The Pigtail Princess

                                                          The Pigtail Princess

                                                            By Daryl Campbell



         Once, in a magical land known as Teihzbael, there ruled a great king. He had a wonderful queen and two strong and handsome princes. In the seventh year of his rule, he was blessed with the birth of a baby girl. The princess, named Ayradth, was born with golden hair and deep blue eyes.

         As was the custom, when Ayradth’s fifth birthday arrived, the king held a festival. Poems and stories were written for her and read in front of the largest audience the castle ever held. The festival ended with gifts from three wizards. The princess, in a yellow and blue gown, sat on a special throne.

         A young wizard in robes of red satin, came to the princess and spoke. “To the princess,” he kneeled and touched a glass wand to her head, “I leave the gift of knowledge. May she choose to use it wisely.”

         People talked of how smart their princess would be and how much she would do. After a few minutes, the courtyard quieted down.

         A middle aged wizard with graying hair and a thick beard that fell across his golden robes, approached the princess and knelt down. “I have a perfect gift for the princess. My gift is confidence.” He put a golden coin in Ayradth’s hand. “For in her confidence, she’ll rise above all obstacles.”

         Everyone cheered when Ayradth smiled and held up the coin as high as she could. The crowd talked of how the princess would become a great and mighty leader.

         The third wizard made his way to Ayradth’s throne. He couldn’t kneel, crippled and stiff with age, but bent and smiled. White hair covered his face and thick lines mapped his face. He reached in his pocket and spoke to the princess.

         Light shone bright as he pulled two tiny stars from the pocket of his blue robe. “These were captured for you. Do with them as you see fit. I expect we’ll see amazing things from you.” He put the stars in the princess’s hand..

         The two stars twinkled and the princess stood and went to her mom. The queen, in a white gown, bent and picked up her daughter.

         “What did he give you?” Mom asked.

         Ayradth opened her fingers to show the stars.

         “Aren’t those pretty?” She hugged the princess. “You like them?”

         “Yes.” Ayradth nodded and yawned.

         “Well,” the queen closed her daughter’s hand around the stars, “it’s been a big day. Tomorrow we’ll see what to do with your presents.” She held the princess up for everyone to see, then turned and carried her to her room.

         Ayradth got up early the next morning and took the stars to her mom. She dreamed about making them into pigtail bands and convinced Mom to make them. The queen connected ribbons of gold and silver to the back of each star and helped Ayradth wrap the pigtails. The princess looked in the mirror, excited to see her long hair twisted into pigtails with a silver star atop each one.

         “That what you wanted?” Mom asked.

         “Yes,” Ayradth nodded, “they’re pretty.”

         “Let’s show your dad.” She took Ayradth’s hand and led her to see the king.

         The king was happy to see the queen and princess. Ayradth ran to him, jumped in his lap, and gave him a kiss. She pointed to the pigtails.

         “I like them. You'll do far greater things than I ever have.” He kissed her on the head and set her down before he stood. “The queen and I have decided that our daughter will start lessons next week. Her brothers will be gone for the next few months and it will be a good time,” the king announced to the court.

         The room erupted with applause.

         When the next week started, Ayradth was in lessons. In the mornings, she learned math and how to solve puzzles. In the afternoons, she was taught to speak and write properly. The princess studied over the next two months and looked forward to seeing her brothers. As the third month began, it was time for the princes to come home.

         The morning that Kristofer and Alexander were to return came and the king and queen were surprised when they heard the news. As they crossed the mountains on the far side of Teihzbael, a purple dragon surprised the guards and took the princes. The dragon demanded a ransom from the king and flew away into the cliffs.

         The king put on his armor and grabbed his sword to confront the dragon. The queen hugged her husband, wished him luck, and told Ayradth to go to her room.

         With her curiosity aroused, Ayradth snuck to the stables to get her pony. She would head to the mountains, not far since she could see them, and speak to the dragon herself. At the stables, she saw her pony immediately, a small chestnut with a long mane.

         “Hello, Nikol. You ready for a little ride?” You have to be good today. If you aren’t, we might get in trouble.” She fitted the pony with a bit and bridle.

         Nikol whinnied as Ayradth climbed on.

         “Okay then, let’s go.” She patted Nikol's neck.

         Ayradth found her way out of the castle through a lightly guarded gate without much notice at all. She knew where she needed to go and urged Nikol toward the mountains.

         Morning passed into afternoon and Ayradth realized the mountains weren’t as close as she thought. She hadn’t brought any food and had to stop several times along the way to pick berries and nuts. Late in the day, the princess entered the valley described by her brothers’ guard. She tied Nikol to an oak at the side of a nearby stream and started her search.

         A trail led up through the heavy pines that crowded the mountainside. The princess struggled over rocks and through small openings as she made her way up the trail. Eventually, she came to a rock doorway in one of the cliffs.

         The door was decorated with colored dragons: twelve blue ones, four red ones, and two green ones. There was a metal bowl full of rectangle rocks near the bottom of the door. The blue rocks were all the same size and smooth on every side. Cut in straight lines across the door were three rows of rectangle holes, thirteen on each row. Carved on the left side of the door were the words ‘Just a single try’. Ayradth smiled. The door was a puzzle and she was good at puzzles.

         She had to decide how many rocks to put in the door. She knew the puzzle would be solved with a combination of dragons and numbers. The princess searched for a hint.

         “Hah! Maybe a number problem,” she spoke to herself. “Easy.” She giggled.

         Ayradth took twelve rectangle stones from the metal bowl. She put four of the stones in the first row. She inserted the first block and heard a clicking sound. The princess did the same with the next two lines and ended with four blocks on each row for twelve.

         Ayradth counted the blue dragons on the door again and made sure there were only twelve. She noticed one of the blue dragons stuck out from the door and she pushed it in. Metal creaked in the mountainside and the door lifted and opened. She looked into the darkness. A hiss echoed through the black and torches on the wall lit down a hallway.

         The princess moved up along the hallway until it came to another rock door. This one slid into the wall and, like the first one, was locked. There was a metal bowl in the floor with triangle shaped rocks. There were triangle holes in the center of the door surrounded by three circles: a gold one, a black one, and a green one. The door had three gold lions on the top right corner, two black birds on the top left, four green turtles on the bottom left, and five red snakes on the bottom right.

         “Math,” Ayradth said, “simple.”

         She picked up nine triangles from the bowl and reached to the center circle and placed them in nine of the holes that were there. The princess recounted the animals and subtracted the snakes since there wasn’t a circle of that color. She pushed against one of the snakes and the door shifted and slid open. There weren’t any torches here and the hallway vanished into the black.

         “I don’t like this.” She stepped forward.

         The stars on her pigtails lit the way as the princess went down the hall. She moved fast, worried that her dad would get to the door soon and she’d get in trouble. She had to find her brothers and get them from the dragon.

         Ayradth's stars only lit a little of the hall and she had to be carefully as she went. As the princess thought about what might be ahead in the darkness on the spiral walkway, another door appeared.

         “How many more doors?” she asked out loud.

         Tired from the climb and eager to find Alexander and Kristofer, Ayradth looked at a metal bowl in the floor with four rods in it. The door was halved, top and bottom, by a line and each half was filled with numbered holes. She tried to see if there were any differences in the two halves and saw that just two numbers were common to both, a two and a zero. She shook her head, grabbed the rods, and put them into the holes numbered two and metal gears clicked and the door shifted. She put the other two into the holes numbered zero. When she pushed the last one in, the door opened.

         The hall became a dark cave. Ayradth felt warm air and smelt ash. After a few minutes, she followed the light off her stars and went into the cave. A light flickered in the distance. Curious, she made her way to, what came to be, two torches and her brothers.

         “Alexander, Kristofer, are you okay?” Ayradth moved toward the blond teens.

         “Be careful, Ayradth, the dragon’s still here,” Alexander said.

         “Go back!” Kristofer added.

         Ayradth stepped back, but it was too late. She heard coins hit stone and something big moved. The princess brushed against a rock wall and could feel warm breath as eyes of gold and red came into view.

         “Who are you?” The female dragon's voice was deep. “Speak child.”

         “Ayradth. I’ve come to get my brothers.” The princess regained her courage.

         “Ahh, what do you think you can do to me?” The dragon lifted its head to breath fire across the ceiling.

         The dragon's head nearly touched the roof of the cave and its body was covered in large scales, red on her stomach and dark purple across the rest. She was thin and very long with bony spikes that ran down her back from the neck to the tail.

         “You’re very pretty,” Ayradth said. “Do you have a name?”

         “Hah! A misconception!” The dragon lowered her head. “Flattery is not a way to deflect the annoyance of a dragon. And yes, I do have a name. I’m called Ignacia.”

         “I need you to let my brothers go,” the princess demanded.

         “Do you? And what would I get in return?” Ignacia asked.

         “I will stay until my dad gets here and…”

         “No Ayradth! Dad will take care of this himself!” Alexander spoke.

         “Yeah,” Kristofer agreed.

         “Hmm. You find yourself more important than these two?” The dragon smiled.

         “Not more important, but I’m the only princess,” Ayradth answered.

         “You may be right, Little one. You two can leave.” Ignacia shifted onto her back legs.

         “I’ll be okay.” The princess assured her brothers.

         “Yes, as long as the king brings me payment,” the dragon said.

         “Ayradth, are you…” Alexander started.

         “I said leave!” Bits of flame escaped Ignacia's mouth.

         “They’re going! Through there and down the hallway.” Ayradth pointed.

         Ayradth and Ignacia stared at each other for several minutes after the princes left.

         “So, what do we do now?” Ignacia asked. “I think your father will be here soon.”

         “Do you have any family?” the princess questioned.

         “Not anywhere near here.”

         “Any friends then?”

         “None that I remember. I came a long way. A very long time ago.” Sadness touched Ignacia’s words.

         Ayradth reached out and rubbed the end of the dragon’s nose. “I’m so sorry.”

         “Your father will be here shortly. When he leaves the treasure I asked for, I will let you go.” She ignored the affection and lifted her head out of reach.

         “What about the treasure you already have?” The princess pointed to piles of coins, gems, and metal cups behind the dragon. “Why more?”

         “I’m not looking for a friend.” Ignacia snorted.

         “I’m looking for a good friend. Maybe we can help each other.”

         “What a pair we would be.” The dragon laughed.

         “I’m serious”

         “I see you are.” Ignacia thought for a moment. “I’m fascinated by you. Let’s talk for a little while.”

         “I think we should,” the princess agreed.

         The dragon told Ayradth about her life, stories filled with excitement, fear, and amazing adventure. She told of how she traveled the world and crossed over the mountains that surrounded Teihzbael into the world beyond. The princess enjoyed the stories and when Ignacia finished, she had a new appreciation for the beautiful dragon.

         Ayradth told her story about life as a princess in Teihzbael. The dragon enjoyed the stories told from the innocence of a little girl. Typical things were wonderful and changed based on curiosity and discovery.

         “Wonderful!” Ignacia exclaimed. “I wasn’t aware of all the things you see and feel. I did not know.” Ignacia tilted her head back and breathed fire.

         “Thank you,” Ayradth paused, “but they weren’t like yours.”

         “I would be bored if they were. I had been wondering about your pigtails and now I know.” The dragon spread her wings wide.

         “I liked your stories too.”

         “Thank you.’ Ignacia smiled. “Your father will be here soon.”

         “Why don’t you come live with me at the castle?” Ayradth asked.

         “Ha!” Ignacia laughed. “I’m starting to like you, but don’t you think that's a bit unreasonable after what happened today?”

         “My dad will listen. My parents are smart and you didn’t hurt my brothers. Maybe scared them a little” The princess giggled.

         “Parents see things differently.”

         “Trust me,” Ayradth pleaded, “he’ll listen.”

         “This is my home. All my things are here.” Ignacia turned her head.

         “My dad would build you a new home. We’d both have a good friend.” The princess insisted.

         “True, but there is still mistrust and fear.”

         “I know, but we can deal with that when it comes up.”

         “What about your father and what happened here?” Ignacia asked.

         “I’ll talk to him. He’ll listen and I’m sure he’ll agree.” She patted Ignacia’s foot.

         “You have convinced me. I will try if you will. It would be nice to have such a friend.” The dragon bent and looked the princess in the eyes.

         “Okay then, let’s go see.” Ayradth smiled.

         The king and his knights were surprised when the purple dragon flew from the cliffs overhead. Armored men surrounded the king and princes to protect them from the monster. It wasn’t until the dragon got close that Ayradth became visible on its back. As the dragon landed, metal scraped and swords were drawn. The immediate threat was tempered by Ayradth’s assertion that the dragon was a guest.

         After a long talk with Ayradth and Ignacia, the king agreed to offer the dragon a place in his castle. Though fear might remain for a time, the dragon would begin her stay as soon as a home for her and her treasure could be built.

          As promised, eventual comfort between the kingdom and Ignacia did come. A friendship between the princess and the purple dragon was founded that lasted them both through what remained of their lives.