He carried the Sword of Strength, and rode on his trusty steed, Perzona. He would not stop until he rescued her, no matter what it took, no matter what he had to endure.
He came from nearby Farentin. He was the oldest son of the King of Farentin. He was golden handsome, tall and strong, with chiseled chin and passionate blue eyes. And he loved the Princess Charlotte, with all his heart and soul, They had neighboring kingdoms, and they would often play in the castle gardens of Tyvale. As they grew older, there would be hand holding and stolen kisses. The fathers dreamed of a kingdom united once more.
But then the night of Princess Charlotte's 16th birthday, she vanished from the castle. No one could find her anywhere. The rumors became strong that she was taken away by Iitiful pirates, or perhaps an evil witch from Zanzibar. Search parties went out, always led by the young Farentin Prince, always ending in failure.
Six months later, a message from a carrier pigeon was received, saying that the Princess had been seen far to the south, in the land of Rodan, in the company of the most foul witch on the planet. Esmerda the Evil, she was known throughout all the kingdoms.
With this information, the young Farentin prince, Martin, left out to find the Princess and bring her safely back. The way ahead was treacherous, but Martin was determined to see it through.
The journey was distant and perilous, but that did not deter Prince Martin. He rode across the Rider's Plain, defeating a herd of pursuing beasts, including a ten-foot tall great white land shark.
He lost part of a tooth, as he was jostled by eager shoppers in the land of Mysterling.
He crossed the desert of Lambia, losing his precious horse, Perzona. When he came out the other side, he was met by swords surrounding him. He battled back with all his might, visions of the Princess kept him anchored. No matter what the odds, he would not fail her.
He was scarred. His beautiful sword was nicked. His chain mail clothing was torn, and he was bleeding from a thousand cuts. But still he pressed on.
He was attacked by flying monkeys in the forests of Myceia. He slayed a dragon hiding in the mountains of Pazoria. He was bone weary, and hurt in so many places. But he could not shake the need to rescue her, of her falling into his arms, and then to begin their married life as they ruled the kingdoms together.
He finally came to the castle steps where it was guarded by a band of Ogres. And after getting through it all, he came to the kitchen of the witch's castle,
The evil witch is right in the kitchen, standing at the oven. "OOO...company!, " she proclaimed. "Would you like a fresh, hot, apple pie, right straight from the oven?" She was older but not ancient, a little wrinkled but not pruny. And she was a rich shade of sky green!
"Unhand her this instant, you hag!. I've come to take Princess Charlotte home again."
"Charley!!!" she shouted. "Prince Martin is hear to rescue you! "
From the room next door emerged the good Princess Charlotte. She was now wearing jeans and a peasant shirt, and looked, well, annoyed. She saw that it was the Prince. A faint flicker of a smile crossed her lips. "What are you doing here, Martin? Are they still sending people out after me?"
He bowed before her. "Princess, I have come to take you home, where you can become a great queen and pursue many womanly interests."
"Rescue?" she scoffed. "Who said I want to be rescued? I am learning all the great spells and basic skills needed to wield the most powerful magics on the planet."
Confused, he said, "Charlotte, I have come so far, gone through so much, just to bring you back and to betroth you."
"Yuck!" Charlotte said. "I mean, I like you Martin, but that is the last thing I want to think about now. I'm not her hostage. I'm her student!" Charlotte and Esmerda smiled at each other. "So, begone, foolish man!"
Prince Martin left, dejected and defeated, never to see Princess Charlotte again.
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