Enchanted

Part 1

The Enchanted River

"Come on now Jason," the Queen called she was sitting in the carriage with her husband the King. Ever since Prince Jason was born, he and his parents would go down to the village once a month to listen to or just talk to the people. It was a day they all loved, everyone looked forward to it. Villagers cleaned the whole town to please the royals, they wore their finest clothing and made a huge feast. Not only did it please everyone, but it also ensured everyone was on their best behavior all the time.

The sky was blue and there were very few clouds to be seen, all the royal gardens were clipped and crisp to perfection. There were gardeners rushing around picking the ripe fruit and vegetables so the cooks can prepare for dinner that evening. All the while the white stone marble of the castle was gleaming in the sunlight, freshly polished and renewed, the curtains were drawn so the light may sweep through the windows and light the candlelit rooms. Inside the housemaids were cleaning everything from the tiniest trinket on the glass shelf to the large crystal chandeliers hanging in the ballroom. Deep cleaning hasn't happened since the Prince's christening, which was held in the place in the ballroom almost fifteen years ago and had thousands of guests.

"Ellen, dear come on now, there are so many other things to do today. Its his birthday, cant we just spend time with him, and not the whole town?" King Remus snickered to his peeved wife. They had never left so late before and she was getting nervous.

"MOM! DAD! I cant fi-"

"I have the book son," Queen Ellen interrupted her son knowing what he was going to say. "Now do hurry on now were late!"

"Book? What does he need a book for?" the King whispered to himself as Jason ran down the marble steps, to his awaiting parents already seated in the carriage. He turned to his son now, a bewildered look on his face. "What do you need a book for? Since when did you read to the townsfolk?"

"Remus!"

"I thought it would be nice to read to them today since its my birthday. To give back to them, I think they would like it," Jason said matter of flatly, answering his fathers question. He would be reading his favorite book, he had read the book many times before, despite his parents wishes, and wanted others to know how much it meant to him and why.

Everything that was said after that he didn't hear for; he was too busy thinking about the day ahead. Lost in his own thoughts, all that he processed in his mind was the ever-changing scenery, the drive down the driveway, the bridge over the river that guarded the front of the castle, the path through the woods full of pine, oak, and evergreen. At this point the Prince was so lost in thought that he took nothing in of his surroundings, he was only aroused from his thoughts by the rush of noise and movement in front of him.

The town was as busy as ever, dogs were barking, and people were yelling at everyone was running around trying to make last minute changes to the décor. There was a bundle of flowers on every corner giving off the sweet aroma of spring, and the scent of food was wafting through the open windows. As the sun came up over the rooftops and the birds chirped in the trees you could tell that today was going to be perfect. The trumpets bellowed and everyone stopped what they were doing, all eyes were on the carriage, watching, waiting, for the slightest of movement or the simplest of words. "His Majesty the King. Her Majesty the Queen. And His Highness, the Prince". There was a slight pause, no one really wanted for the footmen to speak, they had wanted to hear the royals, but then everyone bowed, and a plight clapping along with a few murmured whispers and giggles took over, and then as if nothing happened everyone went back to what they were doing. Running around the carriage as if it were an everyday object, the leaders of the town came forward bowed once more and immediately began a conversation with the King and Queen. Jason forgot about his book and went off to try and start a game with the village children, none of which whom wanted to join and walked off in the same direction glancing back and making strange movements with their hands and heads as if infected with some sort of disease. Jason growing up as an only child did not know what to think of these strange new ways of communication if that's really what it was and not a disease. He looked to his parents for help, but they had wandered off with the town leaders to see what everyone needs, he backed up closer to the boys who beckoned to him earlier, but they too had gone. Disappointed about his lack of company, he went off as he always did, exploring the woods that surround the town, he loved the way the fallen leaves crunched beneath his feet, and how the sunlight peered through the branches. He walked for about a half hour until he came to a clearing hed never seen before, it was just a small patch of greenery and on the other side, there was more wood, as he crossed he could hear water somewhere on the other side of the wood in front of him. It seemed to be calling him, pulling him towards its unknown banks. So, he kept on, stepping over more fallen branches and ducking over low hanging twigs, the sound of water became louder the further he got. He could now hear a voice, a girls voice, singing a sweet lullaby that everyone in the kingdom grew up hearing, mothers used it to calm their fussing children, it was like magic, nobody could be upset when they heard it. Jason stopped for a minute listening, to its sweet sound, his feet started moving, carrying him towards the lullaby, and towards the edge of a cliff. He managed to stop at the very edge, and when he looked down, he saw what appeared to be an enchanted garden. As he walked down the path to the bottom he was in awe. To his right was the source of the sound of running water, a gigantic waterfall flowing into a pool that dissolved into a river. The water was so clear you could see the bottom and when the sun hit it just right it looked like a thousand diamonds in one great big pile. The fish looked like silver bullets darting around from rock to rock trying to hide from the sunlight. There were bushes full of flowers, vines of honeysuckle that crept up the cave walls, while the trees and every other plant there seemed to be glowing, as they soaked up the sunlight feeding on it to survive. He could hear the birds singing in the trees, and the squirrels fighting with one another. When he looked to his left the river faded away into the woods and away from the kingdom. He had thought he had never seen anything so beautiful, then he remembered he wasn't alone, her voice was still bouncing off the cave walls. She was dancing at the waters edge still under the impression that she was alone, and for that he was thankful. For when she sees him, she would stop singing, stop dancing, and run away from him and he would be left alone, and that was something he did not want. He hated to be alone, you would think after what seemed to be a lifetime of being by oneself, he would be used to it, but he would never accept it. Jason started to walk forward, but as he did, he kicked a rock, the sound it produced echoed off the cave walls, and out of pure fright she stopped singing, frozen, and unable to move. She spun around slowly and gasped then bowed deeply and hid her face behind her long brown hair. He watched as it swept over her shoulders and cut across her face as if trying to join the wind in its journey to an unknown place. Her dress was a pale pink and its hem was wet and mudded from the river, and though she bore no jewels, she shone as if she was one herself.