Fairy tales for young and old ~ English version

The Floating Fortress

(storytober - Day 21 - Castle)

Once upon a time, there existed a castle unlike any other—a majestic stronghold that drifted in the sky, its gleaming turrets shrouded in mist, its battlements perched upon clouds. They called it the Floating Fortress, for it hung above the world by the power of ancient magic, with no anchor to the ground below. Some said the spirits of the air held it aloft; others whispered of sorcery long forgotten. None dared to venture near it, save for those with courage enough to face the unknown.

Among the bravest was a knight named Rhyde. His heart was steadfast, his blade true, but it was not for glory or gold that he sought the Floating Fortress. He rode there for the sake of love—for within that castle, high above the earth, Prince Emil was held captive. Emil was Rhyde's dearest friend from childhood, but much more than that; the prince was his beloved, though the world did not know it. Their bond had grown from shared joys and mischiefs in the castle courtyard to secret glances and whispered promises beneath moonlit skies.

But Rhyde was not the only one who longed for Emil's heart. Lovie, a sorceress of great and terrible power, had once been close to them both. The three had been inseparable as children, and Rhyde and Emil had thought of her as a sister. Yet, as they grew older, Lovie's feelings for the prince deepened into something dark and possessive. When she learned that his love was not for her but for the knight, something within her twisted and broke. Jealousy bloomed like a black rose, and so she devised a plan to take what she believed was rightfully hers.

One night, shrouded in a veil of enchantment, Lovie stole Prince Emil away, spiriting him to the Floating Fortress. There, she imprisoned him in a tower chamber of crystal and silver, a place both beautiful and cold. "You will learn to love me, Emil," she said, her voice a sweet venom. "It is only proper, after all. A prince should love a lady, not... that."

Emil's eyes flashed with defiance. "You do not know love, Lovie. You know only how to possess."

Weeks passed before Rhyde learned of his beloved's plight, for Lovie's magic hid the fortress from sight. But when he did, he took up his lance and rode with all haste, his heart kindled with both hope and dread. The journey was treacherous; fierce winds buffeted his horse as it climbed the steep, enchanted pathway that led to the castle's gates, and shadows danced around him, whispers of forgotten spells murmuring in the air.

The knight entered the Floating Fortress and found it eerily silent, its grand halls empty save for echoes and the pale light of spectral flames in the sconces. His footsteps rang out as he climbed the winding stair to the tower where Emil was held. But before he could reach his beloved, Lovie appeared, her form cloaked in dark velvet, eyes blazing like embers.

"Rhyde," she said, her voice as cold as the mountain air. "You always were a stubborn fool. Did you truly think you could just come and take him from me?"

"Release Emil, Lovie," Rhyde demanded, his grip tightening on his sword's hilt. "This madness ends now."

She laughed—a hollow, bitter sound. "Madness? It is you who are mad, Rhyde. Do you not see how unnatural it is? A prince loving another man? You would make him a mockery in the eyes of the world!"

Rhyde's gaze did not waver. "Love is not measured by the eyes of others. It is the bond that we share, the choices we make for each other's sake. Emil does not belong to you, Lovie. Let him go."

But the sorceress's heart had been too deeply corrupted by envy and despair. She would not be swayed by words. With a wave of her hand, she summoned her magic, the air crackling with power. "Then I will show you how foolish love can be," she snarled, unleashing a torrent of spells upon the knight.

The clash was fierce—Rhyde's skill and strength pitted against Lovie's dark sorcery. She summoned lightning and shadow, but he stood firm, deflecting her spells with his shield and driving her back with every step. As their battle raged, the foundations of the Floating Fortress trembled, its ancient magic beginning to falter. The sky darkened, and the castle's floating stones groaned under the strain.

At last, Rhyde's blade found its mark, striking the sorceress's wand from her hand. She staggered, and the fury in her eyes turned to disbelief. "You would do this," she whispered, "for a love that should never have been?"

"It is you," said Rhyde, "who does not understand what love is."

With one final act of defiance, Lovie gathered the last of her strength, raising her hands to cast one last spell. But before she could speak the incantation, the magic of the Floating Fortress gave way. The stones beneath her feet crumbled, and she plunged into the abyss below, her cries lost to the howling winds.

Rhyde rushed to Emil's side, breaking the enchantment that held the prince captive. They embraced, the warmth of their love a stark contrast to the coldness that lingered in the air. "I knew you would come for me," Emil murmured, his voice trembling with both relief and joy.

"And I will always come for you," Rhyde replied, pressing a gentle kiss to the prince's forehead.

As the last remnants of Lovie's magic faded, the Floating Fortress began to descend, its ancient power finally spent. Rhyde and Emil escaped just in time, riding the winds on a great white griffin that had once been Lovie's familiar, now freed from her dark influence. Together, they soared away, leaving the crumbling castle behind to be reclaimed by the sky.

The tale of the Floating Fortress and the knight who saved his prince lived on in songs and stories, though few spoke of the sorceress who had loved too fiercely and lost all. Rhyde and Emil, bound by a love that defied the world, ruled wisely and well, and it was said that no one who saw them could ever doubt the power of true love again.