Chapter 4: A Magical Encounter

64 1 0
                                    

So now that we're past the introductions, time to get to the good stuff.
The picture is a comment that I thought fit.
Summary: The princesses meet their princes.

     The 12 princesses had been stuck in their tower room for more than 5 years until one night, something strange happened...
     It started off like any other night. The guards escorted the princesses and Jason to their room then the king came in to bid each good night before sweeping out the door, locking it behind him with the only key to the room.
     The princesses settled down to sleep but were all awoken by Lacey, who was screaming in her sleep. Rose rushed over to Lacey's bed.
     "What's happened?" She asked, kindly.
     "I-I dreamt..." Lacey seemed to be in a trance. "They were there and all of you..."
     "Who?"
     "Your destiny." Another voice answered, one the princesses knew very well.
     They all turned around to see a ghostly apparition that looked strangely like their mother, the queen. None of them quite believed it except Lacey who rushed over to her mother immediately.
     They hugged and, when the other princesses saw that they were in no danger and this was indeed their mother, each of them rushed to hug her as well.
     After each had their chance to hug their mother, Rose spoke up, "Mother, how are you here?"
     "I have come to check on all of you and lead you to your destiny. I had to die for this to come to pass and now...it shall." Here she paused a moment. "I'm sure you have many questions for me and I promise all will be revealed in time but first come with me."
     The princesses hesitated but a moment before following their mother. The former queen stepped across 12 stones in the floor. Natalia followed, then Regina and her son, then Seraphina, Sapphira, Marina, Elsa, Jasmine, Ruby, Rose, Belle, Evelyn, and Lacey at the back.
     Once Lacey had stepped onto the last stone, a hole opened in the floor and the stones moved into place like stairs; they led all the way to the bottom of a chasm.
     The 12 princesses and Jason followed Anastasia down the stairs. At the bottom, they found themselves at a beautiful pavilion.
     Anastasia pointed ahead of them towards a dark forest with trees made of silver, gold, and jewels. "Straight ahead is your future."
     "Where does this lead?" Regina piped up.
     "To what you've always longed for: freedom."
     "You mean," Marina asked, hopefully, "that we can leave?"
     "At least for a few hours but you must return well before dawn."
     "Why?" Jasmine asked.
     "You cannot leave home for long. All of you have a destiny. The boys will explain soon."
     "What boys?" Now it was Seraphina and Sapphira who asked.
     "Beyond these woods, you will come to a lake. The boys will be waiting for you. Now come!"
     The princesses and the one little boy followed the deceased queen as she led them through the woods, to a beautiful lake. Here they hesitated for a moment.
     Across the lake, 12 boats glided over to them, each steered on by a man whose face they couldn't yet see. They waited until the boats reached the shore.
     12 men stepped out of the boats and made their way to where the princesses awaited them but stopped before any princess could lay eyes on them.
     One stood at the front, arms crossed, his very presence exuding authority and power. The princesses caught a quick glimpse of him but not a very good one.
     "Do not fear, princesses." The leader said in a voice that was authoritative yet gentle at the same time. "We are here to help."
     This man came forward and offered his hand to Rose, who, after a nod from her mother, took it. The other men walked forward and offered their hands to the princesses. The princesses joined their sister and Jason got in the boat with his mother and the strange man who had offered her his hand.
     At this, the 12 boats sailed across the lake and Anastasia joined, floating across the water. After awhile, they hit shore and found themselves in a beautiful place they did not recognize and to each, it looked like a different place.
     The princess' escorts led them each to their separate fantasies before they decided to finally reveal themselves, just as the prophecy foretold.
                              * * * * *
     Natalia's prince is actually a king!
     He is tall, managing to somehow be taller than Natalia, which is quite an impressive feat because most men are either her height or shorter. His raven hair is perfectly slicked back and his green eyes flash mysteriously with a perfect ring of gold around the irises.
     He is dressed in long robes that flow over a simple black tunic and pair of breeches, his cloak flowing in an unseen breeze. His name is Karayan and he is from the kingdom of Umbra.
     The moment she meets him, Natalia feels an attraction to this mysterious king who tells her, with a gentle voice and loving eyes, that he supports her dream and ambition and will be sure she receives it.
     The two spend time practicing their magic and looking over her various spells.
                           * * * * *
     Regina's prince is a knight and he also has a child. His daughter's name is Emily and she bonds quickly with Regina's son.
     Regina's prince/knight looks to be in his early 30s with ginger/blonde curls, dark brown eyes, and a beard. He wears the chainmail and cape of a knight. His name is Leon and he is from the kingdom of Winchester.
     Regina is very glad to meet someone who understands her, for just like her, he lost his significant other and is a single parent and well.
     The two enjoy a night of horseback riding and watching their children bond. He also is fascinated by her magic.
                             * * * * *
     Seraphina and Sapphira's princes are from the same kingdom.
     Both have shoulder-length dark brown/black hair, warm brown eyes, sweet smiles, tanned skin, and toned bodies, except that the elder one has a beard. They are Prince Gwaine and Sir Lancelot from the kingdom of Lot. Gwaine is Seraphina's and Lancelot belongs to Sapphira.
     The couples spend a good bit of time flirting and chatting of their futures.
                              * * * * *
     Marina's prince is very handsome and charming. His hair is like a field of wheat in color and his eyes shine a beautiful blue. His name is Alistair and he's the prince of Auradon.
     He has one sister, Aurora, who is under a curse at the moment, only to be awaken in the year of jubilee, as Merlin calls it.

       Alistair, like Marina, loves adventures and collecting things

Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.

       Alistair, like Marina, loves adventures and collecting things. He shows her a number of things he has collected over the years and Marina finds herself impressed.
                             * * * * *
     Elsa's prince is very unusual. With his white hair, vivid green eyes, and pale skin, he's like nothing she's ever seen before. But it is when he reveals the truth of his powers and how he used to be afraid, and sometimes still is, but managed to beat his fear, that Elsa feels a connection. Finally, someone who understands her!
     His name is Damen and he is the prince of Spiritus.
    With his kind words and gentle motivation, she is finally able to gain some control over her powers. This is what they do until the hour they are called to the castle.
                               * * * * *
     Jasmine's prince is nothing like she expected. For one, he isn't even a prince but carries the authority of one.
     He is very handsome, with shoulder-length dark hair, dark eyes, and a sweet smile. He is dressed in simple clothing that makes it obvious that he is not a prince.
     His name is Aladdin and he is what he calls the Savior. He stays in no particular place for too long but is everywhere.
     Jasmine loves hearing about his travels and he loves that she is so carefree and unafraid of life.
                         * * * * *
     Ruby's prince is huge!
     He is big and muscle-y, with close-cropped red hair and dark eyes. He wears chainmail with no sleeves and a cape. Like Leon, he is a knight from the kingdom of Winchester. His name is Percival.
     Despite his appearance, he has a soft voice and is like a big cuddly teddy bear. He loves both her human and her wolf side. When they walk together, he has an arm around her and when she is in wolf form, he likes to lay down next to her in green pastures.
     They are a cute couple.
                             * * * * *
     Rose's prince is...wow!
     He is handsome; his raven hair is short but curls up at the ends, his eyes are the color of the sea, and his smile is gorgeous! He is dressed in simple clothing that doesn't make it obvious that he's a prince.
     His name is Merlin and he's from the kingdom of Powys. He mentions that he has another name but he won't reveal it quite yet.
     Rose is instantly attracted to him. He's sweet, kind, and loyal. The two both are well endowed with magic and practice it together. Merlin introduces Rose to his dragon, Kilgarah, a gift from his father on his 18th birthday.
     Merlin tells Rose that a day is coming when all their wishes come true. And she believes him, with all her heart.
                               * * * * *
     Belle's prince is very similar. He has the same raven hair, sea blue eyes, fair skin, and similar height of Merlin but he is built differently and his hair is curly all the way through. He is even dressed similar to Merlin except all in black. His name is Mordred and he is also from the kingdom of Powys.
     Mordred is the younger brother of Merlin and has less power. He also has a dragon, just like Merlin, but his dragon's name is Aithusa.
     He is different, some might say like a beast but she sees the man behind the beast. They are perfect for each other.
                            * * * * *
     Evelyn and Lacey's princes are gypsies. Evelyn's gypsy prince has blonde hair, blue eyes, and is dressed in silk. His name is Seth and he is a lycan. Lacey's gypsy prince has brown hair, the same blue eyes, and is dressed in leather. His name is Lyall and he is an elemental.
     Evelyn and Seth swordfight together and Seth shapeshifts so the two can race while Lyall teases Lacey with his powers.
                           * * * * *
     The couples were so happy together that the time passed quickly. At some point during the night, all the couples met up in the castle and danced the rest of the night away.
     About an hour before dawn, the princesses said their goodbyes to their princes and followed their ghostly mother back to their tower prison.
     And so the first night passed...
     To be continued...

Merlin Fairytale SeriesWhere stories live. Discover now