Quickly, the two began to saddle Tabitha's horse, working in silence. Occasionally, Tabitha would look over at the tall blond man, a wistful yearning in her sapphire eyes, but he never met her gaze. When Mahogany was tacked up, Tabitha reached to take her bridle.
"Aren't you going to ride her?" Sam asked, his eyes on the ground.
"Why? I don't know where I'm going." Tabitha pointed out.
"Alright." Sam said, still staring at the ground. Tabitha snorted in annoyance and grabbed his shoulder. "Your Highness?"
Tabitha glared at him in the moonlight and snapped "Don't you start that."
"Ah don't understand, Your Highness." Sam said softly.
"If you call me 'Your Highness' one more time, I'm going to smack you." Tabitha growled, her eyes snapping.
"If that is what you wish, Your Highness." Sam intoned, his voice hollow and his eyes still on the ground. True to her word, Tabitha wheeled around and smacked his arm. Sam flinched slightly, but then forced his face back in to an expression of submission and stared at the ground.
Tabitha throw her hands into the air and suddenly felt like crying. She turned away from Sam and wrapped her arms around her body and began to shake slightly. Tears slipped down her face and she began to sob softly.
Sam cringed when her heard her cry. His heart screamed at him to take her in his arms and comfort her, but his mind screamed as loudly that she was the Princess and that he shouldn't even touch her. For a few more seconds, the young man stood there at war with himself.
His hands surprised him by reaching out and wrapping themselves around the crying Princess's arm. He surprised himself even more when he gently turned her to face him, and reached up to wipe the tears out of her eyes. Tabitha's lips curved into a shaky smile, and she slowly stopped shaking.
To Sam's surprise he soon found himself kissing her firmly, his arms wrapped tightly around her back. She had her arms wrapped as tightly around him. For awhile they stood there, lost in each other's embrace.
Sam pulled back from her arms reluctantly. "Princess…we have to get you home. The kingdom will be tearing itself apart looking for you."
Tabitha made a face and reached for Sam's hand. "I know. I guess we better get going."
Slowly the two made their way through the thick forest. Sam's familiarity with the woodland was the only thing that kept them from getting hopelessly lost. Tabitha lead Mahogany through the woods as carefully as she could, Sam walking protectively close to her.
After a few hours of walking, they eventually found themselves on a firmly packed dirt road. Sam looked up at the sky and noted the position of the stars.
"We still have a couple more hours 'til daybreak. If we hurry, we can get to the city by then." Sam told Tabitha.
"Wouldn't it be easier to ride?" Tabitha asked.
"Probably." Sam agreed, looking over at her.
"Well, what are we waiting for then?" Tabitha asked, turning to Mahogany. "Let's go."
Sam stepped up next to her and gave her a boost up into the saddle. Tabitha motioned for him to climb up behind her, and he did so swiftly. Tabitha checked to make sure he was secure then clicked her heels into Mahogany's side and they set off at a brisk trot.
"Why do you ride astride?" Sam asked in her ear after they had been riding awhile.
"Why not?" Tabitha asked back, a smile evident in her voice.
"Just doesn't seem ladylike." Sam replied.
"You'll find, Sam, that there is very little that is ladylike about me." Tabitha told him over her shoulder, sparring the horse into a faster trot.
"So it seems." Sam said quietly.
Mahogany proved to be a much faster mode of transportation then their feet had been. They reached the crossroad to the city much faster then they realized. When they reached it, Tabitha reined Mahogany in and Sam jumped down.
"Princess…Ah best be going now. You know how to get home right?" Sam asked, craning his neck to look up at her.
"I…yes. But do you have to go?" Tabitha asked, her eyes pleading with him to stay.
"Ah do. Ah'll more than likely be killed if they find me with you." Sam told her, patting the horse's neck.
Tabitha looked down at him with her sad blue eyes and asked, "Will you meet me here tomorrow?"
Sam looked up at her in shock and then nodded slowly. "Yes. Ah well."
Tabitha's eyes glowed with happiness and she bent down off the horse to kiss the young man softly on the mouth. "Till then."
"Till then." Sam agreed, slipping into the trees. Tabitha watched him go until he was out of sight, then spurred Mahogany into a canter and rode into town.
When she finally reached the castle, the guards had managed to get word to the castle residents that Tabitha was coming home. She was meet at the gate by her parents.
"Tabitha! Where have you been?!" Queen Emma cried, moving forward to clutch her daughter's hands.
"I…was…that is, I was…umm…" Tabitha stuttered, looking down at her hands.
"Thank God your safe!" Remy cried, moving forward to clutch his daughter to him.
"Why did you run away?"
"Where did you go?"
"Are you hurt?"
"Did anyone see you?"
"Momma, Papa, slow down!" Tabitha cried waving her hands. "I'm fine, I…just got lost. Where…where are Prince Roberto and his father?"
"They left. Prince Roberto said there was something he had to take care of." Remy told her.
"Thank God." Tabitha muttered under her breath.
"But we have the most exciting news!" Emma cried, wrapping an arm around her daughter.
"Oh? What's that?" Tabitha asked, walking along side her mother.
"They agreed to a betrothal! Aren't you excited?" Emma exclaimed, hugging her daughter. Tabitha pulled away and looked at her mother in horror.
"What?!" She screamed.
"Aren't you happy?" Remy asked in confusion.
"No! I don't want to marry Roberto!" Tabitha cried in horror.
"Why not?" Emma asked.
"He…he tried to…no! I hate him!" Tabitha screamed and ran from her parents.
Emma and Remy stared at each other in horror. How could this be? There only child was fated to fall under a spell TODAY and the only one who could break it was her true love. And she had none!
Tabitha raced up the steps to her bedroom, her face wet with tears. As soon as she reached the room, she flung herself down on the bed and wept.
"Poor little child. What's wrong?" A sultry voice purred from the corner of her room.
Tabitha's head snapped up and she turned to see a darkly beautiful woman standing in the shadows.
"Who…who are you?" She asked in shock, pushing herself to her feet.
"Mah name is Leila. And you never did answer mah question." The woman reminded her.
"My parents are making me marry someone I don't love." Tabitha told her without thinking.
"You poor child! I can help you escape that…wretched curse." Leila offered.
"How?" Tabitha asked, stepping forward. The woman moved aside and reveled the same odd contraption that she had seen at Sam's house.
"Touch it, and you will not have to marry that cruel Prince Roberto." The woman entreated. Tabitha stared at the spinning wheel in fascination and stepped toward it. Slowly she stretched out a hand and touched the gleaming needle fastened to the end.
The needle pricked her tiny finger and the world grew very, very black. The Princess Tabitha Belle Amaranta of Graymalkin collapsed to the floor in a spelled slumber, never to be woken except by true love's sweet kiss.
Sam yelped as a tinge of pain raced through his body. He collapsed to one knee, crossing his left arm over his chest, and squeezing his eyes shut.
"Something…something's wrong." Sam murmured softly, standing up and turning back to the direction he came. "No…" He murmured, realization washing over him like a tidal wave. "TABITHA!"
Sam broke into a run, racing across the woods back toward the castle. His muscles strained, pushing him still faster until he reached the crossroads where he had left Tabitha. He stopped for a mere second to catch his breath and then pressed on, sweat trickling down his brow.
Hours ticked by like minutes, Sam still running at a break neck speed toward the castle. Finally, he reached the city and pushed on, running down the quaint cobble streets toward the castle gates. People stood and stared as the young man sprinted toward the castle, his eyes nearly mad.
Finally, he reached the gates and stopped to catch his breath. Panting, he moved toward the gates, but was stopped by the guard.
"What business have you here?" The man, Bishop by name, snarled.
"The Princess…she's in terrible danger." Sam heaved, wiping sweat off his face with his sleeve.
"How do you know?" Bishop asked, his tone suspicious.
"Ah just do!" Sam grated, annoyed. The woman he loved was in danger and he had to play twenty questions with a guard!
"Oh really?" The guard snarled.
"She is!" Sam yelled, his hands tightening into fists.
"Of course she is." Bishop said, his voice holding a note of sarcastic laughter. "She's in the best built castle in the known world, and has a thousand veterans guarding her every move, but she's in terrible danger."
"Ah'm telling you, she's in trouble!" Sam pleaded with the huge guard.
"You are starting to get on my nerves." Bishop informed him, grabbing him by the arm.
"Tabitha's hurt! Ah know she is!" Sam hollered in the man's face, ripping his arm away from Bishop's grip.
Bishop's face tightened and he grabbed Sam's arm again. "You, young man, are under arrest for treason."
"But Tabitha needs help! At least go check on her!" Sam yelled, struggling in the man's iron grasp as he was dragged away.
The other guard, Shatterstar, looked after the two men and then turned to a young page standing by the door watching with wide-eyed fascination. "Franklin, go tell Captain Nathan that a young man came here and told us the Princess was in danger. Tell him to send a guard to check on her."
The young blond boy nodded and darted off with his important message. Shatterstar returned to his post, watching for any other loiters.
"Sir! Sir! Shatterstar told me to ask you to send someone to check on the Princess." Franklin cried as he reached the imposing Captain of the guard.
"Why?" Nathan boomed, looking down at the lad.
"A man came to the door and said she was in trouble." The page explained, craning his neck to see.
"Alright then. Julio, go check on the Princess." Nathan ordered, turning to his second in command.
"Of course." Julio saluted and raced off.
He quickly moved up the stairs and knocked on the Princess's door. He got no response. "Your Highness?" He called, knocking louder. Still he got no response. He took a deep breath and slowly pushed the door open.
The Princess was sprawled out on the floor, her pale blonde hair making a wreath around her head. Her eyes were closed and she seemed to be in a deep sleep.
"Princess?" The guard asked, moving forward to shake her awake. He touched her shoulder softly, trying to get her to wake up. When she would not, he began to get worried.
"Princess?" He called again, loudly. Still she would not awaken. Julio took a deep breath and leapt to his feet.
He quickly ran out the door, and took a sharp right. Quickly he raced toward King Remy's study, knowing that that was where the King and Queen would be. He reached the door and pounded on it.
"Sire!" He called after the king answered the door. "Something is wrong with the Princess!"
"What do you mean?" King Remy asked, his eyes widening.
"She won't wake up!" Julio reported.
"NO!" Emma screamed, falling back.
"This can't be happening!" Remy cried, pushing past the young man and running toward his daughter's room.
But it could be happening, because it was. The Princess Tabitha Belle Amaranta had fallen under the evil curse that had been hanging over her head since the day she was christened.
The king had her moved to the throne room and placed on a bed of silk and gold. The bed was then placed on a dais, with steps leading up to it. The Princess was dressed in a pure white dress of silk and velvet. And there she slept.
Sam was still in the dungeon. He had been there for weeks, awaiting his trail. However, since the Princess was enchanted, the King was not holding any trails until the Princess was awakened.
The young man begged the prison guard for information on the Princess, and the guard, thinking there was no harm in it, told him all he knew.
"Yer never gonna believe wot I heard mate." The prison guard, one Pete Wisdom, said to Sam one day.
"What?" Sam asked, looking up hopefully.
"The Princess's fiancé is coming to break the spell. Ain't that grand?" Wisdom asked.
"Fiancé?" Sam repeated dumbly.
"Yeah, the Prince Roberto of Da Costa." Wisdom nodded.
Sam nodded his thanks for the information, and collapsed on his straw mat. (Ah should have known she was engaged. She's so…wonderful; of course any man would leap at the chance to marry her.)
"Aye, but the spell can only be broken by her true love's kiss." A soft voice told him. Sam sat up quickly and spun around.
He found himself face to face with a small woman with bright red hair. "Who are you?" Sam asked in shock.
"I'm Rahne Wolfsheart. I've come tae help ye escape, and save the Princess." Rahne said softly.
"Save the Princess from what? Her true love is coming to break the spell, she'll be fine." Sam said, looking away.
"Her true love is already here." Rahne said softly, her lips pulling into a smile.
"Already?" Sam asked, his chest tightening.
"Aye. Tha's why I need tae save ye." Rahne said.
"How are you gonna…?" Sam asked, as the small fairy produced a wand. She slowly waved it over the chains, and they turned into nothing but simple vines. Then she waved at the lock on the door, and it became sand.
"Come, lad. The Princess is in danger." Rahne whispered to the young man, floating off down the hall. Sam stared at her for a minute, then chased after her.
The Prince of Da Costa walked toward the throne room, his entire form oozing arrogance. He smiled condescendingly at the King and Queen when they tried to halt his march to the throne room.
"My lady love is in danger. You think I'll stop at anything to save her?" He questioned, his tone smooth as silk.
"Of course not, but the curse can only--" Emma started only to be cut off by Roberto.
"True love's kiss. Yes I know. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go…set your daughter free." Roberto oozed, stepping around the King and Queen.
Quickly he slipped through the door and walked toward the dais, his each step echoing like a messenger of doom. He pulled a gleaming blade out from under his cloak and stepped up onto the dais. Slowly, he made his way up the stairs until he reached Tabitha's side. He raised the knife high above his head, directly above the enchanted Princess's heart…
"STOP!!" Sam's voice rang out across the room. Roberto whirled to find a peasant standing in the doorway with a redhead hovering behind him.
"Be gone, boy." Roberto snarled, turning back to kill the Princess. He then noticed that his blade had been turned to a flower. "What?! How did this happen?!"
"I did it." The redhead called from behind Sam.
"And who are you?" Roberto snarled.
"I am Rahne Wolfsheart." The little fairy declared, stepping forward. Roberto openly winced, but then drew his sword.
"On guard, peasant." Roberto snarled, leaping off the dais. Sam winced and stepped back. Suddenly, his hand was wrapped around a cool metal sword. He looked down quickly then back up at the fairy. Wolfsheart winked and the pointed behind him.
Sam whirled around just in time to parry a thrust to his neck. Swords clashing, Sam and Roberto fought back and forth, locked in a fierce struggle. It was obvious that Roberto was the better swordsman of the two, but Sam had sheer desperation on his side. He was determined to save Tabitha, even if it wa the death of him.
So engaged with their fight, Prince Roberto and Sam didn't notice the sickening yellow and green light that light the room. Leila stepped out of the light and moved quickly toward the Princess, a shining dagger in her fist. Rahne saw her though, and yelled a warning to Sam.
"Samuel! Leila…she's going to kill the Princess!"
Sam looked up and darted away from raging Prince and ran toward the evil fairy. Roberto swore and ran after him, swinging his sword wildly.
Leila looked up when she heard coming, and hissed. She broke into a run toward the Princess, intent on killing her. Sam swore and raced after her, sweat trickling down his brow.
Sam threw himself at the Rogue fairy and tripped her up as she was beginning to ascend the stairs. Leila hissed in hatred and kicked at him, but Sam held fast with one arm, trying to keep a hold of his sword with the other.
Suddenly, the evil fairy twisted around and drove the dagger at Sam. He rolled away from her but wasn't fast enough as the fairy's blade caught his arm. He cried out in pain, then dove at the fairy with his sword. She screamed as the silvery blade twisted inside of her chest, a fountain of blood running from her mouth. Sam pulled the sword out of her chest, and turned away, sickened by what he had been forced to do.
Through all this, Sam had forgotten Prince Roberto. The young man was sitting on the floor, with a confused expression on his face.
"Excuse me, good sir?" He asked, when he saw Sam. "Could you tell me where I am?"
"You're in the throne room of the Graymalkin Castle. Don' you remember?" Sam asked, expecting some kind of attack.
"No. All I remember was that woman you just killed making me drink this disgusting potion." Roberto shook his head.
"You were under a spell?" Sam guessed, his eyes wide.
"I suppose. What did I do? Why do I have this sword?" Roberto asked, confused.
"You were trying to kill… Tabitha!" Sam cried, whirling around to where the small Princess was still asleep.
"Tabitha? The Princess of Graymalkin? Why would I want to kill her?" Roberto was still confused, but Sam was no longer listening to him.
He ran up the flight of steps to where Tabitha lay sleeping and looked down at her. She was still as perfectly beautiful as she had been the last time he had gazed at her and his heart leapt to his throat.
"Rahne!" He cried, looking back at the small fairy that still stood in the doorway. "Why hasn't she woken up yet?"
"The curse can only be lifted by her true love's kiss." Rahne replied, smiling softly.
"Who…?" Sam asked, looking around. Rahne only smiled and beckoned to Prince Roberto. "Come Prince. I will see you to your own castle."
"Thank you, ma'am." Roberto said, stepping up beside her.
The two disappeared in a blinding light, leaving Sam alone with the sleeping beauty. He turned back to look at her and felt tears prick his eyes.
"Princess…please. Ah love you so much. Please wake up." Sam pleaded to the slumbering girl child. She did not stir and Sam squeezed his eyes shut.
Suddenly he opened them again and stepped toward the Princess. As if some outside force had possessed him, he bent down to the Princess and kissed her warmly on the mouth. Tabitha's eyes fluttered open, and her arms suddenly wrapped around Sam's broad back.
Jean Firehair, standing in the corner, couldn't help but grin. At least her gamble had paid off!
At that moment, King Remy and the guards of the castle rushed in. All they saw was some commoner kissing the crowned Princess of Graymalkin, so they of course reacted strongly.
"What in the--?!" Remy hollered, amazed to see the commoner kissing his daughter.
Sam pulled away from Tabitha and turned to face his King. He winced at the King's expression and looked down at the floor. Tabitha wrapped her arms around Sam's shoulders and glared at her father. Remy stared at them both for awhile, trying to comprehend the situation.
"Young man, what is you name?" Remy asked, when Tabitha and Sam had pulled themselves together and gotten off the floor.
"Mah name is Sam." Sam said, bowing deeply.
"That is not exactly true." A new voice rang out. All turned to find themselves facing Jean Firehair. With her were King Charles and Prince Roberto.
"Yes. This young man is the Duke of Snow Valley." King Charles decreed.
"Uh, Ah am?" Sam asked, looking at the man in disbelief.
"Yes. You freed my son from an enchantment, so I owe you an award. Is that good enough? I can give you a better title if you want." King Charles offered.
"No, sire, that's fine." Sam nodded his head.
While all this was going on, King Remy had been thinking. This young man was the one that had broken the enchantment on his daughter, so she obviously loved him. And from the way that the young man gazed at Tabitha, he was certain that he loved his little girl back. So Remy made a decision.
"Tabitha? You do realize that it is time for you to get married, correct?" Remy called to his daughter.
"Yes…"Tabitha said slowly, her eyes on Sam, the Duke of Snow Valley.
Remy sighed. "Is there anyone you would like to marry?"
Tabitha squealed in delight and threw herself into Sam's waiting arms. Sam swung her around and around, kissing her soundly. Remy watched them for a moment longer then went to find his wife and give her the good news.
So Princess Tabitha Belle Amaranta of Graymalkin and Duke Samuel of Snow Valley were married in a grand celebration. Many people were there, including the King and Prince of Da Costa and of course the three Ruby Fairies. And the new Prince and Princess of Graymalkin lived happily ever after.