The Forest Princess

The Waiting Years

After her return to the royal palace, Larimar started a new life. She withdrew from her royal duties and spent a lot of time in the palace gardens. She wanted to learn as much as she could. The royal gardeners were delighted with the curiosity of the princess. They were most impressed with her green fingers, a hidden talent nobody had suspected.

Within the palace grounds there was a hedge of black elders. Larimar went there often. It reminded her of the elder in the forest. She secretly hoped to see Aurea between the black leaves. But the fairy never came.

When the hunting season came round again, Larimar wasn't allowed to join the royal hunting party. Her parent were worried she might get lost again.

When she turned eighteen, King Obsidian and Queen Ruby thought it was time to approach the subject of marriage. They had received a request from a neighbouring king to visit and meet the crown princess. Larimar refused to meet him. She told them quite clearly that she had different plans.

Finally, the princess talked to her parents about the time she had spent in the cabin in the woods. She let them know that she had fallen in love with Peregrin and his baby daughter and she was planning to marry him.

The King and Queen of Jasper were not impressed. In fact, they were quite horrified. Their daughter and a wood cutter? The Crown Princess of Jasper and a widower with an orphan child?

The matter was turned into a political affair, the king discussed it with his advisors, and Larimar was told that she had to wait until she was twenty-one.

"We don't want to force you to marry someone you don't like, Sugarplum," said Queen Ruby.

"But we can't allow you to marry someone with whom you will be very unhappy," King Obsidian added.

"How do you know, I'm going to be unhappy with Peregrin?" Larimar asked.

"He is a wood-cutter," sighed Queen Ruby, "and you are a princess."

"He has a daughter and you would become a stepmother," King Obsidian warned.

"Yeah, and...?" asked the princess.

"And you have responsibilities," said her father. "The future of the kingdom of Jasper lies in your hands. The decisions you make will affect the lives of your people."

"I know that," Larimar replied, "But what exactly does that mean?"

The King and Queen of Jasper admitted that they didn't know either. "Nobody can look into the future," they said. "We just have to protect you from making a terrible mistake. We have a responsibility towards this kingdom."

"And what happens when I am twenty-one?" The princess asked.

"Larimar Silvana Magnolia of Jasper," said King Obsidian and hesitated a little. "Then you can make your own decision."

"You will understand better how every decision you make reaches far into the future." Queen Ruby added.

Over the following three years many royal garden parties were arranged. Many male royals from all over the world were invited to take the mind of the crown princess off her absurd idea. Surely, if Larimar met a nice prince, she would forget about the wood-cutter in the forest.