The Princess and The Reluctant Knight

Episode 27

Queen Elana sprinted through the Not So Enchanted Forest in a not very queen-like way.

Princess Jeanette hurried beside her, losing her usual grace as they both tried to escape the sudden, heavy rain. "This storm is unnatural," Jeanette panted, her words absorbed in the howl of the wind.

Elana's crown was catching rain like a bowl. "It feels almost magical," she said, trying to see through the heavy rain washing away her royal look.

Just then, a cave popped up in front of them. They hurried inside, and the dark wrapped around them like a thick blanket.

Jeanette fumbled for a flint, her fingers as cooperative as eels in an oil slick. Sparks flew, a small rebellion of light against the oppressive darkness until finally a flame took pity on them and caught fire. The fire illuminated the cave, casting dramatic shadows that Bulgarian folk danced to the rhythm of the storm's fury outside.

"We must keep warm," Elana said.

Jeanette nodded, her teeth chattering a staccato that could have been Morse code for 'I could use a hot chocolate'. She huddled closer to the fledgling fire, its warmth washing over her.

As the fire got bigger, the shadows shrank back. But as the cave grew brighter and warmer, they noticed they had company. Eyeshine watched them from the dark corners of the cave.

Jeanette's hand instinctively reached for the hilt of her dagger, a weapon she wielded with the finesse of someone who had practiced on far more than just decorative pillows. "Mother," she whispered, "we are not alone."

Elana squared her shoulders. "We are guests here. Let us not be the sort of visitors who overstay their welcome."

As they moved closer to the fire, the creatures emerged as a rough-looking group from the forest: a grumpy badger with a lone eye, moles that treated the cave like a vacation spot, and a confused owl hooting with self-importance.

Jeanette kept her dagger drawn, but her stance softened. "We mean no harm," she assured them. "We merely seek shelter from the storm."

The badger, his one good eye narrowing, scrutinized the princess and her royal aunt. After a tense moment that stretched like an overcooked noodle, the creatures seemed to reach an unspoken agreement. They shuffled back, granting the humans space by the fire, their suspicious glances lingering.

Elana and Jeanette exchanged relieved looks. Then Jeanette curled up in Elana's arms, hoping their body heat would keep them from falling ill.

As the hours passed and the storm raged on, the queen and princess took turns keeping watch. That is when Jeanette caught a change in the storm's pattern. The wind's howl took on an unmelodic quality. "Listen," she said. "The storm... it sings."

Elana listened, her brow furrowing as the realization dawned upon her. "An enchantment, perhaps," she said. "And an odd-sounding one. This is no mere storm. We are indeed amid a magical maelstrom."

Jeanette's grip on her dagger tightened. "If this is magic, then there must be a spellcaster."

The queen nodded, her thoughts racing. "We must seek out the source."

The creatures of the cave seemed to sense the shift in their guests' intentions. The one-eyed badger grunted, a sound that might have been begrudging respect. The owl flapped its wings and perched nearer to the fire.

The storm roared, and the fire popped and hissed like one hundred rattlesnakes. However, amidst the chaos, a thread of something else emerged - laughter intertwined with the wind's cry, a joy that revealed a shared joke among the elements.