The Legend of Princess Wildheart (6 page)

  The song ended and Prince Tangent walked up to ask for the next dance.  The Princess smiled and accepted his request.  She watched as Prince Morgan walked away and over to a table to join Duke and Pricilla. 

  Prince Tangent was a great dancer, very polished and poised as he danced with the young Princess.  Prince Morgan watched his Princess dancing with Prince Tangent.  He respected Tangent and enjoyed having him around.    

  “Prince Tangent, always a gentleman, very proper and likable,” said Prince Morgan.

  “Yes, he is,” said Duke.

  “Hello Pricilla, you look beautiful tonight,” said Prince Morgan.

  “Hello Prince Morgan, I enjoyed watching you and Princess Wildheart dance.  She looked really happy to be dancing with you.  Princess Wildheart has been excited all day about you coming to the Ball tonight,” said Pricilla

  Prince Morgan smiled and just kept watching the Princess dance.

  “She is in love with you.  You know that right?  Anyone can see that by the way she looks at you,” said Pricilla.

  “Did she tell you that?”
asked Prince Morgan.

  “Yes, she knew from the first kiss you two shared that she loved you.  It has been hard for her to go through the motions of pretending interest in the other Princes when the only man she wants to be with is you.”

  “I am in love with her too Pricilla.  It’s been difficult for me to watch her dancing with other men here when it could be just the two of us instead.” 

  “I love Duke, he will be my man,” said Pricilla as Duke held her hand and smiled at her.

  “We are all very fortunate to have found each other,” said Duke, kissing her hand.

  Prince Morgan noticed Prince Darksoul off to one side of the ball room arguing with another man, not loud but with conviction.  Duke noticed him also.

  “Prince Darksoul appears to be up to something Morgan,” said Duke.

  “No telling, he had his dance and is now over there getting agitated with that other fellow,” said Prince Morgan.

  Pricilla excused herself to go freshen up as both men stood politely.

  “So how is it going with Pricilla tonight Duke?” 

  “Fine, I am having a great time.  She is the only girl for me Morgan.  I have never felt this way before,” he smiled.

  “How are things going with Princess Wildheart?”

  “Well, I can’t say I enjoy watching other men dance with her Duke.  I just need to talk to her father and get his ok on the two of us being together.” 

  “Things will work out Morgan, try to enjoy yourself, love finds a way,” said Duke.

  “Your right Duke.  I should just enjoy the night, things will work out here.” 

  Prince Morgan walked away towards the King.  He planned to gain permission right then to enjoy the rest of the evening with the woman he loved.  Surly the King would allow him to court his daughter if he desired, he was a Prince, born of noble blood and heir to the throne of Caledon.  He could convince the King that he too was a prospect to be considered.  Prince Morgan was almost there when a Paladin guard to the King came over quickly to speak with the King.  Prince Morgan was close enough to hear what was being said.

  “Your highness, excuse my interruption, I have important news I must give to you,” said the guard.

  “Well, go on then man, tell me what you have,” encouraged the King.

  “The eastern most outpost of our Kingdom has come under attack your majesty.  There are many casualties,” the guard stated with his head bowed.

  “Attacked you say? 
Who attacked us? Tell me what you know,” said the astonished King.

  “We don’t know sir but it appears that a sizable force attacked and captured the outpost with only the messenger escaping with his life,” said the guard.

  The King grew very angry.  He looked at Prince Morgan. 

  “It seems we have come under attack, excuse me as I have urgent business to attend,” said the King

  Prince Morgan nodded as the King walked over to a table where his sons were sitting.    He watched the King tell the young men what happened.  One of the three brothers got angry and pounded the table with his fist.  They were all talking but Prince Morgan couldn’t hear what was being said.  The Queen, seeing what was going on, then walked over to find out what was happening.  She looked very upset when the King informed her of the attack.  

  Prince Morgan went over to Duke to fill him in on the recent news. 

  “Looks like there is trouble Duke, some remote outpost here in the Kingdom was attacked and the inhabitants slaughtered with no mercy.”

  ”Wow, i
f that’s the case then yes, trouble, big trouble Morgan,” said Duke.

EIGHT

“Wait here a moment Morgan.  I need to talk with Pricilla and tell her about this.” 

  Duke walked over to Pricilla and informed her of what was going on and then came right back over to Prince Morgan.  Pricilla then went to tell Princess WildHeart about the attack.   

  “We should get our weapons Morgan, we made need those, maybe we can help somehow,” said Duke.

  “Good idea Duke.  You go get them and have the stable ready our horses while I stay here and keep an eye on things,” instructed Prince Morgan. 

  “Even though the King has an army we should be prepared to help.  I’ll grab the sword of Caledon and bring your light armor back with me,” said Duke as he walked quickly from the room.

  Pricilla and Princess Wildheart walked over to Prince Morgan.  The Princess was really upset and grabbed hold of Prince
Morgan’s arm and leaned her head on his shoulder.

  “All those poor people slaughtered so suddenly.  It’s just awful!  So very sad for that to happen in our Kingdom,” she said, beginning to cry. 

  Pricilla stood next to them almost crying her when she saw the Princess crying.  Pricilla asked Prince Morgan where Duke had gone.

  “He will be right back Pricilla.  I asked him to bring our weapons and light armor here in case there is more trouble or we can be of help,”   said Prince Morgan.

  Duke knew that the Prince had great instincts and hurried to get the weapons and inform the stable hand to ready their horses.  He grabbed the sword of Caledon, the armor and his latest weapon, the special bow he had purchased from the merchant in town.

  Prince Tangent noticed something wasn’t right and came over to talk with Prince Morgan and find out what was going on.  Prince Morgan informed him of the attack and Prince Tangent said he intended to help in any way he could.

  Princess Wildheart had finished crying and became angry.

  “Now my party is ruined and everyone has been put in danger.  Well if those attackers think that victory will be theirs then I promise you they will be very sorry.  No way can they attack the Rose Kingdom and get away with it!” 

  “Duke has gone to retrieve our weapons and armor, I will stand with the Kingdom and fight, so will Duke,” said Prince Morgan.

  “I am going to get my sword also, I will stand with you all to defend the Kingdom,” said Prince Tangent as he left to get his weapon.

  “Father will appreciate your loyalty and appreciate your offer of service Morgan.  However, it seems my party will still be ruined after all,” said Princess Wildheart.

  Prince Morgan grabbed her hands and looked into her eyes.  It was upsetting to him to see the girl he loved crying and feeling so sad.

  “Princess, this will pass, and then we can all deal with the question regarding the two of us.  Trust in me Princess and believe that I would never let any harm come to you or Pricilla.  Duke and I will ensure your safety and we can all stick together while we deal with this,” said Prince Morgan, hugging her close.

  “I know you would protect us Morgan and I feel safe with you by my side,” said Princess Wildheart. 

  Duke returned with the weapons and armor.  He handed Prince Morgan his sword and armor.  He was already wearing his own armor and holding his new weapon.

  “I feel much better Morgan knowing that we can now protect the girls from harm.  Did you find out anything new yet Morgan?” 

  “I haven’t heard anything else yet Duke.  Let's go check with the King and offer him our services.  Princess, promise me that you and Pricilla will remain in the castle until we find out what is going on, “said Prince Morgan.

  “I agree we should stay inside the castle where it is safe.  We will go with you and Duke to find out what is going on from my father
,” said Princess Wildheart. 

  The four of them went to the room where the King and the three brothers had gone into. 

  “Sir, I heard what happened and Duke and I would like to offer our service to the Kingdom,” he said bowing.

  “Prince Morgan, I’m glad you are here,” said the King.  “I am dispatching my sons to the outpost which was attacked along with one hundred castle soldiers.  All ride horses, so they should reach the outpost by this time tomorrow.  I am sure they will be able to fend off the enemy and report back to me on the size and quality of the force that has attacked my Kingdom.  In the meantime though, I would appreciate it if you and Duke would remain inside the castle to boost protection for my family and others here,” said the King.

  “It would be our honor to do so.  We already have our weapons and are happy to oblige your request sir,” said Prince Morgan.

  Duke nodded his head in agreement.  Prince Tangent then returned with his sword and located the group making plans with the King.  He walked into the room and Duke filled him in on the plan now in place to find information about the enemy. 

  Princess Wildheart smiled at Pricilla, she felt safe with Prince Morgan near and it was comforting that Duke would be there to protect Pricilla until the crisis passed.  The Ball was starting to break up at this point with so many of the hosts distracted to respond to the crisis.  The Queen entered the room and urged the King to go and make an announcement to the guests in the ballroom.  The King followed her out into the ballroom and called for everyone’s attention as the crowd went quiet to hear what he had to say.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, I have bad news to report.  Rose Kingdom has come under attack by unknown forces at one of our outposts,” he said.

  The crowd gasped in horror and began talking among themselves.  Once again, the King asked for their attention.

  “Unfortunately the Ball will have to end early tonight.  I’m sure you can all understand how serious this situation is.  Thank you all for coming,” he said. 

  The people started gathering their things and leaving right away as the King went back over to where the others were standing.  Soon only Prince Morgan, Duke and Prince Tangent along with the royals remained in the castle ballroom.  With the exception of Prince Darksoul who was busy chatting with one of his associates.  Prince Tangent went over to Prince Darksoul to see what he was up to.  They had exchanged words before during previous encounters and the events.  Prince Morgan watched closely as the two began talking with each other.  He could not make out what they were saying but could tell that Prince Tangent was not too happy with the exchange.  Morgan then glanced out one of the only windows in the room and saw the three Princes mounted on their enormous horses leading the army through the courtyard to exit through the gates.  He noted how well prepared and organized they seemed.  They were well armed and in a tight formation as they left the castle with the banners of the Rose Kingdom flying.  It gave him confidence that this group would be difficult to deal with even if they were to encounter a professional armed force.

  The King walked over to the two invited Princes and offered his apologies to them for the incident.  He explained that there would be some more opportunities for them to get to know Princess Wildheart better.  Right now she would be unavailable to them and was under protection provided by Prince Morgan and Duke. 

  Prince Tangent offered his service to the Kingdom.

  The King thanked Prince Tangent for offering his service to the Kingdom and explained that for now he would appreciate it if he and Prince Darksoul would stay at the Inn. 

  Prince Darksoul wasn’t very happy with the new arrangements.

  “Well I have come a long way to spend time with your daughter King Rose and so far I only got one lousy dance with her for my troubles.  I just hope you don’t take too much time playing around while I am stuck at the Inn with this idiot Tangent.  You people here are really dragging things out and wasting too much time on deciding something that should be an obvious choice by now,” said Prince Darksoul pouting as he walked out of the room.

  The King didn’t say anything as he watched Prince Tangent follow Prince Darksoul out of the door.  The Queen was very emotionally drained from the day and had decided to retire to her room. 

NINE

  “I hope your birthday wasn’t ruined my dear,” he said to the Princess

  “It was a great birthday father.  The Ball had been going well until this business of war had come up,” she said.

  “I was hoping for a calmer environment so you could think clearly and make your decision about which of the two Princes you favored most,” said the King.

  Princess Wildheart hugged the King.

  “Father as long as I can remember, you have always tried to keep my best interest in your heart. You and mother have always allowed me to be happy and make my own decisions.  I know I am going to be responsible for my own happiness in the future.  I believe that I am ready for that challenge.  I could not have had better parents.  This I will take with me always in my heart as long as I live,” she said.

   The King smiled and gave her a kiss on the cheek.  He looked at his daughter as she continued talking.

  “Father I have now become a woman and will be leaving my childhood behind me.  I will be entering a new stage of my life where my choices will determine future events.  The most important of those choices to me will be selecting the right person to spend my life with.  If I have to choose between Prince Tangent and Prince Darksoul I could never be happy.  I find Prince Darksoul to be rude and obnoxious.  I just do not have any desire for Prince Tangent.  This leaves me unable to choose one of those two Princes,” she said.

  The King interrupted her. 

  “My dear, I should have tried harder to find better choices for you,”   said the King.  “I let you down and I am very sorry Princess.”

  “It’s not your fault father.  The truth is that my heart has been won by someone else I met and let into my world.  I want this person to be a part of my future,” she said.

  Princess Wildheart walked over and threw her arms around Prince Morgan. 

  “Father my heart belongs to Prince Morgan.  I met him quite by accident and he is the one I like and want to marry,” she said happily giving the surprised Prince Morgan a kiss. 

  Prince Morgan remained silent while the news hit the King.  The King was smiling and happy to see Princess Wildheart had chosen someone she really wanted to be with.  The King and Queen both liked Prince Morgan and Duke.  Prince Morgan was relieved that the King did not reject him and everything was now out of hiding.

  “Princess, if Prince Morgan is the one that you desire and the feeling is mutual between you two, then you should pursue your happiness with him.  Actually, I am relieved that you chose Prince Morgan over the other two that I invited.  I favor him over the other two men myself,” said the King.

  “Sir, I was going to ask your permission to see the Princess, I just didn’t get to it yet,” said Prince Morgan.

  “Morgan, you have mine and the
Queens’s permission and blessings.  My daughter has shown good judgment as usual and I am very pleased she has chosen you.  I presume that you have a desire to have her hand in marriage and will be able to provide for her in your Kingdom of Caledon,” said the King.

  “She has won my heart your highness, I care for her deeply.  As far as Caledon is concerned, the people there will love her just as they do here in the Rose Kingdom.  I am sure of that.  She will be respected and live the live she deserves to have,” said Prince Morgan. 

  Princess Wildheart smiled contently at Prince Morgan.  She had gotten what she truly wanted which made her very happy.  A Princess should always have her way, especially on her birthday.  It was expected and the right way for things to be in her mind.

  “You have chosen a path to happiness Princess.  We can make a formal announcement at a later time when the current crisis is averted,” said the King.

  “I love you father, you’re the best,” said Princess Wildheart

  “Congratulations to you both!”  

  The King then shook Prince Morgan’s hand and gave Princess Wildheart a hug.  

  “I’ll inform your mother of your decision Princess,” he said smiling and walking out of the room.

  Duke had his arm around Pricilla and they were both smiling.  They congratulated their friends and were delighted to see them finally together.

  “That was a
heartwarming moment to watch Princess.   Pricilla and I feel the same way about each other,” said Duke, giving Pricilla a kiss.

  “Pricilla knows what she wants Duke,“ smiled Princess Wildheart. 

  “Things have worked out great and I am happy we can spend more time together now,” said Morgan, giving the Princess a kiss.

  “Princess Wildheart is my sister and I will never stop loving her.  When I met Duke my whole world changed after he came into my heart,” she said, kissing Duke.

  “Well, don’t leave me out.” said Duke.  “Prince Morgan and I have wandered far and wide.  I could not have asked for a better friend.  He and I will always be close friends.  He knows he can count on me to be there if he ever needs anything,” said Duke, bowing to the Prince.  “The biggest surprise of my life was meeting Pricilla.  From the very first moment I saw her standing there, my heart skipped a beat.  I am sure that she is the only woman for me,” said Duke, giving Pricilla a kiss.

  “Somehow it appears that the stars in the heavens have aligned to draw us all together.  We can go into the future with the ones we love,” said Pricilla.

  The four of them stayed and talked for a while before Princess Wildheart and Pricilla decided to retire to their bedchambers.  The young men watched the girls as they walked out of the ballroom.

  “Well, it appears we have found our place in the world,” said Duke.

  “I agree and it feels good Duke.  I would have never figured on this to happen to us as we traveled around.  It must be fate I guess,” said Prince Morgan.

  “Yea, I agree, we are very lucky men. This Kingdom has bestowed its magic on the two of us.  I meant what I said, I’ll always have your back Morgan,” said Duke.

  “I appreciate that Duke.  I will always have your back
also my friend.  Let's take turns on watch, so the other can get some sleep in between watches.  I’ll take the first watch,” said Prince Morgan.

  “Ok
, wake me when it’s my turn,” said Duke.