A silly story from a small kingdom, once upon a time...
***
Just as I release the arrow, the doe takes a step forward. The arrow that should have pierced its heart hits its belly instead. I curse as it runs away, and follow its path. The track is not hard to find, the animal is badly wounded and leaves clear blood marks behind. Still, it may take an hour before it dies, and I have to follow it, if my family should eat well tonight.
It is rough going in the hilly terrain, and for three hours I follow the poor beast, until it finally gives up and dies. I put it over my shoulders and prepare to return home. I have come further than planned, and into an area where I have not been for over a year. But the mountains around me makes it obvious where I am. I can follow the same path back, or cut more than an hour of my walk by going downhill to the bottom of the valley, and follow the river. I choose the latter.
I have not walked far when I see a disturbing sight: the bloody remains of a knight or a soldier. Or rather, the bloodied remains of his clothes and armour, his broken sword, and some human bones. There are burn marks on his clothes, and they are badly torn, as if some monster has killed and eaten him. But no dragon had been seen here since my grandfather was a young boy.
Twenty paces further on, I find the remains of the next knight, in similar shape. His sword is intact, and I take it. Merely to defend myself, not because I will be able to sell it for a good price.
A few steps further, I enter a small clearing in the forest, below a cliff. I see no danger here, and move forward. Just as I reach the opposite side of the clearing, I hear motion to the side. What looks like an oversized lizard is running towards me, and opens its mouth. I jump forward and roll on the ground, the blast of fire passes right over me. As soon as I get up, I swing the sword at the small dragon. I am no swordsman, but somehow I manage to hit it cleanly, and its head comes off.
Then I hear a shout from the direction of the cliff.
"Help!"
It sounds like a woman. I run to the cliff, and a notice a small cave. A woman comes out of the cave. She is wearing what was once an expensive dress, now it is torn and dirty.
"I saw you kill the dragon. Thank you, it has held me here for twelve days."
Then she looks at me with wonder. "But you are not a knight! Dragons abduct maidens of noble blood to attract knights, so they can eat them. Well, I do not complain. Thank you for saving me. I am Irulan, by the way."
I bow to her. "An I am Amroth, and truly I am no knight, just a young man hunting in the forest."
I hesitate. "Your name is Irulan, you say. Like the Crown Princess? Surely, you are not..."
"I am. No, don't do that, you just saved me!" she exclaims, as I drop to my knee and bow my head in awe and respect. "Please, just help me get back to the capital."
We walk down through the valley towards the river below. The princess is in surprisingly good shape, considering that she has been held captive by a dragon for almost two weeks. Sure, she could do with a bath and some cleaner clothes, but the dragon must have fed her. I hope she has not been given grilled knight, but I do not dare to ask.
Eventually, we make it back to my village, where my brothers and parents a glad to see me and the doe, and surprised to see the princess. So are the rest of the villagers. Irulan asks us to help getting her to the capital.
"I can walk no further. Does anybody here have a wagon, that can drive me to the capital? This young man should come with me, my parents will reward him handsomely for saving me. I would like to start right away."
The blacksmith steps forward. "I have an ox carriage. It is not fast, but I can drive to you the garrison down the valley. If we depart now, we will reach it before nightfall. They will have faster wagons to carry you onward. I'll drive you."
"I should drive," his wife says. "It is not proper for a princess to be travelling alone in the company of men." Irulan nods.
It is almost midnight before we reach the army camp at Durtang. First, they will not let us in, but when Irulan stands up and claims to be the Crown Princess the soldiers dare not deny us entrance. The officer in charge comes running out to greet us. Quickly, the princess describes the situation, and the officer speaks to some of the other men in charge. One of them comes to me.
"We will leave in an hour, in two wagons, for it is not proper that anybody travels with Her Royal Highness, and she insists that you should come to the capital with her. Come with me now, we will make sure you are fed before you leave.
"Her Royal Highness will eat in the officers mess, you will have to make do with the soldier's canteen."
An hour later, two carriages pulled by two horses each are leaving the military camp. I am in the rearmost. Never have I travelled so fast! We drive through the night, and make a brief halt in the morning to eat. Then we continue, driving through most of the day. It is late afternoon when we arrive at the capital, and drive directly to the royal castle. Riders have ridden ahead, so they know the princess is safe and on her way.
When we arrive, the two carriages are separated. Servants of the royal court hold the door for me as I alight, and take me to a room where I will spend the night. Never have I seen a bedroom of this size, and behind a screen a tub with hot water is waiting for me. I undress and bathe, before going to bed.
Next morning, my clothes have been replaced by something far more suitable for the royal court. A servant helps me getting dressed, and comes with breakfast for me. Not long after eating, he returns.
"The King and Queen desire to see you," he announces.
I am led to a chamber where the King and Queen await me. I have no idea how to behave in such company, so I drop on one knee, and bow deeply.
"Do get up, don't bow to us. You saved our daughter, if anything we should bow to you. Come, sit with us, and tell us what happened. Today, we are Irulan's mother and father, we want to express our gratitude to you as her parents. Tomorrow, we will receive you formally in the throne room, to express the gratitude of the Kingdom. Then you should bow, of course, but not today!"
I am seated in a large chair, at the same table as the King and Queen. They both seem more friendly, and at their prompting I begin telling what happened. As I talk, I get less and less nervous, until I reach the part of the story where we reach the village. At that point, we are interrupted by a knocking on the door. The princess Irulan enters.
I rise and bow deeply for her, hardly believing my own eyes. The woman I saved was pretty but not looking her best after her stay in the dragon's den. The woman who enters the chamber is truly a princess: tall and regal, and very beautiful. Her long light hair is flowing down her shoulders in curls, her dress is tasteful and expensive, while still enhancing her feminine forms. And her whole face is smiling as she looks at me.
She sit down at the table, and I resume telling my story. The King and Queen often interrupt with questions, and the princess with comments. They are very interested in my view on all kinds of details in the story. Once I have told everything there was to say, they begin asking about the life in the village, and my view on how things are done both in the village and in the city.
Lunch is served in the chamber, and then dinner. It now feels almost like we are old friends enjoying each other's company, the conversation is pleasant and we are even joking together, but still I cannot shake the feeling that they are somehow testing me.
