Unconventional Fairy Tales

The Lost Princess of Thaleia (L)

Once upon a time, there was a princess named Trista, born in the kingdom of Thaleia. Her family was known for being kind and generous rulers over many, many generations. They were a just royal family who ruled their lands peaceably.
    Then, the year after Trista's birth, unrest began to brew. A few subjects stepped up and spoke out against the king and the monarchy, hoping to claim his power for themselves. They caused very much malevolence to fester towards the royal family based upon false accusations, which caused a stir with those who called themselves loyal to the royal family. The king and queen worked their hardest with their people to reach a compromise but the rebels were growing exponentially out of hand. It escalated fast.
    When Trista was still a toddler, her parents were abducted and murdered publicly by the rebels, leaving her as the only heir. The war ravaged her kingdom and she was taken in by an old woman named Leonia.
    Leonia raised Trista in a little cottage on the furthermost edge of the kingdom, secluded in a deep forest unbeknownst to the rebels who thought her dead. But the woman was old and she grew sick with her age and it soon became Trista's job to care for her. When Trista was thirteen, the old woman finally passed away, leaving the young girl to live alone in the heart of the dark forest no one else would dare to venture into. But she had not a worry. She knew the forest like the back of her hand.
    Once upon a time there was a princess named Laila from Thaelia's neighboring kingdom of Veasna. Her family were also known for their generosity and wisdom and were well respected as monarchs. Unlike Trista's kingdom, Veasna prospered under the reign of Laila's family and all the subjects remained fiercely loyal to their monarchs.
    But Laila, she was an adventurous soul. She never wanted to sit quietly and be a lady. Sure, she liked going to balls and wearing dresses, but she loves the thrill of exploration. She was always getting in trouble for slipping off to unknown places or exploring rooms she'd been forbidden to enter. Laila's curiosity knew no boundaries and she would do whatever it took to satiate it.
    As she got older, she learned of the war in Thaleia and she was determined to help. Her father had stopped trying to help the when he had sent an army there years ago and they were all slaughtered. She knew she had to do this on her own. But Laila was determined. Something was drawing her to Thaleia.
    So she climbed on the back of her white horse, Jupiter, and road off toward the palace of the neighboring kingdom where the rebels had make their headquarters. She arrives around midday and asks to speak to their leader, Secundus Vass. The man comes out and she introduces herself. She asks if he knows the whereabouts of the lost Princess Trista and a debate ensues between the two considering the moral soundness of monarchy. Finally, in frustration, Vass exclaims, "Fine, foolish girl! If you can find the dead princess, you can have the throne!"
    Instead of a sarcastic remark as he meant it, Laila takes it as a challenge. So she interrogates as many people as she can, seeking out known royalists and asking them about the princess. Soon, Laila is known in the underworld and more people approach her with pieces of information. Because of her identity, people are more willing to believe she is not working for the rebels and are therefore more willingly to trust her. She searches and searches for weeks before finally she meets a man who tells her, the princess is indeed alive, but she is hidden away in the depths of the Thaleia forest. He warns her against the darkness there and the monsters that loom in the trees. He tells her it is not a journey for the faint of heart.
    Laila does not fear. Adventure is calling her and she is powerless to resist its temptation.
    She travels to the edge of the kingdom and the deep, dark forest. Soon she finds herself immersed in its depths, surrounded by ominous trees and dark curtains of foliage that blot out the little bit of sunlight that trickles through the dense canopy of leaves above.  But on she travels on her white horse through the land of shadows and other unknown beasts.
    Soon night falls and moonlight replaces the pieces of sunlight and gives her surroundings a much more eerie cast. Still, Laila remains undeterred, determined to reach the cottage at the forest's heart and find the lost Princess. She didn't just know this quest was the right thing to do... deep in her heart, she felt it was her destiny.
    Around dawn, Jupiter, her horse, begins to grow visibly uneasy. Distracted by the euphoria of her adventure, Laila chooses to ignore the resistance he is giving. Suddenly a large shape swoops out of the foliage at her and Jupiter bolts, rearing back in fear and throwing her to the ground. She manages to catch herself in a roll and get to her feet only to find herself face to face with a giant dragon, steam curling out of his nostrils. His eyes glow a menacing red as he studies her briefly before beating his giant wings and swooping down toward her.
    Before she can react, his talons wrap tightly around her forearms, his hot breath fanning her hair back from her face. She struggles as he lifts her off the ground and the fabric of her dress shreds along her sleeves and her skin begins to sting as his sharp claws puncture her skin. She lands a few solid kicks on his face but not enough to have any real effect on a creature of this size. If only she could just get one arm free and grab the dagger from its holster on her hips. She grits her teeth as the dragon flashes his large fangs at her. She tears her left arm from his grip, leaving a layer of skin behind on the sharp points and grabs her dagger. Swiftly, before the dragon can recapture her free arm or blow fire in her face, she thrusts herself forward and plunges the blade hilt-deep into the dragon's eye.
    The dragon howls and shakes its head vigorously, still roaring in pain. Its grip loosens and suddenly Laila is plummeting fast toward the ground. The dragon flies off into the forest, clawing at its eye and howling as it goes. Laila hits the ground, her leg hitting the ground at an odd angle and with a snap, she collapses and unconsciousness claims her.
    Trista wakes up to Fido, her guard dragon, howling and screaming and beating his wings outside her cottage window. She opens the door to find a gory sight. There is blood all over the poor dragons talons and a knife in his eye. When he sees her, he settles down a bit a whimpers, raising an arm to paw at his eye. Trista cleans him up and bandages his eye before asking him to show her where the intruder is.
    He leads her to a small clearing about a half a mile from the cottage where a girl she recognizes as princess to the neighboring kingdom lays unconscious, her arms bloody and her leg twisted at an unnatural angle. Leonia had made sure she was well versed on the neighboring monarchs and heirs in case she ever resumed her rightful place on the throne. Trista can't help the gasp the escapes her. Why is she here?
    It's then she notices the white horse lingering at the edge of the clearing, still wearing his saddle, bridle and reins. She slowly approaches him and to her delight, he doesn't flee. Instead he lets her take him to the princess and load her onto his back. He faithfully carries her as Trista leads him back to the cottage where she can help with the young girl's wounds.
    Laila sleeps for a couple days and Trista treats her wounds as she sleeps. Trista is anxious for the girl to awake. Why is she here?
    Finally on the third day, Laila awakens and finds Trista at her bedside reapplying some healing salve to her arms and her leg propped up and in a splint. Both girls stare at each other a moment, each stunned into silence. Laila thought she was done for yet she is staring into the eyes of someone so obviously the heir of the Thaleian throne. Somehow she is alive and somehow the princess had found her.
    Trista is stunned by Laila's eyes, they are the same shade as the lilacs when they are in bloom. Trista's breath is stolen from her lips for a moment as she marvels at Laila's eyes, how they shimmer with mischief and spirit. Leonia could never have described this color... and the feeling it gives her.
    Laila gives a weak smile and chuckle before introducing herself. Trista's face darkens and she replies, "I know." Then she pauses and introduces herself which Laila follows up with her own, "I know."
    Both girls laugh and the ice is broken. They get to talking and Laila explains the situation. Trista agrees that she must return but Laila is in no shape to travel. The two girls plan to return to Thaleia in six weeks or so when Laila can travel again. A broken leg is a real nuisance in that regard.
    The two girls form a fast friendship and Laila manages to forgive Fido the dragon although he still remains wary of her.
    One day a week before they planned to leave, the two girls were sitting outside, watching as the sun set over the trees and talking. Laila was telling Trista everything she needed to know about becoming royalty. A lull in the conversation soon ensues as both girls find refuge in their thoughts.
    Rather unbeknownst to each other, both girls had grown rather fond of the other in these past weeks. Trista's eyes began to find their way into Laila's dreams and lilac irises enchanted Trista's. And on this evening, in this lull of conversation, both girls turned to look at each other and their gazes caught.
    It was then they knew. They were in love. That moment as they stared into each others eyes seemed to last an eternity before their lips met in a kiss that said it all.
    In a few days, the two girls traveled back to Thaleia and regained the throne and Laila returned home briefly to tell her family of the new alliance between Thaleia and Veasna, and to invite them to the wedding.
    And they all lived happily ever after.