Princess without a Palace: A King Thrushbeard Fairy Tale

by Kristen Niedfeldt

  He then took both her hands in his and reminded, “I warned you before that I would ask you to marry me today. And I pray you’ll say yes since I have no desire to walk back into that ballroom and announce anyone but you as my future bride.”

  Liesel bit her lip and considered the irony of her current situation. She couldn’t count the number of times she had vowed before to never marry a prince, but now, here she was, and the commoner she had fallen in love with had turned out to be just such a man. But she knew that Prince Roderick wasn’t just any prince. He was the man who had saved her, and the man who had won her heart. She would be a fool not to make an exception now.

  “Yes,” she finally declared, leaning into Roderick’s side and looking up into his face with a bright smile. “I would love to marry you and be your wife.”

  Roderick smiled in relief and bent down to kiss her one more time, but Hilda tugged on his arm and pulled the pair after her, cutting the kiss short.

  “There’s time for that later,” the old woman ordered, marching them out of the kitchen. “But your parents are waiting for you, and I don’t want any more soldiers barging into my kitchen. There’s enough to do tonight without having to work around them too. Off with you now.”

  “Thank you, Hilda,” Roderick said, pulling Liesel by the hand behind him. As soon as they entered the dining hall, they were confronted by two soldiers.

  “The king wishes to have a word with you both,” one of the soldiers decreed.

  Roderick nodded and squeezed Liesel’s hand reassuringly. She tried to mask her anxiety with a smile, but it evaporated when she glanced past him to see Maria standing in the center of a nearby group of people watching them with interest. Maria’s eyes were like two smoldering coals, and Liesel instinctively gripped Roderick’s hand even tighter, worried she might shrivel under the heat of Maria’s stare.

  How grateful she was that her future with Roderick wasn’t completely dependent upon Maria’s approval. She wouldn’t stand a chance.

  Liesel turned back to look at Maria one more time before they exited the room, and she was filled with a surprising amount of pity for the young woman. Poor Maria. This ball was being held in her honor, but instead of enjoying the festivities, the princess was going to be nothing but miserable tonight if she couldn’t overcome her obsession with tormenting Liesel.

  The soldiers led Roderick and Liesel through several winding hallways and up a long flight of stairs before they finally reached the king’s chamber.

  However, when they entered the room they found not only King Carl and his wife waiting for them, but Liesel’s father was also there, standing against a far wall with his arms casually folded across his chest. Liesel exchanged a nervous look with him, but she noted that his face was laced with a bit of amusement as well.

  She released a small sigh of relief, grateful to see he was not angry.

  King Carl waved the soldiers away, but before they slipped from the room, Roderick stopped them and quietly ordered, “I need you to send some soldiers to travel the road to Pozlow to retrieve Albert. He’s probably more than half way there by now.”

  The soldiers nodded and left to do his bidding and Liesel whispered to him, “What is Albert doing on the road to Pozlow?”

  “We were searching for you. But we will talk about that later,” Roderick quietly explained before he turned back to face his father.

  King Carl’s gaze dropped from his son’s face to the couple’s clasped hands and he sighed. Shaking his head, he finally addressed his son, “Can’t I implore you to reconsider this decision?”

  Roderick shook his head. “My mind is made up, Father.”

  King Carl growled and slammed his fist down on the table at his side. His wife placed a calming hand on his arm, but he ignored her.

  “She rejected you!” King Carl reminded his son, his voice quickly turning into a bellow. “She insulted our monarchy and our kingdom! And now you want to marry her and give her it all?”

  “You must let me apologize for that,” Liesel entreated, stepping forward. “My behavior was inexcusable that night. I never should have said such things, especially since I was so grievously ill-informed.” She gulped, and even though she was terrified to confront the mighty king, she continued, “I have since learned my hasty judgments couldn’t be any farther from the truth.”

  Instead of calming the king, her apology only infuriated him further and he shook with barely restrained anger as he answered, “And now that you’ve seen our kingdom, you’ve conspired to claim it!”

  Liesel felt tears burning at the back of her eyes, but she forced them away. Mustering all of her courage to answer the livid king, she argued, “Forgive me, King Carl, but that is simply not true. I was completely unaware of Roderick’s true identity when I fell in love with him, and in fact, I was willing to give up any hope of returning to my family or home ever again so that I could marry him. I was willing to be a beggar if it meant I could spend the rest of my life with Roderick.”

  She briefly looked at Roderick for reassurance. The love and support she saw in his eyes was just what she needed to turn back to his father and finish, “Your kingdom is indeed magnificent, King Carl. Again, I cannot even describe the piercing regret I feel every time I recall that I ever insinuated otherwise, but it is not your kingdom that I seek. It is your son that I love.”

  Liesel felt a wave of relief when Roderick’s mother offered her a small, encouraging smile, but King Carl remained silent and contemplative at her side.

  Liesel held her breath while she waited for King Carl to finally respond, but the doors burst open and Maria barged into the room, effectively cutting him off.

  “You cannot let him marry her, Father!” Maria shouted, pointing a shaking finger at Liesel.

  Liesel’s father straightened, and looked like he was about to speak, but King Carl spoke first.

  “Maria! How dare you barge in here! I know you are concerned, but your behavior is unacceptable. Please leave at once.”

  Maria folded her arms and answered, “I refuse to leave, Father. I can’t just walk away from this room and let Roderick convince you to let him marry this … this deceiver!”

  Roderick angrily stepped forward to confront his sister, but he froze when a small chuckle drifted from the side of the room. Everyone turned to see King Richmond smiling in the corner. Liesel felt her temper flare. How could her father think Maria’s attacks were amusing?

  “And what do you suddenly find so amusing, Richmond?” King Carl spat.

  King Richmond shrugged his shoulders and smirked. “I’m just relieved to see that you and I have more in common than we previously thought.”

  King Carl’s face darkened, and his wife hurried to speak first. “Maria, if you have something important to say, then you better say it quickly.”

  Maria’s chin shook, but she declared to the room with her chin held high in the air, “I lived with Liesel for a month. And for four weeks I had to helplessly watch this spoiled pretender trick my brother into falling in love with her, and I can’t remain silent now and watch her play out the rest of her scheme.”

  “Maria,” Liesel answered, barely keeping her anger in check. “We both know that you did not stand idly by during these last few weeks,” she noted, the corner of her mouth twisting wryly. “I’m more aware of how you passed the time than you know so if you want to start a conversation about spoiled pretenders, I’m more than happy to oblige, but I think we both know that that wouldn’t end well for you.”

  “What do you mean by that?” King Carl demanded to know, his eyes narrowed.

  Liesel watched the panic spread across Maria’s face, but then Liesel turned back to face King Carl and shook her head. “It’s beside the point of our current conversation, so I’ll let Maria elaborate later if she so desires,” she said with one last look toward Maria.

  Liesel cleared her throat and then continued, “King Carl, I can see that you have already received an opinion about my charact
er, but in your wisdom, I trust you will consider all possible sources before you make your final decision. If you want to know my heart, I petition you to ask my family, the people who have known me my entire life. Or you can ask Albert and Hilda—the ones that worked at my side every day for the past month.”

  Liesel smiled at Roderick and was again fortified by the love she saw in his eyes, and she added, “Or ask your son—the man you raised to be a king.”

  Straightening her shoulders, she turned back to the king, boldly meeting his stare and finished, “Or ask me. I might have a bit of a temper, and I am plagued by an infinite amount of stubbornness, but if I am one thing, I am always honest. I would not lie to you.”

  “Father,” Roderick finally spoke, stepping forward to stand at Liesel’s side again. “I am sorry that I did not have more time to properly prepare you for this. My expedition to the north unfortunately came at a most inopportune time,” he said, glancing quickly at Maria. “But I hope you will approve of my choice. I’m confident I could never find a better match.”

  “Well,” the queen said after a brief pause, looking around to address the room. “Perhaps we have all been a little too hasty in our judgments of one another.”

  “Gah,” King Carl exclaimed, turning away in frustration. He turned back to point a finger at King Richmond, and accused, “You are to blame in all of this! I should have known you would do anything to procure the alliance you wanted.”

  King Richmond shook his head. “You can’t blame me, Carl. The betrothal was your son’s idea. And now it appears our children have struck their own alliance, and I’m willing to give them my blessing.”

  “I bet you are,” King Carl muttered under his breath.

  The room stood in silence as everyone watched as King Carl paced back and forth, deliberating.

  It seemed like an eternity to Liesel until he finally stopped and looked between her and Roderick again. His expression was grim, but he asked his son, “Are you certain you are ready to live with the consequences of your choice?”

  “I am, Father.”

  The king shook his head. “Your marriage will affect not only you, but your future children and the kingdom as well. Are you certain you have given that enough consideration?”

  “I am. And I am ready to stand by my choice.”

  “Father,” Maria entreated, walking forward. “Don’t-”

  But the king held up a hand to silence her. “Enough, Maria.”

  “Father,” she pleaded again.

  King Carl looked at her sternly and then suggested, “Perhaps one year as a peasant was not enough time for you to learn all of the lessons I expected you to learn.”

  Maria’s jaw dropped in a dramatic gasp, but her mother rushed forward to her aid. “We can discuss that later, Carl.”

  “Of course, Emma,” King Carl answered, nodding to his wife. He then looked back at Roderick. “I raised you to be a king, Roderick. Despite my great reservations to this match, I still trust you and I will reluctantly allow you to make your own choice in this matter.”

  Roderick’s chest heaved with relief and he clutched Liesel’s hand again. “I’m still certain of my choice.”

  “Then you have my blessing,” King Carl answered in a monotone voice, dismissing them with a wave. “We will make the announcement at midnight.”

  “Thank you, Father,” Roderick replied. King Carl only patted him on the shoulder as he passed by him, but his mother stopped to envelop him in a hug.

  After the queen pulled back, she turned to Liesel and hugged her as well. Giving her a gentle squeeze, Queen Emma whispered, “Don’t worry about Carl. I know my Roderick. He wouldn’t go to such great lengths to secure your affections if you were not worth it.”

  The queen then pulled away and patted her cheek and Liesel smiled at her in relief. She was profoundly grateful to have at least one other person in Roderick’s family believe in her.

  The queen then looked to her daughter, who was sulking in a nearby chair. “And you, Maria, come with me. We need to have a talk.”

  Maria’s brows knit together in a most unattractive way, but she obediently followed her mother from the room.

  Liesel’s father then approached the pair and noted, “I see that more transpired during this last month than I realized.”

  “My apologies, Your Majesty,” Roderick spoke, his words coming out a little more quickly than usual. “I meant to speak with you beforehand, but I was out searching the countryside for Liesel all day. I hope you will forgive me for the surprise and allow me to marry your daughter.”

  King Richmond smiled and clasped Roderick’s shoulder. “Like I said before, you have my blessing.”

  He then paused to look at Liesel and then added to Roderick with a wink, “And my prayers.”

  Roderick laughed, and Liesel shook her head at her father. The man was incorrigible. She tried to reprove her father with a stern look, but she couldn’t control her face and a smile ended up slipping out.

  Her father laughed heartily at her failed attempt.

  Roderick chuckled as well, and raised their clasped hands so he could quickly kiss the back of her hand. Liesel leaned into him with a sigh and smiled again at the two men at her side.

  She feared her heart might burst with happiness.

  It felt so wonderful to finally feel at home again.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Adelaide was sure she was the first person in the ballroom to notice when Roderick and Liesel finally returned. She had kept a watchful eye, tirelessly scanning the room, ever since she had stood frozen in shock as Roderick had charged from the dancefloor with Liesel held close to his side.

  Even though her careful watch had been slightly impeded by the few dances she had been compelled to dance with various partners (of whom she now remembered very little), she had persisted in her search. She regretted the rudeness of her distracted state, but she couldn’t help worrying over the couple, praying they would be able to overcome their misunderstandings and finally achieve an accord.

  Now, as the couple emerged through an obscure pair of doors on the side of the room, Adelaide’s searching eyes easily spotted them and swiftly settled on her sister’s face.

  She only had to search for a second before she released a deep sigh of relief.

  Liesel was the picture of contentment, and her face was filled with a serenity that Adelaide had not seen in her sister for a very long time. In Liesel’s typical, guarded way, her mouth held just a hint of a smile, but her eyes were overflowing with love and adoration as she looked up at the handsome prince at her side.

  There was no need to bother her sister with any questions. It was clearly obvious that the couple had resolved whatever had temporarily come between them.

  And she was thrilled for them. Liesel and Roderick looked perfect together.

  She watched as Roderick pulled Liesel farther into the room and then turned to make eye contact with the conductor in the gallery up above. It took a few moments before Roderick was able to catch his eye, but after he did, he gave the old man a subtle nod, and the conductor obediently signaled for the song that they were currently performing to transition to its conclusion.

  There was just a brief pause before the musicians started up again, and Adelaide raised a hand to her heart when she recognized the song.

  “The Waltz of the Purple Roses,” she whispered. Her mother’s favorite song.

  She couldn’t imagine a better ending to the entire affair, but she felt a twinge of sadness that her mother was not there to witness it all as well. She would have to do her best to remember every detail so she could relay it all to her mother later.

  Adelaide watched Liesel and Roderick dance for several minutes, smiling at the way they seemed to be blissfully unaware that anyone else existed in the room around them.

  She then looked around, and noticed Roderick’s sister sulking in the corner of the room. She was not exactly sure when the young woman had reappeared, but she w
as glad to notice her defeated expression. The young woman had lost her threatening look, and Adelaide was immensely relieved for her sister’s sake. She didn’t want anything dampening Liesel’s new happiness.

  However, Adelaide wasn’t about to leave anything to chance. She silently vowed that as soon as Roderick and Liesel were married, she would make it her sole ambition to ensure that Roderick’s sister found her very own prince who could take her safely away from Liesel. And preferably, he would live in a kingdom far, far, far away.

  Her eyes moved on from Liesel’s antagonist, and she continued to soak in her surroundings. Her mother would surely also want to hear about the decorations. She would tell her how navy and silver reams of fabric had been draped around the walls and small white flowers had been sprinkled about the room like early winter snow.

  She was almost finished committing every detail to memory when her eyes swung back to Prince Cornelius standing several feet away with his arms hung in defeat at his side.

  Poor Prince Cornelius. The poor man looked completely stunned by the swift change of events. He had admired Liesel for so long and his eternal optimism had undoubtedly been painfully vanquished the moment Liesel had returned with Roderick looking so blissfully in love.

  Adelaide inhaled a deep breath, and pushed back her shoulders. Now that Liesel was finally submitting to the idea of marriage, Adelaide was at last free to consider the possibility for herself. She could finally do what she had wanted to do for years now.

  She wove through the few guests that separated them and stopped to stand at Prince Cornelius’s side. His eyes were fixed on Liesel and Roderick, and she patted his arm.

  “I’m sorry, Prince Cornelius. We are all surprised about Liesel and Prince Roderick, but I’m sure it’s even more surprising for you.”

  Prince Cornelius continued to stare at the couple and shook his head. “I underestimated Prince Roderick as a rival. The monarchs of Brenhausen have a reputation of avoiding war at all costs, and I misinterpreted that as a sign of weakness. I should have suspected he was capable of unconventional methods to procure what he wants. How did this happen? I saw your sister living here as a beggar, betrothed to a minstrel just two weeks ago.”