The Caged Princess

Good King Adelbert was monarch of one of the northernmost kingdoms of the world, a land that saw many months of icy coldness and only a few short weeks of warm weather. As a ruler, Adelbert was wise, just and compassionate, much loved by his people.

When the sixtieth anniversary of Adelbert's birth drew near, the king's thoughts turned to the future and, in particular, to the succession. His beloved wife, who died several years earlier, had blessed him with three daughters before giving birth to the long-awaited son. The three princesses had entered into excellent marriages and were now queens of foreign lands. His son, Prince Eldridge, on the other hand, had not yet married, even though he was already three and twenty years of age.

"The boy must marry and produce an heir," the king's ministers advised.

In royal families it is not unheard of for parents to arrange marriages between small children who were barely able to walk, and yet Eldridge, a fully grown man, was still not betrothed. The king blamed himself in part, for he had never pressed the matter. He loved his children and, wanting to see them happy, had sworn to let them each make their own choices when it came to matters of the heart. For years he had patiently waited for Eldridge to fall in love and marry. He didn't know how much longer he could wait.

"It appears that Cupid's aim is off where my son is concerned," Adelbert told his ministers. "I suppose it is time I stepped in and gave him a push in the right direction."

The king then approached his son.

"I am going to send you on a journey to visit each of your sisters."

The prince was delighted at the prospect. He hadn't seen his siblings in several years, and he missed them terribly.

"I want to be sure," the king continued, "that they are all happy and well and that their children are all healthy."

The reason for the trip was a ruse, however. King Adelbert knew his daughters would present the most eligible young women in their kingdoms to their brother. Hopefully, the prince's eye would fall on a lovely young princess.

* * *

Prince Eldridge first visited with the oldest sister, who had married a king from the east. It was a land where agriculture flourished, and there were golden fields of grain as far as the eye could see. There were also many trees and vines, all laden with fruits and vegetables of many different varieties.

The people in the eastern kingdom were simple, honest and hardworking folk who tilled the land. The prince stayed with his eldest sister for one month during which time she and her husband entertained him with bountiful feasts and harvest fairs. Many single women of noble birth were introduced to the prince, but none captured his interest.

Eldridge next journeyed to the west where he visited his next oldest sister. The land she and her husband reigned over was situated along the coast, and most of its people owed their livelihood to the sea. It was a country of shipbuilders, sailors, fishermen and merchants.

The prince visited with this sister for five weeks, and while he was in the west he was entertained with grand balls and lavish parties. Again, the finest ladies of the realm were invited to meet the prince, but none stole his heart.

Lastly, Eldridge visited the youngest sister in the south. The kingdom she and her husband ruled was the most beautiful of the three. The weather was warm all year round, and everywhere he looked in the tropical paradise, the prince saw brilliantly colored trees, flowers and birds.

The people of the southern kingdom neither fished nor farmed, nor did they engage in any other form of manual labor. It was a land rich not only in worldly goods that were shipped around the globe, but also in culture. Eldridge was impressed by its music, theater, art and literature.

The youngest sister, like her older siblings, arranged a series of royal events to entertain her brother and paraded before him the noble ladies of the land. It was in this southern kingdom that Eldridge finally fell in love.

Rosamond was as beautiful as the southern land in which she had been born. Her flawless complexion was a pale ivory in color, her eyes emerald green and her hair a soft shade of red. Yet even though she was attracted to the handsome young prince, Rosamond had misgivings when Eldridge asked for her hand in marriage. She loved her homeland, enjoyed the beauty and culture of her kingdom and was not eager to leave it. Still, as a loyal, obedient daughter she was expected to marry the man her parents chose for her, and they were quite pleased to have Prince Eldridge as a son-in-law.

King Adelbert was also delighted on hearing the good news, and when Rosamond appeared in his court, he knew his son had made a wise choice.

"See how she lights up the room," the king observed. "She is like a beacon shining in the darkness of the night. Everything and everyone else pales in comparison."

* * *

In the months following the royal marriage, Rosamond's beauty slowly began to fade. Although her husband was a kind and gentle man, she could find no happiness in her new life. She hated the cold, the snow and the barrenness of the northern kingdom and longed for the warmth and rich colors of her own country.

"She is wasting away," Prince Eldridge cried. "She never smiles and never laughs. I would do anything to make her happy."

The king brought in his personal physician, but the good doctor could find no medical ailment that affected the princess.

"Perhaps," the doctor suggested, "the cure can be found in magic rather than medicine."

Eager to save his princess, Eldridge journeyed to the kingdom of Azuria, a land of enchantment, magic and often danger. He searched that land far and wide seeking out wizards and witches—anyone who could offer hope for Rosamond's recovery. But the sorcerers were of no more help than his father's physician had been.

Just when he was about to give up his quest and return north, he entered a magic forest. There in a small clearing, he accidentally stumbled upon the forest's fairy population celebrating the summer solstice.

It was a site of such beauty that it took Eldridge's breath away. Fairies with iridescent wings lit up like fireflies in the night. Their songs, sung in a language no mortal could understand, had a strange effect on the human heart nonetheless. As Eldridge watched under the cover of the trees, the fairies danced on the leaves and petals of the flowers.

If only Rosamond could see this wondrous sight, he thought. It would surely make her happy.

Eldridge snuck closer to the clearing. While the fairies were preoccupied with their celebration, the prince reached his hand out and began plucking them out of the air. These creatures, caught unaware, were then held captive in one of the prince's travel bags. Once he had captured nearly a dozen brightly colored fairies, he headed north and returned home with great speed.

When he entered the castle gates, Eldridge immediately sought out his bride. She was even paler than before, and the prince's heart nearly broke when he saw her. There was no smile for her returning husband. To Rosamond, all joy was gone, left behind in a world far to the south.

"I have brought you a present," Eldridge said, hoping to see a flicker of interest in her face, but there was none.

The prince clapped his hands, and his squire brought in the fairies, now housed in a gold and jeweled cage. For the first time since Rosamond had arrived in his kingdom, the prince saw a smile on his wife's face.

"They are beautiful!" she exclaimed.

The fairies, like most magical creatures, were intensely curious and so were happy being in a new environment. The princess was enchanted as she watched them sing and dance.

* * *

Eldridge and his father were delighted to see Rosamond regain her health. Soon her complexion was radiant again, and her eyes shone like green fire. She smiled and laughed frequently and on several occasions was seen dancing and singing, looking to Eldridge like a tall and wingless fairy.

But no sooner did Rosamond find happiness in the cold, barren kingdom of the north than her pet fairies began to feel the pangs of homesickness. Once their curiosity about their new home was satisfied, they began to miss the freedom of flight and longed to return to the lush greenness of the forest. Just as the princess had, the fairies fell into a fit of despondency. They no longer sang or danced, but sat quietly in their cage, the color fading from their wings.

One day when the prince entered his wife's apartments, he saw the gold and jeweled cage empty with its door open wide.

"Rosamond," he cried, as he went in search of his wife.

"What is it, my lord?" she replied, in a cheerless voice.

"Your fairies—they have escaped. But fear not, my darling. I will return to the forest and capture some more."

"No, good prince. The fairies did not escape. I opened the cage door and set them free."

"But why? I thought you loved them."

"I did, and I shall miss them terribly, but they were unhappy here. They longed to return to the forest from which you took them. They surely would have died if they'd remained in captivity."

"I suppose," the prince observed wisely, "that if you truly love something it is better to set it free than see it unhappy."

The princess did not reply. Instead she cast her eyes down in sadness.

* * *

"You cannot do this crazy thing," King Adelbert insisted. "You will be king when I am gone, and it is your duty to produce an heir."

The prince remained adamant.

"I will not keep her here where she is so unhappy."

Preparations were made for the journey, and when all was ready Eldridge informed his wife of his decision.

"My army is ready to escort you home," he said, bravely trying to maintain his resolve.

"Why, my lord? Have I displeased you in some way?"

The princess knew her parents would be unhappy if their daughter returned in disgrace.

"It is I who displeased you, I fear."

"That is not true. You have shown me nothing but kindness since the day I met you in your sister's castle."

"But I have failed to make you happy."

"Is this the reason you send me away, for my own happiness?"

"Of course. I have watched you grow sadder and sadder as time passes, and your unhappiness breaks my heart. So I will open the door to your gilded cage and set you free."

A blissful smile transformed Rosamond's beautiful face.

"If I am truly free, then I can make up my own mind. I choose to stay here with you."

"But you don't like it here in the north."

She looked at him, her face radiant and her eyes suddenly glowing with love for him.

"You care enough to let me go free. With such an unselfish love, we can make a paradise even out of this frozen wasteland."