The Pink Princess and the Blue Knight III

So, I had so much fun writing The Pink Princess and the Blue Knight and its sequel, I have decided to just make them into a trilogy. Again, I twisted some things for my own convenience (Marin is Mariner Bay, Silverhill is Silver Hills, Rhian is Ryan Mitchell, Newe Teche is New Tech City, etc) This takes place eight years after The Pink Princess and the Blue Knight II, so it has been ten years in Marin since Emperor Gruumm was defeated.

Cast of Characters

Queen Sydney: Queen of Marin, daughter of King Carter and Queen Dana. She and King Sky, her husband, defeated the Troobian threat and Mirloc, who was looking for revenge. She also took over as queen when King Carter took ill and he and Dana stepped down

King Sky: King of Marin, married to Sydney. Former Head Knight of the House of Grayson. His people regard him as a beloved hero.

Lady Allison: Another lady-in-waiting, Allison is Sydney's other close friend. She is Sir Jack's wife, as well as the young James' mother.

Sir Jack: Once Sir Sky's squire, he is now in command of the knights. He has also married Lady Allison, despite his insistence that he'd rather have adventures than fall in love.

Lady Elizabeth: Queen Sydney's lady-in-waiting and best friend. She helped Sydney and Sky to conquer Emperor Gruumm and she is now married to Bridge.

Court Jester Bridge: An entertainer, Bridge is a close friend of Sky and Syd's, as well as Lady Elizabeth's new husband.

Lady Jennifer: Sir Sky's mother. She is the former Queen Dana's closest friend and lady-in-waiting.

Lord Wesley: Sir Sky's father. A retired knight, he is the former King Carter's closest friend along with being the king's advisor.

Queen Dana: Former ruler of Marin. Doting mother of Queen Sydney. A kindhearted woman, the Queen is much loved by Marin.

King Carter: Former ruler of Marin. Doting father of Queen Sydney. The former king is admired by his people.

Duke Rhian: The former queen's brother and self proclaimed sage. Rhian is fond of giving Sydney, his niece, words of wisdom.

Princess Kristin: The daughter of Queen Sydney and King Sky. She shares the adventurous spirit of her mother and father, and this often gets her into trouble.

James of Newe Teche: The son of Jack and Allison, he wants nothing more than to be a knight just like his father. Princess Kristin is his best friend.

Broodwing: Former henchman of the deceased Emperor Gruumm. He is out for revenge on the House of Grayson, and is quite a crafty beast.

She wiped sweat from her brow and took a deep sip from her canteen, sending her husband a triumphant grin. She sheathed the tiny dagger she kept at her side, chuckling at the expression on his handsome face. "You accept defeat most graciously, my Sky," observed Queen Sydney of Marin.

"I regret ever showing you the proper technique of how to wield a blade," muttered the newly crowned king of Marin. "Alas, it has indeed been my downfall."

"Oh your words wound me so, Sky," replied Sydney, handing the canteen to her husband. "You jest. How many times has this dagger saved you? I believe it was at two the last time I checked."

"Sydney my darling, of course I am most grateful for your tiny blade and your skill with it, for it has saved my life in the past, and will probably do so in the future."

The chiming of the church bells in the village caught the queen's attention. "Oh, I had almost forgotten. I must go now to help Elizabeth prepare for she and Bridge's wedding. Clean up, Sky," she added as she started to scurry across the grounds to the castle from which she and Sky governed Marin.

"And the same to you," he called back, his tone lighthearted. He cleaned his own dagger and started up towards the castle. Near he and Sydney's bedroom a tiny figure in a pink cotton dress collided with him. The girl looked up at him with wide blue eyes and a smile much like her mother's.

"Oh Father," she said in her little girl voice, "I am ever so sorry. I was off to play with James and I just was not paying any attention to my surroundings…" The tiny princess curtsied as her father knelt before her.

"You are quite forgiven, Kristin," he replied, pecking the top of his daughter's golden head. "But you will have to go and play with your friend some other time. Elizabeth and Bridge's wedding ceremony is set to take place in less that two hours' time. Run along to Elizabeth's chambers and your mother will attend to you." The king clutched his daughter to him and was pleased that she returned the gesture.

"Yes Father," said Kristin, and she went off into the maze of corridors. Sky smiled after his daughter. She looked ever so much like her mother and he like this. It was for this future that he had fought for the House of Grayson, and for Sydney's heart. He had no doubts that this was everything any man could ever ask for. He had no doubts that everything he had done to arrive here was worth it.

He dressed himself in blue breeches and a spotless creamy white tunic. He paired this with a pair of black leather boots and a blue belt. He had nearly finished when Sydney came in, closely followed by Allison and Kristin. Syd cupped his face in her hands and kissed the tip of his nose.

"My blue knight," she said fondly. "You look very nice, Sky." Allison nodded, and then Kristin sat herself on the edge of her parents' bed.

"I do think when I am old enough to be married that my wedding shall be an outdoors one," she announced dreamily. "And that my groom shall be…"

"Kristin my dearest, I do think it would do you well to run along now. You have your whole life to decide who it is that you marry, and your father does not look too pleased to hear that you are already thinking of marriage," Sydney said quickly, placing a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "That is a good little princess," Syd said as Kristin curtsied to her parents and started off.

"Yes Mother," Kristin replied.

"And do take care not to get too dirty. That is the dress you are wearing to the wedding, and there will not be time enough to change should you fall from a tree or into the lake or any of the other things you enjoy," added the queen.

"I will be most careful, Mother," said Marin's current pink princess. "I promise. Princess' honor."

"And I must be off as well," Sky announced. "I should check on Bridge and see that he is not too nervous to remember what he must say in an hours' time."

Sydney nodded with a happy smile on her face. "Of course. Allison and I had to give Elizabeth a little pep talk as well." She embraced her husband and kissed him swiftly.

"Oh, and if you should see Jack, would you kindly tell him to clean himself up a bit for the wedding?" asked Allison.

"I suppose I could do that," Sky answered. He straightened his belt and left his bedroom.

"We are so very lucky, you and I, are we not?" Sydney breathed, stripping of her sparring clothes and reaching for the velvet dress that was her wedding attire. Allison bobbed her blond head in agreement and laced up the back of her friend's gown.

"Quite lucky, Sydney. Our country is a prosperous, powerful one, we have a beautiful home, and we are both happily married to those knights we love. I do not think either of us could ask for anything else."

"I only hope that Elizabeth and Bridge are blessed with this kind of life we have, Allison.
Sydney sat down at her vanity and started pulling a comb through her curls. "With children and everything else they have always wanted."

"They will be," Allison said confidently. "And really, we must be going, Sydney. We have but thirty minutes to arrive and we must still go and find those children of ours."

"I suppose that is true," Syd answered. She straightened herself up once more and headed out with her friend at her side.

Along the way to the wedding, Sydney and Allison collected their children, who had kept their promise of staying clean, despite that sitting through the ceremony bored them to tears. But the two stayed on their best behavior through the whole ceremony, which was why their mothers allowed them to go and play at the lake instead of attending the reception.

The two children frolicked in the shallows for some time, and then the young princess suggested they go and explore around the far side of the lake. James, who was adventurous as well, quickly agreed. "But we had best not breathe a word to our mothers and fathers, Kristin. We would be in such trouble if they discovered we went so far out of sight."

"We will not, James. I am not completely stupid."

"Just mostly," teased the boy, earning him a playful shove from the younger girl.

The far side of the lake was near the edge of the great forest filled with towering oaks and pines. Neither child dared enter the forest without an adult present, especially as the land was nearing twilight and the forest would be dark very soon.

"Perhaps we shall go some other time?" suggested James, his voice barely a whisper. The princess nodded and clutched her friend's hand.

"Let us go now," she said. They started very quickly towards the castle.

"And are you leaving so soon?" asked a voice that set the children's hair on end and a shiver of fear down their spines. They spun around to see a hideous white creature cloaked in a black cape.

"Who are you?" asked James bravely.

"I am Broodwing, the last of the Troobians. I am here for my revenge upon the House of Grayson." He took a step towards the children. James tried to shield Kristin as best he could, but he was only a child of seven. "Move," Broodwing commanded. "I want only the girl."

"No," said James. "I will not let you."

Broodwing frowned and dealt James a blow that sent him tumbling to the ground. Kristin screamed. She knelt at her friend's side, trying to help him up.

"And now for sweet vengeance," purred Broodwing. He pulled Kristin to her feet, and with a flash of blinding red light, the two disappeared.