The Fifth Princess by Alice Willett

This is the short story my 10-year-old daughter Alice (that’s her in the picture–she’s the one on the right) entered in the Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s Book Week 2012 Writing Contest for Kids & Teens. She didn’t win or get an honorable mention, but I still think it’s pretty good. (It’s also possible she was disqualified because, try though she might, with everything I could suggest, she couldn’t get the story under the 1,500-word limit…although she was close. But since the first version of this story was more like 2,500 words, and at that, she’d left out some elements she intended to include, I thought she did pretty well.)

Anyway, enjoy!

***

The Fifth Princess

By Alice Willett, Age 10

When the fifth daughter of the king and queen of Averandel reaches the age of fifteen, she will fight the peril that befalls us.

š›As Princess Jennifer climbed the mountain to the dragon’s lair her mind was focusing on one thing: slaying the dragon. She could not fail.

Ever since she was a little girl she had dreamed of being a Wanderer of Averandel. She would fight monsters and wander around at pleasure. Slaying this dragon would show her parents once and for all she could be a Wanderer.

The Mountain of Zurg was very tall. Jennifer knew the dragon’s lair was up at the top. She looked down to see how far she’d gone. Quickly looking up from the dizzying view, Jennifer kept climbing.

Directly below, a young prince was riding his horse to the forest. His mind on catching a deer, he didn’t look up. If he had he probably would have fainted, because Prince Suran of Ameran was definitely not the most noble prince. He wasn’t brave or courageous. He thought he was, but that was far from the truth.

As Jennifer climbed farther, she thought about the best way to slay the dragon. She figured if he started flying she could crawl under him and slay him from beneath. Jennifer put her hand on a rock, thinking it was solid, and…

…it happened so fast she didn’t even realize she was falling. When she did realize, she started screaming. Grabbing a branch, she stopped screaming, looking at the rocks falling away beneath her.

Now even when you’re not noble you do notice screaming, falling rocks and falling dirt. In fact, so much dirt fell on Prince Suran’s freshly cleaned clothes that he thought it proper to look up. Of course he almost fainted, because above his head was a young girl in a tunic, boots and leggings, hanging by one hand off a branch. Since Prince Suran thought he was noble he thought the right thing to do was help her. So he yelled up, “My dear lady, may I ask what you are doing up there?”

Jennifer snorted. “What does it look like I’m doing? A geography lesson?”

Prince Suran, taken aback by this rudeness, yelled back, “No, my lady, I was just wondering how you got up there.” Then, as an afterthought, he yelled, “By the way, I’m Prince Suran of Ameran.”

“Well, to answer your questions, I got up here by climbing and I am the fifth daughter of the King and Queen of Averandel, Princess Jennifer. I was going to slay the dragon.”

Thoroughly confused, Prince Suran yelled, “Pardon me, Princess, but did I just hear you say ‘slay a DRAGON!?’” Prince Suran had never in his life even thought about slaying a dragon.

“Yes! I was on my way up the mountain when I slipped on a stone.”

Prince Suran thought for a moment. Then he yelled up, “Then I will come to save you, so the dragon,” (his voice wavered), “won’t hurt you.”

Jennifer frantically yelled, “No! I can save myself!” Jennifer knew that if this clumsy oaf climbed onto the mountain rocks would fall, and that could wake up the dragon. He’ll kill himself and me, and that would kill Averandel!

“Nonsense!” the prince yelled up. “Wouldn’t allow it! Must come up!”

Jennifer shook her head miserably as Prince Suran started climbing. No sooner had he begun than (as Jennifer knew would happen), the dragon came down, picked Prince Suran up in his powerful claws, and flew away with the prince flailing helplessly. “Helllllp!” he screamed.

When the dragon was no longer in sight Jennifer gingerly climbed down the mountain. Back on the ground, she took one look to the sky and cursed. (Now, as Prince Suran isn’t a very noble prince, Jennifer is definitely not a proper princess.)

Jennifer knew the dragon had three mountains: Zurg, Zorg and Zarg. Zarg was the farthest away, and she was sure that was where the dragon had flown to. Jennifer knew there was a secret passage through Zorg that would take her to Zarg quicker, but first she had to get to Zorg.

The field which the dragon had chosen to guard his mountains was dangerous.  Jennifer thought about each type of monster she might face and how she would fight it.  She thought about many monsters, each more dreadful than the last. At the end she thought about the worst yet: a Batax, part bat, part snake. Jennifer shivered, but she kept walking towards the not-so-distant Zorg.

#

Zorg is even taller than Zurg, Jennifer thought as she looked up at the towering mountain. I’m glad I don’t have to climb it! She walked around the mountain, looking for the dragon’s secret passage. After passing around the mountain a few times (it was tall, not wide), Jennifer noticed an odd swirl on a stone. Tracing her finger over the rock, Jennifer hoped nothing bad would happen.

Nothing bad happened at all. Instead a huge boulder moved to reveal a dark passageway. Without a second thought, Jennifer walked in.

#

“If only I had a light!” Jennifer said, and clapped a hand over her mouth. All she needed now was every monster in this cave to come looking for the source of the noise. You’re a real smarty, aren’t you?

Luckily, she still didn’t see any monsters. She kept her hand on her mouth, just in case. Because of her noise Jennifer was extra wary. Every little sound she jumped at. Oh, stop this nonsense, Jennifer thought. A twig snap isn’t going to hurt you.

At that moment she felt a gust of cold air on her face. Looking up, she saw something flying above her head. Her heart almost stopped. “A Batax!” she breathed.

With a screech, the Batax swooped down at Jennifer’s head. Jennifer thrust her sword at it, hoping to hit the wings. Flying at top speed, the Batax knocked her only weapon to the ground. Backing away, Jennifer’s mind raced. What could she do? I’ve got it!

Pretending to retreat, Jennifer saw the Batax relax. She spun around so fast the Batax looked surprised. Grabbing the Batax’s wing, Jennifer reached for her sword. Shrieking, the Batax frantically tried to escape. It was no use. The Batax looked down, ending its struggle.

Raising her sword, Jennifer paused. The Batax looked so sad and defenseless that Jennifer couldn’t bring herself to slay it. She lowered her sword.

“I won’t kill you if you won’t kill me,” she whispered.

To Jennifer’s surprise, the Batax spoke. “Fine,” the Batax said in a gruff voice.

After a moment of shock, Jennifer found her voice again. “Um…hi? I’m Jennifer? What’s your name?”

“Batax 5.”

That’s your name?” Jennifer said, trying to contain her laughter.

“Unfortunately,” Batax 5 said.

Still giggling, Jennifer asked, “How do I get out of here?”

“It depends on where you’re going.”

“I need to get to the top of Zarg,” Jennifer explained. “I’m going to slay the dragon.”

“Really?”

“Yep,” Jennifer replied.

“Well, I think you should know something about this dragon,” Batax 5 said.

“What’s that?”

“The dragon you’re dealing with has an allergy to roses.”

“Roses?”

“Not just one rose. He’s only allergic to five roses. No more, no less.”

“How am I supposed to get five roses on top of a mountain?”

“There is a secret nook by the dragon’s entrance that holds a small patch of roses.”

“So I have to pick five roses and hold them under the dragon’s nose?”

“Exactly,” Batax 5 said.

“Is there anything else I need to know about this dragon?” Jennifer asked.

“Yes. There is a prophecy that a young girl about fifteen will slay him.”

“Hey, I’m fifteen!” Jennifer said. “What does the prophecy say?”

“When the fifth daughter of the king and queen of Averandel reaches the age of fifteen, she will fight the peril that befalls us.”

“I’m the fifth daughter of the king and queen of Averandel!”

“Oh. This prophecy works out for you, then.”

“Thank you for your help, Batax 5.”

“You’re welcome. Thank you for not killing me.”

#

As Jennifer sneaked towards the dragon’s entrance, she found the nook with the roses in it, and picked out five. She called, “Oh, Mr. Dragon! Look who’s here!”

The dragon walked out holding Prince Suran wrapped in his tail.

“I’ve got a present for you, Mr. Dragon!” Jennifer cooed. “Five roses.” Jennifer shoved the roses in front of the dragon’s nose.

Backing away in horror, the dragon started sneezing fireballs. Dodging, Jennifer ran to the dragon’s stomach, yelling at Prince Suran, “Don’t move!” Prince Suran, frozen in shock, just nodded.

Dropping to the ground, Jennifer dodged a giant fireball, ducked under the dragon’s belly and without a second thought thrust her sword into his stomach. The fireballs stopped immediately.

Jennifer quickly crawled out from under the dragon and backed away before the dragon fell. Grabbing Prince Suran, who seemed to have fainted, she headed home.

#

“How can we ever thank you?” the King and Queen of Ameran said.

“Oh, you don’t need to thank me—” Jennifer started.

“No, we must!” the mother of Prince Suran persisted. “What do you want?”

“Well, I’d like to be—”

“I know!” the King interrupted. “You can marry our son!”

Jennifer’s jaw dropped. “Are you crazy? Why would I want to do that?”

Before the prince’s parents could reply, Jennifer’s own parents said, “She doesn’t mean that, she just means that she doesn’t want to marry yet.” They turned to their daughter. “Is there anything you want?”

Jennifer started smiling. “Well…there is one thing.”

The King and Queen looked at each other. “Name it,” they said.

“Well, I would like to be…” Jennifer pretended to think. “A…Wanderer of Averandel?”

The Queen looked at the King. “What do you think?”

“If that’s what you want,” he said to Jennifer.

“Oh, that is exactly what I want.”

“Do you think you’re ready?” the Queen asked.

Jennifer’s smile was from ear to ear. “I am definitely ready.”

Permanent link to this article: https://edwardwillett.com/2012/05/the-fifth-princess-by-alice-willett/

2 comments

    • Teagan on August 22, 2012 at 11:41 am
    • Reply

    Great story Alice! I love your hermione costume by the way!

    • Keisha patenaude on May 14, 2012 at 10:18 am
    • Reply

    Alice!
    I loved it. You are an amazing writer, just like your Dad.
    I hope to read further adventures of Jennifer.
    Love you so much little cousin, XOXOXOXOX. Keisha

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