The Fairest One of All- an LGBT Fantasy Novel

Two- The Princess

Avalon's kindness had always gotten her into trouble. She had a voracious generosity that earned her the heart of the kingdom, but a lingering gullibility that was taken advantage of. In spite of her weaknesses, she prevailed with charisma.

Though Queen Lorelei had instructed her from birth not to associate with commoners, she was ignored through childhood as Avalon befriended the young handmaids that worked for their castle. She had always thought of life in her manor as stuffy, having to grow up around strait-laced adults and always acting with etiquette.

As a result of her loneliness, the Queen made due of the women that were born into the labor of her household. One of the wenches' youngest girls, waif and frail, could not fulfill her deeds in the castle. Instead of banishing the little girl, she elected her to be Avalon's official handmaiden, to attend to all of the princess's needs. The girls would grow up together, as they were very close in age. When Avalon turned eighteen, her counterpart would also come of age, earning her freedom from bonded labor.

Emilia and Avalon became fast friends, playing with dolls and spinning clothes together. They had spent their entire lives in each other's company, as though Emilia was not Avalon's slave, as if they were real and true friends. Through their teenage years, the classism of their arrangement became more of an issue; nevertheless, they were quick to resolve any issues.

In Emilia's seventeenth year in the castle, she contracted the age-old disease of scarlet fever, which had never quite been eradicated but had always been dangerously deadly.

As a fact of her contagion, she was sequestered into the attic of Avalon's room, a tiny shoebox of a compartment with a twin-sized pallet and a window.

Avalon was forbade to go into her friend's room, but they talked for hours on end through the door until Emilia finally found sleep in the night.

As her friend's sickness progressed, she woke up in the middle of the night to the commotion of coughing fits that none of the nurses bothered to attend to, the cries in the dark that reminded the princess of Emilia's childhood afflictions. Avalon had become sick and tired of the apathy of everyone else who was ambivalent on the idea of a handmaid's death.

"Emilia, can you hear me?" Avalon whispered through a large wood door. Night had fallen in the household, she didn't want to wake anyone.

"Avalon? Is that you?" Emilia replied weakly.

"Yes, darling. How are you feeling?"

"Not so well, my princess. I think this will be one of my last evenings, I tell you. Tell my mother I love her when-"

"Nonsense," Avalon replied angrily. "Do you have any clean water? I'll go fetch you some."

"Avalon, that is a very generous offer. But it is dusk; and none of the guards can accompany you."

Silent minutes passed before the princess replied, "I'll go by myself."

"Princess, you can't-"

"Hush. Rest. That is my order," Avalon instructed, taking advantage of her royal privilege. "I'll be back in a second."

She put on her faint pink cloak, ready to brave the cool spring night. As she tiptoed across the threshold, she felt the freedom that was so sparingly granted by her mother. In the silent still of the dark, Avalon was liberated.

The village well was only a few steps away from the castle, easily accessible, even in pitch-black. She had only expected to be out for a few minutes as the chill started to nip at her nose.

The only sound was of crickets chirping. At last, Avalon found herself next to the well under the moonlight.

Alright, all I need to do is fill my bucket, then I go back home, she told herself as she affixed the pail to the pulley. Watching the bucket creak down the hole, she faced the worst-case-scenario: the cold echo of a bucket falling off of a rope and plunging into an empty well.

She had to at least grab her bucket, find another well. It wouldn't take long, it was just a little bit of a hassle. Plus, the well couldn't be so deep.

As she slowly crept down the well, her ankle twisted on a sharp rock, causing her to quickly fall into the soft, muddy pit of the well.

With no one to hear her calls for help, she was doomed to be at the bottom for hours, even days. She leaned on the rocky side of the wall, sobbing into her forearm for no ears to listen.

After what felt like hours but was probably minutes, she heard a distant clod. It must be horses. It must be the Knights taking watch...

"HELP!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. "Please, gentlemen, help me!"

"Is there someone at the bottom of a well?" She heard a low-toned voice yell into the cavern.

"Yes! It is I, princess Avalon! Please, help! I was trying to fetch my friend a pail of water, she's fallen ill-"

"Say no more, your Highness," said a knight clad in silver plates. She felt a rope tickle her neck as she was pulled up from the well.

"They were looking all over for you," the knight said quietly. "A butler saw your empty bed and assumed you ran away. Our Queen was worried sick."

"You are a godsend. I thought I would die in this pit."

"It was my godsend, Princess."

"Please," she blushed, "You may be at rest. It's so stuffy. Call me Avalon."

The knight chuckled. "It is my pleasure. I am...Alexander."

"You're a very valiant one, Alexander. What may I possibly do to repay you?"

"Well, I suppose I could ride you home," he said sarcastically. "Let's get you back before the morning."

The two galloped back to the castle, goosebumps forming on Avalon's back as she held on tightly to Alexander's horse through the dark ride home.