I: The Fall of The Falian Kingdom
A long time ago, the land of Albion was divided into many different kingdoms, and there was one Kingdom in the South East, known for their magical tolerance, unlike another Kingdom in the South West, where they hunted down those that performed magic. But the two Kingdoms could not be better allies, the Kingdoms of Camelot and Falian. So our story starts with the King of Camelot, Uther Pendragon, visiting his long time friend, King of Falian, Edmund Lovechild, the two Kings friends for years, and they made a promise to each other that they'd unite their two kingdoms someday.
~ENCHANTING~
In the Kingdom of Camelot, King Uther walks out of the castle towards the awaiting party of knights and servants as his son of seven runs down the steps to catch up with his father. "Arthur, hurry, we need to be on our way." King Uther tells his son and gets onto his horse with ease, and Arthur is helped up onto his pony, and they begin their journey.
~ENCHANTING~
In the Kingdom of Falion to the East of Camelot, in the royal castle, Queen Margaret Lovechild walks around the banquet hall as servants ready for the arrival of their friend and ally King Uther Pendragon. King Edmund walks into the room, seeing his beloved wife as she smells a rose with a small smile; he admires his wife as she stands here, unaware of his loving gaze. "Mama!" He hears his daughter of six as she runs into the room from the other side of the room towards the beautiful blond Queen, who crouches down, grabbing the young brunette in her arms, hugging her.
"What is it, my little nightingale?" Queen Margaret asks her daughter as she holds Princess Clarissa in her arms.
"What's the party for?" She asks her mother.
"It's for our friends from the West," Her father announces his presents; his two beautiful ladies turn to look at him, his daughter dropping from her mother's arms running towards her father.
"Papa!" Clarissa shouts as she runs towards him, and he grabs her into a hug, throwing her into the air, causing her to giggle.
"You will be seeing our dear friend; he has a son about your age." He tells her as he places her back onto the stone floor.
"Really?" She asks him, growing excited.
~ENCHANTING~
Soon night arrives as the company from Camelot makes their way into Falian Castle's courtyard; the young Prince Arthur looks up at the large white stone castle in awe, high over the side of a hill that overlooks a forest. Finally, the company comes to a stop as guards stationed outside help them all, and King Edmund walks calmly out of the large oak doors, walking down the stone steps towards King Uther, who smiles up at his friend. "It's good to see you again, Uther." King Edmund greets him with a handshake and a small hug.
"It's good to see you, too, Edmund." King Uther replies as his son rushes to his side and Queen Margaret and Princess Clarissa stand at the top of the steps.
"Mama, who's that?" Princess Clarissa asks, pointing down at Uther and Arthur as the two Kings' talk.
"It's rude to point, my sweet Clarissa, that's King Uther of Camelot, and his son, Prince Arthur." Queen Margaret answers her.
~ENCHANTING~
Inside the beautifully decorated banquet hall, everyone is dancing and celebrating, enjoying the feast set around the table. Queen Margaret dances with her husband King Edmund, their daughter watching them with her governess as she eats, watching everyone dancing. She looks over to see Prince Arthur all alone, looking bored as he eats, his father King Uther talking to one of his knights, who has a young girl with dark hair almost black. She jumps down from her seat and walks over to him. "Do you want to play?" She asks him, and he looks at her with surprise; she holds out her hand, hesitantly places his hand in hers, and she drags him onto the dance floor, the adults watching them. Unaware of the starring, the two children start to enjoy themselves as they dance around the room, smiling and giggling.
~ENCHANTING~
It was soon time for the people of Camelot to return, and Princess Clarissa was having trouble letting go of Prince Arthur as she hugs him tightly, going to miss her first friend. Queen Margaret holds onto her daughter, pulling her away from the small Prince, who didn't want the hug to end either, as one of the knights picks the Prince up from under his armpits and places him onto his pony. The Princess waves goodbye as they trot away, Prince Arthur waving goodbye as he heads back home. "It's okay, my little nightingale, we'll see them again." She assures her darling daughter.
~ENCHANTING~
It was two years till the royal families saw each other again; the royal family of Falian arrive in the courtyard of the Camelot castle, King Uther stands to welcome them, King Edmund helps his wife and daughter down from their horses, and Uther makes his way down the stairs. "Welcome back to Camelot, my old friend." King Uther greets King Edmund, shaking his hand and bringing him into a quick hug.
"It's good to be here again, Uther." He replies, and they make their way inside.
"Thank you for having us, Uther." Queen Margaret says as she holds onto her eight-year-old daughter's hand.
"Where is Arthur?" Princess Clarissa asks him with a smile, and King Uther and King Edmund smile at each other, glad they came up with the betrothal of their two children to unite their two kingdoms' one day down the line.
~ENCHANTING~
Princess Clarissa sits in her room as her Governess unpacks her dresses; when there's a knock at the door, she looks up, hoping it's her friend Arthur, but it's the Lady Morgana who shyly peeks her head inside. "Hello, Lady Morgana," The Princess' Governess smiles at the young ten-year-old standing in the doorway. "Would you like to come in?" She asks her, and Morgana walks further into the room; Princess Clarissa watches her with awe, seeing another girl around her age.
"Hello," Princess Clarissa greets her with a welcoming smile and moves over, allowing the older girl to sit down next to her on the bed.
"Hello," Morgana replies with a small smile.
~ENCHANTING~
The people of Camelot and Falian celebrate. But, then, it goes quiet in the room as Queen Margaret stands in the centre of the room, everyone sitting in their seats as she begins to sing; everyone is mesmerized by her angelic voice.
High in the halls of the kings who are gone
Jenny would dance with her ghosts
The ones she had lost and the ones she found
And the ones who had loved her the most
The ones who'd been gone for so very long
She couldn't remember their names
They spun her around on the damp old stones
Spun away all her sorrow and pain
And she never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave
Never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave
They danced through the day
And into the night through the snow that swept through the halls
From winter to summer, then winter again
'Til the walls did crumble and fall
And she never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave
Never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave
And she never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave
Never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave
High in the halls of the kings who are gone
Jenny would dance with her ghosts
The ones she had lost and the ones she had found
And the ones
Who had loved her the most
Queen Margaret finishes singing the hauntingly beautiful song and everyone claps; she smiles, curtsying to the crowd as she walks around the tables, heading for the main table with her daughter and husband. She sits down in her chair, and her husband leans his forehead against hers with a loving smile. Morgana looks in awe at the beautiful Queen. "That was beautiful." She compliments as she looks at Princess Clarissa, who nods, wishing she could be like her mother.
~ENCHANTING~
Another two years go by, the ten-year-old Princess Clarissa runs around the gardens of Falian, unaware of a dangerous figure watching her. Princess Clarissa stops by the river that runs through the garden; she moves to the stone gazebo at the top of the small waterfall, sitting down as she admires how the water flows. As the dark figure creeps towards her, she hears a crunch of leaves behind her and spins around to see the shadowy figure standing a few yards away from her, looking at her with a sinister smirk. "Who are you? What are you doing here? You're not supposed to be here!" She speeds out the demands, but the figure doesn't reply. "Who are you?" She asks him, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart. The strange figure doesn't reply again but raises his hand, glowing a bright red; she feels herself losing energy fast. She tries to struggle away, but it's like she's stuck to the stone slab under her feet; she stiffly raises her hands, focusing her magic, all her mother's lessons running through her heads. Princess Clarissa gathers the magic into her hands and pushes her arm out, knocking the stranger back onto the grass; she sees her chance to escape back to the castle and runs, heading for the maze, hoping to lose the dark figure. She hears footsteps closing in behind her as she makes it out of the maze towards the back entrance of the castle, seeing some of the guards stationed.
"Princess? What's wrong?" Sir Mavis questions as Princess Clarissa hugs him around the waist, hiding behind him.
"There was a strange man; he was using magic!" She tells him with fright, and the stranger in a black cloak comes stumbling out of the maze to be greeted by the Princess and two knights. He says nothing but raises his hands in the air, aiming them at the knights, sending them into the air and clenches his fists, sending them flying, leaving only the Princess. Again, she raises her hands, trying to muster up as much magic as she can, but it isn't working.
"Leave my daughter alone." Queen Margaret snaps as she stands in front of her child, shielding her as she gathers her magic around herself, her eyes glowing bright gold. She pushes out her hands towards the stranger, sending him back, and she wraps the vines around his body, keeping him away. King Edmund runs towards his wife and daughter with his sword drawn; seeing his wife handling the intruder, he goes to his daughter.
"Are you alright, my golden girl?" He asks her as he kneels down next to her.
"He was trying to take my magic." She tells him, and he frowns, remembering his wife's words, that their daughter would be a powerful Witch someday.
"I see, but you're safe now; your mother will stop him." He assures her, stroking her cheek as she watches her beautiful and powerful mother fighting off the stranger she had struggled with not long ago.
"Mama's so powerful," She mumbles, and it brings a smile to her father's face. "I wish I could be like her." She whispers, and her mother finishes handling the dangerous figure.
"You will someday, Young Queen, with more training, you'll grow ever stronger." Queen Margaret says as she crouches down in front of her daughter, cupping her cheek.
~ENCHANTING~
That same year, Prince Arthur and Lady Morgana arrive in Falian, looking forward to seeing the younger Princess. They walk into the castle, escorted by Camelot Knights, as they are greeted by King Edmund and Queen Margaret. "Artie! Morgan!" They hear the angelic shout, they turn to see the young Princess running towards them in a hurry; she collides with Prince Arthur, bringing him into a hug.
"Hello, Cissy," Prince Arthur greets her as he pulls out of the hug, and Princess Clarissa brings Morgana into a hug.
"Hello, Clary," She smiles, and the royal parents look on with a smile.
~ENCHANTING~
The three children run around the castle gardens, though Princess Clarissa seems more on edge as they play around. The knights watch on amused by the playing children, smiling at their carefree nature, though on alert since the last attack on their precious Princess. "You can't catch us, Artie!" Princess Clarissa shouts as she runs around the grass with Morgana and Prince Arthur chasing the two girls. Queen Margaret walks past a window with their trusted advisor Brutis as they go over the King's birthday celebrations. She notices her daughter with Prince Arthur and Lady Morgana; she stops to admire them with a smile.
"It's nice to see the Princess happy in the gardens again after what happened," Brutis comments with a smile.
"Indeed, I am glad we can see a smile on her face." Queen Margaret replies and watches the children play around in the garden.
~ENCHANTING~
Princess Clarissa sits in her room with Lady Morgana as she brushes her hair, styling it for King Edmund's birthday celebration. "Are you excited?" Morgana asks the Princess as she braids her soft brunette hair.
"Not really; I have to sing; what if I mess up?" She mumbles, fidgeting with her fingers.
"You won't mess up, you've been practising, and you sound beautiful," Morgan assures her as she finishes, and the bedroom door opens to Queen Margaret walking inside in her grand dress.
"Are you alright, my little nightingale?" She asks as she sees the worried look on her daughter's face.
"She's worried about singing," Morgana answers for her, and Queen Margaret smiles at the girl before turning back to her daughter.
"I see; well, do you know why I call you nightingale?" She asks her daughter, who shakes her head. "Well, when you were born, I heard a nightingale singing outside the window, and you squealed in response." Princess Clarissa looks up at her mother with surprise. "You can do this, even if you mess up, though I know you won't, your father and I will be so proud of you."
"I'll be proud of you, too," Morgana adds, and it helps as Princess Clarissa jumps from her vanity seat.
~ENCHANTING~
Everyone sits in their seats in the banquet hall, King Edmund sitting at the centre, wondering where his daughter and wife are as the doors open, and they walk in; he watches as his wife comes to sit next to him and his daughter stands at the front of the tables, looking nervous. Everyone goes silent, wondering what the beloved Princess will do; Morgana smiles as Prince Arthur looks at her in awe as she opens her mouth.
A young man walked through the forest
With his quiver and hunting bow
He heard a young girl singing
And followed the sound below
There he found the maiden
Who lives in the willow
He called to her as she listened
From a ring of toadstools red
'Come with me, my maiden.'
'Come from thy willow bed.'
She looked at him serenely.
And only shook her head.
See me now, a ray of light in the Moondance
See me now, I can not leave this place
Hear me now, a strain of song in the forest
Don't ask me to follow where you lead
A young man walked through the forest
With a flower and coat of green
His love had hair like fire
Her eyes an emerald sheen
She wrapped herself in beauty
So young and so serene
He stood there under the willow
And he gave her the yellow bloom
Girl, the heart you've captured
Oh, I would be your groom
She said she'd wed him never
Not near, nor far, nor soon
See me now, a ray of light in the Moondance
See me now, I can not leave this place
Hear me now, a strain of song in the forest
Don't ask me to follow where you lead
A young man walked through the forest
With an axe sharp as a knife
I'll take the green-eyed fairy
And she shall be my wife
With her, I'll raise my children
With her, I'll live my life
The maiden wept when she heard him
When he said he'd set her free
He took his axe and used it
To bring down her ancient tree
Now your willow's fallen
Now you belong to me
See me now, a ray of light in the Moondance
See me now, I can not leave this place
Hear me now, a strain of song in the forest
Don't ask me to follow where you lead
She followed him out of the forest
And collapsed upon the earth
Her feet had walked but a distance
From the green land of her birth
She faded into a flower
That would bloom for one bright eve
He could not take from the forest
What was never meant to leave
Princess Clarissa finishes with a smile, and everyone claps; King Edmund stands from his chair and approaches his daughter; she can't tell what he's thinking; she'd hoped he'd enjoy the song she'd written about his parents. He stands in front of her and raises his hand; she stares back at him as he places his hand on top of her head, pulling her into him as he hugs her close to him. "Thank you, my darling daughter," He says, trying to fight the tears as he brings her into a tight embrace.
~ENCHANTING~
Twelve-year-old Princess Clarissa leans against the Eternal Tree as she looks through her magic spellbook, going through the book for her next class before leaving Camelot to see Prince Arthur and Lady Morgana again. She smiles, thinking about seeing her friends again; she will miss her parents, especially since she will be spending her birthday in Camelot. "Why are you so sad, Princess?" The Eternal Tree asks her, a branch moving towards her, flicking some of her hair, making her smile.
"I'm alright; I will miss Mama and Papa for my birthday while I'm in Camelot." She replies as she turns the page.
"I see. Will you not miss me?" The Eternal Tree jokes, and she laughs.
"Of course, I will miss you, too," She smiles, and King Edmund walks into the hidden sacred tower that was built around the Eternal Tree.
"I see; what about me?" King Edmund asks as he stands near them.
"Papa!" She yelps and stands to her feet. "Of course, Papa, I will miss you and Mama." She replies, and he smiles at her.
"And we shall miss you," He smiles and holds out his hand, she places her hands into his, and they walk out.
"Bye, Eternal," She waves, being careful of the spellbook.
"Goodbye, sweet Princess, we shall see each other again," It replies, its branches waving back.
~ENCHANTING~
The Kingdom of Camelot celebrates Princess Clarissa's birthday; she sits in her seat in the banquet hall between Prince Arthur and Lady Morgana. They watch the entertainment that King Uther has organised for the beloved Princess. Everyone claps as the entertainment of acrobatics finishes, and the food comes out, and King Uther stands to his feet with a goblet in hand, raising it in the air. "To our dear friend, and beloved Princess Clarissa of Falian, celebrating her twelfth birthday with Camelot!" He cheers, and everyone raises their glasses.
"Cheers!" Everyone yells, and Princess Clarissa smiles as they begin to eat.
"Are you enjoying your time here?" Gaius asks the Princess.
"Yes, thank you, Gaius," She replies as she eats.
"We're going horse riding tomorrow," Morgana informs him as she sits next to the elderly physician of the court.
"I see, that will be good, getting some fresh air," He muses, and Prince Arthur leans over towards Princess Clarissa, making the young girl blush.
"Cissy, did you like the present I got you?" He asks her, and she nods, looking down around her neck at the beautiful blue stone encased in silver attached to a silver chain.
"I do, thank you, Artie," She smiles, fiddling with the necklace.
"What about my gift, Clary?" Morgana asks as she pulls on the black sleeve of Clarissa's dress.
"I do; it reminds me of Camelot, almost," She replies with a bright smile.
"Our deepest apologies, your highnesses' but King Edmund and Queen Margaret send their best wishes and presents for the dear Princess Clarissa. A beautiful gold and sapphire ring to celebrate your birthday." A man dressed in blues - the colours of Falian - enters the room and holds a basket with a lid and a red box, he hands over the small red box, and Princess Clarissa takes the box, opening it to see a small gold ring with a large sapphire stone.
"It's beautiful," Princess Clarissa beams as she takes out the ring and places it perfectly around her finger, feeling her mother's magic.
"That is not all; your father was sure you were old enough and pleaded with the Queen and found this hound," He announces and pulls out from the basket a small black and brown bloodhound. Princess Clarissa jumps out of her chair and rushes around as quickly and elegantly as possible to meet the man and takes the puppy carefully into her arms. Everyone watches with a smile as the beloved Princess coos at the adorable pup cradled in her arms.
"What will you name him, Princess?" The man asks, and she looks up at him then back to the pup in her arms.
"Is it a boy or a girl?" She asks him.
"A girl," He answers, and she looks into the puppy's eyes.
"Titania," She names the puppy, who lets out a whine as if to say she loves the name, she moves closer to the pup, and Titania licks her nose, making the Princess giggle.
~ENCHANTING~
Princess Clarissa looks at her fourteen self in the mirror as her new lady-in-waiting named Lucy ties up her corset to her beautiful blue ball gown as she stands nervously, thinking of having to dance with Prince Arthur. She fiddles with the sleeves of her dress and takes a hitched breath as Lucy tightens the corset. "I'm sorry, my lady," She apologies.
"I'm fine," Princess Clarissa assures her lady-in-waiting, who is the same age as her, with a smile. There's a knock at Princess Clarissa's bedroom door; Lucy finishes up with her dress and walks to the door of her guest room in Camelot.
"Lady Morgana, please come inside," Lucy greets her and allows the sixteen-year-old dark-haired teenager, who wears a beautiful red dress.
"Thank you, Lucy. Are you ready, Clarissa?" Morgana asks the Princess and watches as she places a blue gem tiara onto her head, careful of her hair in a tight bun with strands of wavy hair at the front.
~ENCHANTING~
Inside the banquet hall of Camelot, fifteen-year-old Prince Arthur stands by his father, King Uther, as they wait for Lady Morgana and Princess Clarissa; everyone is standing around the hall, chatting, Queen Margaret and King Edmund standing with them. The doors open to reveal the girls walking inside the room; the breath leaves Prince Arthur's body as he looks at Princess Clarissa in all her beauty, walking towards them. "Mama, Papa," Princess Clarissa greets her parents as she curtsies and turns to King Uther and Prince Arthur. "Your Highness, Artie,"
"Queen Margaret, King Edmund, Uther, Arthur," Morgana greets them with a curtsy.
"Glad you two are here now," King Edmund replies with a smile, and the music begins to play; the happy royal couple moves forward along with others and leaves Prince Arthur and Princess Clarissa; he hesitantly holds out his shaking hand towards the Princess, who takes his clammy hands. They walk into the dancing pairs and join in; Princess Clarissa blushes as she tries focusing on her steps, trying not to look into his enchanting blue eyes.
"Look at them, darling," Queen Margaret comments as she looks over at the awkward teenagers.
"Indeed, reminds me of us almost," He smiles as he watches his daughter.
~ENCHANTING~
In the Kingdom of Falian, fifteen-year-old Princess Clarissa sits under the Eternal Tree, writing down in her journal as Titania, now three years old, lies next to her with her head in the Princess' lap. "Princess, hide." The Eternal Tree warns her; Titania lifts her head up, sensing the presence of someone.
"My Lady, run!" Lucy shouts as she runs into the Tower, looking frightened, causing Princess Clarissa to stand to her feet as the doors of the Eternal Tower slam shut; the two teens rush towards the stairs with Titania on their heels. The doors shake violently as whoever is outside tries to come in; the Eternal Tree expands its branches, making a barrier between the door and stairs, keeping the Princess safe. Finally, the doors burst open, men in black armour barge into the Tower, stopped by the wooden barrier.
"You shall not harm the Princess!" Then, the Eternal Tree shouts, the men in fright step back, but a man in black armour and long wavy dark hair steps in behind them.
"Cut it down!" He orders his men, the girls and Titania run up the stairs as the knights cut into the branches, but the Eternal Tree keeps growing back, keeping them out.
~ENCHANTING~
Princess Clarissa, Lucy and Titania make it to the top of the Eternal Tower; the Princess looks over to the castle to see it aflame, she looks in horror as she watches her home burn, she looks down, seeing the men in black armour fighting against those in golden armour. Then, finally, she hears shouting coming from behind her, and she lifts Titania into her arms as her eyes glow gold and the men in black armour make it to the top of the tower along with Princess Clarissa, Lucy and the bloodhound.
"Bedyrne ús! Astýre ús þanonweard!" She yells, and Lucy holds onto the Princess as a strong wind surrounds them, teleporting them away from the dangerous group of men.
~ENCHANTING~
Princess Clarissa, Lucy and Titania appear by the castle gate when one of the Falian Knights, Sir Addams, places his hand on the Princess' shoulder, startling the young Princess, who spins around to face the familiar knight. "Quickly, Princess, we need to escape!" Sir Addams orders as three more knights come rushing over with four horses, the Knight picks her up, placing her onto a horse with Sir Howard, and Lucy jumps on with her father, Sir Richard. Finally, Sir Addams takes the dog, jumping onto the last available horse, and they set out from the burning castle grounds.
"What about my parents?!" Princess Clarissa shouts, and she sees the heartbroken looks on the knights' faces. "No! Let me go! No! Mama! Papa!" She screams, fighting to get out of his grip as he rides away from the burning castle. "No! I want to go back!" She struggles to break free of her rescuer's hold as tears stream down her face. "Mama! Papa!" She cries out, curling into his chest as they ride.
"I'm so sorry, Princess," Sir Howard whispers as he hugs her close to him, seeing her crying, heartbroken for her deceased parents, their beloved King and Queen.
~ENCHANTING~
The small company have been riding for over two days since King Cenred had sacked their larger Kingdom that resided next to their homeland that is now disappearing and being taken over by the greedy harsh King. Finally, the company comes to a stop almost to the border of Camelot; Sir Howard lets the distraught Princess off of the horse, she collapses onto the ground once her feet touch the dirt, Sir Howard tries to keep her on her feet, but she falls to the ground, hugging herself. "Leave her be, for now, Howard," Sir Addams tells him as they start to set up the makeshift campsite. Sir Howard nods and joins them, leaving the Princess alone; she waits a few more seconds before jumping to her feet and runs away into the woods. The Knights and Lucy hugging Titania look up in alarm as the Princess runs.
~ENCHANTING~
Three of the Knights try to run after Princess Clarissa, leaving one with Lucy and Titania but lose sight of the Princess, who finds herself at a small stream; she moves into the water, dropping to her knees. She can't help the tears as they fall for her dead parents, the knights that fell protecting their home, the citizens who have gone because of King Cenred's greed. She hears hooves coming towards her at a steady pace; she doesn't look up, not afraid, wishing death to join her loving parents. She feels strong breath from a horse move her messy hair; she looks up to see a beautiful white horse standing in front of her, she looks further to see a silver horn poking out of the forehead. She looks in awe at the beautiful creature, raising her hand; it welcomes her touch as it steps forward; she stands to her feet, feeling the bottom of her dress and shoes soaking from sitting in the stream. She strokes the nose of the beautiful creature and hears soft footsteps coming from behind her; she turns, startled to see Sir Howard, Sir Addams, and Sir Nathan come towards them slowly, not wanting to spook the Princess or the Unicorn. Sir Howard steps towards the pair in awe at the mythical creature; the Princess clings onto the creature, tears falling, and the Unicorn moves closer, giving the crying girl some comfort. She continues to cry, wishing her mother was here with her and her father protecting her like always. She wishes that she could be home with Titania and Lucy playing in her garden. She wishes she could sit under the Eternal Tree as she practices her magic.
~ENCHANTING~
Princess Clarissa comes back to the campsite with the three knights to Lucy and Sir Richard by the fire, cooking and Titania lying by the resting horses; they look up to see them back, Lucy jumps to her feet and rushes over to the Princess. She hugs her close; Princess Clarissa returns the hug as they walk back to the fire with the Knights as it turns dark. "I've never seen a Unicorn before," Sir Howard breaks the silence, and Sir Richard and Lucy look over at them in shock, turning to the magic able Princess.
"A Unicorn?!" Lucy exclaims in awe. "A real one?!"
"A real Unicorn, it was so beautiful; Princess was there, it was amazing." Sir Nathan adds with a smile as the Princess leans against her friend, falling asleep with Titania curled up next to her.
~ENCHANTING~
The small company back on their horses make it to the Kingdom of Camelot; they race into the castle ground alerting the people; some of the Camelot knights look up at the approach, recognising the people. One knight runs into the castle as the others approach the horses as they come to a stop, helping the girls and dog to the cobbled ground. King Uther comes running out of the castle doors straight to the dishevelled Princess. He brings her into a hug allowing the girl to cry into his arms; Sir Richard brings his daughter into his arms as Sir Nathan walks over to the King of Camelot. "What happened, Sir Nathan?" King Uther asks the Knight.
"King Cenred attacked the kingdom, he's taken over, he killed the King and Queen," He informs the King, who looks down at the crying girl in his arms.
"I see," King Uther mutters and tightens his hold on the distraught Princess. The matter becomes worse when Lady Morgana comes rushing down to greet her friend but sees her friend crying and the saddened look on Lucy and the Knights' faces.
"What's going on?" She asks as she walks over, trying to evaluate the situation, and Princess Clarissa breaks from King Uther's hold and wraps her arms around Morgan, still crying.
"They're dead," Princess Clarissa weeps into Morgana's shoulder; Morgana stands in shock for a second before wrapping her arms around her.
~ENCHANTING~
Princess Clarissa lies in her guest bedroom within Camelot, King Uther allowing them all to stay, making her his Ward along with Lady Morgana. She wants to be left alone and has stayed in her bed for the last week, Lucy comes to visit her with food, but the Princess hasn't moved from her bed. Prince Arthur and Lady Morgana tried to talk or even give her comfort, but it does nothing at the moment; she needs to be left alone. Her door opens to Gaius as he walks inside the room, seeing the devastated Princess lying under the covers on her bed, holding a book and places it down in front of her; she looks at the book recognising it immediately, she sits up in her bed, taking the book into her hands. "How did you get this?" She asks the Physician.
"I fear your parents knew what was to come as they sent it to me a few days before the attack." He informs her, and she hugs the family spellbook to her chest, the tears falling from her eyes.
"Thank you, Gaius, for giving this to me," She whispers through the tears.
"It's quite alright, my dear," He tells her and strokes her head, settling her hair down a little before walking out of the room, leaving her alone again.
~ENCHANTING~
A few weeks later, the Kingdom of Camelot's people have a funeral for the fallen Kingdom of Falian out of respect for their friends; the people dressed in black pay their respect which lifts Princess Clarissa's heart. She stands at the balcony in her black dress alongside her friends Lady Morgana and Prince Arthur as she watches everyone lighting a candle in memory of the Kingdom of Falian and the people who tried to fight back against King Cenred. "We are here today to celebrate and mourn the people of Falian, the Knights that tried to protect their Kingdom, the people living inside the Kingdom that tried to stand up to the cruelty of King Cenred. We mourn for our dear friends and parents King Edmund and Queen Margaret, who fought against the Tyrant King. Our hearts go out to those who have perished in flames; we will carry them in our hearts and be there for our beloved Princess Clarissa." King Uther says as he stands at the top of the stairs by the open doors with knights as he speaks to the people, everyone is touched by his words. "This attack has hurt us all, and we will band together as a Kingdom after this tragedy to support those that survived this attack. We will band together as a Kingdom to care for our people; we will help our friends, our family and each other." The people clap softly, still showing respect for the Princess. "Thank you all for coming today to show your respect to our dear Princess." He turns around, walking into the castle, allowing a moment of silence.
~ENCHANTING~
Princess Clarissa took time to heal but having her friends there to help her, and it came back to her birthday, she wasn't sure if she wanted to celebrate her 16th birthday. So she explores the castle and stops as she looks out the window, seeing in the castle garden by one of the towers a door she'd never noticed before; she pauses for a second and rushes down the hall towards the stairs in her dress, picking it up as quickly as she could without tripping.
~ENCHANTING~
Princess Clarissa runs across the garden towards the strange, mysterious door in the bottom of the tower; she looks inside to see stairs; she steps cautiously inside, walking up the steps, looking back to see the doorway gone. She rushes down, but she can see through to the garden and goes back up the stairs, spiralling to a short hallway that she'd never seen before; windows run along the side, she looks out to see the garden and the castle. She continues to walk down the short hallway to the end, where another taller tower resides and blocking her is a small black wooden door. She tries to open the door, but it seems locked. She frowns and turns around to walk away when she hears the sound of the door unlocking; she looks over her shoulder to see the door swinging open. She crouches down to look up the narrow stair and picks up her skirt, walking up, careful of her steps. As she walks up seeing a small orange glow coming from a room above.
~ENCHANTING~
Princess Clarissa steps into the orange glowing room; she looks around in wonder. She sees the bookcase full of spell books, potion ingredients, cauldrons, quills and even a small table with the magical elements etched into the table with an in scripture. "The Old Religion magic of the Earth. It binds all things together. Protect it and respect it." She whispers as she reads the inscription with a smile, thinking about her lessons with her mother.
~ENCHANTING~
Princess Clarissa walks back into her room, taking out her spellbook. When Prince Arthur walks inside her room, he sees the book and looks up at his longtime crush with a look of shock; he closes the door behind him, locking it as well. "Artie, please-" She tries to talk, and he walks over to her; he can see the guilt and fear in her eyes; he hugs her close to him, the tension leaving her body.
"It's alright, you're still Cissy," He tells her and pulls out of the hug seeing the tears forming in her eyes.
"I was born like this," She mutters, and he looks at her in surprise, her eyes glowing as things in the room begin to float in the air.
"So your parents, they practised magic?" He asks her, and she nods.
"My Mama taught me, my Papa's mother, my Grandmama was a High Priestess of the Old Religion." She explains, and Prince Arthur looks at her; he knew that Falian was once a Kingdom full of magic; the people celebrated good magic, unlike Camelot.
"I see, so it's in your blood," He says as everything returns to its place. "You really are amazing, aren't you?" He smiles at her, and she smiles back as her eyes return to their beautiful hazel eyes.
"You won't tell anyone, will you?" She asks him, and he shakes his head.
"I'd never do that, Cissy, you know that. We've been best friends for years, and I know you're not evil." So he tells her, and she nods, hugging him that he returns it. "I'd rather die than see you killed for something so small; your magic is beautiful, just like you." He thinks to himself. "Are you excited about your birthday?"
"Not really, it'll be strange without my parents," She replies in a whisper as they hug.
~ENCHANTING~
Princess Clarissa's 16th birthday arrives, and she sits in her chair next to Prince Arthur; he takes her hand under the table as they try celebrating the birthday of the newly orphaned Princess. She tries putting on a brave face for her friends and others as they carefully watch her, though it has been some months since the tragic killing of her parents and her home being taken from her. She tries to push past the tragedy with the help of her friends, especially Arthur, who now knows about her magic, so she doesn't have to hide from him anymore; she still practices magic in her new room and even talks with Gaius some days.
~ENCHANTING~
Lady Morgana is walking in the castle's garden with Princess Clarissa and their two Ladies-in-waiting, Lucy and Gwenieve, as King Uther prepares for the dark-haired young adult's birthday as she's turning 21. "Are you not excited for tonight, Morgan?" Princess Clarissa asks her friend.
"I am; I am most excited to hear what you will sing tonight." She replies and links her arm with the younger Princess.
"That as always is a secret," Princess Clarissa tells her with a smile.
"I've heard so much about your singing," Gwen says with a smile, this being her first celebration as she became Lady Morgana's Lady-in-waiting.
"Then you are in for a treat," Lucy tells her with a smile, thinking of the late Queen Margaret, knowing Princess Clarissa sings in memory of her mother.
~ENCHANTING~
Everyone sits in the banquet hall enjoying the festivities when King Uther stands from the main table and holds his goblet in his hands, tapping it, silencing the room. "Thank you all for coming to celebrate my dear Ward the Lady Morgana at her 21st Birthday. To help start the celebrations, our dear Princess Clarissa has volunteered to sing a song dedicated to Morgana." He informs them and sits back down as Princess Clarissa stands from her chair next to Prince Arthur and passes Morgana, squeezing her shoulder as the music begins and she comes to the middle of the room.
"When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary
When troubles come, and my heart burdened, be
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence
Until You come and sit awhile with me.
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas
I am strong when I am on your shoulders
You raise me up to more than I can be.
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas
I am strong when I am on your shoulders
You raise me up to more than I can be.
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas
I am strong when I am on your shoulders
You raise me up to more than I can be.
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas
I am strong when I am on your shoulders
You raise me up to more than I can be.
You raise me up to more than I can be."
The Princess finishes on a high note, and the room goes quiet as they look in surprise before bursting into applause as she curtseys to the people and walks back; Morgana jumps from her seat, hugging her best friend, who hugs her back. "Thank you, Clary, that means a lot," Morgana says as she hugs her.
"Of course, you were there for me when my parents died; we raised me up." She replies as she hugs back, they sit back in their chairs as they talk, and the guests start eating again.
"That was really beautiful, Cissy," Prince Arthur compliments her, and she looks over at him, trying to fight the blush spreading.
"Thank you, Artie," She smiles, not looking him in the eye, afraid she'll turn red.
~ENCHANTING~
Princess Clarissa stands in the archery fields with Prince Arthur as he tries to teach her; she grabs one of the bows and an arrow, lining it up and shoots, missing the target completely. The other Knights look over to the pair as Arthur tries teaching her. "Let's make this interesting," The Princess suggests out of the blue, and Prince Arthur and the Knights look over at her.
"What do you purpose?" He asks her, seeming intrigued.
"Whoever gets 5 bullseyes in a row gets the loser for a day," She proposes, and he thinks it through.
"Okay, but this is your first lesson," He tries to warn her and Sir Nathan looks over with a smirk.
"If you're too scared, we can continue the lesson," She teases him, hitting a nerve in the man.
"Alright, so whichever one of us gets 5 bullseyes in a row has the loser do whatever they want all day tomorrow." Prince Arthur agrees, and he gets his bow and gives her five arrows along with himself.
"That poor fool," Sir Nathan sighs dramatically.
"Why is that, Nate?" Sir Leon asks him as he looks over at the pair of royals.
"Because the Princess was taught by her father, she mastered it at 11 years old." He informs the others, and they all watch as Prince Arthur fires his first arrow, hitting close to the centre of the target. He shoots another, and it misses the centre.
"Oh, poor fool," Sir Edric winces, and Prince Arthur notches another arrow, firing it at the target and hitting the bullseye; he grins, glad to get at least one out of three. Princess Clarissa claps quietly.
"Nicely done," She congratulates him, and he fires another arrow hitting the bullseye again. "Well, I seem to be in trouble," She jokes with a serious tone. He fires his last arrow, but he misses the centre, getting the target at the edge. "Maybe not," She mutters, but he hears her and glares over at her.
"Not funny," He frowns, and she grabs her first arrow, pretending to be nervous as she fires the shot, hitting the bullseye; the Prince looks at her in shock.
"Must be luck," She plays it off and shoots her second arrow; it also lands on the bullseye, and she takes her next shot, getting another bullseye. "Want me to stop?" She asks him as she shoots her fourth arrow; not letting him answer; she takes out another one and looks at him as she aims and shoots the arrow into the bullseye. "So, I win," She states and sees the look of shock on her friend's face.
"H-how did you do that?" He asks in surprise.
"My Papa taught me," She answers, and he sighs.
"You played me; that's not fair, Cissy," He complains.
"You were so happy about trying to teach me, then you were acting all cocky; I had to take you down a peg or two." She replies, and the Knights across the yard all laugh; Prince Arthur looks over at them, silencing them. "Come on, Artie, lighten up a little, think about it, we can spend the whole day together tomorrow."
"I guess that is true," He agrees with a smile.
~ENCHANTING~
The next day, Princess Clarissa and Prince Arthur sit in her magic room as she mixes potions, helping Gaius with his ingredients and elixirs; Prince Arthur watches her with intrigue and looks around the room he never knew existed. "So, which one are you doing now?" He asks her as she mixes another potion in one of the small bowls.
"It's a small healing potion; it heals small cuts and bruises when you rub it on the affected area." She tells him as she mixes in the herbs, making a paste.
"It's really amazing what you can do; I can't see why my father hates magic." He mumbles, and the Princess nods.
"I understand some use it for evil deeds, but there are more that use it to help people, to do good; I wish your father could see that." She says with a sigh.
"I agree, you could do more amazing things for the people," Arthur adds with a smile as he sees her eyes glow gold, and the paste glows a light blue before it disappears. "It's wonderful to watch," He comments, and it makes the Princess blush.
~ENCHANTING~
Princess Clarissa sits outside as the party goes on inside the banquet hall, it's Prince Arthur's 24th birthday, and one of the guests was getting a little too friendly with the Prince for the Princess' liking, so she walked out quickly, hoping nobody would notice. "Clarissa," She hears a whisper; she looks around in shock as the whispering of her name continues; she stands on her feet from the stone bench and walks back inside the castle.
~ENCHANTING~
Princess Clarissa walks around the castle as the whispering of her name grows louder the closer she gets; she makes herself deep within the castle, walking downstairs towards the dungeons; she looks around with caution before heading through the room. She sees another set of stairs into a dark set of stairs; she conjures a ball of green flames in her hands, her eyes glowing gold. The Princess walks down the stairs as it grows darker, but thankfully her ball of fire in her hand as she walks into the darkness to a large cavern that appears to stretch under the whole of the castle. She hears the flapping of wings beating in the darkness; she jumps back as the Great Dragon soars up from below the cliff's edge and settles on a nearby rock. The Princess looks in shock at the majestic, magical beast as he settles on the rock and stares at the brunette, who stares back in shock. "It's good to finally meet you, Princess," The Great Dragon remarks.
"I've heard about you; Uther keeps you here under the castle as a prisoner." The Princess whispers, and the Great Dragon looks at the small Witch as he sees tears gathering in her eyes.
"I am afraid so, but you dear one are free to change the course of this great Kingdom to come." He tells her, and she looks at him.
"What do you mean, this Kingdom to come?" She asks him as she wipes the unshed tears from her eyes.
"The Kingdom that your friend Prince Arthur will help bring about along with some exceptional help." He tells her with a cryptic smile, and she shakes her head.
"Artie, my Artie, the Prince of Camelot, who is a sore loser, can't help boasting about things, though he can be considerate sometimes, and…." She stops herself as she sees the overgrown reptile giving her a look, seeing the blush creeping onto her face. "What?" She asks him, and he chuckles, thinking of the prophecy, of the Once and Future Queen and King of Albion, the return of magic, and already the little Princess has made a difference in the time spent in the castle.
"Nothing, dear one, but you must help Prince Arthur to bring magic back." He tells her, calming his laughter.
"And how would I do that?" She asks him.
"You already have, dear ones, you already have." He tells her with a smile that she returns.