posted
Once upon a time, in olden days, there was a spoiled prince who, for a long time, was very, very bored with life.
His parents had given him everything he wanted, but he now wanted the one thing they really couldn’t give.
He wanted to save a damsel in distress, just like all the other princes.
However, there weren’t any trolls, goblins, witches or wizards in the area. And those that were mostly kept to themselves and gave no ill will to anyone in the kingdom.
Worried about what the sight of a moping prince would do to their image, the king and queen devised a cunning plan.
They decided to pay a girl to pretend that she was in distress, and when word would reach the prince, he would have the opportunity to save her.
The problem was that no girl in the kingdom would agree to it.
Alongside being spoiled, the prince was also a chauvinist, and he managed to get on the wrong side of just about every eligible lady he ever got his hands on.
No amount of money or status would change their mind, or threat of execution, for the girls would simply reveal the charade the first chance they got.
They considered the idea of imprisoning or executing anyone who said otherwise, but that would just make them look like tyrants.
With nothing to do, the king and queen decided to just grin and bear their moping son.
As luck would have it for them, a new family had moved into the kingdom. A husband and wife farmers, and their beautiful daughter.
Word reached the king and queen, and grabbed for this silver lining as fast as they could.
They talked with the girl, explained their situation, and then offered the girl and her family as much wealth as they wanted.
The farmers were outraged that the king and queen would want to use their daughter like a toy just to cheer up their son, and denied their offer.
However, the girl was well aware of the position her parents were in, and thinking solely of them, decided to go along with it.
The king and queen decided to set up the charade as quickly as they could. They searched through the dungeons of the kingdom, and found the worst lowlife about to meet the executioner’s ax. With an offering of his life on the table, they chose him to play the role of the villain.
He would “kidnap” the girl and whisk her away to a secluded tower, where he would boast about all the unspeakable things he would do to her unless he was paid a big enough ransom.
So, the next day, the girl was snatched away in the middle of broad daylight as the “villain” screamed about his plans.
The king and queen told their son about what had happened, and as quickly as he could, jumped atop his favorite horse and rode off, sword in hand.
In the outskirts of the kingdom, the so-called villain waited for his fight with the prince, the girl kept in a dungeon cell that was not locked. He expected that all he would have to do was pretend to lose and his end of the bargain was done.
So, in came the prince, bragging loudly about how he would save the fair maiden from the cruel hound.
The prince charged up the stairs of the tower, the villain waiting with sword drawn, and before anyone could blink the two had engaged in a duel.
The villain had put on a good show, until finally he feigned defeat and conceded. That didn’t stop the prince from cutting off his head.
And so the prince charged down to the dungeon and “freed” the girl, claiming no thanks were necessary for saving her life.
Now, the girl and her parents had been paid well enough for their services, for the prince no longer moped around the castle.
Unfortunately, the swelling of his ego did not deflate over time, and he joyously bragged about his victory again and again to anyone who would hear.
As time went on, the story became more and more exaggerated, as the lone villain had become a band of thieves, a band of thieves to an entire army.
The girl’s name became sullied, as he heaped indignity upon indignity over her role in the tale, being forced to cook and clean and service the men, to later becoming a harlot who had been kidnapped because she was so stupid enough to have insulted her kidnapper.
With each lie the girl became a thing of a joke among the village for being so stupid.
But she always kept her head up, and never blinked, or wavered, or fainted, as those lies tainted her eyes, for she knew that none of it was true, and that she did what she did to help her parents, and that was all.
Her parents, however, suffered greatly, no matter how much money they had. They could not stand the slander that the prince and his parents told about their daughter, and he got into many fights over her virtue.
They realized, though, that they would worry her if they voiced their grievances, and feared that she would consider them ungrateful for what she had done. So they kept their complaints quiet when they were around, for they loved her, and wanted to be as strong as she was.
One day, a neighbor had come by to borrow some grain, when she saw the father trying to console the mother, who was in tears.
The neighbor had asked what was wrong. News of the rumors and lies had not reached her home, as she lived too far out for any to reach.
The father and mother explained to her the whole charade that had gone through, about how their daughter’s name was constantly being muddied by the prince and his friends.
The neighbor was outraged by such abuse, but at the same time, was inspired by the bravery their daughter had, by going into town every day and keeping her composure among the people who said such things of her.
But she decided that the prince and his family must pay for such lies in the first place.
This neighbor, you see, was a witch, one of the few who, mentioned earlier, kept to themselves most of the time.
So, the neighbor, once the day ended, disguised herself as a chambermaid and infiltrated the castle during a private dinner between the royal family.
She stood at the right hand of the prince, as he regaled, once more, to the king and queen, about his triumph.
When the prince had left to get some air, the king and queen began discussing whether it was wise of them to promise the now dead prisoner an expulsion from death row if they knew their son would kill him. The king said, though, that it wouldn’t have matter anyway, and that was one less neck for the hangman.
As they laughed, the neighbor, outraged, revealed herself in a grand display of black magic.
The prince came running back when he heard his parents shrieks, and was just as horrified.
The neighbor revealed to the prince the act that his parents had put on, just to spite them, and then revealed what she planned to do to them.
The king and queen, who have always worried about how they looked to others, the neighbor transformed into two paintings.
The prince, whose begging and pleading fell on deaf ears, was transformed into a mangy, smelly, flea-riddled dog for his animalistic behavior and foul lies.
Time went on, and everyone forgot about the prince’s “great” exploits, and they mainly talked about what had happened to the king, queen, and prince.
Eventually, the girl went on to live her life just as she always had, but her parents slept easier knowing the rumors had stopped. They were able to enjoy their wealth now, and live better, peaceful lives.
There was just the problem of an annoying, ugly dog who kept moping around their farm. The parents complained that maybe it would leave if the daughter would stop being so nice to it.
Of course, she couldn’t find it in her heart to pity such a pathetic creature, anymore than God did.
-------------------- I want to be hated by lies - Bring Back Lian Harper
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