Once upon a time, in the time of Knights of the Round Table and princesses their lived a beautiful maiden who was a daughter of a rich nobleman. The daughter Lativa was the fairest in the land. Every eligible man far and wide dreamed of her hand in marriage. Being the only daughter of the nobleman, Lativa's hand in marriage would not go to just anyone. The man had to be or do something incredible. Many men tried many things to win her hand, but the nobleman did not think any of these acts were worthy enough to win his daughter's hand in marriage.
Charles had always been a daring type. He loved Lativa as many others did. He decided he would be the one to win the nobleman's daughter. Since Charles was a knight he was trained well in swordsmanship. He decided he would go to the highest mountain to the darkest cave and slay the fiercest dragon. One day, much like any other, he saddled his horse, polished his sword, tightened his armor, and was off to bring the head of the dragon back to Lativa and her father. Charles rode on through the night and day. Never did he stop ridding for anything. Not even to give his poor horse a mere drop of water. two days and nights he rode on. Finally Charles arrived at the base of the tallest mountain. "Wooooah there. You stay here and I will go on the rest of the journey," Charles said to his horse. Charles did not have to climb too high until he came across the dragon's cave. He heard a noise from inside the dark cave. He took a few steps backward. "No! Charles you must be brave and pursue on for the beautiful Lativa's hand in marriage! Even though no one has even returned from disturbing a dragon is his sleep, you will be the first, Charles!" He said to himself. He then wondered how he would slay the dragon in the dark.
Suddenly the dragon flew out of the cave. He landed behind Charles only 100 feet away.
"Why have you come and disturbed my sleep?!" The dragon demanded in a deep raspy voice.
Charles gathered up his courage and spoke back firmly "I have come to bring your head back to a beautiful maiden for a blessing to marry her!"
The dragon laughed. A terrible, horrible laugh. "It will be hard bringing my head back with you when it is own my body!"
And with that, the battle begun.
After a few minutes of fighting, Charles knew he had to come up with a better plan. He darted around the dragon's cave and started to climb. He stood on top on the cave and looked down at the confused dragon. The dragon looked around for the knight. "Come out come out wherever you are!" Called the dragon. "Where are you?"
"HERE!" Charles yelled as he jumped from the top of the cave and brought his sword down on the dragon's neck. The dragon's body fell to the ground with a loud thud. The head of the dragon rolled to Charles feet. Charles nodded in approval then picked up the head and carried it down the mountain on his shoulder.
At the base of the mountain his horse still waited. Charles lifted the head onto the horse and tied it on with rope. "Now, ride as fast as you can to Lativa!"
The horse and Charles rode on through the night just as they did to go to conquer the dragon. After many hours the knight in unburnished and dusty armor finally arrive at the house of the noble man. Charles jumped off his horse and strode up to the house with courage. He knocked on the door and knelt down. When the noble man answered the door Charles lifted the dragons head and showed it to the noble man.
"Rise my son and take her hand in marriage. You have my blessings," said the father.
"Thank you, Sir." Charles walked into the house carrying the dragon's head to show the beautiful maiden. The knight gleamed with triumph.
He found Lativa sitting in a chair so poised staring into a mirror. "Lativa! My name is Charles. I have brought you this head for a blessing for your hand in marriage," he said to the maiden. A long silence followed. She did not even glance his way. She stared into the mirror and admired herself. Charles spoke again, "My! You are as beautiful as they say!"
"I know," Lativa said in a barely audible voice.
Her eyes still fixed on the mirror, Charles started to lose his patience. "Aren't thou going to look upon the head of the dragon?"
"No. This sight it better. I do no want to look at some dragon's head. I seek only beauty, and I have found it and so have you," she said slowly and quietly.
It then occurred to Charles how vain Lativa was. "No. I have not found beauty. You are not beautiful. You just have a pretty face. Real beauty is much more than that." He threw the head on the ground and stormed out. He looked back at Lativa who never even glanced his way. Charles could feel his face turning red with rage. He was so angry at himself for loving her for her pretty face but not loving someone someone with a beautiful heart.
News spread fast in the kingdom of how vain the beautiful maiden was. Not another soul tried to win the hand of Lativa in marriage.
Decades passed and Charles was happily married to someone with a beautiful heart.
One cold and gray winter day, about 60 years after Charles slew the dragon, Charles lay in his bed dying. Charles's wife sat by the side of her dying husband. Charles's heart was filled with joy and peacefulness as he took his last breath.
Lativa, now wrinkled from age and time, stared into the mirror that still stood in her room. She died alone with an aching, empty void in her hideously grotesque heart.
