This ruthless king agreed to help, but on one condition - he demanded that Princess Charlotte become his wife. Despite the sadness in her heart, Charlotte selflessly agreed to sacrifice her own happiness for the sake of her kingdom.
On the day of the wedding, the princess was adorned in a magnificent white gown, embellished with precious stones and gold. The servants added a diamond necklace and earrings, gifts from her future husband. As she gazed at herself in the mirror, the mighty king entered without permission.
“Ah, how fortunate I am to marry the most beautiful woman in the land,” he declared with a wicked smile.
Charlotte, however, couldn’t hide her inner turmoil. “A true ruler should prioritize the welfare of their people rather than imposing heavy taxes and leaving them impoverished,” she spoke out against the king’s tyranny.
The king, showing no regard for her words, kissed her hand before departing.
Feeling a heavy weight upon her heart, the princess sought solace near the great lake that lay before her palace. As she wept and contemplated her fate, a figure emerged from the water. It was a handsome young man with luminous blue eyes and long blonde hair, completely drenched.
“Princess, pretty princess, why are you crying?” he asked in a gentle, reassuring voice.
Through her tears, Charlotte explained her predicament. The young man, with a strange glimmer in his eyes, listened intently. After a moment, he spoke softly, “Princess, may I have your diamond necklace?”
Intrigued yet skeptical, Charlotte hesitated but then handed it over. As soon as the necklace touched his hand, it vanished, leaving her astonished.
“When the king notices the necklace’s absence, he will halt the wedding,” the stranger assured her with a confident smile.
With that, he dived back into the lake, disappearing beneath the surface. Later, as the wedding ceremony began, the king’s eyes narrowed when he noticed the missing jewelry. His face turned red with anger.
“Where is the necklace I gave you?” he demanded, his voice booming through the hall.
Charlotte stood her ground, her voice steady and clear. “I gave the necklace to a hungry beggar. He needed it more than I did.”
The king’s anger was palpable, but he decided to postpone the wedding. When the new date finally arrived, the princess found herself at the lake, crying, until the stranger appeared from the lake again.
“Princess, pretty princess, why are you crying?” the young man asked, his voice gentle and soothing.
Through her sobs, Charlotte recounted her plight once more. “Oh, my dear friend. Your plan worked, but he insists on marrying me,” she said, her voice trembling with despair.
The young man, with the same glimmer in his eyes as before, listened intently. After a moment, he spoke softly, “Princess, may I have your diamond earrings?”
Charlotte, this time without hesitations, surrendered the earrings. As soon as they touched his hand, they vanished.
“When the king notices the earrings’ absence, he will halt the wedding,” the stranger assured her with a confident smile.
With that, he dived back into the lake. Later, as the wedding ceremony began, the king immediately noticed the missing earrings. His face contorted with fury.
“Where are the earrings I gave you?” he raged.
Charlotte stood her ground, her voice steady and clear. “I gave the earrings to a poor woman. She needed them more than I did.”
The king’s fury was evident, but he had to postpone the wedding once more. Determined to marry the princess, he secretly ordered her to be watched.
On the day of the next wedding date, Charlotte returned to the lake, her heart heavy with sorrow. The young man emerged once more.
“Princess, my pretty princess, why are you crying?” he inquired, his voice filled with concern.
Through her tears, Charlotte explained her predicament yet again. She couldn’t look away from that familiar strange light in the man’s eyes. After a moment, he spoke softly, “Princess, may I have the diamonds and gold adorning your dress?”
Charlotte looked down at her dress, adorned with precious stones and gold. “I cannot take them off,” she said, her voice trembling. “They are sewn into the fabric.”
With a gentle smile, the young man raised his hand. “Do not worry, Princess. I will take care of it.”
With a wave of his hand, the diamonds and gold vanished into thin air. The guards who were assigned to watch the princess immediately informed the king of her actions and the stranger’s presence. Outraged, he ordered the draining of the lake, believing the man to be hiding within.
As the villagers tirelessly emptied the lake, it seemed to fill up even more. The king, furious and desperate, lashed out at the villagers, forcing them to work day and night without rest. He showed no mercy, his eyes burning with rage as he barked orders.
“Faster, you worthless peasants! Empty the lake, or you’ll face my wrath!” he shouted, his voice echoing through the valley.
The villagers, exhausted and fearful, continued their futile efforts. The king, growing more impatient by the hour, finally brought Princess Charlotte to the lake’s edge. His grip on her arm was tight, and his face twisted with malice.
“Reveal yourself, or the princess will suffer!” he threatened, his voice dripping with venom.
After a tense moment, the water began to ripple, and the young man emerged, calm and composed. He looked at the king with a steady gaze.
“Why would you be ready to kill the woman you are supposed to marry?” the young man asked, his voice calm and measured.
The king’s face contorted with fury. “She has defied me at every turn! She must be punished for her insolence!” he roared.
The young man remained unflustered. “A true king would protect his people and his queen, not harm them,” he said softly.
The king’s anger only grew. “Who are you to lecture me? Reveal yourself, coward!” he demanded.
The young man stepped forward. “I am but a whisper in the water, a ripple in the lake. I am the son of this very lake, born of a fairy who once graced a grand castle. My mother, a creature of light and grace, wed a man who brought darkness. He and his son, driven by greed, took her life and cast me into these depths to seize the kingdom and turn it into a realm of despair. The king you see before you is that man’s child, the heir to his treachery.” he declared, his voice ringing with truth.
The revelation hung in the air, shocking everyone present. The villagers, guards, and even the king’s own subjects turned against him, tearing off his crown and carrying him away to an unknown fate. As the false king was dragged away, the true prince, the son of the lake, began to step out of the water.
With each step, his presence grew more majestic, his form shimmering with an ethereal glow. The water seemed to part for him, and a sense of awe filled the air. He walked with a grace and dignity that spoke of his true heritage, his eyes shining with a light that reflected the purity of his heart.
Finally, he knelt before Charlotte, taking her hand gently in his.
“Princess Charlotte,” he said, his voice filled with reverence and love, “will you honor me by becoming my queen?”
Charlotte, her heart swelling with joy and relief, looked into his eyes and saw the kindness and strength within. “Yes,” she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. “Yes, I will.”
The villagers and guards, witnessing this moment of true love and justice, cheered with joy. The true prince rose, kissed his futur wife’s hand, and together they walked towards their castle, hand in hand.
Under the prince’s wise and just rule, the kingdom flourished, and the warring kingdoms were invited to reconcile. Princess Charlotte and her prince had three beautiful children, and they all lived happily ever after.
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