This is the story of Lucinda the First, of her past and present
Three years ago, Lucinda was living happily with her mother Marla in the village of Dunwiddie in the Kingdom of Enchancia until her mother was offered a job as the royal sorceress of Corona. Her mother was quite pleased with the offer and decided to move to the castle, however, Lucinda was not happy since she would be away from all of her new friends. When the news reached the ears of Princess Sofia, she threw a small farewell party in honor of her friend, Lucinda was brought to tears at the thought of leaving Enchancia, and her mother promised that they would return when everything is settled.
However, that did not come to past as her mother died when an illness took her.
Lucinda was grief-stricken when the news came about her mother's death that she ran away from Corona and took a ship to it's neighboring Kingdom. The Southern Isles, which was currently recovering from a civil war that ensured between eleven brothers against one, the war came to an end when the armies of Arendelle and Corona smashed the Southern navy and ensured the victory of the youngest brother. But the youngest brother did not live to rule his Kingdom for long as he was killed in a battle in the Kingdom of Enchancia.
She decided to settle down in one of the villages, at first the people took her and accepted her into their community after hearing her tale, but when a hostile group of witches attacked the village, they turned against her. The governor of the town ordered for her to be arrested and put on trail for witchcraft, which normally would end with the sentence of death no matter how old you are. As she sat in her cell, she stared up at the ceiling and silently prayed that Sofia was lucky enough not to hear of her plight.
For three days, she was locked in a cell and fed with only stale bread and water. She overheard the guards talking about the King of Corona invading the Southern Isles, she at once knew that the King was searching for her as her mother had died in his arms that night. Then she heard them saying that the wizard council have arrived, and she waited for the doors to open. Two guards stepped in.
The next thing she knew was being paraded throughout the streets, and then up the steps into a building, a group of villagers have gathered outside and yelled insults.
Lucinda was forced into a hall with two guards beside her, shackles were around her slender wrists like those of a common criminal. Her clothes were reduced to a torn and tattered prisoner's clothing. She held her head low as she passed by those villagers that she once called her friends, some started to jeer and spat out curses, some even threw rocks but the soldiers yelled at them to stop.
She was led into a hall where the wizard council stood, the guards halted and so did she, the council consisted of six elderly men, they were tall and their gray hairs were signs of those who have studied and learned magic for years. Her former friends sat in seats around her. One of the wizards came forward, he looked her in the eyes and sighed. Then he spoke.
"Do you know why you have been brought here child?"
She knew, and was afraid, but still she nodded her head.
"So you know and understand why the people turned against you..." a second wizard said.
"Yes...I do." she turned her head and looked at the villagers in disgust. "Just because they knew that I used to be a witch...but I am no longer one! I gave witchcraft up a long time ago! Haven't you all forgotten the things I've done for the community? Are you all just blinded for revenge that you failed to see the truth!" she yelled.
"Silence!" a third wizard exclaimed. "You do not have the right to speak."
"We are sworn to protect the community with magic, not threaten them with dark arts, and your mother practiced the dark arts." the first wizard explained. "Do you have anything to say in your defense, before we give out your sentence?" he asked slowly.
Lucinda wisely chose to remain quiet and only shook her head.
"Then due to overwhelming evidence, we of the wizard council proclaim you guilty of witchcraft, you will be taken to the town square to be burned alive for your deadly sins." the second wizard announced, and with a wave of his hand, the guards complied grabbing her roughly by the arms and leading her out of the room.
She didn't protest nor retaliate. Her mother was dead and the people she had came to knew betrayed her, in her heart boiled anger and rage but outside she was frightened, and that was the two reasons why she chose to go quietly. She was only a girl living a peaceful and content life until Muriel came along and screwed things up. As she was being led into the town, she caught a glimpse of several horsemen watching her from a distance before disappearing into the forests, she watched as flocks of birds flew out of the trees in fright. Since being a witch, she could understand animals.
She knew that something was coming, but what.
Among the crowds that were surrounding her, she took notice of two witch-hunters whom her mother had made friends with, their names were Hansel and Gretel. The siblings were well known around the Kingdoms for hunting down any witch that practiced the dark arts of necromancy, but they were also close allies with any witch that didn't stray from the light. The two were watching the guards movements and were observing her from a distance, but the looks they gave her were not disgust nor anger but were sympathy and hope.
Before she could be executed, Hansel fired a shot into the sky and a fast swirling arrow pierced the neck of a guard carrying the torch, spilling blood all over the scaffold. The two witch-hunters then revealed themselves and started to attack the guards standing around, then out of nowhere she heard the sounds of horses galloping and loud battle cries. She turned to find soldiers on horseback charging into the village with their weapons drawn, she saw the soldiers cutting down those who stood in their way as flaming arrows filled the sky striking their targets with deadly accuracy.
"Coronains!" a guard shouted before he was struck by a thrown spear.
She looked to the front and saw more soldiers coming from the other side as well, the other guard that was to her left was struck in the head by a flaming arrow. Screams and the clashing of steel against steel could be heard all around, horses neighing as their riders pulled on the reins, and the smell of death became much more evident in the air. She started to panic but could not move due to the fact that she was tied up to the stake, she didn't have to wait long as the soldiers that were attacking ran up the scaffold and cut her loose. One of the soldiers, checked her for injuries while asking questions.
"What's your name?"
"Lu...Lucinda.." she replied, still shaken by the sudden attack.
"And what is your mother's name?"
"Marla..."
"It's her alright." the soldier said, turning to the others. "Go find the King!"
Hansel approached her and smiled warmly. "Hey, hey, kid. You remember me? Nod your head if you do." he said. She nodded still a little traumatized by all the blood and deaths. "Someone pass her something to keep her warm. It's freezing out here!" he barked, and one of the knights ripped off his cloak and handed it over. "Here...it'll keep you warm from the cold." he said, wrapping the cloak around her shoulders.
She smiled at her savior. "Tha...thank you.."
"Don't thank us." Gretel said, with a crossbow in her hands. She jerked her thumb towards a man riding on a white horse. "Thank the King of Corona. He came looking for us the moment he heard you were arrested, when we heard your name we didn't hesitate to travel down here. Your mother was our closest ally and a good friend. We promised to keep a close eye on you after her untimely death."
Just then, the King of Corona rode up and dismounted from his horse. It was the first time, Lucinda had seen the King up close and personal, she had heard tales from traveling merchants about his bravery in battle and his negotiation skills. Her mother had also told her countless stories about the King's love of magic and how he would demand a magic show to be shown before going to bed. She guessed that he was in his mid-forties but his true youth was masked by the studded beard that he had chose to grow after he was crowned King. He knelt down to Lucinda's height and brushed her hair back.
"Did they hurt you?" he asked, his voice was firm and strong.
Lucinda nodded her head slowly. She could see the fury in the King's eyes but it was gone within a few seconds, the darkness across Hansel's face was the one that made her frightened. The King looked at her and smiled sadly. "My name is Erik Fitzherbert, you may have heard of me from your mother, as you can see, I'm the King of Corona. Your mother was a close friend of mine, a very good friend...and when I heard that you were arrested in the Southern Isles, I had to come...and for the love I bore your mother..." he said softly, using his finger to wipe away tears from her face. "...do you wish to become my daughter and live in the castle with me?" he asked.
She replied by hugging him tightly while crying onto his shoulders, the knights and the two witch hunters smiled warmly at the touching scene. "Dry your tears Lucinda...it's over..." Erik said, as the young girl sniffed and complied. Then, a group of knights and soldiers approached with three members of the wizard council, they halted right in front of their King and forced the three wizards to their knees, swords and lances were at their backs in case they tried to run. "Only three? Where are the others?" Erik asked, looking at the three battered and weary old men.
"Dead," a knight replied. "They fought back against us when we told them to surrender, they were easily shot down and cut to pieces. Sir Ralof has their severed heads should you wish to see them."
"No need for that..." Erik said, he then turned to the remaining three. "What shall I do with the three of you? You accused my daughter of a crime she didn't commit, and yet you argue that the wizard council is designed to keep the peace..." he approached one of the wizards. "Peace...here is your peace!" he grabbed him by the collar and started punching his face repeatedly. The wizard groaned in pain, but Erik didn't bother and continued, "Here is your peace." and with that he smacked the wizard's forehead onto the ground, smashing the skull and splattering blood all over the place.
"You...you're a monster!" one of the two wizards proclaimed.
"Monster you say?" Erik sneered, he gestured to the surrounding. "Do you not see wizard? I control all of this." several of his knights snickered at the phrase. His hand went to the hilt of his sword, he unsheathed it and sliced off the wizard's arm, causing the old man to scream in agony.
"I wouldn't talk back if I were you, here is the legendary King Erik, the conqueror of the North, vanquisher of the barbarians, savior of Enchancia...and so on.." Hansel spoke. "He united the once scattered banners of Corona and led them against the invaders of his Kingdom. The powerful Northern Isles have been brought to kneel at his feet, and the Queen of Arendelle stands at his side."
"Thank you for the kind introduction my friend." Erik said, patting Hansel on the back. "What are your terms, as I offer none." he asked, quickly ending the one-armed wizard's life with his sword.
"Peace! We ask for peace..." the last wizard said.
Gretel smashed a bottle of glass onto the floor. "There's your peace. Your council saw to that when they decided to burn Lucinda. You'll have an easier time drinking from that glass than suing for peace."
"Well said." Hansel smiled at his sister.
"I guess, that leaves their fates in the hands of my daughter." Erik said, turning to look at Lucinda. "My men will obey to whatever you say from now, should you choose to spare him, he will leave this place unharmed. But if you want to kill him, I will let you choose his death." he placed his hands on her shoulders. "You have the power over life and death, his fate is now in your hands."
Lucinda sniffed and stood to her full height. She looked at the frightened old man kneeling in front of her, for once she felt powerful but on the other she felt nothing but sympathy for the wizard. But nonetheless, vengeance for the way she was treated clouded her judgment, she looked at her step-father with fury in her eyes. "Burn him." she muttered out before breaking down again. Hansel and Gretel immediately carried her off the scaffold and away from the scene that was going to happen, the bulk of the Coronian military followed them.
"You heard her." Erik said, holding up a torch and tossing it to one of his guards. "Light the fucker up."
Three months later...
It has been three months since the terrible ordeal, but she was glad that it was finally over. The week after she was rescued by King Erik, she was crowned the princess of Corona in front of the royal delegates from Arendelle, the townspeople and the military forces, after which a ball was thrown in her honor. Before announcing her as the princess, King Erik went through all the possible details with his advisers and it was decided that they would keep the introduction small and simple. Marla Magwin, was crowned the Queen, and Erik made a royal proclamation that he would not be marrying anybody else since the love of his life was dead.
Lucinda quickly picked up the skills that was required of a princess and learned the proper way of addressing royals from other Kingdoms, she went on and lived among the people, making her loved by all she met. She also studied the history of Corona and discovered that her father's parents were none other than the legendary Queen Rapunzel and the famous King Eugene, it was a little too late for her to meet them as they had passed from the world a few days before she was rescued. She also learned that her father had fought alongside King Roland the First of Enchancia and saved the King's life nine times on the field, and the two had been close friends ever since.
A few months went by, and Lucinda's birthday was drawing near andKing Erik knew her daughter misses her home village of Dunwiddie, and he came up with a brilliant plan together with his best advisers, Hansel and Gretel. The two witch-hunters chose to quit hunting after the introduction of Lucinda to the royal court, but before they could decide on their next journey, Erik offered them a place in his court. And the siblings agreed after much consideration, Hansel became the Lord Commander of the royal guards, and Gretel took over as the new royal sorceress.
And of course, they were elated to help plan the present for Lucinda.
It took them a few weeks to prepare, as he wanted it to be a birthday surprise for his daughter, he waited patiently until the time came.
"Hansel, can you please call my daughter into my study."
"At once, Your Majesty." Hansel replied. He found it surprising that with his skills and knowledge of the surrounding woods, he rose in the ranks of the royal guards faster than any usual recruit. And theft in the city dropped drastically after he took command, though he tried to put his past behind, he found it difficult to contain his anger when he needs it.
He found Lucinda in the gardens playing with her pet falcon, the two had bonded after she mended it's broken wing and nursed it back to health, from there the two were inseparable. They were so close that the falcon had saved Lucinda's life when she fell into the fjord near the castle, because of it's quick thinking and determination her life was saved. King Erik himself honored the falcon with the rank Master of Birds.
"Princess Lucinda." he called, the girl turned towards him and smiled.
"Hansel!" she squealed with joy as she ran up to him after putting her pet away. "So...what's up?"
He chuckled lightly at her enthusiasm. "Your father requests your presence in his study." he said.
Lucinda's face paled. "I didn't do anything wrong, did I?"
"It's none of those sorts. Now, come along."
He led her back to the King's study. "Your Majesty, she's here." he announced, before opening the door and allowing her to enter. He then stood guard outside with two other members of the royal guard.
"Ah, Lucinda." Erik started, "I did some researching and I know that you used to live in a village called Dunwiddie in the Kingdom of Enchancia. I just want to ask, how was life there?" he asked.
Lucinda was taken aback at the question but answered anyway. "It was fun, peaceful, quiet. It was actually everything I could ask for. At first, the people weren't kind to me because I liked to cause trouble and make fun on them but Princess Sofia came along and changed me for the better."
"Hmm...interesting. Go on."
"With Sofia's help, I managed to make friends with everyone in the village, including those whom I hurt. They forgave me and we started anew. She also introduced me to her family, her mother and brother took a liking to me at first glance, though it took some convincing for her sister and father but at the end, they all understood and became good friends." she continued. "Why do you ask?"
Erik smiled. "Because...I am invited to a royal ball in Enchancia, and I want you to come with me."
"Really?" Lucinda beamed.
"Yes, my child."
"Thanks dad! You're the best!"
The very next day, the royal Coronain convoy departed for the Kingdom of Enchancia. Lucinda was elated, she hasn't seen her friends for three years and can't wait to see them again. And the best part was, they didn't know that she is now a princess and part of a royal family. She wanted to use that to her advantage, and that was why her father had allowed her to bring along her sorceress apprentice outfit. Other than that, she was fine. She watched as the townspeople waved and said their farewells as they left through the main gate, soldiers stood to full attention as they passed.
Erik had allowed Lucinda to bring along her pet falcon, seeing that the two were inseparable and the falcon itself was the perfect guard for his daughter than any of the royal guards. Secretly, he had also formed a bond with the falcon as Lucinda had caught him chatting with it in her room, but he put it aside as being curious, but no one knew that he could understand animals.
"Did you feed him?" he asked casually.
"Who?" Lucinda looked at her father.
"The falcon..." he sighed.
"How did you know it was a 'he'?" she asked.
"Um...I just guessed." he quickly replied before pretending to look at the scenery.
"How odd..." Lucinda observed.
Gretel, who was sitting next to her on the carriage smiled warmly. "My brother came to me a few weeks back, he told me that he had read through your mother's journals and inside was a chapter all about you. He handed it over and I read it. It clearly stated that you missed the life in Enchancia and you longer to return there. Thus, we both came up with a plan and visited the King. And this is the best birthday present we could think of. Letting you see your friends again sure brings joy to our hearts." she said.
"Aw...thank you so much Gretel!" Lucinda said, hugging her hand.
Erik smiled at the scene. "We will probably arrive a day before the ball starts, I did this on purpose so you could roam around and meet with your friends. But when the ball officially starts, you must know that I have to announce to all that you are now my daughter. I hope you do understand." he tried his best to explain politics to Lucinda in a much more simple way.
"I do." Lucinda nodded her head. "We can't hide forever...it's about time."
"But you do know that once I make the announcement, you will have to attend Royal Prep."
"New school. New things...I love that challenge."
"Now, that is a Lucinda we know and love." Hansel commented from his horse. "Just remember-"
"Don't eat the candy." everyone cut him off while rolling their eyes.
In the next chapter, Lucinda will arrive in Dunwiddie Village