ACT V: A Prince's Tale
"Once upon a time, there was a prince on a journey. He was young and brave and very handsome too. He traveled through the many kingdoms in search of adventures. One day, he was crossing the countryside when he came upon an old woman on the side of the road. She seemed injured and in pain, so he stopped and helped her. 'You are hurt,' he said with much concern, 'Allow me to help you.'
The woman was very pleased with the helpful prince, who allowed her seat upon his favorite horse. With the woman's belongings over his shoulder, he lead the horse towards her home. 'My house is not too far from here,' she pointed across the field of wheat. He did not mind the detour of his journey and took her safely home. 'Thank you for your troubles, young one,' she bowed and offered her some food and rest as his reward. He graciously declined and wanted to be on his way to the nearest town.
'The town is far,' she told him, 'You won't be able to reach it before nightfall if you continue down the road, but...' She hesitated, but he insisted that she continued. 'There is a shortcut. A very dangerous one through the forests. If you take that route, you will reach the next town in no time.'
He thanked her for the information and prepared to leave on his horse, but she stopped, 'That forest is very dangerous, young one. You're not from here so you do not know that is enchanted with dark magic. Please wait a moment.'
She hurried into her house, and a few minutes later returned with something clasped in her two hands. She held her hands to him, opening them up to let him see a beautiful, blue crystal pendant. 'Take this. It will keep you safe while you journey through that enchanted forest.'
He wanted to object, but the old woman placed it in his hand and stepped back. 'Safe journey, Your Highness,' she bowed and retreated to her home. Somewhat stunned from her farewell, he went on his way towards the forest with the pendant around his neck, hidden within his shirt.
When he found the entrance of the shortcut through the forest, he proceeded cautiously, feeling a different sensation emmanating from his mysterious surroundings.
What the prince did not know was deep in the forests, that he must cross to get to the nearest town, lived a young maiden who practiced the art of black magic. After sensing the presence of someone entering her domain, she used her powers to seek out an image of the intruder. At the sight of him, she fell deeply in love with him and had to have him as her own.
So she herself up in his path as a girl having lost her way to her grandmother's house, and being the kind prince, he offered to escort her to her grandmother's house. 'It's just a little ways into the forest,' she smiled. He seemed suspicious, because this forest had very negative feelings and why would someone want to live in such an uncomfortable place, but he could not just retract his offer, so he climbed off his horse to let her ride it.
As she neared the horse, the creature jerked away from her. That very action confirmed his every right to be suspicious of a sudden, mysterious girl in the middle of a magical forest. He trusted his long time companion and his instincts. Since the prince did not fall for her trap, she tried seducing him under her dark magics, but under the protection of the pendant, the prince remained unharmed.
He quickly climbed on his horse and fled as fast as he could while the maiden's magic chased him through the forest. He was able to escape from the forest in one piece thanks to the old woman's crystal pendant. When he looked back at the forest, he saw that the terrors of enchanted trees did not follow him out of the area. It remained within the forest boundaries, as did the maiden. He could not see her anymore, but he felt that she was there...
She was furious.
She had lost."
END of ACT V.
It's late as I'm posting this up, so I'll finish ACT VI on Sunday and post it up then. Thanks.
K-chan.