An Unusual Fairytale

Chapter 1: A Fair Maiden By The River

Once Upon a Time in a land not so far away there lived a handsome prince. He had the kindest of hearts and the whitest of steeds. He came from a small kingdom upon a hillside where the King and Queen were known to be kind and merciful. His younger brothers and sisters were known for their kindness and loyalty to their kingdom. They ranged in age from four to sixteen. He was the eldest, eighteen years of age, and it was his job to find a bride so that he could take the throne with his queen when his father passed on.

He packed up his steed, kissed his mother goodbye, and told his younger, sixteen year old brother, to watch out for their family. Then he left to find himself a bride.

He had traveled down the hill and through the village of peasants. He waved to each one he saw and they happily waved back. He reached into his satchel throwing out some shining gold coins to the peasants by the water fountain, as he always did when he rode through the village. 

When he reached the river he took a break to water his horse. He had quickly fallen in love with a beautiful maiden when he heard her humming as she was washing clothes. He approached her cautiously as if trying not to frighten her away.

"My fair maiden why do you work so hard underneath the burning sun?" He asked but received no answer. The maiden went about her chores as if he was not even there. She paid him no mind and he was utterly confused. He tried to speak to her a few more times and every time she declined to answer him.

After she finished washing the clothes the maiden put them on a cart tied to a horse, then she mounted the horse and traveled down a path without giving the prince so much as a glance.

"How can a woman whose beauty warms the sun be so cold?" The prince commented out loud running a hand through his long blonde hair.

After tending to his horse the prince mounted and galloped back to his kingdom. He informed his father of the beautiful maiden and told him that she was the one he wanted to marry. 

His father questioned his state of mind. "How, dost though plan to marry a woman whom will not even speak to you, my son?"

"It does not matter father. She is beautiful and her song was-" He happily sighed. "She is the woman I am going to marry. I will get her to speak to me and when I do I will take her hand in marriage!" He vowed that he would return to the river every day and speak to the girl as cold as the night air, whether she spoke back or not.

So every day he returned. Every day he tried to talk to her. However, every time he tried she simply ignored him and went on with her day as if he had never spoken to her.

Of course this baffled the prince. The women of his kingdom were so friendly and always happy to see his smiling face. However the beautiful maiden was not, or she did not appear to be.

The prince knew that he had to court her if he wanted her hand. He would get her to talk to him anyway he could think.

One afternoon when he rode down to the riverbend, he fell off his horse and into the water. The maiden giggled, but then she gathered the clothes and rode off like she had every other day.

He sang the only song he knew and the maiden hummed along, but when he tried to speak to her, she went silent. He moved closer, but she gathered the clothes and rode away.

He picked an apple off the tree by the river, cleaned it on his shirt, then offered it to her. She bit her lip and looked into up his eyes. He had never seen eyes so blue. They were almost as blue as the river. She accepted the apple, but she still rode away.

"I need something better! I must get her attention!" The prince exclaimed to his horse. "I know! If I were dying she would have to give me her attention!" The prince said snapping his fingers. His horse snorted and shook his head. "Not for real. Just to get her to talk to me. I'll have Thomas play along." The prince said waving off the horses' worries.

He mounted his horse to ride back to his kingdom, but his horse wouldn't budge.

"Oh come on! I will not be hurt!" He said pulling the horse's reigns. The horse snorted again, but reluctantly moved to go back up the hill.