#Once – The moon-like Princess, the starry Princess and the soldier

nce upon a time there lived a King and a Queen who had no children. They prayed every day for a child. They wished on the stars and the moon but still their prayers were not answered. After many years they gave up on their quest and decided to live quietly and rule the lands as fairly as they could. But the Queen was forever overtaken by a deep sadness. The King was a great warrior, often away battling in far off lands. One day, a great war had been raging, and on the smokey battlefield, at dusk, the King found two little girls. The elder was golden as the stars, her sister pale like the moon. Believing they had no Mother or Father, the King took the little girls back to his kingdom, and brought them to the Queen.

The King and Queen raised the girls as their children, loved them as though they were their own flesh and blood, crowned them as Princesses of the realm, and treasured them with as much care as any daughters. For ten years the family were joyful and happy, every day a celebration of their kingdom and their palace. But on the tenth anniversary of the battle where the King had found the two girls, a great darkness came upon the palace and the Queen was taken ill. For ten days she was at death’s door. Doctors were called from far and wide but none could tell what ailed the Queen.

On the evening of the eleventh day there was a great thundering knock at the palace door, and a Sorcerer appeared. The King grew pale with fear and the two Princesses trembled by their Father’s side when they saw the Sorcerer.

The Sorcerer simply smiled and told them, “King, you have brought great pain upon your wife. For taking these two girls from their true home, I shall take the life of your Queen.”

The Princesses were distraught and threw themselves at the feet of the Sorcerer, begging mercy. The Sorcerer was moved by their tears and, placing a hand beneath each of their chins, raised their gaze to meet his.

“Since you so love this Queen whom you call Mother, I shall tell you where you can find the cure for her illness. The potion that shall restore her is kept in a cave on the far side of the blue mountains. The cave is guarded by three Sorcerers, all far more powerful than I. If you can get past them, and return here within three days, you shall save the life of the Queen.”

And with that, he disappeared into the night.

The Princesses begged their Father to let them go to the cave, but he knew the dangers of that journey and would not allow it, fearing he would lose them as well. And so a challenge was set; whomsoever could retrieve the potion and save the Queen’s life could take whichever of the Princesses he liked as his bride.

The great powers of the Sorcerers who guarded the cave were well known and feared across the land, and man after man turned away from the quest, considering it too dangerous. Until, at last, a soldier from the King’s army decided to take up the challenge. He was young and brave, but lacked skill, and his friends all laughed when he announced his plan. Nevertheless he went to the palace and offered his services.

He was handsome, and as soon as she laid eyes on him, the younger Princess was enamoured of him. Her elder sister gave the soldier a handkerchief and thanked him graciously for his courage, before returning to her Mother’s side. But the younger Princess, desperate to protect her interest and cement herself as his choice were he to fulfill the task, requested that she be allowed to go with him on this quest. The soldier promised to take care of her, and the King conceded, giving them both his blessing.

The soldier and the moon-like Princess, rode out, for a day and a night, through forests and along rivers, and across the blue mountains until they came to the mouth of the cave. From a way off they could see the three Sorcerers all sat around, playing at cards. They looked harmless enough, and wishing to impress the young soldier further, the Princess plucked up her own courage and told the soldier she would go ahead and distract them that he might sneak into the cave.

The moon-like Princess approached the cave and greeted the Sorcerers sweetly. All three rose and cast hard stares upon her.

“What brings you here girl?”

The Princess smiled. “I am here to play cards. Will you teach me?”

The three Sorcerers laughed but, seeing that she was unarmed and certainly no match for their strength, beckoned her to join their circle. Sitting before them, she learnt the rules to their game quickly and played with much mirth, casting her wide eyed gaze across the three powerful men. It wasn’t long before the Sorcerers grew tired of their cards and one by one invited the Princess to sit upon their knees. She obliged and they showered her in kisses, caressing her slender, pure body as she perched in their laps. Before long their expressions grew darker, more lascivious, and the Princess found herself giving into request after request. They tugged at her skirts and pressed their rough fingers between her legs. Soon she had their full attention as they fawned over her pure, white body, and the soldier, his head bowed in respect, slipped past them, into the cave.

But the Sorcerers were not done with the Princess. Pushing her onto her back, they took her maidenhead and, one by one, lay with her, spilling their potent seed between the lips of her lost purity.

Having done so, the three Sorcerers fell to slumber around her freshly bloodied body, and the Princess crept away, back to the horses to await the soldier.

Before long the soldier returned, holding in his hand the potion that would cure her Mother. For a night and a day they rode back to the palace and the soldier was silent, never speaking a word, and never meeting the adoring gaze of the Princess. When they arrived at the palace the moon-like Princess gave the potion to her sister, and they nursed their Mother back to health.

The King thanked the soldier and asked which of his daughters he wished to marry. The moon-like Princess smiled, sure it would be her, but the soldier looked to her sister and spoke.

“I would like the hand of your eldest daughter, who is to me like the stars in a dark night, for it was she who stayed for love of her Mother, and she whose purity shines most bright.”

The soldier and the starry Princess were married, and the moon-like Princess was left to cry and mourn the innocence she so hastily gave up for the imagined passion of the soldier.

Written for #WankWednesday which is hosted every week by Ruby Kiddell at The Erotic Notebook. This week’s prompt is #Once.