The Princess and the Crown

Addison pushed her crown up slightly and scratched where it normally lay. The crown was heavy, costly, and she wasn’t used to it yet.

She had grown up a peasant, but now, after an unexpected series of events, Addison found herself walking with the gorgeous, toned-but-tender Prince Anwell, side by side, through a beautiful grassy meadow. 

They both breathed rather deeply because only moments ago, they had been running.

Though she didn’t look to make sure, Addison—no, Princess Addison—knew that a column of smoke billowed behind them from the ruins of the enemy’s stronghold. The prince insisted they walk, but she was unsure that the danger had fully passed.

Even so, she trusted Prince Anwell. She squeezed his hand as he led her through the meadow to a narrow path next to a river.

Prince Anwell said, “Please, my dear, take a drink. Let us rest for a few minutes.”

She looked down at her ragged, dirty dress, all too conscious of how it didn’t match her crown. “Do we have time to rest, time to lose? The enemy’s soldiers and hunters might catch us still, at any moment.”

He laughed. “It’s okay. Just drink some water.”

She knelt at the river bank, but before leaning fully down for a drink, she turned towards the castle which they had only just fled from. The smoke from the fortress was actually thicker than Addison thought it would be, which she hoped was a good sign. The moving smoke mesmerized her for a moment, but the prince’s voice broke her reverie.

“Don’t worry. If the enemy comes, I will protect you. I promise. Just drink and relax for a moment.”

She obliged, treasuring each of his words, pushing fear further from the front of her mind, though it insisted on lurking in the shadows.

After she drank, they continued walking along the water’s edge away from the enemy’s fortress. As they did, the breeze blew between and around them, and she shivered for a moment, the cool air easily chilling through her torn dress.

Addison didn’t know how much time had passed, but they eventually came to fork where the road split in two—one continued with the river heading towards a valley between two mountains, and the other a wide, paved road leading towards Eastward Citadel, the famed city-fortress of old.

“Princess,” Prince Anwell said.

It took Addison a moment to respond, but she did look up at him. “Yes, my prince?”

“Do you trust my leading?”

“With all my heart.”

“Good. We will follow the river.”

Addison scowled. “Eastward Citadel is by far the closest city, is it not? If we’re not heading there, how else will we get food, shelter, and everything else?”

“Do you trust my leading?” Prince Anwell asked again.

“Yes.”

“Then I will direct your paths. The river path beckons.”

“I don’t under—”

“We must go directly to my Father’s house. He’s waiting for you, my dear. Besides…you’ve seen my Father’s magic. We know its safety. We will be fine away from the city.”

She nodded and squeezed his hand tighter, and they continued alongside the river.

Addison did remember the King’s magic. She had fallen into enemy hands, and the fault had been her own. Yet, the king still loved her enough to send the willing Prince Anwell after her—equipped with heart, relentless determination, a jewel encrusted sword, and a crown emanating magic. Because of Prince Anwell, her rescue was swift, powerful…and undeserved. 

As they walked, she gripped his hand even tighter. 

The path turned directly into the steep, deep, narrow valley between the rocky crags. As they continued walking, eventually the river turned into a cave that the path did not enter, and after a last drink from its freshness, they continued along the path, just themselves and the rocks and rising mountainsides.

The valley continued downward and grew more steep with every step.

Addison finally mustered up the will to ask, “How safe is this? I mean, I do trust you, but is this really the best route home?”

“We are in no danger,” Anwell said. “But, let us stop for a moment. Just a little further down, the road evens out and becomes more easy to traverse. However, there are several caves and outcroppings on either side, and there will likely be bandits waiting to attack.”

“Bandits? Should we turn around?”

“No, no, of course not. We’re still safe. We just need to be vigilant. Anything that attempts to pose a threat against you works for the enemy, but the enemy has already been vanquished. Through his magic, my father has given everything we need. All we need to do is stay wary.”

Princess Addison admitted, “I don’t feel vigilant. Or wary. Or ready for any kind of battle.”

“Do you not wear the crown?”

She sighed. “Of course I’m wearing the crown! Don’t you see what else I’m wearing? I don’t feel like a princess or a warrior in these rags.”

Prince Anwell grinned. “My dearest Princess, don’t you see? You have the crown. The crown that connects you to my father. You have everything he’s ever given you. Watch this.”

Prince Anwell’s crown glowed, and a golden light shone from the crown’s jewel. Suddenly, multicolored lights from the crown washed over him, and in moments he was covered in thick, crimson armor. Addison knocked on his breastplate and admired the beauty and strength of his new clothes.

“Princess, you do wear the crown. You can do the same.”

Addison took the crown off to examine it. She looked over each of the gems set within the gold crown’s intricate, floral pattern.

Prince Anwell laughed. “You do actually have to wear it to use it, you know.”

Addison smirked. “I’ve been wearing it for hours. You wanna tell how this actually works?” 

“It’s easy. Just put the crown on. Use your thoughts. Connect to the crown as your mind connects to and instructs any body part to move and be.”

She chuckled. “Is that all?”

“Trust me,” he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Once you try, it’s actually kind of easy.”

Princess Addison sighed and returned the crown to her head. She closed her eyes and attempted to connect to the crown. Suddenly, the crown started to vibrate and hum.

Addison screamed, and the crown stopped.

Prince Anwell laughed. “I know it feels weird right now, but you’ll get used to it. That’s actually what the crown always does when you first connect to it. Try again, and this time, tell the crown to give you armor and a weapon.”

She obeyed and then a blue light enveloped her, and moments later she was covered in bright, shiny emerald-colored armor, and a bow appeared in her hand with a quiver of arrows strapped to her back.

Addison laughed. “So, I could’ve been wearing this the whole time?”

Prince Anwell was beaming.

“How did the crown know I prefer bows to swords?”

He shrugged. “It probably gave you the exact weapon needed for this fight.”

“Do we actually know if bandits are waiting for us?”

“No. But if there are, we’ll be ready. With the sword, I’ll get the most immediate threats. But as we walk through the valley, it would be wise for you to have an arrow nocked and ready.”

She smiled and readied an arrow, and they continued walking. 

Soon, they were flanked by shadows, rocks, and caves. As they hiked, Addison’s eyes flicked all around to every gap, every stone, looking for any sign of enemies.

Princess Addison heard something flapping and cawing behind her, and she spun and shot.

She hit and stopped a flying black mass that plopped on the ground and slid to her feet. She looked closely at in and removed the arrow.

“It looks like a bird of some kind,” she said, noting the splayed wings and black feathers.

Prince Anwell said, “It’s a Death Crow, a servant of the enemy. Nice shot. See? My father equipped us, so we have nothing to fear. With—”

Princess Addison screamed and raised her bow, but before she could shoot, Anwell turned, saw the assailant, and swung his sword to block the sword of his foe.

The man wore a black cloak and mask, and even his sword seemed to be dripping with darkness. He tried to stab Anwell, but deflected the sword and lunged into a stab of his own; in moments, the attacker was dead on the ground.

Anwell turned back to Addison. “As I was saying, with the right equipment and with vigilance, we are ready for any battle.”

They stepped over the body and continued down the path. They walked calmly and carefully, but Addison could feel her pulse still as quick as when the crow had surprised her.

While they hiked, Addison again looked at every shadow they passed, but instead of seeing nothing, she started to notice eyes and obscured faces.

“We’re not alone,” she whispered.

Prince Anwell said, “I’m aware. They know a losing battle when they see one.”

The walking settled into a steady pace, and Addison allowed herself to relax a little bit, though she did keep an arrow ready on the bow.

Anwell made conversation, and soon Addison almost forgot about the danger surrounding them. 

Almost.

As they went, the path eventually evened out even more, and the valley widened out to where the mountain walls were at a distance. 

As the sun began to go down, Addison and Anwell climbed a hill to a plateau in the middle of the valley, and there they could see most of the expansive terrain, including the caves, rocks, and flatlands. 

Addison estimated it to be a kilometer to either mountain, but she couldn’t tell how long to the where the valley narrowed and the path led to the mountain pass’s end. According the Prince Anwell, the king’s castle lay only a three day walk beyond the pass, and Addison very much wanted to get there as soon as possible.

But Prince Anwell stopped.

“We will rest on this plateau tonight.”

“We can’t rest,” Addison protested. “What happened to staying vigilant? I don’t want to stop until we’re safe with the King.”

“We are safe. We have the crowns and the magic,” Prince Anwell said. “We cannot get to my father on your will and strength alone. He’s given us more than just power to help us survive this journey.”

“I don’t understand,” Princess Addison admitted. “If we stay here and rest, that makes us vulnerable, right? And here on this plateau instead of in a cave or somewhere hidden…it’s like we’re asking for an attack.

Anwell placed his hand on her shoulder. “My dear, first of all, you must know that rest isn’t for retreat. It’s for renewal and rejuvenation.” He gestured his free hand over the plateau. “Also, here we can be seen by everyone. Where better show the valley our safety?”

“If the bandits or soldiers or animals charge us, how safe will we actually be?”

“We have the crowns, Princess. It is enough.”

Addison still didn’t understand, but she trusted the prince and nodded her agreement.

“Besides,” Anwell said, “there are other ways to fight the king’s enemies. Watch this.”

Orange light glimmered from Prince Anwell’s crown. He pranced in front of Addison and started to dance, and streams of magic flowed around him. He danced to the music of the crown’s humming, and magic around him formed a campsite. Within moments, out of the magic’s weaving, two tents, a campfire,  a few chairs, and large table appeared in the air and alighted on the plateau.

When Prince Anwell stopped dancing, Princess Addison walked through the campsite in awe. She admired all the details, including the beauty of the tent’s fabric and its embroidered designs. The table was also covered with intricate carvings.

“How did you…” She paused. “No, no, this is too big. Too good. Too bright. We will be surrounded by the enemy’s legion for sure.”

Anwell said, “There’s no such thing as too big, too good, or too bright when it comes to my father. The king would prefer you have nothing less.”

Addison’s bow and quiver of arrows suddenly turned to dust and slipped away in the breeze.

“My bow! How will we stay defended?”

“I told you: there’s more than one way to fight. There are times where we need to pick up arms. There are other times we need to trust that we’ll be protected, and in those times all we need to do is eat and trust.”

“But…”

“This is what my father prefers. You wanted to join my kingdom, yes?”

Addison nodded. 

“You wanted to be a daughter of the king?”

“Yes.”

“You accepted the crown as a gift from my father and myself after I rescued you from the enemy, right?”

“Yes!” she yelled.

“Good. For this battle, my father’s invisible Spirt Dragon will protect us. It is my job to feed you and enjoy your company. It is your job to eat and enjoy my company. After that, it is both of our jobs to sleep.”

Addison cried, “But I’m not just a damsel in distress. When we met, I clearly remember you saying you liked my ambition and determination. Do you really expect me to eat while someone else does all the work?”

Prince Anwell said, “I know you’re not a damsel in distress. But you are loved. And some days, the harder battle is in choosing not to fight it but in entrusting it to the one who owns the kingdom. Through me, your father the king wants to lavish you with the best meal. It is only a taste of what is to come when we finally arrive at his castle.”

“Anwell.” Addison’s face grew weary and serious. “Do you know why I originally rejected your father’s offer to become a princess? As a princess, I want to be more than just the dainty eye candy who grows fat, makes babies, and poses for paintings.”

Prince Anwell led her to the table. “Sit, my dear. You are not just a pretty princess. You are a fighter and a lover. Surely the battle is far from other. There will be fights for you yet, my dear. But the fight you face tonight is with yourself. Are you willing to let go of control let my father give you what you need?”

“I think I can do that,” she said, sitting down at the table. 

“Good. And I will cook the best meal you’ve ever eaten.”

Indeed, Anwell cooked. With magic and a dance with every step and move, he chopped vegetables, roasted the meat from a nearby wild turkey, and even baked bread with a magic oven over the fire.

As he did, Addison tried to focus on his every move, his every word. But, even after the sun went down, in the starlight she could see shadows approaching their camp.

At one point, she asked, “Anwell, would you like me to use the crown to get my bow back and fight them off?”

He refused and insisted she enjoy the meal. Addison loved every bite and for awhile forgot about the danger surrounding them. After over an hour of feasting and laughing with her prince, Addison got up from the table and walked to the edge of the plateau.

“Prince, what are we to do next?”

“First, look at how the king’s Spirit Dragon has protected us.”

Clouds parted from the moon, and the moon’s new light made the shadows less obscure. Addison realized that a lot of those shadows weren’t foliage or rocks, but bodies. Burnt, dead corpses surrounded the plateau. She shook in disgust, thankful to not throw up. Then, she saw a number of living people looking at them, standing from a distance. 

“Who are they?”

Prince Anwell said, “They decided not to attack. They are not our enemies. They get leftovers.”

All remnants of Princess Addison’s fear was gone as they carried baskets of food to those who Addison had assumed were bandits.

Maybe they were never bandits. Maybe they knew to respect the fight they’d never win.

Each person they gave the food to was grateful until they came to the last man. His cloak was wrapped even more tightly than the others, and his hood was bigger, and Addison could see none of his face.

As she started to hand him the basket a hand holding a knife appeared out of his long sleeve. He jabbed at Addison, but before the knife could harm her, something invisible jerked him up ten meters in the air, and before he could hit the ground, he burst into flames.

Anwell said, “Spirit Dragon is always watching.”

They hiked back up to their tents, but Addison paused for a moment to watch the stars.

“We’ll be with the king soon, won’t we?” she asked.

Prince Anwell put an arm around her and said, “Soon. Sooner than you realize.”

She sighed. “Okay. I trust you. What happens next?”

“Next, we sleep. The fight begins anew each day.”

“Each day?”

“Well…each day until we reach my father’s castle.” 

Princess Addison embraced the prince one more time before going to bed. 

When she did enter her tent, she found a large soft bed with the fluffiest of pillows. As she changed her clothes, settled in, and closed her eyes, she realized she was still wearing her crown. 

Addison had assumed she’d want to take it off at night time, but now, for the first time, as she drifted off to sleep, she smiled, because she knew she was finally getting used to it.