Tales of the Kingdom

It was cold down in the dungeon.

The entire Kingdom was blanketed with fresh snow. It was a beautiful sight to behold, even at night with the glow of the castle lights making the snow glimmer. Though the scenery was stunning, it was impractical for any type of travel.

The girl and the stranger were on a mission of sorts. Both having a different agenda. The girl had been tasked with a special assignment by the King.

Their adventure had taken an unexpected turn when they were detained by the guards at The Golden Kingdom.

The girl having gone there on a quest for answers.

The stranger accompanying her, for reasons not yet made known to her. She had deliberated his offer to travel with her at first. She didn't know him. She was unsure if she could trust him. Though this was something that could pose a concern down the line, she had come to the decision that it was safer to travel with this stranger than alone in the lands.

The beautiful lands of the great 13 Kingdoms had fallen under treacherous times. There was pestilence in the lands. There were traitors dwelling within the village and within the castle walls.

The King had gone missing.

So had the lords of all 13 Kingdoms.

The girl was the last known person to have heard from the King. Though an unlikely suspect, the townspeople were in a desperate need for respite, as famine had overtaken the kingdoms.

Word had spread through the land that the girl was traveling with a stranger to The Golden Kingdom.

That made them both suspicious.

The townspeople wanted answers, but more than that, they wanted their lands to return to their former days of glory. Like the girl, they all recalled times when the land was full of abundance and celebrations.

In a desperate attempt to return the lands to a state of prosperity, the townspeople set out, by any means possible to locate the King.

The only lead they had to do so, was a rumor that the girl had been last to see the King, as she wore his royal robe.

Word spread quickly through the Kingdoms.

As the girl had prepared for her journey, the subjects in the Marble Kingdom had come up with their own plan.

Riding off into the night, they had gone ahead of the girl and the stranger to warn all the guards in all of the kingdoms.

Later arriving themselves, the girl and the stranger didn't stand a chance.

*****

The guards were talking loudly at the top of the stairs, but the stranger couldn't make out what was being said. A new face had appeared a few hours ago, carrying the girl down the stairs. He placed her in the cell block next to the strangers.

The girl was still asleep.

"Wake up sleeping beauty." the stranger whispered from his cell.

The girl didn't move at all. The stranger cleared his throat. The girl moved slightly.

"Miss?" the stranger tried again.

The girl sat up slowly.

"Finally!" the stranger said, "You have returned to the land of the living."

The girl felt groggy. She sat in the corner of her cell far from the bars that connected to the strangers. "Miss, you were talking in your sleep." said the stranger, looking to her for some sort of response.

"What was I saying?" she finally responded.

"A name. You said, Elliot."

The girl didn't say anything.

"Who is Elliot?" asked the stranger.

"I don't know." replied the girl, "What else did I say?" She moved closer to where the stranger was sitting up against the bars as close to her as he could get.

"Well," started the stranger, "You must have been talking to someone in your dream, much of what you said was mumbled, but very clearly you said: Hide the jewels. Beware Jasper."

The girl sat against the wall on the floor of her cell in silence. "Are you okay Miss?" asked the stranger.

"How long was I out?" the girl inquired.

"A couple of hours Miss, a man I had not seen before carried you down the stairs."

The girl moved as close to the edge of her cell as possible, where she could talk to the stranger without being overheard.

"We have to get out of here," she whispered, stating the obvious.

At that moment they heard a male voice at the top of the stairs exclaim, "But she is wearing the King's robe!"

The heavy stone door burst open and four guards bounded down the stairs, with the determined male voice leading them. The same voice that had greeted her with disdain, when she was in the hallway of The Golden Kingdom upon her arrival.

He now stood directly in front of her cell. Smiled a wicked smile with a gleam in his eye. "Well hello there princess!" he practically spat out the words.

The girl looked him straight in the eyes.

"Hello Jasper." she said evenly.

The stranger looked at the girl and at the angry individual, named Jasper in stunned silence. Is she really the princess, he wondered? Jasper pulled up a chair and sat in front of the girl's cell.

"We are going to have a little chat!" he stated, "Aren't you excited?"

The girl looked Jasper in the eyes.

"Not particularly," she answered.

Jasper ignored this.

The stranger wanted to laugh.

"Where is the king?" Jasper demanded.

"At this moment, I am not sure." said the girl, "It is quite hard to see from this jail cell."

Jasper didn't like this answer. He stood angrily and clenched his fists.

"You are wearing his favorite robe!" he shouted at her, "You must know where he is!!"

The girl stepped back from the front of the cell and calmy sat cross-legged on the cold floor.

"And you!" Jasper shouted at the stranger, "You were seen lurking around The Marble Kingdom and the other kingdoms around the time of the disappearance of our lord. What have you to say for yourself?"

The girl didn't wait for the stranger to answer Jasper, instead, she interjected with a voice of reason.

"The lord of my kingdom is also missing... as well as the lord of The Marble Kingdom, we are here looking for them."

This softened the mood a bit. Jasper unclenched his fists and took a step back towards his chair.

"Tell me why you wear the king's robe," said Jasper.

The girl stood again. She walked up to the bars and held one in each hand.

"I wear the robe because he gave it to me." the girl told him, "Now, when will you release us?"

Jasper signaled to the guards to leave.

"He always did seem to like you better," said Jasper as he turned and walked away.

The stranger stared at the girl in silence, not quite knowing what to say.

Finally, he asked: "Do you think he will release us?"

The girl looked at the stranger. She felt like she could trust him, but she didn't really know him. She would possibly need his help if they were to both be released.

"Yes," she answered. "Eventually."

The stranger didn't look convinced.

"He will," she stated, "but I am going to need your help."

*****

"Rise and shine princess!" shouted Jasper from the top of the stairs.

It was now early in the morning and the sun was barely peeking over the mountains in the distance. Of course, this was not visible from the jail cell in the dungeon. The girl sat up, as Jasper bounded down the stairs with a sinister grin on his face.

The stranger was already awake, sitting against the far wall of his own cell. The stranger looked over at the girl. She was very mysterious, which he found fascinating; but this Jasper character had him a little concerned. He couldn't figure out if she despised Jasper or if she was simply trying to find the upper hand. She seemed confident about their release, and he believed in her. He didn't much trust Jasper, however, and there were so many variables. What if the girl only negotiated release on her own behalf and left him there to die? Jasper was now standing outside of the girl's cell looking giddy.

"I have a proposition for you!" he announced.

This can't be good thought the stranger to himself.

The girl was hoping he would lay out the first terms of negotiation, then she would know which plan to use.

"Wonderful," said the girl standing to her feet. "Do tell."

Jasper clapped his hands together and held them together while he spoke to her.

"My first proposal is that you tell me everything you know and I'll let you both go." started Jasper, briefly looking at the stranger.

"That is quite certainly a no, Jasper." said the girl.

Jasper looked even more giddy and sinister now.

"I thought you might say that, so I have an alternative plan. Spend the day with me and join me for dinner and I will let you go."

"I will have to think about that," replied the girl, "Check back with me in an hour."

Jasper looked her in the eye.

"I'll give you half," he said, then turned and walked away.

The girl paced back and forth in her cell. The stranger was afraid to ask her what she was going to do, he wanted to go with her. He really wanted to go with her, and he definitely didn't want to stay held in captivity by Jasper.

The girl had many things she had to take care of. She still had letters to deliver to the lords of the kingdoms and find the missing lords as well. This was a special time of year for her and for the kingdom. It signaled the start of many happy and joyous things to come. The day of love and friendship (and rebel lovers) thanks to the famous St. Valentine, and also signals that spring is right around the corner. The snow is a beautiful sight to behold, but she and the kingdom were ready for warmer weather and travelers from afar. She was looking forward to seeing the happy smiles of the folks in the land and even more excited for the celebrations and festivals to come. Soon it would be the annual carnival celebration, which was always a day of happiness and fun. She made her decision. The stranger looked over at her as she stopped pacing. "Do you trust me?" she asked him. He didn't really know her, but he could honestly say yes, he does trust her. He smiled at her. "Yes," he replied simply. At that moment Jasper ran down the stairs. "What have you decided, princess?" Jasper said mockingly. "Sure, I'll spend the day and dine with you, if you consider my terms as well." said the girl. "Okay," said Jasper, "Let's start with the first item, as I am sure you have many." The girl knew he would not agree to release the stranger initially, as that was his only leverage. "Give me access to the royal collection of clothing and accessories, so that I may find an appropriate outfit to wear for the day." Jasper let out a delighted laugh. "Done!" he exclaimed, as he unlocked her cell.