Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom plagued by poverty and wars, there lived a wise and beautiful princess named Charlotte. Her kingdom was constantly under attack from neighboring realms, and in a desperate attempt to secure peace and prosperity, her parents sought the assistance of a powerful and despised king from a nearby domain.
This ruthless king agreed to help, but on one condition - he demanded that Princess Charlotte become his wife. Despite the sadness in her heart, Charlotte selflessly agreed to sacrifice her own happiness for the sake of her kingdom.
On the day of the wedding, the princess was adorned in a magnificent white gown, embellished with precious stones and gold. The servants added a diamond necklace and earrings, gifts from her future husband. As she gazed at herself in the mirror, the mighty king entered without permission, declaring himself fortunate to marry the most beautiful woman in the land.
Charlotte, however, couldn't hide her inner turmoil. She spoke out against the king's tyranny, expressing her belief that a true ruler should prioritize the welfare of their people rather than imposing heavy taxes and leaving them impoverished. The king, showing no regard for her words, kissed her hand with a wicked smile before departing.
Feeling a heavy weight upon her heart, the princess sought solace near the great lake that lay before her palace. As she wept and contemplated her fate, a figure emerged from the water. It was a young man with luminous blue eyes and long blonde hair, completely drenched. He spoke to her in a gentle, reassuring voice, asking why she was crying.
Through her tears, Charlotte explained her predicament. The young man, with a glimmer of hope in his eyes, requested her diamond necklace. Intrigued yet skeptical, the princess handed it over. The stranger assured her that when the king noticed the necklace's absence, he would halt the wedding, as she would not be wearing his gift.
Following the young man's advice, Charlotte stood her ground and explained that she had given the necklace to a hungry beggar. The enraged king postponed the wedding, but days later, he declared a new date. Once again, the princess found herself at the lake, crying and seeking the stranger's guidance.
This time, he asked for her diamond earrings. Charlotte, though hesitant, surrendered the earrings, and as predicted, the king noticed their absence. Fuming with anger, he postponed the ceremony once more. Determined to marry the princess, he secretly ordered her to be watched.
On the day of the next wedding date, Charlotte returned to the lake, her heart heavy with sorrow. The young man emerged once more, asking for the diamonds and gold adorning her dress. With a smile, he made them vanish into thin air. The guards who were assigned to watch the princess immediately informed the king of her actions. Outraged, he ordered the draining of the lake, believing the stranger to be hiding within.
As the villagers tirelessly emptied the lake, it seemed to fill up even more. The king, furious and desperate, brought the princess to the lake's edge, threatening to harm her if the stranger didn't reveal himself. After a tense moment, the young man finally appeared, revealing a shocking truth.
He claimed to be the son of a fairy who once lived in a grand castle, until she married a man with a son of his own. The man and his child killed the fairy and threw the baby into the lake. The young man was that baby, and the king was the man's child.
Horrified by this revelation, Princess Charlotte pushed the king away, distancing herself from him. The villagers, guards, and even the king's own subjects turned against him, tearing off his crown and carrying him away to an unknown fate. The true prince, the son of the lake, emerged from the water to reclaim his rightful place as ruler and asked Charlotte to marry him instead. Overjoyed, she accepted his proposal, and their wedding festivities lasted for three days and three nights.
Under the prince's wise and just rule, the kingdom flourished, and the warring kingdoms were invited to reconcile. Princess Charlotte and the prince had three beautiful children, and they all lived happily ever after