The princess and the lion

This is a story based off a YouTube video I've seen called The lady and the lion. It's one of my favourite fairy tales. But I've changed names, words and the plotline.

Once upon a time, a long time ago, in the heart of Russia. There was a kingdom ruled by a widowed queen named Ingrid.

In public, she seemed to be a kind and considerate queen. But really, she was vain and shallow. She would always wear fancy gowns and lots of jewelry.

She had two daughters named Fiona and Aubrey, who were just as vain as their mother. Though Aubrey, the younger daughter was to a lesser extant then her mother and sister. Although Ingrid genuinely loved both her daughters, she somewhat favored Fiona the older daughter.

One day a French merchant came to Russia on a business trip, he was brought before the queen. Enchanted by her beauty, they were married right away. When he moved into the palace, he brought along his daughter from a previous marriage Jackie.

Jackie was an extremely kind and confident girl. Her father loved her dearly and the thought of becoming a princess was exciting.

But she soon realized how bad her stepmother and stepsisters were.

Her father still kept his merchant business, whenever he left on business trips, Ingrid, who was very jealous of Jackie's beauty, would treat Jackie like a servant and would make her help the servants with their work.

Fiona and Aubrey would also tease her for dressing up in plain servant clothes and for doing dirty work. Though Aubrey wasn't as mean to Jackie as Fiona was, she secretly liked her.

Jackie would never let her know about Ingrid's mistreatment, because she was too kind for that. Whenever he was home, Ingrid and her daughters would act like they cared about her and she would dress up like a princess.

One day as he was leaving back to France for a business trip, he called the three princesses to the foyer.

The merchant loved his stepdaughters like they were his own, so he would ask the three girls what they would like him to bring back for them.

Fiona and Aubrey had the same golden hair as their mother. Fiona was wearing a forest green gown with a gold medallion and gold earrings with an emerald on them. Aubrey wore a cyan gown with silver swirls a necklace with blue flower shaped jewels.

Jackie had brown hair just like her father, she wore a plain gown in a light pink color.

The merchant stood next to Ingrid and asked the three girls what he would like to bring back to them.

"I would love some sweet French perfume," said Fiona.

"I would like a set of ribbons," said Aubrey.

"Father," said Jackie. "I would like a feather of a golden nightingale."

"Very well," said the merchant. "If I can find these things, you shall have them."

"Good bye my king," said Ingrid charmingly, kissing the merchant goodbye.

No sooner had the merchant and some of the servants stepped out the door, Ingrid looked over at Jackie.

"Now to work, Jackie" she ordered.

"Yes stepmother" said Jackie softly.

By the end of his business trip, the merchant had bought perfume for Fiona and ribbons for Aubrey. But he couldn't find a golden nightingale so he could pluck a feather off it and give it to Jackie.

He looked everywhere in the French city, but he couldn't find one.

After returning to Russia, he rode for a forest to get back to the kingdom. Suddenly he noticed that in a tree was a golden nightingale.

Feeling thrilled, he ordered a guard to climb up the tree and pluck a feather.

The guard climbed up the tree and carefully reached his arm out to pluck a feather. Just as he grabbed a feather a lion leapt out of the bushed and fiercely roared at them.

The guard fell back to the ground and looked at the lion. The lion had golden fur, with a white muzzle, paws and underbelly, and a light brown mane. The lion also had a crown on his head. But nobody took notice for they felt fearful.

"Who dares to harm my pet nightingale!?" demanded the lion. "I should eat the thief up!"

"I am sorry," the merchant spoke up nervously. "I am the wife of queen Ingrid in the kingdom outside the forest. I'll pay heavily for the feather I've taken from your bird."

"Nothing can save you," declared the lion. "Unless you give me the first thing that meets you when you return home. I'll spare your life and let you take the feather you've plucked from my nightingale."

The merchant wasn't so sure. He was worried about his daughter.

"What if it's my daughter?" he whispered to a guard.

"Don't worry your highness," said the guard. "It probably wouldn't be the princess. It might be a bird or an animal."

That persuaded the merchant and agreed to the lion's deal. The lion let the merchant pick up the gold feather and he ran away.