The Wishing Princess - Chapter 26

26. Epilogue

It was Spring the following year, where the Princess fell on the kingdom of the Red Sand. There lies a path of wild flowers, where once was the trail of blood. The path led to a tomb made of marble. A figure of a young woman was carved upon an altar. The figure was wearing a travelling cloak, and grasped a sword in her hands. It was carved as the Princess was when she died upon the sand.

On the side of the altar, there carved a plague where the Princess's wishes were written down. It was carved as Oma would have told them, as it was when she combed the Princess's hair one last time.

And on the bottom of the altar, where the visitors might gather, there were 13 cups, each representing each kingdom. These cups were always filled with clean water. Sometimes, flowers were put in them.

But there was something that is embedded inside the altar, behind clear crystal, so that anyone may see. It was a doll, in the likeness of the Princess, when she was young. It was battered, but clean. And in the bosom where the heart would lie, there was a big heart shape, sewn in the place, to cover a hole caused by an errant bullet.

And on the other side, there was a plague where it told the story of the Princess, beginning with the phrase "Here lies the Wishing Princess..."


Characters:

The Kingdom of the Hidden Valley
1. The Great Warrior King
The father of the Wishing Princess. His is big and strong. Smart and Wise. He has the body of Conan the Barbarian, smart as Napoleon in battle, loving and gentle to the princess, his last surviving child.
2. The Wishing Princess
Our titular character. All her wishes have come true. Naturally gentle, her talent lies with warring skills. She is as good as any men regarding swordplay and gun play. She learned from the best: Her father and Opa.
3. Opa:
The greatest warrior of past generation. He was second in command to the King's father. He once single-handedly defended a mountain from invading force for 3 days, until help arrived and defeat the enemy. He won Oma as a wife-slave in one of his battle, yet Opa loved Oma dearly, and never mistreated her.
4. Oma:
She came to the kingdom as Opa's spoil of war. She became Opa's wife when Opa married her. They love each other deeply, and they love the princess as if she was their daughter.
5. Captain:
The Captain of the Cavalry. Young Gallant Officer of the Kingdom of the Hidden Valley. He is the Leader of the Cavalry Unit, reporting directly to the King. He acts as bodyguard for the Princess. His Cavalry Unit trained with the Princess every day, earning the Princess not only the highest Cavalry skills, but also their utmost respect.


The Council of Kings
1. Kingdom of the Hidden Valley: Lead by the Great Warrior King. Leader the the resistance army.
2. Kingdom of the Red Sands: The kingdom where the battle is located.
3. Kingdom of the Tall Grooves: The haughty Tall Prince
4. Kingdom of the Dry Marsh: Weaklings but eager
5. Kingdom of the Three Mountains: Strong shamans
6. Kingdom of the Long Grass: Great foot soldiers


The Queen's Entrants
1. The Queen:
Evil and Heartless, she was feared by her enemies. Fawned by her supporters. She was nicknamed "The Old Prune" due to her refusal to marry.
2. The Sergeant:
The Queen's second in command. He was an old soldier. Though his rank is now advisor to the Queen, everybody called him "The Old Sarge" or just "Sarge" due to his genial attitute toward his men.
3. The Old Warrior:
An experienced, honorable warrior who marched under the Queen's banner. He duelled the Princess in a flanking maneuver. He's the leader of Queen's Reserve Army.

Attribution:
(1) The Battle Hymn of the Republic

The Wishing Princess - Chapter 25

25. Death of a Princess

In all the activities that thus transpired, no one paid much attention to an old warrior who walked silently and approached the Princess. He caressed her gently.

"Ah, princess," Opa said, "What a mess you are."

"Is that you, Opa?" The princess was laid down on the sand, bedded by her own blood. She was so far gone, that she could no longer see.

"We'll get you to a healer." said Opa. It was a hopeless case, but the very least they could do is try.

"It's alright, Opa. It doesn't hurt anymore."

Opa wept. Poor Opa. Opa the brave! Opa the Mighty! Opa, who once single handedly defended a mountain against a whole enemy troops, broke and wept over a few comforting words of a young woman, for he loved the Princess dearly, and he knew that she was about to die.

"Is Oma here?" asked the Princess.

"At your service." replied Oma, who then knelt beside her.

"Will you comb my hair?" asked the Princess.

"Yes, Princess." said Oma.

Then Oma untied the Princess's hair, and as she unbind the knot, one by one, she said thus.

When you were 5 years old,
The kingdom was in drought
And you wished for rain
And rain fell for 5 days and night,
And the crops became bountiful.

When you were 7 years old,
The Kingdom was plagued by bugs.
And you wished for good bugs to come,
While the bad bugs to leave.
And it was so.

When you were 9 years old,
The Kingdom was suffered no joy.
And you made a selfish wish.
You wished for a doll.
And brought happiness to the kingdom.

When you were 11 years old,
The people of the lands were bickering.
They all want to have their ways.
And you wished for understanding.
And our King made it so.

When you were 13 years old,
There were horses in the kingdom.
And you wanted to ride them.
So you wished for a cavalry.
And we have the finest of them all.

When you were 15 years old,
The people was hungry,
Too many people, not enough food.
And you wished for good hunts and farm,
And the fields became bountiful.

When you were almost 17,
The lands were warring,
Over the prophesied child.
And you wished for peace,
And peace spread throughout the lands.

Oma kept combing the Princess hair. Hearing Oma's voice, the Princess relaxed, and closed her eyes. And she died, peacefully, with serene expression upon her face. Opa cried. Oma cried. Everybody knelt to give their respect. Even the Queen knelt.

The Queen said, "We will construct a memorial tomb right here where she fell, so that her sacrifice will not be in vain. Let it be made of marble, to make it last for eternity. Let her messages be carved into stone, and her wishes be known. To all who passes here, this land of Red Sands, all will know that this is the time and the place where peace begins to spread throughout the lands."

And all the kings agreed that it was so. And each king, brought a treasure of his land, to be put into the memorial, to ensure that there would be no doubt, among all passer-bys, that indeed, this was the place where the peace began.

The Great Warrior King, the father of the Wishing Princess, accepted his fate without complain. He spoke to Opa about it. Old men with no children, seemed to be the fate of old warriors of the Kingdom of the Hidden Valley.

The Wishing Princess - Chapter 24

24. The Prophesied Child

"Here is the child," said the king of Three Mountains. He was holding the newly born prophesied child. "What do you want to do with him?" It was an earnest question. He had heard the exchange between the Queen and the Princess.

The Queen thought at the subject very carefully. Her original plan was to kill the child and keep the power to herself. But now she realized that it was not to her advantage to do so. She needed a heir, but cannot provide her own. She realized then that the child would grow up just when she would grow old and need to step down. The timing would be perfect. And so, she decided.

"I will raise him as if he is my own child!" said the Queen. "I will bring him the best teachers, and educate him to the best of my ability. And I will raise him to be a great and brave king, so that he can rule the lands with just hands."

All the kings looked at the Queen. They did not trust her. The Queen had poor reputation. The Queen realized this, and she knew that she needed to gain their trust. Without even realizing it, already the Queen was open to ways to get what she wanted without force.

The Queen addressed the kings thus, "I will raise this child in such a way that no better education can be provided. But I realize that I cannot do this by myself. That my kingdom, no matter how big, is not all lands. Therefore, I ask you, kings of your kingdoms, to provide me with your best teachers, so that together we can raise the child to be the greatest ruler of the land."

The various kings looked at each other. "You need us to provide you with our teachers?" They couldn't believe their ears.

"You will be amply rewarded," assured the Queen. "Yes, I need you. Although this child is to be my heir, he is indeed the child of the lands. To rule all kingdoms throughout the lands, not one kingdom must be allowed to dominate over another. Therefore, only by sending me your representative will we be able to raise the child properly."

And everybody agreed that it is in the best interest of all, to give their best representative as teacher to the child, who will be raised and educated in the biggest kingdom of the land.

Thus, the Princess's wish came true. Peace spread throughout the lands.

The Wishing Princess - Chapter 23

23. The Princess and the Queen

"Kill her!" the Queen ordered. "Kill her now!"

Not a single person moved to obey her. All eyes were upon the Princess. She was clasping her hands at her wounds. Step by step, she walked toward the Queen.

The Queen could stand it no longer. She walked past the Guards toward the Princess and pulled out her pistol. She aimed at the Princess, the barrel pointed to her chest. Her finger upon the trigger. The Queen look at the picture given by the gun sight. She saw the Princess's delicate face.

The Queen saw the Princess's lips moving, but could not hear any sound. "What is the Princess saying?" Slowly, painfully, the Princess took one step after another toward the Queen. The Queen tried to read the Princess's lips.

"So cold... So dark... So painful..." The princess was saying it over and over. Her face was pale, and her eyes was glassy. There was no life in her eyes. She stared straight ahead. She saw nothing but darkness.

"So cold... So dark... So painful..." The princess didn't see the Queen standing there pointing her pistol at her. The Queen kept her aim at the Princess as she walked past.

"So cold... So dark... So painful..." The Queen just stared at the Princess. The Princess was dead and she didn't know it. The Queen looked at the Princess's clothes and saw that it was soaked with blood, all the way. As her gaze fell to the ground, the Queen saw that the Princess left a trail of blood upon her path, marking her death march on the desert sand.

"So cold... So dark... So painful..." as the Princess reached the Guards, they parted, yielding to the Princess. At last, her strenght failed her. She has lost too much blood. She sank to her knees, and finally dropped to the sand, and lie there. All the Guards moved to protect her.

The Guards parted when the Queen came. The Queen looked at the Princess, then dying among her Guards. She was pale, and bleeding profusely.

"Why do you oppose me so?" the Queen asked the Princess.

"Please don't kill the child. He hasn't done anything." said the Princess.

"That child will one day take over my kingdom and rule throughout the lands." said the Queen.

"You must be so proud," said the Princess, "to have such a fine heir."

"Heir?!" The Queen did not think that way. The old prune. Childless Queen. The Queen who did not marry, did not have heir.

"The child is prophesied to rule throughout the lands. What better kingdom would be best to raise him, but the biggest of them all?" The Princess said. "There is no kingdom bigger than yours."

And the Queen was stunned! The prophesy is true! She who had no child, will one day die, and without a clear heir, in-fighting and bickering will fragment and destroy her kingdom. Here was a neat solution, and she had overlooked it!

With deep pangs of regrets, she realized, then, that none of this had been necessary. Had she trusted the rest of the kingdom, and worked with them, she could have had the child entrusted to her without bloodshed. But now it's too late. Too many lives had been lost, and everyone hated her.

"There is no hope for peace. Too many lives have been lost." The Queen told the Princess as much.

"There is always hope for peace, as long as life exists." The princess said, "But especially now, that everyone is here."

The Queen shook her head. It was too late for her. She then looked around her and was surprised to see everybody mingled with everybody else. Her Guards, her troops, the various kings of the kingdoms and their troops. All gathered together around her and the Princess.

The Wishing Princess - Chapter 22

22. The Princess Falls

The kings were celebrating their victories. It was a marvelous one. Never in their wildest dream that they would turn back an mighty army many times their number! The princess was congratulated by the kings. She was extended many invitations, which she graciously accepted. Even the Tall Prince, who had always been derisive of her, finally admitted that she was a capable leader. All was merry in the encampment.

An even better news broke during the celebration. The prophesied child has been born! Cheers went up and wine flowed. The Princess could not stop the flow of wine, but reminded them that until the day was done, and the Queen's army retreated from the land, the danger had not passed, and wine should be consumed in moderation.

Suddenly, the Princess's ear perked. She looked around her and saw nothing but jubilant faces. The Captain, who always looked after her, noticed this. He approached the princess. He, too, looked around him and saw nothing amiss.

"Is there something wrong, Princess?" asked the Captain. The Princess said nothing. She kept looking around her. Everything seemed fine.

"I don't know." said the Princess. "Everything seems normal. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong, is there?"

"Everything seems normal to me." answered the Captain.

"Perhaps, someplace else, then?" said the Princess doubtfully. "Is the child safe?"

"As safe as can be." replied the Captain. "They are with the shamans of the Three Mountain. The child is very well protected."

"Then, where else could it be?" asked the Princess. As she looked around her, she heard the unmistakable sound of gunshots so far away. Instantly, her eyes went to the Queen's camp. "They're shooting at their own people!" The Princess was horrified at the revelation. Instantly, she was up on her horse and rode for the Queen's.

Her action was too swift for anyone to stop her. The Captain immediately signaled the horsemen and rode after her. As one, everybody ran after the Princess. There was no argument, no discussion, no orders. It was all instinctual. Everybody loved the Princess, and they will follow her to the death.

The Queen saw the lone horse rider going toward her, and recognized that it was the Princess. Addressing the Old Warrior, the Queen said, "Kill her."

The Old Warrior was surprised. He knew the Queen was mean, but he didn't think she would breach war etiquette. "Your Majesty, it is forbidden to kill a messenger." He didn't want to kill her.

The Queen merely regard him as a child. "She is the source of all our troubles." the Queen said, "Kill her, and our troubles will melt away." The Old Warrior looked at the Queen. He was really reluctant to do so. "Take the Guards and kill her." The Queen ordered the Old Warrior.

There was no more discussion. The Old Warrior, honorable and obedient to the Queen, had no choice but to obey. He formed the Honor Guard as a shield to the Queen, and instructed them to shoot the Princess.

The Princess was hurriedly riding through the troops. "Make way! Make way!" she shouted. The troops, recognizing that it was she who spared their lives, obeyed and parted to make way for the Princess.

The Princess rode past the troops, saw that the Guards were aiming their musket at their own troops. She spread her arms protecting the troops, as if a hen spread her wings protecting her chicks.

The Old Warrior had no choice. "Ready." he said. "Aim..."

The Guards also didn't want to kill the Princess. One admitted to the other, "I don't want to shoot her."

"So, shoot the horse," came the reply.

"... Fire!"

As one, the Guards fired their musket. The Princess's horse crumpled. There was not a single Guard who desired to kill the Princess. All aimed at the horse. At once, the Princess was flung from the horse onto the sands. She landed poorly.

The Guard stood transfixed to their spot. They couldn't move. They were all waiting for the Princess to stand.

The Princess laid on the sand for a long time. Then she slowly got up. The Guards all let out a collective sigh. But there was something wrong. The Princess expression was that of pain. She was wounded and bleeding!

Though all the Guards aimed at the horse, not all have hit their target. A few bullets hit the Princess, and she was struggling to walk.

She walked not back toward her encampment, but toward the Queen. The Guards's heart melted at her bravery and compassion. Not a single person moved.

The Princess was walking toward the Queen, slowly, painfully, one single step at a time.