Dragon's Call & Other Stories of Magic and Mystery

The Little Queen

Once upon a time there was a queen who ruled over the land with her consort. They had many children together and would have been happy if it were not for the ogress that lived nearby. As the little princes and princesses grew, the ogress would send them out into the world to seek their fortune. None of them ever returned.

The queen fought valiantly for every one of her children, but the ogress was too powerful to resist. No matter what the queen and her consort did, the children were all lost to them. The queen missed her children and envied them. Ever since she had been a small princess, she had been forced to stay within the castle, never leaving it for more than a day. This made ruling their kingdom difficult for the royal pair, but they did their best to fulfill their duties despite the interference of the ogress.

Many years passed in this way until the time came when the queen could bear no more children. The ogress became angry with her, but there was nothing to be done. She called the queen from her castle and told her that she was to be banished from the kingdom. The queen fought to remain with her youngest, a princess, who was still too young to be separated from her mother, but the ogress ignored their protests and cast the queen out into the world. To make sure the queen did not return to lead the people in revolt, she sent her far away with a passing merchant.

"Where shall I take her?" the merchant asked the ogress, looking at the angry queen, who was locked in a cage of iron.

"There is a giantess several kingdoms over who has said she wants this queen. I don't know why, for the queen is barren and no longer useful, but if you take her to this giantess, you will be paid handsomely." The ogress waved him away and so he went.

The queen had fallen far from the glories of her youth. All of the years under the ogress's thumb had left her sickly and weak. She wanted to hide her face, ashamed of her condition, but her pride would not let her. Her once fair hair was covered in filth and her lean limbs were rounded from bad food and idleness. She knew that she no longer looked like the queen that she was, but she stared out at the passing world, as proud as if she were still ruler over her own kingdom.

The merchant felt sorry for the little queen and tried to reassure her.

"The giantess is quite hideous, but she is kind. I am sure she will care for you."

The little queen could not be consoled, and turned her back on the merchant who was carrying her so far away from her home and consort.

The journey was long and terrifying for the little queen. She had only rarely left her castle and then for very little time. She had never left her own kingdom, not even as a young princess. Now she traveled swiftly across the lands, watching the scenes pass with despair. What would become of her? Would she ever see her children and consort again? Why did the giantess want her? Did she have a taste for royalty?

After many hours, the merchant's wagon slowed to a stop in the courtyard of a large inn. He took her from her cage and put her in chains. The queen barely had time to look around before the giantess appeared.

The giantess towered over the little queen and frowned down at her, dismayed by the queen's appearance. Although she spoke honeyed words, she could not hide her revulsion at the filthy hair and distended body. The giantess was indeed huge and hideous, but her hands were gentle as she took the queen from the merchant. The queen had never felt so small and helpless, but she held herself stiff and dignified as the giantess carried her away.

They traveled many more miles before they reached the giantess' lair. Unlike her own castle, this lair was huge and busy, with much noise and commotion. There the queen was set down in the inner court with a loud crowd of other captives. The queen assumed they were peasants, but realized quickly that at least one of them was former royalty. The largest and most commanding of them, a blond queen, quickly told the others to leave the little queen to her ministrations. She then had the effrontery to try to embrace the little queen. Even though the stranger was taller and larger than she, the little queen did not hesitate to put her in her place.