Week 13 Story: The Knight

 

A Knight on a horse. Source: A Wki of Ice and Fire

One afternoon I sat next to a river looking at my reflection, hating what was looking back at me. The face that looked back at me was herindous and ugly. I did not always look like this but three years ago everything changed. Three years ago I was eighteen years old and played a trick on some fairies... they did not take so kindly to it. Once they realized what I had done they placed this curse on me to change me from a youthful young woman to an old crone. The only way they said I could break the curse was to marry someone who would not leave me for what I looked like. 

As I was sitting along the river I heard someone coming up to me. When I turned around it was a knight who looked exhausted. 

"Can you help me? I come looking for some answers." the knight questioned. 

"What is it you seek?" I asked back to him. 

"I am looking for what women desire most and I have been searching for the answer for months" He responded

"I know the answer you are looking for and I will tell you," I state, "but only if you will do me a favor when the time comes."

The knight instantly agreed, so i told him "What every woman desires is for a man to stay with them forever no matter what".

With that the knight took off back towards the castle with me slowly following in his footsteps. Once there I watched as everyone gathered around for the knight to tell the queen of what he had found. When I seen he whispered it in her ear, I knew it was time for me at ask my favor. So once he stepped off the stage I walked over to him.

"Hello, you said you would do me a favor and I have come to tell you what it is i want" I stated. 

"Since your answer was correct go ahead and tell me what your favor is?" the knight wondered.

"I want you to marry me and never leave me." I answered. 

With my favor voiced he instantly got upset and did not want to take me to be his wife. He said that there was no way that he wanted an old crone as his wife. When he voiced his opinion I reminded him of our deal to which he had yet to hold up his side. So, he agreed and we were married. On the night of our wedding I asked him if he was going to stay with me forever and he said "Yes, I have taken you for my wife and shall never leave". 

Upon his answer the curse was reversed and i was turned back into my youthful self. 

Authors Note: In the original story it follows the night who is off to find what women desire to save his life. He continues to ask random woman where he gets all different answers, even one about the king with donkey ears. After awhile he comes across an old crone who tells him what it is inturn for him to do whatever she first asks of him. After he tells the queen the old crone, voices to everyone there that she wants him to marry her, it is then later that night that she turns back into a young woman and they live happily together. I decided to make my story about the old crone and have it from her point of view and tell a little about how she got turned into an old crone. I also changed the answer to what women most desire to fit into how her curse is suppose to be lifted. 

Bibliography: 

The Unknown Bride from the Chaucer Story Book by Eva March Tappan.