Story Saturday: The Princess Trap

"The Princess Trap"

Once upon a time, there was a princess who loved two things--eating and training with the royal guards. On the rare occasions that the kingdom had a festival, the royal seamstresses would struggle to create something flattering for the princess's unusual figure, but she didn't mind. She kept herself strong and healthy by sparring with her favorite knights and even won several matches against them. Since she came from a kingdom that often went to war, her parents didn't mind that she did not meet the dainty expectations of a princess.

One day, the king and queen decided to take their daughter on a royal vacation. Since the kingdom had been at peace for a while, they were starting to grow bored of the monotony. When the queen suggested the far-off island of Keye, an advisor warned her that there had been many rumors of princesses traveling to that island with their families over the years and never returning. This piqued the princess's interest. What had happened to all the other princesses who visited the island? Were they still alive? She had to know more. Determined to solve the mystery of Keye, the princess begged her parents to take her there. The king and queen were hesitant, but they knew that their daughter was strong and brave and not like other princesses, so they reluctantly agreed.

When they arrived on the island, the princess was disappointed. It looked just like any other island paradise that royals would travel to on vacation. It had singing birds, luxury cabins, and high-class amenities. There was no air of foreboding within its brightly colored leaves or warm sunlight. She decided to wander off and do some exploring while her parents were being pampered at the local spa. As she traipsed through a beautiful forest that was bursting with vibrant flowers of every color, the princess quickly lost track of time as the sun set, spreading a soft purple glow along the leafy path.

She found some delicious berries growing among the trees. Once she finished gorging on berries, she stored the ones that she didn't eat in a basket for later. As she found herself encased in the darkness of night, the princess noticed a faint light coming from across the forest. When she located the source of it, she found herself in a hidden glen that glittered with the light of pixies and unicorns. It looked like every princess's wildest fantasy. This princess was happy to find it for a different reason. She knew that this place was the cause of all the disappearances and had to get to the bottom of it.

Cautiously, she approached the glen. As she drew nearer, one of the unicorns walked up to her with its horn glowing, as unicorns are said to do when they find innocent princesses in the woods. She was almost close enough to pet the enchanted creature's muzzle when she found that her foot lost its grounding. The unicorn purred beckoningly when the princess noticed that she was standing right in front of a trap hole in the ground that was covered by leaves and flowers. The unicorn began jumping and neighing loudly, startling her until she slipped into the hole. Fortunately, she found that her stout body got stuck before she fell all the way in, giving her time to pull out her sword and plunge it into the ground to steady herself. In doing so, she accidentally grazed the unicorn's leg but found that the sword had no effect. She was struck with the realization that the unicorn, the pixies, and the entire glen were all just an illusion.

Using her sword as a lever, the princess squeezed herself back up out of the hole. She then called down into the hole and heard many bell-like voices in response. All of the missing princesses were down there! She found a long vine just outside the glen and lowered it for them to climb. However, the kidnapped princesses had grown weak during their time in the dark trap, so she pulled most them out herself one by one once they had a good grip on the vine. She then offered them all of the berries she had collected so that they might regain some of their strength. The girls began regaling each other with stories about how long they had been trapped there and how they would each find their way back to their home kingdoms.

An incessant screeching interrupted their merriment, and the next thing their rescuer knew, the escaped princesses all ran away to safety, leaving only her. An angry troll walked up to the stout princess with its eyes glowing bright yellow. She raised her sword unafraid of the troll. He revealed to her that he had been collecting princesses for many years and was very angry at her for releasing them. He tried to tempt her with all the food she could ever desire if she stayed with him, but from the state his other captives were in when she found them, the princess knew he was lying. She noticed a brightly glowing crystal just on the other side of the hole she escaped from. The troll tried to push her into it, but she parried his attack and smashed the crystal with her sword as hard as she could.

The glittering glen melted away around her along with the unicorns and pixies, revealing a desolate wasteland. The troll cried out in defeat, admitting that the gem was the only thing he had to lure in princesses, and now he would have nothing. The princess shook her head and told him that he was a coward, resorting to cheap tricks to get what he wanted. Maybe now he could find a more honorable path in his life. Satisfied with her success, the princess returned to her family and told them everything she had seen. She became a hero among her people and spent the rest of her days eating everything in sight and lived happily ever after.