The Taking Of The Golden Castle
Night One: The Prince In Disguise
I had a dream last night...
I saw the Prince, riding upon the Fox’s tail, heading for a cluster of small trees on the western side of the Castle Of The Golden Apples.
The canine stopped in the midst of the trees, and let the boy off, instructing “You must present yourself as a gardener, so that you may get close enough to your father to tell him the truth; how you obtained the Princess and the Golden Creatures, and the wicked things your brothers have done.”
“But the workers’ gateman won’t let just anyone in.”
“Do you know the gateman?” asked the Fox.
“Yes. I’ve spoken to him a few times.”
“Will he recognize you?”
“I believe so.” the Prince replied.
“Then as the king’s son, you must ask him to let you through, and not give away who you really are.”
The Prince then turned around to head for the gate, eyeing the Fox suspiciously. “So that’s it? That’s all you have to tell me?”
The canine looked around in thought. “Yes... I believe so. Oh, and good luck.”
But the Prince turned back around to face the creature. “No warning about what not to do?”
The Fox closed his eyes and gently shook his head. “My dear boy, even if I did, would you really be able to follow it?” not meaning to sound as harsh as it really did.
As much as he hated to admit it, he couldn’t argue any differently, so he made his way for the castle wall.
Walking up to the Gateman, he greeted him with a nod, and said “I’d like to be a gardener for the king.”
“I’m sure you would–” the man started, when he realized something about the boy. “The young prince?” he asked.
The boy nodded.
“But everyone’s saying that you’re dead!” the gateman continued.
“I have to speak to my father, but no one else may know that I am here.” explained the Prince.
“Then go right in, I can not say no to a son of the king.”
The boy slipped into the courtyard, making his way for the King’s private garden, when he saw his two evil brothers coming down the walk.
The Prince lowered his head, and let his dark hair fall forward to help hide his face.
The middle prince said to the eldest “Now that that inept brother of ours has been taken care of, what about the Princess?”
“Why, she goes to the oldest and wisest of us, of course! Me!” he replied.
“Yeah... Well... She ain’t as pretty as when I first saw her anyway.”
“Is that so?” asked the eldest.
“Yeah.” he replied. “And them beasts have also lost a bit of their shine. After all, wasn’t that bird supposed to be able to sing?”
“It doesn’t matter none really. His feathers are worth enough as it is. The horse is the real worthless one. Has hardly been willing to raise his head since we got here!”
His brother agreed, saying “A depressing bunch to be around for sure.”
Feeling more betrayed than ever, the Prince looked up at them as he passed by, noticing something different in their eyes.
As arrogant and objectionable as they could be, he never knew his brothers to act this way, and was convinced that something else was behind it.
Making it into the King’s garden, the Prince saw the Golden Apple Tree, and looked around for his father and the Golden Creatures.
He passed by a window, leaning down to keep from being seen, when the Golden Princess bursted out.
“What is this I feel?” she asked. “Why has my sorrow lifted? As if sweet comfort were drawing near.”
Having made it as far as the next window, the boy turned around, deciding to take the Princess up into his arms, when he heard the Golden Bird beginning to sing the most beautiful song.
He turned his ear to it, listening to its rises and falls, until all was interrupted by the neighing of a great horse. And turning back toward the far end of the courtyard, he saw his father watching a groomer with the Golden Horse.
The horse shook his mane and broke free of the one holding him, prancing majestically before the King, as if he were suddenly in the presence of a good friend.
So the Prince quickly headed toward his father, watching as the King nodded to the groomer, and turned to go back into the castle.
“Father!” the boy called out. But no one seemed to hear him. That is except for the horse, who turned to look at him, and came galloping up to greet the boy.
The Prince put his arms around the creature’s neck, “My, it is good to see you, boy. I promise I will straighten this whole mess out.”
–Charles M Warren
Night Two: The Truth And The Reunion
I had a dream last night...
I saw the Golden Bird, singing before the Golden Princess in a lavish room of the Golden Apple King, when the King himself joyously burst in.
“Princess! Princess! You must come see the horse!” when he saw the Bird in song, and the girl happily walking about. “What is this? How lovely it is to see you so merry. Just what has happened to bring this about?”
“I do not know.” she replied, cheerfully springing over to him. “It is as if my bridegroom himself has come to me!”
The King thought back to his two sons who had brought her to the castle, hoping it was one of them. “And do you know... who your bridegroom is?”
The Princess turned away, reminded of the threats the evil brothers had made. She plopped down onto a cushion, and looked up at the King, “I... I must tell you what really happened, along the journey that brought me here. It was your youngest son that proved himself before my father, and showed to me that he is my true betrothed. And along the way, a kind, talking fox even helped him to get the Golden Bird and the Golden Horse. But on the way back to you, we came across your other two sons, who had been causing much mischief in the town north of here. My betrothed helped them out of danger, only to be betrayed by them, being left for dead as they took his treasures as their own!”
The King couldn’t believe it. “But...”
“That was why we were all so sad in coming here.” the girl explained. “We feared the young Prince’s death, and resented those who betrayed him.”
“Then... What changed, just now?” asked the King.
The Princess leapt up, and hopped over to the window. “I am not certain... I can only describe it as the return of hope,” then looking back at the King, “And the reuniting of two destined hearts.”
This caused the King to wonder if his youngest son had survived after all, and was even in the very same castle walls as himself!
“Guards!” he called out, summoning four strong soldiers. “Send out a decree to have every unwed gentleman in the castle come before my throne.” Then turning to the girl, he said “Now, dear Princess, if you will join me in my throne room, we shall hopefully see if any of the men among us really is your true bridegroom.”
The girl nodded, turning to the Golden Bird, deciding to take him along, hoping he would identify the young Prince if he really were among them.
Passing through several chambers, they entered into one end of a large room, with an ornate chair that faced a set of steps, which led to a long hall, where several young men had already lined up.
The King sat down in his throne, asking the Princess “Is this first lad your betrothed?”
But she was caught up in looking among them all, leaning right and left, until she decided she had to get a closer look. She leapt down the stairs, and let the Bird fly rise up into the air.
The group of men before her parted to each side, revealing someone she instantly recognized. “My Prince!” she exclaimed, jumping on to him, with the Bird circling around over their heads.
It was the young Prince indeed, whom the girl led to his father, while the guards ushered the other men out.
The King rushed down the steps in front of his throne, embracing his boy. “My son! I knew I shouldn’t have let you go!”
“Father,” the Prince began, “I’m afraid... I must tell you some most disconcerting news about my brothers.”
The King looked over at the Princess and nodded. “So it is true.”
“I wouldn’t have believed it myself,” the Prince explained, “But they left me to perish in the woods. They pushed me into a well, stole the Golden Bird and Horse, kidnapped the Princess, and even came up with a story to shoot anyone wearing my clothes in the event that I had survived!”
Leaning around his son, the King signaled to some of his guards, sadly saying “Find my other two sons, and arrest them. They must be placed into the dungeon.”
The Prince looked at the Princess in his arms, then at his father. “I don’t know what would make them do something like this, but there was definitely something different about them.”
The girl raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“Almost like they were ill, and not like themselves at all.” he replied.
When the Golden Bird, perching on the King’s shoulder, cried out:
“Golden Apples, I was made to take;
a witch’s cauldron, does poison make.
She sent them to the cheerful inn;
hoping they would do you in.
A potion not to drop you dead;
but darkens your heart and clouds your head.
For once the prince would find his mate;
she knew that next would come her fate.
Knowing the Bird, Horse, and Castle will go;
to the Princess golden, pure as snow.”
None of them could believe what they were hearing.
When the Prince noted “He must be talking about the Witch of the Golden Castle.”
So the Princess asked the Bird “But is there a way to cure the other princes?”
“A lock of her hair, is what the Witch used;
combined with the apple, a bite not refused.
So the creatures must gather, each one of gold;
and the prince with his apple, in the castle foretold.
This shall be the time, the Fox’s wish to come true;
then the Witch will be gone, and the poison will too.”
–Charles M Warren
Night Three: Into The Witch's Castle
I had a dream last night...
I saw the Golden Horse, tossing his white mane in the gardens of the Golden Apple King, as the first stars of the evening sky began to appear.
He was watching a doorway of the castle, when the Prince and the Princess came rushing out with the Golden Bird.
The Princess headed for the horse, letting the bird take to the air as she swung herself up, with the bird ending up on her shoulder.
The Prince had just made it to the Golden Apple Tree, plucking one of its shimmering fruits, when the girl urged the Horse over to him.
Turning around to the girl, the boy bounded up the horse to sit behind her, saying “All right, I’m ready. Let’s go!”
They rode out the front gates of the King’s castle, and saw the Fox sitting beside the roadway.
So they trotted over to him, with the Princess saying “Kind Fox, the Prince’s brothers have been poisoned by the Witch of the Golden Castle.”
And the boy adding “And the Golden Bird has told us that we must all go there to stop her.”
“Of course. Of course.” replied the Fox, hopping up and getting ready to run. “I have been waiting for this very day!”And he motioned for them to follow as he began to run on ahead.
The Prince urged the Golden Horse onward, catching up with the canine, until they were going at full speed. And away they went, flying over stock and stone, until the wind whistled through their hair!
They quickly came up upon the Golden Castle, when the Fox got the others to slow down, looking up at them, and saying “Let’s go around to the back of the castle, I know another way in.”
Coming around to the back, they found a place in the stoney wall where a tree had fallen into it, smashing a small section of the structure, and knocking off the top half of it.
The Fox hopped up onto the fallen tree, slipping into the castle’s courtyard, while the Golden Horse rose into a great leap, stepping off of the enormous log, and landing with a clop onto the brown grass inside.
“We should be able to sneak into the back unseen.” instructed the canine, leading them on closer.
There were large stone blocks littering the ground all around them, along with dark, twisted trees, just laying about.
Once they got close to the back entrance, the Prince and Princess dismounted from the Horse, and led the creature behind them, with the Bird perched quietly atop his saddle.
When there beside the back archway, was the skeleton of some poor fellow, lying half buried in the earth.
The Princess covered her mouth in horror, slowly shaking her head. “No. It can’t be...”
The Prince turned to her, asking “Who? You know who this is?”
“My brother!” she replied. “That witch was the one who killed my brother!”
The Fox looked up at her confidently, saying with an assuring tone “Be still, Princess. This is not your brother, for it is the bones of a woman.” And turning back to the entrance, added “We must keep going, the old woman may already know we are here.”
They all stepped inside, unnerved by the echo of the cloppity steps of the Horse’s hooves, when they looked around at the ruined chamber and saw how beautiful and elegant a place it must have once been.
The Fox ran into the next room, and retrieved a lit torch, taking it to the Prince for him to lead the others through the rooms.
When the boy saw something sparkle in the darkness ahead of them, suddenly fearing that someone was standing there. He whispered to the others “Is that someone? Over there?”
The canine raised his nose to sniff the air, replying “No. I do not yet smell the old woman.”
Leading them all closer to inspect it, the Prince saw that it was the gold trim of a painting, reflecting the torches light, with everyone gathering around to see what it was a picture of.
It was a wonderful scene of a king and queen upon a balcony, with a beautiful golden fairy in mid flight, over the forest, surely wishing them blessings of some kind.
The Princess reached out her hand as if to touch it. “That’s the fairy who saved my grandmother.” she told them. “When my mother was being born.”
“That was you?” the boy asked. “It wasn’t too many nights ago that I heard that tale!”
“It is a true one.” she replied. “It gave my mother and I our golden hair.”
The Fox nodded. “As well as the other creatures and the Apple their shine.”
The Prince began to rub is chin, saying “But in that story, didn’t one of the–” When there was a loud bang that echoed from another part of the castle.
The Fox turned to it, twitching his ears. “That must be her!”
–Charles M Warren
Night Four: What The Witch Did
I had a dream last night...
I saw the Princess, holding onto the Prince’s shoulder with one hand, and the Horse’s bridle with the other. “What was that noise?” she asked, afraid of just what might happen when they really do come face-to-face with the Witch of the Golden Castle.
“I’ll go see.” volunteered the Prince.
But the girl grabbed onto his sleeve. “Wait! We need to stay together.”
The Fox nodded. “Yes. And we’re going to have to confront the old woman at some point anyway.”
So they made their way together, into the next room, with the Prince leading with his torch, and even the Horse and Bird trailing along at the rear.
They glanced up a stairway along the wall at their left, when they heard something up ahead... someone, groaning in pain.
Carefully entering into the next room, they could make out the walls across from them, when they realized someone was lying on the floor, over by the corner.
While remaining on the floor, she threw off the cloak she was wearing, and revealed herself to be the Witch! “Come. Come help me up.” she said.
The Fox squinted his eyes, telling the others “It’s a trap.”
“How could you think such a think, dear foxxy?” said the Witch. “After all we’ve been through.” She then waved her hand in the air, as she recited ancient words.
And suddenly the eyes of the Horse and the Bird began to glow a fiery purple. They quickly lunged forward, as the steed pushed the Prince toward the middle of the room, and the fowl grabbed hold of the Fox, causing the weak floor to give way under all their weight!
Now, only the Golden Princess and the old woman remained, watching as the others fell into the darkness below.
The Witch climbed to her feet, saying “Now, you’re the last one. I’ll ensure that you never get my castle, and never fill it with a family of your own.”
The poor girl didn’t know what to do, but run off in the other direction.
The Witch quickly got around the chasm in the floor, making it to the entryway, and locking the door behind her.
The Princess knew her only chance was to get out of the unfamiliar, closed-in space. So she made her way out the way they had come, but somehow took a wrong turn, and ended up in another room, with tall windows that reached halfway up the dark walls.
She turned around to go back out, when there stood the Witch before her, brandishing a crooked dagger in her hand.
The girl backed up, trying to think of what to do. “What do you want with us? Aren’t you my own mother’s sister?”
The old woman shook her head, taking another step closer. “The bones of that old woman lie crushed outside. I’ve been much closer to you. And have done far more for you. Yet never got any appreciation at all.”
“What are talking about? How do I know you?” she asked.
“I once had a face like yours.” she replied. “And even strived to watch yours light up with joy. Yet you required too much, you and your golden locks.”
“Who are you?! What did I even do to you?”
“You’ve taken away my beloved.” the Witch replied. “You’ve taken away everything. But now the Golden Castle is mine. And you’ve even brought my Horse and Bird back to me. So you will not now take it all away again!” So she raised the dagger into the air, and lunged at the Princess.
When out of nowhere came the Fox, jumping in front of the blade, and letting it sink into his side. Yet was still able to get it out of the Witch’s hand.
Then the Prince and the animals came running in through the door, with the Prince tackling the old woman, and holding her down on the floor.
The Princess pointed at the injured canine, saying “The Fox! He’s been hurt!” stepping over to check on him.
“What happened?” asked the Prince.
“He jumped in the way of the blade.” the girl explained. “Taking the blow meant for me.”
The Fox lifted his head up off the floor, saying to the Prince “Now, will you grant me my request?”
The boy glanced at the girl, then back at the canine, as the creature continued.
“Hurry, before I breath my last. You must cut off my head and my limbs. Only then will things be set right.”
–Charles M Warren
Night Five: How It All Ended
I had a dream last night...
I saw the Prince, bending down and picking up the Witch’s crooked blade, not at all sure if he could really do what the Fox was asking of him.
“Please.” begged the copper-colored canine. “It is the only way to save me.”
The Princess leaned down to him, taking the Fox’s head into her hands. “But... Dear Fox, how could we? Might this even be a wound you could survive on your own.”
The Fox pulled away, sadly saying “Oh that I wish you didn’t have to see me the way that I am.” But then he looked back up at her. “Princess, if you let the boy do this, I promise it will not be the last of me.”
She looked back up at the Prince.
“You must hurry.” urged the Fox.
So the maiden stepped away, as the Prince took a deep breath, crouching down beside the creature. He raised the knife to the animals leg, took another breath, and began to cut.
Yet he was surprised to discover not a drop of blood fell from the wound, as the blade passed rather easily through animal’s fur, also doing so with the poor creature’s other limbs, and even his neck.
When suddenly the Fox’s body began to glow! Getting brighter and brighter, it lit up the entire room with a warm orange light.
The Witch hid her face. “What have you done?” she asked.
And when the light faded, there sat a man with copper-colored hair and beard.
The Golden Princess gasped, throwing herself upon the man, as tears began to roll down her face. “Brother! Oh dear Brother!” she cried.
The Prince helped them to their feet, saying “An enchantment? You were really her brother all along?”
“Indeed.” replied the man, glancing over at the window. “But we haven’t much time. We have to get you all to the back entrance.” He stepped over to the Horse, who was holding the Witch down with his right-front hoof, her being too shaken up to even speak, taking her up into his grasps, and leading the others to the back.
Outside, the sky was growing light with the new day. So the Brother of the Princess told his sister “Stand there, with the Bird in one hand, and the Horse’s snout in the other.” Then, while still holding onto the Witch, he instructed the Prince “Take the Golden Apple, and hold it out in front of the mound of bones.”
And just as they all got into place, the sun came up, with all the Golden things sparkling and shimmering like light through a dazzling jewel, until the woman in the copper-haired man’s arms fainted!
The copper-haired man carefully turned her around, and saw that her face was now young and kind, that she was the Witch no more!
She woke up as if from a dream, blinking her eyes and saying “What has happened? How long have I been out?”
The Brother pulled her close to him. “All that matters now, is that it’s all over, my sweet.”
Suddenly, something rose up from the mound of bones, as they looked up to see the image of an earthen-haired woman.
The Princess studied her face, but could not recognize it.
The Brother took a step back, motioning up at her. “She is the real witch! The one who has brought all of this upon us!”
The apparition sadly looked down, as the Princess seemed to realize who it was, recalling what the enchanted old woman had told her some moments before.
“My eldest aunt of my Mother’s Mother?” she asked.
The woman nodded, turning to the copper-haired man. “I am sorry for all the terrible things I’ve done. I regret that I did not see the blemishes of my heart... until I could no longer make up for them.” Then she turned to the Princess. “And, young darling, do ask your mother to forgive me as well. I let my jealousy drive me to do such horrible things, and I don’t wish to see anyone else treat others in the same way.”
The golden-haired girl looked over at her brother, and his expression turned from vexed, to pitying.
“With time,” he said, “I may not hold it against her.”
And suddenly the woman was gone, with the inside of the Golden Castle instantly appearing brighter, and more pleasant.
The Brother walked up to the Prince, and held out his hand for the Golden Apple. The boy gave it to him, and watched as he took it out several strides, to the spot where an old tree stump stood. Holding the apple out, and gripping it tight, he broke the fruit in two, letting several of its seeds sprinkle onto the ground.
Turning back to the Prince, he held out the two halves. “I believe a bite from these should cure your brothers.”
And so it did. The King’s other two princes were cured of the poison, restoring their attitudes to the way they were before, though some said still wasn’t enough.
The Princess’ mother was overjoyed to see her son and daughter-in-law alive again, and was told about the ghostly appearance of her sister, leading to her bones getting a more proper burial.
The Golden Castle was quickly restored to its former splendor, with the courtyard full of luscious foliage, and a little apple tree sprouting up behind it.
Meanwhile, the Hunter of the mansion was forbid to kill any more foxes, and the Rider of the estate ran off with a barmaid of the cheerful inn.
Soon, the Prince of the Golden Apple King and the Golden Princess were married, taking the Golden Castle as their home, and reuniting the Golden Creatures together at one place.
And it wasn’t long before they were expecting their first child, a beautiful baby boy, with a head full of shimmering golden hair. And who should they choose to be godparents, but the Princess’ copper-haired brother and his wife.
Though they all still had their troubles from time to time, it can be said, for the most part, that they lived happily ever after.
~ THE END ~
–Charles M Warren
(I hope you enjoyed my version of "The Golden Bird." Stay tuned for other Fantasy and Sci-Fi blogs from me in the future)
