The Two Princesses and the Golden Thread
Once upon a time, there lived a king who had two daughters. His kingdom prospered and his daughters were equally loved by their father. Although the king wanted a son, his concubines could not produce one, only his first late wife had given birth to his beloved daughters.
By the time the two daughters turned 15, the king knew his daughters needed to be wed for his line to continue, and he knew it had to be done fast since rumours of his exiled brother would claim his throne were on everyone's lips. The king knew his brother was a ruthless and arrogant person, which had led the king's father to exile him, but still, he feared what his council might say about the succession since he only had his two daughters.
He had invited all nearby kings with princes of suitable age to a ball, to find suitors for his two daughters. But upon the evening when his daughters were introduced, his brother had stepped into the hall which became eerie silent. Every person knew and feared the exiled brother, and none dared move a muscle in fear of falling victim to his sword.
"You are not welcome here, Exile! Begone!" The king shouted to his brother, but the brother simply smiled.
"I hear you had problems with producing an heir. Since this is the case, I am next in line for the throne, brother." The brother said calmly.
"You forfeited that right after your heinous crime. Killing a village just because one girl refused you makes you unfit to be a king. Father knew this and so he exiled you." The king spat.
"Let the council members figure this out. You lack an heir, I lack a return to my homeland." He simply answered.
One of the council members stood up and approached the king. He explained to the king it was not the time for such a heated debate, and the king reluctantly agreed. The brother was given accommodation in a small house inside the palace ground.
The two daughters had in the meantime fallen in love with two young princes from Saitlon, and they in the princesses, but their father would not want for them to marry until the inheritance dispute had been settled. None of the kings and princes would agree to an arrangement for a wedding with the king's two daughters, despite they would be given a whole kingdom if they agreed. The daughters, sadden that their beloved could not wed them, wanted to rush their father for solving the dispute.
Two days passed without a resolution on the dispute, for the council members could not agree. Some believed the exiled prince should have a chance to prove himself, while others thought a wedding would solve it.
It was on the night before the third day, that the palace had fallen silent. Not a wind moved, and despite living in on the warm Saithon Island, the night felt incredible cold. The daughters woke up frightened by shouts and clashes of swords. They ran down the hall and opened the door to a much frightening sight, the exiled prince had killed the king and was carrying his head like a trophy.
The daughters tried to scream and run but were met by two large mercenaries who held the daughters by their arms so they could not run.
"I had thought to allow you to live and marry off, but since you saw today, you shall only know fear. You will be carried to the ships and drowned once you are out of this country's border." He said, and the two mercenaries gagged them, bound them, and pulled a sack over their heads.
For days the two daughters could not see anything, only feel each other shake from fear and the boat's silent movement up the river. Suddenly the sacks were removed, and one of the mercenaries stood above them. It was in the middle of the night and most of the crew were asleep.
"Shh. I am not going to harm you. I will let you go free if you promise not to return to your homeland. First of all, you will climb into those barrels, and then I will toss these two dead goats into the water with a stone. The crew will wake up and think I have drowned you. I will carry you into the next city and then you will be on your own." The mercenary said and they nodded. He removed the rope and the cloth from their mouths, and they climbed inside the barrels. He then tossed the two goats into the river's water.
They waited all night until they felt the barrels being lifted with them inside. They felt sickly being inside the barrels but kept silent until the lid was removed and the mercenary helped them out.
"You are on your own from now on. Good luck." He said and returned to the boat. The daughters looked at each other.
"Why do we not try and go to the castle, perhaps the king or queen will show us mercy since we are royals." Said the oldest and the youngest nodded.
They approached the palace but were stopped by the guards who did not believe they were royals. Luckily one of the princes, who had been at the ball, came towards them. He had heard the shouting from the guard and asked what was going on.
"These two beggars claim to be royals, but I know better than to let beggars into the palace." He said and spat. The oldest daughter begged the prince to listen to their story, and he listened. The prince felt compassion and let them inside the palace. He told his father what had happened, and his father said he could not help them reclaim the throne, for it was not in their right. The oldest daughter said that they simply wanted to stay and be safe.
"Can you bake bread or cook?" Asked the queen.
"I am afraid not, but we can spin golden thread." Answered the oldest daughter. The queen told them to seek out her weaver they could work for.
With the help of a servant, they found the weaver who let them inside.
The two daughters sat down, took out the spindle and distaff and immediately started spinning the raw silken fibres that had been brought to them. But no golden colour came from their work, and they cried while praying, saying a rhyme seven times:
"Spindle spindle give me a golden thread so fine, so then I may have the prince of mine."
The seventh time, the spindle became alive and jumped outside. For three days they waited for its return, and then the spindle brought many pen shells inside. The daughters looked at each other and immediately started treating and spinning the fine hairs on the shells. From these came a golden thread unlike any. They gave the kitchen the rest of the pen shells.
In the evening, a small feast was held in honour of the king of Saitlon and his two princes' visits to the palace. The queen wore a beautiful veil made from golden thread. The princes asked where she had gotten such a finely woven veil from, for which she said it was her weaver and her two ladies who had made it. When the pen shells' meat was served they had not tasted anything like these and asked the chef to tell them where he had harvested them. He told them the two young ladies who were spinning had given to them. The two princes wanted to meet the two ladies and were brought to the room where they were sitting and spinning. They immediately recognised the two daughters as their beloved.
A happy reunion and the princes asked for his blessing to marry. The king said yes, and the oldest daughter married the oldest prince, and the youngest daughter married the youngest. After time went by, the oldest daughter and the oldest prince became the new king and queen, while the youngest daughter and youngest prince desired to reclaim the princesses' lost kingdom from their uncle. But that is a story for another time.
By the time the two daughters turned 15, the king knew his daughters needed to be wed for his line to continue, and he knew it had to be done fast since rumours of his exiled brother would claim his throne were on everyone's lips. The king knew his brother was a ruthless and arrogant person, which had led the king's father to exile him, but still, he feared what his council might say about the succession since he only had his two daughters.
He had invited all nearby kings with princes of suitable age to a ball, to find suitors for his two daughters. But upon the evening when his daughters were introduced, his brother had stepped into the hall which became eerie silent. Every person knew and feared the exiled brother, and none dared move a muscle in fear of falling victim to his sword.
"You are not welcome here, Exile! Begone!" The king shouted to his brother, but the brother simply smiled.
"I hear you had problems with producing an heir. Since this is the case, I am next in line for the throne, brother." The brother said calmly.
"You forfeited that right after your heinous crime. Killing a village just because one girl refused you makes you unfit to be a king. Father knew this and so he exiled you." The king spat.
"Let the council members figure this out. You lack an heir, I lack a return to my homeland." He simply answered.
One of the council members stood up and approached the king. He explained to the king it was not the time for such a heated debate, and the king reluctantly agreed. The brother was given accommodation in a small house inside the palace ground.
The two daughters had in the meantime fallen in love with two young princes from Saitlon, and they in the princesses, but their father would not want for them to marry until the inheritance dispute had been settled. None of the kings and princes would agree to an arrangement for a wedding with the king's two daughters, despite they would be given a whole kingdom if they agreed. The daughters, sadden that their beloved could not wed them, wanted to rush their father for solving the dispute.
Two days passed without a resolution on the dispute, for the council members could not agree. Some believed the exiled prince should have a chance to prove himself, while others thought a wedding would solve it.
It was on the night before the third day, that the palace had fallen silent. Not a wind moved, and despite living in on the warm Saithon Island, the night felt incredible cold. The daughters woke up frightened by shouts and clashes of swords. They ran down the hall and opened the door to a much frightening sight, the exiled prince had killed the king and was carrying his head like a trophy.
The daughters tried to scream and run but were met by two large mercenaries who held the daughters by their arms so they could not run.
"I had thought to allow you to live and marry off, but since you saw today, you shall only know fear. You will be carried to the ships and drowned once you are out of this country's border." He said, and the two mercenaries gagged them, bound them, and pulled a sack over their heads.
For days the two daughters could not see anything, only feel each other shake from fear and the boat's silent movement up the river. Suddenly the sacks were removed, and one of the mercenaries stood above them. It was in the middle of the night and most of the crew were asleep.
"Shh. I am not going to harm you. I will let you go free if you promise not to return to your homeland. First of all, you will climb into those barrels, and then I will toss these two dead goats into the water with a stone. The crew will wake up and think I have drowned you. I will carry you into the next city and then you will be on your own." The mercenary said and they nodded. He removed the rope and the cloth from their mouths, and they climbed inside the barrels. He then tossed the two goats into the river's water.
They waited all night until they felt the barrels being lifted with them inside. They felt sickly being inside the barrels but kept silent until the lid was removed and the mercenary helped them out.
"You are on your own from now on. Good luck." He said and returned to the boat. The daughters looked at each other.
"Why do we not try and go to the castle, perhaps the king or queen will show us mercy since we are royals." Said the oldest and the youngest nodded.
They approached the palace but were stopped by the guards who did not believe they were royals. Luckily one of the princes, who had been at the ball, came towards them. He had heard the shouting from the guard and asked what was going on.
"These two beggars claim to be royals, but I know better than to let beggars into the palace." He said and spat. The oldest daughter begged the prince to listen to their story, and he listened. The prince felt compassion and let them inside the palace. He told his father what had happened, and his father said he could not help them reclaim the throne, for it was not in their right. The oldest daughter said that they simply wanted to stay and be safe.
"Can you bake bread or cook?" Asked the queen.
"I am afraid not, but we can spin golden thread." Answered the oldest daughter. The queen told them to seek out her weaver they could work for.
With the help of a servant, they found the weaver who let them inside.
The two daughters sat down, took out the spindle and distaff and immediately started spinning the raw silken fibres that had been brought to them. But no golden colour came from their work, and they cried while praying, saying a rhyme seven times:
"Spindle spindle give me a golden thread so fine, so then I may have the prince of mine."
The seventh time, the spindle became alive and jumped outside. For three days they waited for its return, and then the spindle brought many pen shells inside. The daughters looked at each other and immediately started treating and spinning the fine hairs on the shells. From these came a golden thread unlike any. They gave the kitchen the rest of the pen shells.
In the evening, a small feast was held in honour of the king of Saitlon and his two princes' visits to the palace. The queen wore a beautiful veil made from golden thread. The princes asked where she had gotten such a finely woven veil from, for which she said it was her weaver and her two ladies who had made it. When the pen shells' meat was served they had not tasted anything like these and asked the chef to tell them where he had harvested them. He told them the two young ladies who were spinning had given to them. The two princes wanted to meet the two ladies and were brought to the room where they were sitting and spinning. They immediately recognised the two daughters as their beloved.
A happy reunion and the princes asked for his blessing to marry. The king said yes, and the oldest daughter married the oldest prince, and the youngest daughter married the youngest. After time went by, the oldest daughter and the oldest prince became the new king and queen, while the youngest daughter and youngest prince desired to reclaim the princesses' lost kingdom from their uncle. But that is a story for another time.
Very nice tale!! It reminded me of Rumpelstiltskin with the golden thread, but very much your own story!
Thank you so much. Yes, I was inspired by at least two fairy tales, one of them was Rumpelstiltskin, still I'm very happy you feel it was my own story :D