Hello all! This is the author of King Lack-Beard speaking. I promised you
Cat-Skin, you get Cat-skin! I really hope you like it! I'm just really
bored and I have a long weekend, so I started to write this new story
early! Enjoy!
Queen Arlia and King Richard ruled the kingdom of Ginovia in the province of Manton. The queen was the most beautiful queen (and also one of the proudest) by far. She spent hours in front of the mirror combing her hair. She had shining, strawberry blonde golden hair that was curly and thick, smooth creamy skin and thoughtful green eyes. Her husband loved her immensely; he adored her beyond words. He often said that he couldn't use the words 'I love you' because they were not expressive enough.
So this happy couple lived for quite some time, ruling peacefully over their kingdom. It was a time of prosperity; crops were plentiful and bellies full. No one in all of Ginovia was wanting of anything. King Richard and Queen Arlia were happy in all areas but one. They couldn't seem to produce a child. The queen blamed herself, but Richard wouldn't stand for it. He shifted all of the blame onto his tired shoulders.
They thought all was lost until one day Arlia found she was pregnant! There was celebration throughout the land. A great feast was held; the people rejoiced, and much money was spent.
So eventually the queen was in the last month of her pregnancy. She needed help getting around, so servants carried her everywhere.
Then the night came. The queen's water broke. She was rushed to her bedroom and the midwife was called in. Richard was shooed out of the room, and spent hours pacing in front of the closed doors while moans of pain were heard from inside.
Just when he thought he might go mad waiting, a baby's cries were heard, and the midwife opened the door. She shook her head sadly.
"She wants to talk to you," she said. The king, worried sick, came into the room. His wife was lying on the bed. She was sweaty and looked very tired. In her arms she held a little baby, crying.
"It's a girl," she managed to sigh. "I named her Mary Isabelle Elise, but just call her Isabelle."
"She's beautiful," said the king, kissing the baby's foot.
"I have to talk to you, husband, come closer," she whispered. Her husband leaned in. "Husband, this birth was very hard on me. I…I think that I am going to…die."
"No!" Richard cried. "No, you'll be fine!"
"Shh, Richard, shh. Please don't cry, it only makes this harder." Her voice became more strained, more forced. "Husband, you must promise me something."
"What is it, my love, I'll promise anything. Anything! Just tell me."
"Richard," she sighed. "Promise me you will never marry another woman, unless she is as beautiful as I am, and has as golden hair as I do."
"I promise. I promise," Richard sobbed. Arlia put her hand on his face.
"I love you," she whispered. "Take care of Isabelle for me." And then her hand slid off his face, she closed her eyes and died. Richard buried his head in her sheets, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Don't leave me!" he bawled. "Arlia!"
After sobbing for a few minutes, he took the small baby in his arms and carried it out of the room. He went onto the balcony, where many citizens were gathered below, excitedly awaiting the news of Queen Arlia's baby. He stood on the balcony, and the people cheered.
"People of Ginovia," he said sadly, trying to control his tears. "Just a few minutes ago, my wife gave birth to this baby, Princess Mary Isabelle Elise, and died in the process."
A hush fell over the crowd. Everyone was devastated to find out their fair Queen Arlia was dead.
Years passed. The time of prosperity ended; the kingdom fell into despair. The crops failed, money was lost, people starved. And King Richard shut himself up in his library for the next seventeen years, a very depressed man. He would come out occasionally to eat or address court, but other than that he spent all of his time locked up. The only few he would let in were his advisors, and all they talked of was trying to get the king to marry again. However, he remained obdurate on this subject. He wouldn't marry anyone unless she was as beautiful and as golden-haired as his late wife. Alas, no girl so beautiful or golden could be found.
His daughter, Isabelle, barely even knew him. After a while she lost her curiosity and just lived her life without her father. She grew to be a very beautiful girl, the exact image of her dead mother. She was a wise and practical girl, with a good head on her shoulders and a clever tongue in her mouth. She had had many suitors, but refused them, deciding at an early age to marry for love.
So on her eighteenth birthday, the usual feast was held. Jesters danced about, minstrels sang, and her father made one of his rare appearances. She greeted him happily, but he just looked at her and commented on how she looked exactly like her mother.
She had been told that before. Many of the older servants had told of how she looked like her mother, from her strawberry blonde hair to her clear green eyes.
Soon the feasting commenced, and the king stood and held up his hand for silence.
"I would like to congratulate my daughter on her eighteenth birthday."
"Thank you Father," she said.
"And now I would like to make an announcement. My advisors have urged me to marry again. However, I promised my wife on her deathbed that I wouldn't marry unless my wife be as beautiful and with as golden hair as she had. Alas, we have searched the world for such a girl, but to no avail. Even if she was as beautiful as my late wife, she would not have the golden hair she did. So I have come to a decision. I shall have to marry my daughter, Mary Isabelle Elise, as she looks the exact image of my dead wife."
A shocked hush fell over the party.
"Marry you?" Isabelle shrieked. "But…but you're my FATHER!"
"I know, but I have to--"
"I won't do it!" she screamed, pushing back her chair, and she tore out of the room.
"Your Majesty," a courtier piped up, "Heaven forbid that a father marry his daughter. Out of so great a sin no good can come."
The king just sighed and sat back down.
Queen Arlia and King Richard ruled the kingdom of Ginovia in the province of Manton. The queen was the most beautiful queen (and also one of the proudest) by far. She spent hours in front of the mirror combing her hair. She had shining, strawberry blonde golden hair that was curly and thick, smooth creamy skin and thoughtful green eyes. Her husband loved her immensely; he adored her beyond words. He often said that he couldn't use the words 'I love you' because they were not expressive enough.
So this happy couple lived for quite some time, ruling peacefully over their kingdom. It was a time of prosperity; crops were plentiful and bellies full. No one in all of Ginovia was wanting of anything. King Richard and Queen Arlia were happy in all areas but one. They couldn't seem to produce a child. The queen blamed herself, but Richard wouldn't stand for it. He shifted all of the blame onto his tired shoulders.
They thought all was lost until one day Arlia found she was pregnant! There was celebration throughout the land. A great feast was held; the people rejoiced, and much money was spent.
So eventually the queen was in the last month of her pregnancy. She needed help getting around, so servants carried her everywhere.
Then the night came. The queen's water broke. She was rushed to her bedroom and the midwife was called in. Richard was shooed out of the room, and spent hours pacing in front of the closed doors while moans of pain were heard from inside.
Just when he thought he might go mad waiting, a baby's cries were heard, and the midwife opened the door. She shook her head sadly.
"She wants to talk to you," she said. The king, worried sick, came into the room. His wife was lying on the bed. She was sweaty and looked very tired. In her arms she held a little baby, crying.
"It's a girl," she managed to sigh. "I named her Mary Isabelle Elise, but just call her Isabelle."
"She's beautiful," said the king, kissing the baby's foot.
"I have to talk to you, husband, come closer," she whispered. Her husband leaned in. "Husband, this birth was very hard on me. I…I think that I am going to…die."
"No!" Richard cried. "No, you'll be fine!"
"Shh, Richard, shh. Please don't cry, it only makes this harder." Her voice became more strained, more forced. "Husband, you must promise me something."
"What is it, my love, I'll promise anything. Anything! Just tell me."
"Richard," she sighed. "Promise me you will never marry another woman, unless she is as beautiful as I am, and has as golden hair as I do."
"I promise. I promise," Richard sobbed. Arlia put her hand on his face.
"I love you," she whispered. "Take care of Isabelle for me." And then her hand slid off his face, she closed her eyes and died. Richard buried his head in her sheets, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Don't leave me!" he bawled. "Arlia!"
After sobbing for a few minutes, he took the small baby in his arms and carried it out of the room. He went onto the balcony, where many citizens were gathered below, excitedly awaiting the news of Queen Arlia's baby. He stood on the balcony, and the people cheered.
"People of Ginovia," he said sadly, trying to control his tears. "Just a few minutes ago, my wife gave birth to this baby, Princess Mary Isabelle Elise, and died in the process."
A hush fell over the crowd. Everyone was devastated to find out their fair Queen Arlia was dead.
Years passed. The time of prosperity ended; the kingdom fell into despair. The crops failed, money was lost, people starved. And King Richard shut himself up in his library for the next seventeen years, a very depressed man. He would come out occasionally to eat or address court, but other than that he spent all of his time locked up. The only few he would let in were his advisors, and all they talked of was trying to get the king to marry again. However, he remained obdurate on this subject. He wouldn't marry anyone unless she was as beautiful and as golden-haired as his late wife. Alas, no girl so beautiful or golden could be found.
His daughter, Isabelle, barely even knew him. After a while she lost her curiosity and just lived her life without her father. She grew to be a very beautiful girl, the exact image of her dead mother. She was a wise and practical girl, with a good head on her shoulders and a clever tongue in her mouth. She had had many suitors, but refused them, deciding at an early age to marry for love.
So on her eighteenth birthday, the usual feast was held. Jesters danced about, minstrels sang, and her father made one of his rare appearances. She greeted him happily, but he just looked at her and commented on how she looked exactly like her mother.
She had been told that before. Many of the older servants had told of how she looked like her mother, from her strawberry blonde hair to her clear green eyes.
Soon the feasting commenced, and the king stood and held up his hand for silence.
"I would like to congratulate my daughter on her eighteenth birthday."
"Thank you Father," she said.
"And now I would like to make an announcement. My advisors have urged me to marry again. However, I promised my wife on her deathbed that I wouldn't marry unless my wife be as beautiful and with as golden hair as she had. Alas, we have searched the world for such a girl, but to no avail. Even if she was as beautiful as my late wife, she would not have the golden hair she did. So I have come to a decision. I shall have to marry my daughter, Mary Isabelle Elise, as she looks the exact image of my dead wife."
A shocked hush fell over the party.
"Marry you?" Isabelle shrieked. "But…but you're my FATHER!"
"I know, but I have to--"
"I won't do it!" she screamed, pushing back her chair, and she tore out of the room.
"Your Majesty," a courtier piped up, "Heaven forbid that a father marry his daughter. Out of so great a sin no good can come."
The king just sighed and sat back down.