I promise I’ll never leave you.” He said quietly, staying by her side until she slept. Then he quietly stood, eased away from the bed, and left her room for his own. He needed to prepare for the coming trial.

    Noon came too soon. The sports field was surrounded by spectators of every station and from across the kingdom. Three pavilions were set up about the field: one for each knight and one for the royal family to watch the duel from. The princess sat between her parents, her composure held tightly in check.
    A herald stood before the monarchs and a trumpet blast announced the beginnings of his speech. “Ladies and gentlemen! Today we shall have a duel to the death for the princess’ honor. The black knight has accused her Royal Highness of wanton behaviors. The knight in silver shall defend the princess as her champion. Any external interference shall lead to an automatic forfeit. The knights are ready and in position. Let the duel begin!”
    As he spoke the knights had taken the field, swords in hand. When the herald gave the signal to begin, the black knight charged, and the duel began.
    The fight was brutal. Each man landed blow after blow. Both swords struck lightning fast, bodies weaving just as quickly. The knights were evenly match, perfect partners in the deadly dance.
    Then the princess’ knight blinked. In that split second the black knight drove his sword through the Champion’s chest. Her knight stumbled back, sank to his knees, then fell over, his life stolen by the black knight’s sword.
    “No!” the scream was piercing, heart-wrenching. The princess flew to her fallen knight, station forgotten as she dropped to her knees, oblivious to the stunned silence of the crowd or the blood seeping into her skirts.
    “No, no, no! Wake up, wake up!” Tears streaked her cheeks as she shook his shoulders, sobs wrenching her frame as she bent over her knight’s body. “You promised you wouldn’t die! Don’t leave me… Please. Don’t go, please don’t go. You promised me! I love you…”
    The crowd was silent, shocked. No one had believed the black knight, but it appeared his accusations were true.
    “Aurora!” the princess screamed, tears still pouring forth as she watched the faerie walk out of the crowd and slowly cross the field to her side.
    “What do you wish for, Princess?” the faerie Aurora asked quietly, gently.
    “Bring him back! Don’t let him die; don’t make me live without him. Please, I cannot do it.” Raw emotion filled the words, her pain felt by the entire crowd. No one dared make a sound; they felt the static-like crackling in the air as magic infused the area.
    “Highness, it is not within my power to tamper with death. I’m sorry, this I cannot do for you.”
    The princess took a deep breath, forcing her emotions under control. She was silent for several long moments, thinking, deciding. Choosing.
    “Then please, grant this as my wish and fulfill the promise you gifted upon me eighteen years ago. Allow my mother to give birth to another child, one who will not repeat my mistakes. Brand the knight who killed my champion. Brand him so that all may know what he did, and grant him a long life to prolong his misery. And allow me to be with my love,” she said quietly.
    The faerie smiled, bowed her head to the princess. “Your wish is my command, highness.” With that Aurora closed her eyes and willed her magic into being. The princess offered a thankful smile, tilted her head back in acceptance of the magic whirling around her. She then collapsed over the body in her arms, lifeless. Immediately the bodies began to fade and a mirage of the princess and knight rose from the corpses. The lovers embraced, then looked to the monarchs. The princess smiled sadly at her parents, then took her knight’s hand. They walked across the field, fading until they vanished completely from sight.
    The crowd was silent, then began to roar, outraged at the outcome. They sought out the black knight, who had vanished after killing the Princess’s knight. No one paid any attention to the vanished faerie or bodies, nor to the queen and king.
    The queen turned to her king and buried her face in her husband’s shoulder. She wept for her lost child, with joy as she felt a new life budding within her, with anger at the knight who had broken her daughter’s heart. And she wept because her daughter had to die in order to find her happily ever after.