Kate and Matt's story...

The Princess, the Knight and the Squire

Once upon a time there lived a royal king and queen and a chivalrous knight who lived in a wondrous castle. The castle was up on a hill that over looked a meadow with farms and farmhouses. The kind and queen were getting worried for they were getting old and tired, and when the kind was about to give up the queen had twins, a prince and a princess. The Kingdom rejoiced. They sang and the castle workers cried for joy.
The day after the twins were born, a dragon came to the castle and said to the King and Queen, “ On the Princess’s 16th birthday I will come to get her and if she is not here, you, your son and daughter and your kingdom shall be destroyed.” The dragon blew a spark on a near by curtain and flew off. The workers hurried to put out the fire.
Fifteen years and 364 days later the King and Queen called upon their daughter and explained how the day after she was born, the dragon had come and what he had said. By the time they had finished telling her the story the Princess
(named Ladybird) was in tears and the Queen and King dismissed her. Princess Ladybird went up to her room and told the Prince (named Hawk– for his sharp eyes) the whole story.
On the day of the twins 16th birthday the Princess told the Prince to go to the old knight and ask for his help.

Later that day the dragon came, he looked bigger, stronger and fiercer than the last time they had seen him. The Princess gave Hawk a look that had hope, promise, respect and honor and then she bravely went up to the dragon and said, “I am ready.”
“Good,” said the dragon and gently put down a wing. “Now get on or else!”.
The Princess quickly got on the wing and the dragon swiftly flew away. The next day the Prince did what the Princess has asked him to do, he didn't even stay for breakfast because he went straight to the Old knights hut. The Prince knocked and a man in about his fifty’s answered, “Yes?”
“I am Prince Hawk, “ the Prince said, “my twin sister Princess Ladybird has been taken off by a dragon. She has asked for your help.”
“She has, has she?” said the Old Knight.
“Yes, so will you please help us?” said Prince Hawk.
“I will think about it,” replied the Old Knight. And one hour later the Old Knight came to the castle to talk to the King and Queen.
“Prince Hawk has asked me to help save Princess Ladybird, but I have no squire. Can the Prince be my squire?”
The King and Queen looked at each other doubtful, finally the King spoke up, “On one condition, he must come back safe from harm.”
“Done!” said the Old Knight. “May I go see him Your Highness?”
“Yes.”
The Old Knight bowed before the King and left for Prince Hawks bedroom. He arrived at the Prince Hawk’s bed chambers and the Old Knight asked the Prince to be his squire.
“Yes, “ said the Prince, trying to be calm. “Yes, I will.”
An hour later the Prince was putting on the armor for the knight. The Knight picked up his shield and sword.
“Ready?” he asked the Prince.
“Yes!” came the reply and they set out on their journey. They faced ogres, giants, wizards and witches. Finally in the deepest and darkest part of Wizards Forest they found the dragon.
The dragon woke and the Old Knight and his squire fought him for hours. Princess Ladybird watched in terror as they got scratched, wounded and burned. But the Old Knight and his squire fought on till the dragon was dead and Princess Ladybird was free.
So the three traveled back the way they had come and when they arrived at the castle it had almost been a year. The Old Knight was rewarded with gold, silver, gems and jewels for his bravery. The King, Queen, the Prince and Princess and all of the kingdom lived happily ever after.

The End

This story as was told by Matt and Kaitlin.