The Count's Daughter
By: Stubby the Newsgirl
Prologue
After binding Prince Humperdink to the chair, Wesley and Buttercup were greeted by the Spanish swordsman, Inigo Montoya. The Giant, Fezzik, surprised the trio by arriving with four horses as white as milk, upon which they rode to escape from Florin.
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Chapter 1: Amalia
Amalia sat in front of her mirror brushing her long brown hair. Prince Humperdink and Princess Buttercup's wedding was rather unusual and it had been performed rather hastily compared to other weddings she had seen.
"No matter, I suppose that they will make a handsome couple. The melancholy of the Princess only seems to add to her beauty, although I would like to see her smile once in a while," Amalia said both to herself and her small mutt-dog Calliope. The dog perked up and barked in agreement.
"Tonight we're to dine with the King and Queen, as well as the future heir and heiress. Of course, we'll have to sit at the end of the table with the odious, pompous, arrogant Lady of Westenburg. And you'll have to hide beneath my skirts else she finds you and eats you alive."
Calliope yapped discontentedly.
"I don't like it any better than you do. I wish we could sit with the royals and with father. I'd be able to chat with the Prince, and King, and Queen… and the Princess too," Amalia said dreamily. "But father would never allow it. It's as though he's embarrassed of me," she sighed in frustration.
"I wonder that he doesn't lock me in a tower to be rid of me. Or maybe chain me in an oubliette where he can forget about me entirely," she sighed again, getting up. Calliope took her place beneath the train of the young maid's dress. They walked into the main hall where chaos seemed to dwell in every corner. There were several guards running about shouting orders, and knights were gathering in their troops.
"This is quite strange," Amalia whispered. She scanned the guards looking for the crest of the house of Norland- the house of her mother's brother. When she finally spotted it, she stopped the guard.
"Demetrius Norland, do you not recognize your own cousin!" she called out. The guard turned swiftly and recognizing his cousin, he lifted his helmet.
"My lady Rugen, you should not be wandering about the palace in such a time as this!" he chastised.
"You silly ninny pinny, I'm going to the wedding banquet!" Amalia said with laughter in her voice.
"It has been canceled. You must leave at once!" Demetrius said with much fear.
"Why Demetri, what has happened? What's wrong?" Amalia asked reading the fright in his dark eyes.
"Nothing… nothing that concerns the courtiers," he said hesitantly.
"It's not like you to keep secrets from me, and for that matter, I am three years your elder, and I demand to know what you are hiding," Amalia said defiantly.
"This is not a game, cousin. Our lives may be at risk-"
"Demetri, what are we to do with the corpse of your uncle, the Count?" another young guard called from the other side of the hall interrupting Demetrius.
"What are we to do with the corpse of your uncle, the Count…" Amalia echoed hardly believing her ears.
"I am sorry, but this is not the moment you should mourn. Our lives are at steak! You must go and lock yourself in your room immediately!" Demetrius yelled running in the direction of the dining hall.
Despite her cousin's heeding, Amalia could not move. Her feet felt as lead weights. Her father- whom she had argued with that very morning about not being able to sit with him- was dead.
Suddenly, Humperdink's voice boomed through the hallway. "They are no longer in the palace! They have escaped! Don't just stand there, you dolts! Surround all the main gates!"
At Humperdink's announcement, Amalia regained her strength and ran towards the guard who had previously called to Demetri. She stopped him by grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him severely.
"Who is my father's conqueror? Who killed Count Rugen?" Amalia demanded.
"It-it-it… It was the Spaniard! He's a great swordsman, they say! He came with the Giant and the man in black!" the young guard said, frightened by the forcefulness of the maid.
"Have you gone mad? Who are these people you talk of? There are no such persons as those you describe in the court!" Amalia exclaimed incredulously.
"No… they are not courtiers, they are… they are the Princess' kidnappers!" the guard stuttered.
Amalia finally released the poor guard, and he ran as far from her as he possibly could. She remained in the hall trying to regain composure. How could she, what with this tragic news?
Her thoughts swirled around her mind, making her dizzy. Princess Buttercup? Kidnapped? Again? They have to be stopped! Especially the Spaniard! But who is to defeat him? The only person in station to defeat him is Demetrius. Demetri, Demetri, Demetri. The poor boy is a terrible swordsman. I am much better than he, but I would not be allowed. A duel could be avoided if Humperdink catches them; surely, they'd be sentenced to death. IF he catches them… there's a great possibility he won't. Though Humperdink's a magnificent trekker, he could never catch them in time, especially with his troupe of clown-guards… and without the advice of Father. Father… the Prince's confidante and advisor. How is it that I know more about the Prince than my own father? Oh, it's not a thing to be contemplated in a situation such as this! She stopped her thoughts.
She had to figure out what to do. She herself was fairly skilled in trekking, though she hadn't learned as Humperdink and Demetrius. Demetri had been forced to learn as a member of the guard, although it didn't help him much. Amalia had learned much more from him than he had learned from himself. She had always taken interest in the subjects Demetri got to learn such as fencing, trekking, hunting- all the adventurous subjects. And he taught them to her, however, she was not allowed to practice them beyond the confines of her own privacy.
The more she thought about trying to figure a plan, the more time she was wasting. She couldn't be indecisive any longer.
"They forced me into the chair, bound me, and nearly killed me. But I forced them out of the Princess' window and they fled!" Amalia heard Humperdink raving to the Council, guards, and knights.
Suddenly, an idea came into Amalia's mind and courage burst into her heart. If Humperdink couldn't catch the villains, then her father's slayer would be roaming free with the Princess as a consolation prize. She had to avenge her father's death and save the Princess. She ran to Demetri's chamber and quickly found something to wear. It was the worn outfit of a pageboy; only four years ago her cousin had been a page to one of the King's valiant knights. The outfit certainly wouldn't be missed. As she threw off her dress, she heard an impatient yapping coming from beneath it. She lifted the dress to find her companion.
"Oh Calliope! I am sorry that I forgot you were even under there!" she exclaimed comforted by the animal's presence.
She quickly changed, and there was much discomfort in the outfit. She then remembered to de-enhance her femininity by wrapping a stocking around her bosom so that her chest looked as flat as possible, as well as roll a thick sock into her pants. With much difficulty, she managed to pull her hair back into an uncomfortable peasant cap. Satisfied with her boyish appearance, she ran to the stable with Calliope at her heels.
In the stable she noted the footprints of the giant as she saddled the chestnut mare called Faerie's Whip. She was the fastest horse of all that Prince Humperdink owned, and there was no reason of doubt that the Prince would have taken her on his search for the Princess if Amalia hadn't have gotten to her first. But this was certainly no concern of Amalia's.
She clandestinely rode toward the giant's footprints- he had obviously stolen four of the Prince's milky white steeds- where, sure enough, they lead to the Princess' chamber window where Humperdink said he forced out the captors. From the footprints, it looked more as if they had jumped out the window and the giant had caught them and mounted them on the horses, but Amalia didn't have time to analyze the situation. She simply followed the hoof-prints that lead toward the wood.