the really amazing fairytale

8/14/2019 The Really Amazing Fairytale

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The Really Amazing

Fairytale

By Nicola Pellow

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Dedicated to:

All the characters in the story that inspired me.To Sophie, for the artistic front cover.

To all the fairytales that I read as a child which gave me ideas.

And to Gavin,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Probably the difference between man and the monkeys is that the monkeys aremerely bored, while man has boredom plus imagination.

Lin Yutang

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Contents

CHAPTER 1 .......................................................................................................4

CHAPTER 2 .......................................................................................................6

CHAPTER 3 .......................................................................................................9

CHAPTER 4 .....................................................................................................12

CHAPTER 5 .....................................................................................................15

CHAPTER 6 .....................................................................................................19

CHAPTER 7 .....................................................................................................22

CHAPTER 8 .....................................................................................................26

CHAPTER 9 .....................................................................................................30

CHAPTER 10 ...................................................................................................33

CHAPTER 11 ...................................................................................................36

CHAPTER 12 ...................................................................................................39

CHAPTER 13 ...................................................................................................41

CHAPTER 14 ...................................................................................................43

CHAPTER 15 ...................................................................................................45

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Chapter 1

Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin....

Once upon a time, in a land far far away, there was a youngpeasant boy called Gavin. He worked in the stables for his fatherand did lots of odd jobs for the big house that the stables belongedto. Whenever any wood was needed for the fire it would be his jobto walk to the forest 5 miles away and cut some wood. He enjoyedthese trips as it was a chance to daydream without beingreprimanded by his father. Many of the local peasants were afraidof the forests but Gavin was used to them and never found themanything other than welcoming.The big house, that the stables belonged to, was the home of the

local knight Sir Ellingham. He was an extremely kind landlord tothe locals and treated all his staff well. He had a beautiful wife andeven more stunning daughter. Her name was Ruth.All the locals adored Ruth as she would go into the village and playwith the children, help the women folk and listen to the tales of theold men. Gavin had never spoken to Ruth as he was too shy. Heoften saw her in the gardens feeding the birds and tending theflowers.One day his father came running to get him and told him he waswanted in the big house. Sir Ellingham had called for him.

Gavin cleaned himself up quickly and ran to the house. When hearrived at the front door he saw Ruth's mother in tears. SirEllingham was looking distressed and was trying to comfort her.Once he saw Gavin he called him over.'Young man, your father tells me that you often go into the forest tocollect our fire wood.''Yes sir, that's true.''Are you never afraid? Many of the locals won't go near the place.''Sir, I have grown up near that forest and have always treated itwith respect so I have had no reason to fear it.'

'Do you know of a cottage near the middle of the forest? It belongsto an old hag, or at least, so the tales say.''I have indeed seen the cottage from a distance but it has alwaysbeen a ruin. Although...''What boy?''Well, the other day something was different. It must be impossible,but there seemed to be smoke coming from the chimney.''Then it is true.' said Sir Ellingham with a sigh.'Pardon me sir, but what is true?''Ruth was out in the garden this afternoon as usual, but when hermother went to call her in for dinner she had disappeared. Weasked all the villages and staff but nobody had seen her. When we

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searched the garden we found her gardening gloves with a noteinside. The note said that Ruth would be safe but that we would notsee her again. When I saw the writing I recognised it at once. Yousee, the hag in the forest is actually my sister. We grew up togetherand were always very close. When she was just 18 she became

terribly ill and lost her beautiful looks. After that, no man wanted tomarry her and she shut herself away in the forest. I would often goto visit her, but after a few years the isolation started to turn herslightly mad. She began to think the forest could talk to her. Shebecame dangerous when I tried to explain the impossibility of sucha thing so I stopped visiting her. A few years later the reports ofher became scarcer and scarcer. Eventually I went back and thecottage was abandoned. It has stood empty for 20 years now. Inever thought she would return. But it appears that she has nowcome and taken my beautiful daughter. She always wanted

children, but since no man would look at her it became a wildfantasy. I never thought she would be capable of doing such a thingas this though. You are our only hope. Everybody else is too afraidto venture past the borders of the woods. Please, rescue her for us.If you do then you may have her hand in marriage.''Sir it would be an honour for me to try and rescue her. But noreward is needed. Who she marries should be her own choice. Thatis the price of my help. That she may marry whomever shechooses.''You are quite an unusual boy. Most young men would jump at the

chance to marry my beautiful daughter. It shows how kind youreally are and I hope even more that she chooses you.'And so, Gavin went back to his and packed a few essentials beforeheading into the woods

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Chapter 2

Now where was I? Oh yes I remember.Gavin headed into the woods. Along the road he started to think

about Ruth. He wondered how he would manage to get her out ofthe hag's house safely. He suddenly realised that he hadn't askedSir Ellingham what his sister's name was. He could hardly call herthe hag to her face. He hoped it wouldn't come to a fight. Even ifshe was mad he wouldn't want to fight an old woman.Before he knew it he was at the borders of the forest. Somehow hewas more reluctant than usual to enter. He tried to remember howhe usually felt when entering the woods. Normally it was a refugefor him from his father's anger.

His dad had been verging on angry all his life. He had never knownhis mum and he assumed that the reason for his father's anger hadsomething to do with her death. His father had never told him muchabout his mother except that she was an extraordinary woman.Gavin has looked for pictures of her or even a scrap of paper withher handwriting on it, but there was nothing in the house.He took a deep breath and started into the forest towards thecottage. It wasn't long before the soft light filtering through thetrees calmed him as it always did. The song of birds and rustle ofleaves were familiar sounds to him and he was soon quite relaxed.

He had almost forgotten why he was even there when he saw thecottage. It was in the clearing ahead of him and again there wassmoke coming out the chimney. It also seemed to look more caredfor than it had done in all his memory.He approached the cottage cautiously and knocked on the door.A few minutes later and a withered old woman opened the door.Gavin noticed that her face was disfigured on one side andremembered what Sir Ellingham had said about the disease thathad taken away her beauty. Gavin couldn't understand why but

there was an air of familiarity about her. Like a face you recognisedbut just couldn't place. She in turn stifled a small gasp when shesaw him.He decided there wasn't much point in beating around the bush.'Excuse me, but I've been sent here by Sir Ellingham to see if Ruthis ok.''How did you know she was here?' the woman asked.'He simply said that he guessed this was where she was. He didn'tgive me any explanation.' He didn't think it would be good to let herknow the story of her past.

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'Well she's here all right and she's completely fine. I told him Iwould take care of her. I suppose you'll want to see her for yourselfthough so come on in.'As Gavin stepped across the threshold he noticed how nicely theroom had been kept. It was quite bare but there were little touches

that showed she'd been trying to make it more homely. And there inthe corner was Ruth by the stove.As he walked in she turned around.'Hi Gavin. What brings you here?' she askedA bit stunned Gavin stuttered out, 'How do you know my name?''I always saw you helping your dad out at the stables and all thewomen in the town speak kindly of you.''Oh. Well, um. I'm here because your dad asked me to, um, checkthat you're safe.''Oh I see. Well you can tell him I'm perfectly happy. Sarah is

looking after me and is really rather dear.'Sarah. So that was her name. And why did that ring a bell? Ofcourse, his mother's name was Sarah. What a strange coincidence.But then, Sarah was quite a popular name back then.Then Sarah invited him to at least stay for dinner before headingback through the forest. He suddenly realised that the soup Ruthwas cooking looked really rather good and he hadn't eaten sincebreakfast. He accepted her invitation and pulled up a chair at thetable.

Over the meal Sarah asked him a great deal about the work he andhis father did. Ruth it seemed had already told her quite a lot abouthim but she was still intensely curious.After dinner Ruth offered to do the washing up but Sarah told her totake Gavin for a walk through the woods and leave the cleaning toher.Once they'd left the cottage Gavin began to tell her why he'd reallycome. Immediately Ruth started to protest.'But Gavin. She's been awfully kind to me. I'm not a prisoner. I'mmore a companion. She is awfully lonely out here and I think she's

always wanted a daughter.'Gavin hadn't counted on Ruth wanting to stay. Could he force her toleave? He decided that he would have to go back to the town andspeak to her father again and see what his advice was. He couldalways come back tomorrow since she was safe enough for now.When they returned to the cottage it had started to get dark andSarah invited him to stay the night. He began to protest but wasoverruled by both the women. It seemed that for all that Ruth washappy she had enjoyed his company and didn't want him to leave.

So he agreed. Sarah brought out some blankets and pillows tomake the chair more comfortable for him.

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That evening they all sat by the fire and Gavin got up the courageto ask Sarah her story.She sat in silence for a good while and he wondered whether shehad heard him.He was just about to repeat his question when she spoke.

'Haven't you guessed yet Gavin?'There was something about that voice that really did seem veryfamiliar and yet the reason was just out of reach.She looked deep into his eyes and could see he still hadn't figured itout.She sighed. I never thought things would come together like this. Ididn't think I'd ever get to see you again and I promised your fatherI wouldn't try to find you. Funny that you actually came to find meinstead.

Suddenly, Gavin knew. That face, that voice. It came floating backto him from his infancy. He had been lying in straw in the stable anda woman was crying. Her face above him blurred by the tears. Thenhe heard her speak to a man beside her.'I can't do this. I'm not fit to be a mother or a wife to you both. It'llbe best for everybody if I leave.'The man's voice when he replied was choked with emotion.'I don't care what other people say. You're not mad and you arebeautiful.''It doesn't matter. I will always be treated as an outcast. Even by

my brother. I need to go.'And then she passed him to the man and walked out into the rain.The man held him for a long time simply gazing at him and crying.Gavin came to with a start. He realised the old woman was smilingat him.'So. You do remember.'Without even thinking he ran to her and wrapped his arms aroundher. Her face was wet with tears and he was sobbing.Ruth watched them both quietly for a second and then left the room

to allow them to catch up. There was much to talk about.......

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Chapter 3

After a while Gavin and Sarah pulled out of the embrace. Shelooked away to give him a chance to dry his face.She busied herself making him a cup of tea and she called Ruth

back into the room.'Now my dears. I suppose you both want to know my story.''Well, yes. I know that you're my aunt but dad only ever said thatyou disappeared. He didn't know where you went and he only toldme about you once.' Ruth said.'Yes. He would tell you that I suppose.' said Sarah bitterly.'So what really happened....Mum?' said Gavin tentatively.'Well.....When we were young Sir Ellingham, Bertie he was then, and I werevery close. No siblings were closer than us. We always got into

trouble together and looked after each other. He was so protectiveof his little sister.But one year, something dreadful happened. We'd been exploring inthe woods when I'd fallen into a bush and the berries had burst onmy face. We never knew what they were but it hurt terribly and bythe time we got back to the village and managed to wash the juiceoff it had burned half my face. It didn't hurt once the juice waswashed off so I was quite unconcerned.Bertie reacted terribly though. He couldn't bear to look at me! I'dnever noticed until then, but Bertie was obsessed with beauty.

It was his idea that I live in the forest. I thought he was protectingme from other people's reactions but I soon realised he wasashamed of me. Not many of the villagers knew what happened butyour father Gavin would bring me food and talk to me.We became very close. After a while Bertie realised the bond therewas between us and was disgusted by the idea that someone asrepulsive as me could be loved by a man. He decided to send meaway. He'd been knighted by then so he had the power to do that.But it was too late. I'd already had you, Gavin, in secret.''Didn't my father notice that you were pregnant?' asked Ruth.

'No my dear. He didn't visit me anymore. He'd send his servants togive me messages and supplies. It was after Gavin had been bornthat I got the message that I had to leave. I didn't tell your fatherbecause I knew he'd storm up to the house and if he did that Bertiewould make his life misery. He couldn't have born the idea of mehaving a child. Gavin, he would probably have killed you.''No! My father wouldn't do such a thing!' exclaimed Ruth.Sarah looked at her pityingly. 'I know dear. I would never havebelieved it of him either but believe me. The idea of uglinessrepulses him. Anyway, I decided to go along with his plan for the

sake of you and your father, Gavin.

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He sent me away and got me a job as maid in one of the other bighouses. Nobody minds having ugly maids.I worked hard at that job and tried to put my old life out of mymind. I saved up my wages and took extra jobs wherever I could. Ispent 15 years working hard for them and then they rewarded me

by giving me my freedom. I decided to head back here and livequietly in the forest. I had been living here for a few days when Idecided to go and see the house.As I passed by the garden, I saw you Ruth. I started talking to herand asking about her family. I told her I was visiting and had heardmuch of the beauty of her and how lucky her father was to havesuch a daughter.''There was something about you that inspired confidence.' Ruthinterrupted. 'I started telling her things I'd never told anybody.Nobody else knows this Gavin, but I have another sister. We are

twins, but not identical. She is in fact quite plain. My father keepsher trapped in her room. I spend as much time as I can with her butmostly she wants to know about the outside world so I go out andreport back to her.''I can't believe you've all kept it such a secret!' Gavin said.'Yes. As Ruth told me about her sister I could tell my brother hadn'tchanged. I then told her who I was and what had happened. Itbroke my heart to see to see what a beautiful daughter my awfulbrother had had. He didn't deserve you. I decided that you wouldbe safer with me, at least for a while. I must admit, my plan was to

find a nice young man for you to marry. I might have taken youaway to travel with me until you found somebody that you wantedto spend your life with.I realise now that he won't let me do that. He'll come and take youby force if needs be. Sending you, Gavin, was just the first phase.At least I've had a chance to see what a fine young man my son hasturned out to be. I could die happily now.''Don't say such things!' cried Gavin passionately.Sarah smiled. 'Don't worry Gavin. I don't intend to die. But I havereached a point in my life now where I don't fear death.'

'So, what are we going to do?' Gavin asked.'I don't want to go home. At least, not to stay. I do want to save mysister though. Then perhaps we could both run away with youSarah?' Ruth suggested. You could come too Gavin.''But what about dad?' asked Gavin.'I hope, honey, that if I tell him what's happening, he'll come withus. We'd be safer on the road with a man to look after us.''Wait a minute. Why do we have to leave? Why don't we just live inthis cottage? Dad can keep his job and I'll keep working to provide

us all with money. I'll find a way to save your sister and bring her

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here and just....um...lie to your dad. But what'll I tell him?' Gavinwondered.'You'd be prepared to do all that for me?' asked Ruth.'For both of you. Yes.'

'Well then. I think the best thing to do is run back. We'll tear yourclothes a bit first. Then you can tell him that I've turned Ruth justas crazy as I am and that I rubbed those same berries onto her faceso that she is now as hideous as me. Then pass on the messagethat I want him to release her sister to us as we may as well all beugly together and out of his way. I think he'll agree to that. Heprobably only kept her there because of you Ruth.''Ok. I'll do it.' said Gavin, with more confidence than he felt.So they tore his shirt and trousers partly and he set off. He sprinteddown the road so that he would be completely out of breath when

he reached the house. The journey seemed longer than when he'darrived the day before.............

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Chapter 4

Gavin ran to the house as fast as he could. He arrived at the frontdoor panting. He knocked as hard as he could.The housekeeper opened the door and was shocked by his

appearance. He told her to fetch Sir Ellingham as fast as possible. Itwas urgent.A few moments later Sir Ellingham arrived and brought him inside.Gavin then told him the story they had prepared. Sir Ellinghamseemed crushed at having lost his daughter. After a few minutessilence he told Gavin to wait. He left the room and returned a whilelater with a young girl Gavin had never seen before.'This is Fiona, Ruth's sister.' he said to Gavin. 'Fiona, you're going togo with this young man into the forest to meet your sister. You'll besafe with him I promise.'

Fiona looked at Gavin. She seemed to be drinking him in. Gavinsuddenly realised that she must never have seen any young men.All their servants were women and her father was obviously older.He gently took her by the elbow and led her down the steps.The housekeeper had filled a bag with her possessions and those ofher sister and took it from her.Once they had left the village Fiona began to speak to him. Itseemed that years of confinement had made her eager to speak.She asked him all about the forest, her sister, the village, his life,

any and everything else. By the time they reached the cottage hisvoice had gone hoarse answering her questions but he was veryhappy. She may be plain but she very friendly and good company.Inside the cottage everybody exchanged tearful greetings. Sarahinvited Gavin to stay again and they all sat down to some food.Sarah then retold the story to Fiona and in return Fiona told her andGavin about her childhood of imprisonment.The next day Gavin took Fiona for a walk through the woods tofamiliarise her with the outdoors and her surroundings. They talked

for hours and he was surprised to realise that nearly a whole dayhad gone by. They hurried back to the cottage to find Ruth worriedabout them both. They re-assured her that they were fine and shegave them a strange look before turning back to the dinner. Thatnight Sarah told Gavin he would have to go home the next day. Notbecause she wanted him to leave, she re-assured him, but becausehis father might be worrying. She was going to go with him and tellhim what was going on. Gavin could tell that she was both nervousand excited about this re-union.

The next day they headed into town leaving Ruth and Fiona to relaxtogether in the woods.

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After Gavin and Sarah had left Ruth looked at Fiona questioningly.'What?!' asked Fiona. 'Why do you keep giving me those looks?''Well. For one thing, you two spent all day out together, forgettingthe time. And then you couldn't keep your eyes off him at dinner.'Fiona blushed. 'Is there anything wrong with that? It doesn't hurt

anybody for me to look at him does it?'Ruth smiled. 'Of course not. I would love for you two to end uptogether.'At that, a slightly sad look passed across Fiona's face. 'Don't giveme hope Ruth. I know that I don't stand a chance next to you.Father's right about one thing. No man would want me. When I lookat him I just imagine a happy future with a family and home. Iknow it's impossible but all I have is my dreams.'Ruth became fierce. 'No Fiona. Father's wrong. You are just asbeautiful as me! And I am sure that there are men who are different

to dad and care about more than just looks. Just be patient.'Meanwhile, Gavin and Sarah had arrived at his home. They knockedon the door and his dad answered. He saw Gavin first and rushed toembrace him before letting go, embarrassed.'Glad to see you're ok boy. I wondered what had happened to you.'Then he saw Sarah. He did a double take.'It...It can't be you. I don't believe it.''It is me.' she smiled. 'Can we come in? We don't want theneighbours staring now, do we?'

They went inside and sat down. She then recounted to his father allthat had happened to her after she had left and the currentsituation.'Of course I'll help you all!' he cried. By this point they were holdinghands and gazing at one another lovingly.Gavin felt slightly awkward at intruding upon this scene but wasalso glad to see his father so happy.They made plans for when Gavin and his father would visit the girlsin the woods and ways that they could communicate. Then Sarahleft to help the girls with dinner.

Over the next few weeks both Gavin and his father worked veryhard to earn as much money as they could. They did odd jobs for alot of their neighbours and scrimped and saved as much as theycould. Every few days Gavin would go to the forest to visit the girlsand would take them for long walks in the forest. He always lookedforward to these visits, especially if Ruth didn't feel like going outand he could spend the time with Fiona.Sarah would also visit Gavin's father as much as she could and theycaught up on all that they had missed.

Eventually, they had saved up plenty of money and Gavin and hisfather began extending the cottage. They added extra bedrooms

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and repaired some of the broken parts. Everything was goingsplendidly............

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Chapter 5

So anyway, things were going well. The cottage had been expandedand Gavin and his father had practically moved in there. They kepttheir jobs at the big house stables but lived in the forest the rest of

the time. They were all getting on really well when the troublebegan.Gavin had been working in the stables when Sir Ellingham came by.He looked angry and Gavin remembered hearing from the otherservants that his mood had gotten worse and worse over the pastfew weeks. He strode up to Gavin and began to speak.'Gavin. I have a message for those witches in the woods. I want youto tell them that they must leave by the end of this week.'Gavin began to protest but Sir Ellingham cut him off.

'I know what you're going to say Gavin. But they are no daughtersof mine anymore. I could never be related to anything so hideous.'At that he strode away back to the house.Gavin immediately ran to tell his father what had happened. Theywent to the woods together straight away.When they reached the cottage they told the women what hadhappened.'Well.' said Sarah. Well just have to do as he says. I guessed that itmight come to this. It seems we'll be going travelling after all.'

At this news Ruth seemed excited whereas Fiona seemed less keen.Gavin guessed that she was nervous about travelling around. Afterall, she'd only ever lived in her bedroom and the cottage. She'dseen very little of the outside world.'Don't worry Fiona. Me and dad will come with you all to keep yousafe.''You will?' she asked, surprised.'Of course we will. You're our family and we've nothing to keep ushere.' his father replied.'But we're not really your family.' said Fiona.

'You are,' said Gavin quietly. 'You're both my cousins.'Fiona was surprised. In all their time together she'd never thoughtof that.After dinner they began to make plans for their departure. Theypacked up as much food and clothes as they could carry. And thenthey all went to sleep.'We'll need to have an early start tomorrow so we can get awaywithout anybody seeing us.' said Sarah.So the next morning they got up shortly after sunrise and set off.

For the first few hours they chatted happily and then they stoppedfor lunch in a picturesque spot.

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After lunch they kept walking and eventually came upon a village.They managed to find a place to stay with an elderly couple. Theyhad already decided to tell the couple that they were one big family.They were given a good meal and they all had beds to sleep in.Sarah and Gavin's father shared one bed, and Ruth and Fiona

another.The next day they were given a generous breakfast and carried ontheir way.After a while they entered into another forest. They all felt quite athome here as the woodlands had been their home for so long.Suddenly, a voice shouted from amongst the trees.'Stand still all of you! You will not be harmed as long as you co-operate.'They all glanced nervously at each other. Then a young manappeared from behind a nearby tree.

He was about the same age as Gavin, Ruth and Fiona and hadrugged good looks.The first person he looked at was Ruth and he seemed momentarilystunned. He pulled himself together and addressed Gavin's father.'Good sir. If you will hand over your money you may carry on yourway.'Gavin's father simply laughed. 'Do you really think we'd betravelling through this forest in rags if we had any money to spare?''Nobody would be foolish enough to travel without any money.'replied the young man.

'In which case you understand that I do not wish to part with whatlittle money we do have.'The young man smiled. 'You are a smart man and your answershave at least intrigued me. Why are you travelling through theseforests?''Ah.' said Sarah. 'That tale is long indeed. To hear it we must atleast be allowed to sit and rest, and perhaps share a bite to eat withyou and your companions.'He looked startled. 'How do you know I am not alone?'She smiled. 'Young man, I have lived in the forests by myself for

many years. If you had done so too you would not have the samesmile about you. Living in a forest alone is far worse than anywhereelse and it is extremely hard to stay cheerful.''That is very true. Well, you have all interested me enough that Ithink you may come back to our camp and tell us this tale of yours.And by the way, I am Peter.'And so they set off deeper into the woods following his lead. Theywondered why he was so trusting in showing them the way but soonrealised that they would never manage to find the way by

themselves. Eventually they saw signs of a camp. There were

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makeshift houses in the trees and disguised behind bushes. It was asmall community with maybe half a dozen families.Peter introduced them to the rest of his family.'This is my mother and father and this is my sister, Rose.' he said,as a pretty young girl came forward.

She had long, curly brown hair and a pretty face which had ahealthy, dirty, glow that obviously came from living in the forests.'She's just 1 year younger than I am but have the courage of a mantwice her age.' he said with pride.The girls immediately became close friends. Peter suggested thatthey leave the girls alone and he would introduce Gavin to the otheryoung men.They went round behind the houses to a shelter in which were 3guys.'These are Joseph, Mark and Joe. This is Gavin. He and his family

have just arrived.'Joseph was tall, lanky and had longish blonde hair. Mark wasmedium height, and had a strong build and short brown hair. Joewas the smallest and was quite slight with short blonde hair.He spent the next few hours with them and really enjoyed spendingtime with men his age. He'd never really had any male friends andit was a pleasant change from all the girly chat with the women.Then they headed back to Peter's house and had dinner witheverybody else. After dinner they all gathered round the fire andthey recounted the story of how they had ended up in the forest.

Everybody was impressed by what they had been through and theywere immediately invited to stay for a few days. They were spreadout amongst the different houses so the twins stayed with Mark'sfamily. Sarah and Gavin's father stayed with Joe's family and Gavinstayed at Peter's.The next day they all helped out with chores and then relaxed withthe young people. Gavin noticed that Rose had become one of thelads from growing up with the guys and seemed to enjoy the girls'company as much as he enjoyed the boys'.He noticed that the girls were quite interested in the boys.

Especially Fiona. She'd never met any young men except him andwas overwhelmed by their attention. She seemed to be getting onparticularly well with Joe as he was quite quiet like her usually, andyet Gavin often overheard them deep in discussion.Ruth got on with all the guys but he often saw her exchanging littlelooks with Mark. He thought it was more than likely that the girlswould want to settle here. He wondered whether he should feeljealous. After all, he'd been their close companion for so long it wasalmost his right. But he knew that they'd already become likebrothers and sisters.

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He in turn really enjoyed spending time with Rose but he knew thatPeter was keeping a careful eye on them. He was obviously quiteprotective of his little sister.For the next few days they all just enjoyed building up thesefriendships and helping out around the camp. It was a whole week

later that the issue of when they should leave came up.The girls immediately protested. Gavin and Sarah pointed out thatthey couldn't trespass on their hosts' time anymore.Sarah then made a suggestion. She had been wondering whetherthe young folk would all be interested in travelling together for a bit.She and Gavins father would stay at the camp and help out.She'd noticed the budding relationships between the girls and boysand was hoping that it would develop into something more.She was unsure about Gavin. She thought he was developing a

crush for Rose but couldn't be sure. He was a very difficult boy tofigure out.Everybody thought it was a great plan and they started preparingeverything they needed. There was a bit of a debate about whetherRose could go or not but eventually she persuaded them that shewas just as able to cope as any of the boys were.And so....they headed off........

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Chapter 6

As they walked through the forest they all played games and chasedeach other between the trees. Ruth and Fiona were acting moregirly than they had ever done with just Gavin around and all the

guys were trying to be quite macho.Once they'd left the forest they naturally split into groups forwalking along.Ruth strode ahead with Mark. Shortly behind were Gavin, Rose,Peter and Joseph. Then bring up the rear were Joe and Fiona.They were all chatting quite amiably.Quite often Gavin and Rose would be beside each other and wouldbe deep in discussion when Peter would barge between them. Itwas quite obvious that he was trying to keep them apart.

They'd stopped for lunch in the forest so they hadn't noticed howlate the day was getting. As it started to get dark again theystopped on the outskirts of a village. They decided it'd be rude toturn up now and ask for rooms so they made make-shift tents tosleep in. The three girls shared one and the boys split between twoothers.As they were sitting around the campfire Peter came and spoke toGavin.'Do you think we could go for a walk?' he asked him.'Yeah of course.' replied Gavin. He could guess what was coming

next.They told everyone else they were just going for a quick walk andwould be back soon.Once they were out of ear-shot of the group Peter began.'Look Gavin. You seem to be a great guy.''Thanks.' interrupted Gavin.'But I want you to be very careful with my little sister.''Careful? In what way?' Gavin asked.'Oh come on. You know what I mean. I've been watching you two

and I think that you're into her! I just want to know what yourintentions are.''Look, Peter. She's a lovely girl and really great to hang around with.But you've got nothing to worry about. We're just friends.'Peter looked relieved. 'Ok good. Of course, I wouldn't be againstyou two but, well, she's my little sister after all.''I understand. It's fine.'Now that that had been cleared up they headed back. What theyhadn't noticed was that Rose had left the camp shortly before themto get some water. She had been standing nearby, concealed by a

tree, as they had the conversation. She waited before she headed

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back. She didn't want them to guess she'd heard and she definitelydidn't want them to see how upset she was.She hadn't been sure until then how she felt about Gavin butrealised now that she'd already been having thoughts in the veryback of her mind where they were more than 'just friends'. The

only difficult thing now was deciding what to do. She felt like notspeaking to him, but he hadn't done anything wrong and she stillwanted to at least be friends. Then again, if she spent more timearound him he might start to feel what she was feeling....hm. Shethought all these things over as she headed back to the camp.Over the next few days they travelled between the various villages.They got food from people in return for doing odd jobs for them.Sometimes they would be given shelter too but other times theyused the make-shift tents again.

After his discussion with Peter, Gavin couldn't help noticing Roseeven more. Sometimes he would catch her eye across the fire orwatch her as she was talking to someone else and be struck by justhow beautiful she was.She didn't have the same exquisite beauty that Ruth did. She wasless delicate. And yet, she was very beautiful in her own way. Shewas also easier to talk to as she was used to boys and the way thatthey think. She wasn't as squeamish as the other girls and wouldhappily tackle him to the ground. Whenever they made physicalcontact it was almost like a little shock was tingling up his arm. And

then he would see Peter watching them and he would feel guilty. Hewas beginning to suspect that he no longer felt of Rose as just afriend. And yet there was never any hint that she thought of him asanything more than a friend.By the time they headed back to the main campsite it was veryobvious that Mark and Ruth, and Fiona and Joe were utterly in love.The evening they got back there was a bit gathering where theytold all the adults where they had been and what they had seen.Then the two couples made the announcement that they intended

to get married. Sarah was overjoyed for the two girls and pulledthem into a warm embrace. That night was a huge celebration foreverybody.During the evening Gavin quite often noticed Rose standing byherself to one side. There was something about the way she wasstanding that made him wonder whether she was wishing it hadbeen her engagement notice. He often went over to talk to her butshe would quickly make excuse and leave him.Over the coming weeks everybody was planning and preparing for

the weddings. The young people all helped with the normal chores

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as the women folk made dresses and table clothes and all sorts ofother things that are apparently crucial to a wedding.During all this time Gavin barely saw Rose. After having spent somuch time with her beforehand he now seriously missed her.Whenever he caught a glimpse of her he got a lump in his throat

and wanted to talk to her. But she would usually hurry on. Hecouldn't quite figure out if she was avoiding him for some reason.Rose was keeping herself as busy as she could. Wherever she wentpeople were talking about the weddings. She was happy for thegirls, and the boys. But she couldn't help wishing that it was herinstead. Seeing Gavin only increased this feeling so she tried to seehim as little as possible.Before long the day of the big wedding was upon them. Theceremony was beautiful and the day couldn't have been more

perfect. Part of the preparations had been to build houses for thetwo new couples and clear an area for the weddings to take place.Everybody attended and days afterwards were spent celebrating.Eventually though, life went back to normal and everybody wentback to their usual chores.It didn't take long for Gavin to get bored. He'd been brought up inthe centre of a village where there was always plenty to do andplenty of people to spend time with and watch. He loved the peoplein this small community but he needed something else to occupy his

thoughts, other than Rose.He spoke to his father and decided that he would go travelling againfor a while.Once Rose heard that he was leaving she was both glad anddisappointed. She still felt very strongly for him but was sure that ifhe was able to leave he couldn't really care about her at all.They all bade him farewell and he headed off oncemore..................

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Chapter 7

Gavin had been walking for a few hours and was amazed by thesurrounding landscape. He'd barely noticed when he was exploringwith the other young people.

He'd decided to set out in a different direction to the one they hadtaken previously. In the afternoon he arrived at a village.Everybody seemed to be gathered in a big field at the edge of thevillage. He asked someone that was passing by what was going on.'It's the tryouts for the Royal Archery Force today.' He was told.'What happens?' he asked.'Everybody gets 1 arrow and they must hit a specific point on thetarget. Each point is marked with a coloured piece of cloth whichmatches a piece of cloth on the arrow they are given. Those who hitthe mark swap colours and the targets are moved further away.

Those who hit their mark again become members of the RoyalArchery Force, RAF for short.''Can anybody try?' Gavin asked. He'd always been rather good atarchery and had perfected the art while living in the forest.'Yes but you'd better hurry.' the man replied.Gavin headed over and signed up. He was given his arrow andnoticed that he was red. He looked at the target and saw that thered mark was at the very edge of the board at the top right.Everybody strung their bows and aimed. A few seconds later therewas a flurry of arrows. The General headed over to inspect the

target while the archers held their breath.One by one the general called out the colours that had missed theirmark.'Orange, Green and White.'Gavin was amazed. He had actually hit his mark.The General brought back the arrows and the archers that weresuccessful exchanged arrows. Gavin was now black. He looked atthe target, which had moved much farther away, and saw that hewas aiming for dead centre.Again the archers took up their positions, strung the bows and shot.

A much greater number appeared to miss this time and Gavincouldn't quite tell which his arrow was as the target was so faraway.The General once more walked to the target and shouted out thosewho'd failed.'Pink, Yellow, Turquoise, Grey, Purple, Blue and Brown.'It took a moment for Gavin to realise that Black had not beencalled. He was in!The General came over and congratulated the new archers.'You will now begin training as a member of the RAF. It is difficult

and dangerous work. You are fighting for the kingdom. You will

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learn other kinds of fighting and survival skills. The training will take2 years and then you will be given a placement within a regiment.'And so Gavin left with the others to become one of the King'sarchers. He had had no plan when he left the forest but already his

future was full of possibilities.The training was intense. They learned how to fight by hand andwith a sword, how to load and shoot canons, how to bandage awounded soldier and carry him back. They also spent large parts oftheir day running, jumping, climbing, crawling, swimming, boxing,and doing anything else they could to be in the fittest possiblestate. They had all become friends quite quickly and in betweentraining they would have great fun. Gavin had become particularlygood friends with an archer called Michael. (Mikey)

One day they were cleaning their uniforms when Michael glancedout the window. He stared for a second and then nudged Gavin.Gavin looked up too and saw a young nurse walk past. Neither ofthem had seen her before and she stood out as all the other nurseswere middle aged women.'Wow. She's something isn't she?' whistled Michael.'Oh yeah. Do you think it's worth shooting ourselves in case she'sthe one that treats us?' asked Gavin, with a smile.'If we want to see her we only have to wait. The cafe opens uptonight. She's young so she'll probably be there.' said Michael.

That night they headed along to the cafe. Michael had been right.The pretty young nurse was sitting at a table surrounded by a hugegroup of young men. Michael and Gavin sat at a table at the otherside of the room.'Why did you sit all the way over here?' asked Michael.'Trust me. She'll notice us far more for holding back. It'll make hercurious.' said Gavin, with a wink.'Since when have you been such an expert with the ladies?' jokedMichael.

'I spent months living in a cottage with my mum and two femalecousins. That is plenty long enough to understand women.'Sure enough, after about half an hour the nurse headed their way.She introduced herself as Cara. The guys introduced themselvesand invited her to join them. She sat down and they spent the restof the night talking animatedly whilst getting jealous looks from theother young men. Gavin thought that Cara was attractive, thoughnot as stunningly beautiful as Ruth nor as pretty as Rose. She hadher own charms though and was very confident and flirtatious. He

left the cafe with his head filled with images of her. He couldn'tsleep that night for thinking of her.

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Over the coming months they spent more and more time with Caraand Gavin became increasingly infatuated with her.Eventually, when they were alone one evening, Cara confrontedhim.

'Look, Gavin. We've been spending time with each other constantlyfor months. How long is going to take you to ask me out?'Gavin was surprised. He'd been considering it for ages but hadn'tquite managed to pluck up the courage.'Um. Well, I wanted to wait for the right moment.''Look around. It's late at night, there's nobody else here. The moonis bright and stars are shining. What else do you want?''All right. Cara, I've really enjoyed these last few months and I lovebeing around you. I was wondering whether you'd like to go to thearchers dance next week with me, as my girlfriend.'

'Of course I would! she laughed. She took his arm in hers andwalked him back to his cabin.'Now, what are the rules about lady friends entering your cabins?'she asked with a sexy smile.'It's completely and utterly forbidden.' Gavin said nervously.'Really? Forbidden huh? Well, only forbidden things are really worthdoing. Come on.' she said as she led him inside.The next morning Gavin couldn't believe what'd happened. Cara hadleft early so that nobody would know she'd been there. Gavin found

it hard to believe it hadn't been a dream. When he saw her laterthough she winked at him and came and put her arms around him.The other guys stared at him but he couldn't have cared less.After that it became routine that Cara would sneak into his cabineach night and leave early each morning. Cara never let him getmuch sleep but he wasn't complaining. His nights with Cara weredefinitely worth a bit of tiredness the next day.He started spending less time with Michael and the other guys. Carainsisted that, as his girlfriend, she should be his priority.The dance at the end of the week went really well. Cara danced with

all the guys but saved the slow dance for Gavin. She pressed herselfup against him as everybody watched (since she was the only girl,they were the only couple on the dance floor).After a few weeks the sleep deprivation really started to kick in. Onenight Gavin told Cara that he really needed to get some sleep andshe was furious. She flew into a rage and stormed out. Gavin wasn'tquite sure what had happened. The next day he tried to talk to herbut she was avoiding him. That night he went to the cafe as usualand saw her draping herself over Iain, one of the others guys she'd

shown interest in. Gavin walked over to them and asked her whatwas going on.

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'Well. Some guys know how to appreciate a girl. I'm not going towaste my time on those that don't. Come on Iain, let's get going.'and they walked out towards the cabin.Gavin couldn't believe she could do that to him. All because he'dwanted one night's sleep. He'd really cared about her but he

realised that she was only really looking for a man to keep hersatisfied in the nights.He was looking forward to the end of the training.......................

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Chapter 8

Gavin had been working hard throughout his RAF training. Finallythe day came when he had completed the training section and wasgiven his placement. He had written to his parents to tell them all

the news and they were very proud of him.Over the next 5 years he travelled round the country fighting forKing and country. He received many awards for bravery in combatand excelling in his archery. Whenever he had leave he would enterarchery competitions and carry out odd-jobs for locals to earn moremoney. He carried out many exceptionally brave deeds.Once he had been sent to help a group up in the mountains. Whenhe arrived there was nobody around. He soon found out that theyhad been fighting against a dragon that had made its home in the

cave that they used as their base. He managed to slay the dragonwith a single arrow to a small unprotected patch of skin beneath itsneck.A few years later he heard rumours from the villages that a gianthad been destroying people's homes and crops and eating theircattle. He asked special permission to fight the giant and was againsuccessful. He became renowned for his bravery throughout thelands.

After he had served his first 5 years in the RAF he decided to travelinto the neighbouring countries. He used the money he had savedand headed off. He encountered creatures that he'd never evenheard of. He fought wars with dwarves. He negotiated peacebetween the elves and faeries. He was invited to join the pixie army(mainly because of his height) but he preferred roaming free. Hesaved villages from lions and bears. He went hunting in the forestwith centaurs. He was sought after by mermaids and most othersingle girls. Eventually it got to the stage where he couldn't enter avillage without being surrounded by adoring fans. He couldn't

believe it. He didn't really enjoy the attention so he decided totravel even further abroad.He started hiking through the mountainous regions of Barring.Then he trekked through the jungles of Formau.He survived the deserts of Demp and the ice wasteland of Bole. Hemade numerous friends along the way and was popular witheverybody he met. He often wondered how his family were doing inthe little campsite in the forest. But he didn't dwell on it long asthere was always somebody else to be rescued or helped.

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anybody that she wanted to settle down with. They had both beenso busy travelling that they had spared little thought for a family.They both stayed in the village for many weeks and gradually theyrealised what they had denied to themselves before. They werefalling madly in love. They started to discuss their plans for the

future. Rose felt that she should probably go and visit the familycampsite and Gavin thought it was about time he saw them allagain too. They made their plans and left the jungle.As they travelled back they met many people that they had helpedon their travels and they were received warmly wherever they went.Eventually they reached the campsite.Everybody was extremely pleased to see them. Gavin was surprisedto find that both Fiona and Ruth had had children. Peter hadmarried a girl from one of the local villages and the other young

men had left to find jobs elsewhere.In the evenings he and Rose would take it in turns to tell the familystories of their adventures. After they had been there a few nightsthey decided the time was right to announce their plans. Theygathered the family together to tell them.'Everybody. We've got some news. We want to tell you all that we'reengaged. We want to get married in a few weeks time and then wewill head back out to the jungle where I will continue to teach thelocal children and Gavin will join the men in hunting.' said Rose.Strangely, the announcement was met by complete silence.

Everybody looked at each other awkwardly.'What's wrong?' Rose asked. 'Aren't you happy for us?'Her mother took her to one side.'Darling. We hoped this would never happen. This is why we tried tostop you from leaving the campsite. You cannot marry Gavin. Wewould like nothing better than to welcome him into our family butyou are already promised to somebody.''How can I be?!?!' she exclaimed.Her mother began the tale.

'Before we came to this forest we were a respectable family in thebig city. I was good friends with the Queen in fact. The King andQueen desperately wanted a big family and eventually they had alittle boy. He was actually born the same day that you were. Theywere so delighted and wanted to ensure that he would marry andexpand the family even more. They took the fact that you wereborn on the same day as a sign that you were meant for each other.We couldn't refuse! We thought we could give you no greater startin life. As he grew though, he turned into a spoilt child. He hadeverything he could ever want and we realised that we couldn't

condemn you to life as his wife. We left the city and tried to get asfar away as possible. That is how we came to be here. We hoped

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that he wouldn't find you. After you left though, he heard of yourmany good deeds and traced your roots back to this forest. He sentus a message saying that if you married anybody but him we wouldpay with our lives.He has heard of your beauty and will have no woman but you. We

cannot bear the thought of your marriage to him but there is noother way.'Rose had listened to the story in silence. She took a deep breathand said calmly,'Gavin. We shall have to go and visit his highness and persuade himto let us marry.''I will be with you all the way my darling. I couldn't live with thethought of your marriage to such a man.' replied Gavin.And so they began preparations to visit the King................

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Chapter 9

Gavin and Rose walked in silence as they headed towards thecastle. Gavin could tell that Rose was really nervous. After all, herwhole future hung in the balance. After a while he took her hand

and gave it a comforting squeeze. She looked up at him.'Don't worry. Everything's going to be fine.' he reassured her.Eventually they reached the castle. They told the person at the doorthat they needed to speak to the King urgently. He should tell theKing that it was Rose and a friend. The messenger rushed off andreturned shortly afterwards.They followed him into a large hall. The sides were filled with therich and powerful and messengers were rushing back and forth. Thecastle servants were also kept busy providing food and drink for all

the guests.They went forward towards the King who was seated on a grandthrone at the very end of the hall.As they walked they noticed that people were looking at them,wondering who they were. They kept walking forward and tried toignore their stares.Finally they were before the King and they knelt in respect.'You may rise.' said the King, grandly. 'So. You have finally come,Rose. Why have you brought this friend of yours with you? And whydid you not dress more appropriately?' he asked.

They had decided that wearing the peasant clothes they were usedto may help persuade the King that he did not want Rose.'Sire. I come before you begging you to help me. I know that whenwe were born our parents made an agreement that one day wewould wed. I was only told of this recently. It is, of course, a greathonour for a lowly peasant girl such as myself.However, before I was told I had been travelling and met Gavinhere. We fell in love and returned home to tell our parents of ourdecision to get married. It was only then that I found that I hadalready been promised to your Majesty. We have come to ask, to

plead, that you would let the agreement drop and allow me tomarry Gavin.' she looked up at the King, her eyes filled with hope.'I know that many consider it unusual for me to wish to marry apeasant girl. But I understand that you came from a noble familywho gave up their riches to live a simple life. You do come fromgood breeding though and that can be seen in your beauty. If youdressed in the same fashion as the rest of us you would rival thebeauty of any courtier. It does not matter to me that you have fallenin love with this man. You will soon forget him once you have livedin the palace for a while. Now say your goodbyes and let this young

man return to the village to find a new wife.''No!' cried Rose.

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'Sire.' said Gavin quickly, fearful of the angry look on the King'sface. 'Please hear me out. I love Rose dearly and could find no otherwoman to make me happy. I beg you to reconsider!''I am the King and my word is law. Rose will belong to me and mealone.'

'Begging your pardon, sire, but she belongs to no man. She ismaster of herself and not property.' said Gavin, boldly.The court fell silent.'You dare to contradict me?' thundered the King.'Women are treated as less than men when they should be theirequals. A wife is not a possession, she is a consort. She should bechosen not for her beauty or usefulness. I love Rose above my ownlife and yet if she did not want to be my wife I would never forceher.''You say that you love her more than your own life?' the King asked,

dangerously.'I do.' Gavin replied.'Well then, I suggest a wager.' said the King with a smile. 'We shallhave a competition. If you win you may have Rose. If I win, I willhave you head.''What will the competition consist of?' asked Gavin.'No!' cried Rose. 'Whatever it is, you mustn't risk that for me!''Life without you wouldn't be worth living.' Gavin told her.'I have been sent a new game. It involves a table with holes at the

ends and raised sides. You have a set of balls in 2 different coloursand a stick each. The aim is the put all the balls of one colour intothe holes before your opponent does so with all his balls. I will giveyou a demonstration, if you accept.''Since it is a new game to me and your Majesty has already havepractice, I propose that you demonstrate first and then we shallplay three games. Whoever wins the most games out of the 3 winsthe wager.''Agreed. Bring in the table!' he ordered.

A few moments later a large table was carried through.The King then spent a few moments showing Gavin how to use thestick to hit the balls and telling him the rules of the game.The balls were made of two different kinds of stone. One was darkand shiny, the other pale and matted. There were also 2 other balls.One was of rose quartz and the other of a green stone.After a while Gavin decided he understood and they began the firstgame.Gavin quickly got the hang of it.The hall was totally silent and Rose was holding her breathe.

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It wasn't long though before Gavin realised that the King had spentmany hours practicing his new game. Not long afterwards the Kingsucceeded in pocketing all his balls and the green one.'One more game like that and I shall see you hanging before dawn'said the King triumphantly.

Another game followed. Gavin knew what balanced on the outcomeand managed to keep even with the King.Suddenly the King potted his last ball, and somehow the green onetoo. Gavin stood, in shock. He couldn't believe he had failed. Thenhe noticed that the King was not rejoicing. Suddenly heremembered one of the extra rules the King had explained whichmeant that he had actually won.'That was unlucky.' said the King. 'It will not happen again.'Everything now hung on this last game. Each of them took their

time judging the positions of the balls and working out their bestplan. For each ball Gavin pocketed, the King managed to pocket oneof his own.Rose could barely bring herself to watch. She couldn't begin toimagine having to watch Gavin be killed.Suddenly there was a cry of outrage!Gavin had pocketed his ball. He took his next shot very carefully.The green ball teetered around the edge of the hole.....And went in!

Gavin and Rose rejoiced. The King looked furious but would not goagainst his word in front of the whole court.'Well done Gavin.' he said bitterly. 'Take her away with you then.'They left ecstatic. They couldn't believe they had managed it. Theycould go and live their lives happily ever after....But the King would not let it rest there. He was furious at havingbeen so humiliated. He called over one of his advisors andwhispered something in his ear.'Certainly my Lord.' he replied, and hurried off................

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Chapter 10

Gavin and Rose were walking hand-in-hand away from the palace.They had won and could now look forward to the rest of their livesspent together. The sun was shining and the villages they passed

had never looked so beautiful.As they went through one of the forests though they started to getthe feeling that they were being followed. There was a rustling inthe trees. They stopped and Gavin stood protectively in front ofRose.Suddenly, a group of the King's men jumped out from behind thetrees.'Halt! The King has decreed that Rose will be his wife after all andGavin has become an outlaw.' the leader announced.'How can he go back on his word like that?' exclaimed Rose,

outraged.Gavin stood quite still and calm. He was taking the opportunity tosize up the enemy.'You are under arrest Gavin. Come quietly and the King may spareyour life.''I think not.' said Gavin quietly. Immediately he pulled out his bow,strung an arrow and let it fly. It hit the leader square in the chest.The other men stood in shock before reacting. Gavin had alreadystrung his bow again. He aimed it at the remaining men.'If you value your lives you will return to the King and tell him we

are not to be messed with. He will let us go home and not bother usagain unless he wants to lose more of his soldiers.'The men stood still, undecided, for a few brief moments beforeturning tail and leaving hurriedly.'I hope that's the last we'll see of them.' said Rose, nervously.'I'm afraid that it probably won't be. We need to hurry home and wecannot stay there long.'When they reached the campsite everybody was thrilled to seethem and excited to hear about the confrontation with the King.

Rose and Gavin had decided not to tell them about the episode inthe forest. They did insist however that they could only stay a shortwhile in case the King did change his mind. They had alreadyagreed that they could have their marriage back in the jungles. Ofcourse their parents would be sad to miss the occasion but on thewhole, their safety was more important.A few days later they said their goodbyes again and headed for thejungles.

That afternoon, the King's men arrived at the campsite. Theyinterrogated everybody to try and find out where the couple had

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headed. Nobody told them anything so they started to ask people innearby villages. Eventually they found out the direction Gavin andRose had taken and they began to follow the trail.Meanwhile, Gavin and Rose felt that they had left the danger behind

them. As they entered the outskirts of the jungle they found one ofthe villages they had visited before. They were invited to stay for afew days and accepted.During this time the King's men were still following them andmanaged to catch up.In the middle of the night there was a great commotion. Their hostcame and woke them up.'You must leave quickly' they said. 'There are men here looking foryou.'Gavin and Rose understood immediately and rushed away into the

night.They couldn't decide what they should do next. Clearly whereverthey went they could be found. They had been discussing theiroptions for a while, when up ahead in a clearing Rose spotted acrippled old woman. She hurried over to her and realised that thewoman was blind.'Do you need any help?' Rose asked her.'Thank you so much for offering. I've been lost for days.' the womanreplied. 'I live in a village on the outskirts of the jungle on the

southern side. If you could guide me there it was be awfully kind ofyou.''Well. Whatever we're going to do about the King it'll have to waituntil we help this lady.' said Rose decisively.'But the villages on the southern side are a whole 3 day hike fromhere' Gavin pointed out.'She needs our help.' Rose said simply.Gavin smiled. 'Of course you're right. I just hope that she doesn'tcome out the worse for being with us.'

And so they spent the next 3 days trekking through the jungle,helping the little old lady between the trees, over logs, underbranches and around ponds. Finally they arrived at a village.'Should we ask somebody nearby to find out which village this isand how far it is to your village?' Rose asked the old lady.'No my dear. We have come far enough.''What do you mean?' Gavin asked her.'The past 3 days have been more than enough to show me thenature of your hearts. You are both good, kind and caring youngpeople. Not many would spend 3 days caring so completely for a

total stranger. Now you will have your reward.'

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She removed her cape and suddenly they saw her true form. Shewas a wood nymph. As tall as a tree and beautiful as the rarestflower.'Here is my gift to you.' she said as she handed them each a smallstone. 'Whenever you are in need of help simply kiss this stone and

help will come.''Thank you so much!' cried Rose.Gavin looked on in awe, then bowed his head respectfully.'Can I ask. Do you have any advice for us in how to deal with theKing?'She smiled at him. 'I suggest that you go back to the palace. Histime as King has come to an end and somebody must rid him of hiscrown. Once you reach the castle gates you will be givenopportunities to prove your worth and your heart as you have donehere. Follow your instincts and the way will be simple.'

As she finished she smiled and dashed into the trees.'Well.' Gavin laughed. 'It looks like we're heading back to the palacethen.'And so they started back the way they had come.............

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Chapter 11

On their way back through the jungles, Gavin and Rose talked andlaughed. They tried to keep their minds off their return visit to theKing. They had no plan for once they arrived at the castle. They

simply trusted the wood nymph that everything would work out.Finally they were on the outskirts of the city. They passed posterswith their faces on with notices of large rewards. The villages weredeserted with all the windows and doors closed. Gavin and Rosecould see eyes peering out at them through cracks and holes.They walked onwards to the main city.The city was busy as usual, for which they were both grateful. Itmeant there was less chance of them being noticed. They reachedthe palace gates and stood in silence. They wondered what they

should do. They tried to remember what the nymph had said tothem.Suddenly Gavin noticed a small child by the side of the road. It wasa small boy, dirty and rugged. He was sitting in filthy rags and had astick beside him on the ground. It was then that Gavin noticed thechild had only 1 leg. He went over to the child.'Please sir, don't hurt me.' the boy whispered, obviously afraid.'I don't want to hurt you.' said Gavin, gently. 'Here. This is the lastof our bread. You need it more than we do.' As he said this he

passed him their last food supplies.Rose nearly reached out to stop him, but looking at the childrealised that what Gavin had said was true.The boy took the bread and his eyes filled with tears. As the tearsbegan to run down his face, Gavin thought he saw the face change.And for a second, it was that of the wood nymph, smiling brightly.Then Gavin blinked and there was the small boy before him again.'Please sir. Come to my home and rest. It's a poor place but youlook tired.'So Gavin and Rose followed the boy. They were surprised to find

that he led them round behind the palace and into a hiddenpassageway. They went down below the palace grounds into a darkcave.The boy went in and sat on an old rug. Gavin and Rose lookedaround.'Is this below the castle?' Rose asked.'Yes. There are lots of passageways. I often explore them. There aresome places where you can hear the goings on above.' said the boy.They sat down with him and watched as he ate the bread. It wasobviously his first meal in days and they were glad they had been

able to help him. As they sat they began to tell him their story. Hiseyes grew wide when he realised who they were. He had heard all

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about their challenging the King and then their escape. He had seenthe King's men searching every house in the city to try and findthem.Suddenly he started laughing. Gavin and Rose were surprised.'What is so funny?' they asked him.

'Well.' he replied, still laughing. ' To think that they've searchedevery corner of the land, and yet now here you are. Sitting rightunderneath the palace!' and he kept laughing.Later on they decided that they had best do some exploring. Theyoung boy found some wood for them and made them torches tolight their way. He showed them the best direction to head in andwished them good luck.They walked along the tunnels hand-in-hand. Every now and thenthey could hear song and laughter above their heads.

Then they started up a steep incline. At the top they found a crackhigh in the wall which looked into the main hall where they had metthe King previously.He was sitting on his thrown in a terrible rage. He was throwingthings at his advisors, cursing them for not finding the couple.They listened for a while but it did not seem to provide any usefulinformation.Gavin turned to Rose.'Rose. I don't think we're going to be able to make any kind of plan.We need to just follow our instincts and hope for the best.'

'I think you're right,' she said, though she sounded scared.He put his arm around her and they headed for the cave entrance.As they passed the boy they thanked him for all his help. As theywere about to leave he asked them where they were going andwhat they were going to do.'We don't really know', said Gavin. 'We're going to go up to thePalace and hope for the best.''Well, if you're going to go into the palace through the mainentrance you'll just be killed. If you really think confronting the Kingis the best thing to do you would be better off using the

passageway.''There's an entrance to the castle from down here?' asked Rose.'Yes of course there is. Let me show you.' he said.He walked them down the passageway they had walked down,struggling slightly with some of the rocks. He walked to just pastwhere they had stopped. There, in the dark, they could just makeout a small hole.'It leads to an old corridor parallel to the main hall. Once you'rethere just follow the sounds of the King shouting.' said the boy,cheerfully.

They thanked him again and set off through the passageway. It wasvery small and they had to crawl on their hands and knees. Gavin

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constantly hit his head on the rock above but they thought it best totry and be as quiet as possible............

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Chapter 12

They crept through the tunnel and eventually came to an opening.It was hidden behind a tapestry. They waited a second to make sure

that they couldnt hear anybody coming, then pushed the tapestryaside and crawled out into the corridor. They decided that it wouldbe better not to face the King immediately. They needed some moreinformation about the castle. The passageway they had comethrough continued on past this entrance so they decided to see howfar it went and whether they could eavesdrop on some of the peoplethat worked there. Everybody knows that the servants know all thebest secrets.They crawled further along the passageway and soon found a smallhole which seemed to be a vent for the kitchens. They began to

listen as the cooks chattered away. They seemed to be giving a newmaid a hard time. They were telling her ghost stories about thepalace.Hurry along with you girl! cried one of the cooks.Youre best to go in and out of the rooms as quickly as possible.Avoid the western corner as much as you canits the mosthaunted. She said with a grin.The poor girl trembled at the words.It It isnt really haunted Is it? she whispered to one of the othercooks.

Oh yes my dear. Of course it is! the cook laughed.She began to tell them the story of the castles ghost.It was many years ago, when the castle was first built. The Kinghad made the palace as a gift for his new queen. He wanted it to bethe most beautiful palace ever made. He brought in all the bestcraftsman from across the lands. He was a good, kind King and wasloved by all the people. His brother was always jealous of himthough. He hid himself away in a dark forest in the corner of thekingdom and learnt dark wizardry.After a few years he came back to the palace and kidnapped the

Kings daughter. He threatened to kill her if the King didnt hand histhrone over to his brother.Unknown to the brother, the Queen had just had a little baby boy.The King had no choice but agree to his brothers demands, but hewas worried for the safety of his son so he sent his wife and babyaway. They travelled that night to a forest far away. The Kingabdicated as his brother wished, but the brother was spiteful andkilled the daughter anyway. The King died of grief and never saw hiswife or son again. The spirit of the King is often seen floating alongthe hallways crying out for his family.

The current King is a descendant of that wicked brother, which iswhy he is such a tyrant.

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Gavin and Rose listened for a while longer, but after the story theservants all returned to their usual tasks and the talk returned tonormal kitchen gossip.They decided that it was about time they faced the King. They stillhad no plan but comforted each other with the promise of the wood

nymph and the little stones she had given them

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Chapter 13

They walked into the Great Hall with their heads held high. A gaspof amazement was let out as people began to recognise who they

were. The King was speechless with shock and rage.Gavin cleared his throat and began, We are here, your Majesty, to ask that you call off your soldiersfrom hunting us down. The last time that we came here we madean agreement. I won the wager and so we should have beenallowed to go free. You have not kept your word though.The King laughed.Guards. Arrest them! he said.Wait! cried Rose. We have something to offer you, in return for ourfreedom.

There is nothing you could possibly offer me that I do not alreadyown. The King scoffed.I guarantee you, your Majesty, that nobody in the world has seenwhat I can show you boasted Gavin.The King was intrigued.But surely, if youre the one to show it to me, then you yourselfhave seen it already? asked the King.Gavin smiled. No your highness. You will be the first person ever tosee it.The King was on the brink of agreeing when he pulled himself

together and smiled.But surely, if I arrest you, I can still own whatever this thing maybe and have my wife as well?Gavin shook his head. You will only be able to see it if youguarantee our freedom. If you take it by force you will see nothingout of the ordinary. I know that you may still think this an unfairexchange, so I propose another competition.What competition? asked the King.Bring in your best archer. I shall compete with him to win the gift Ihave brought. If he wins, I will show you this unseen item. If I win,

you must grant us our freedom.The King was happy. I have the best archers in the land. They havebeen trained for many years and can easily beat a young man likeyou. Bring in Michael.A man with a lined face from years of experience in bitter battleswalked through and bowed to the King.Gavin could hardly believe his luck. It was his old friend from hisfirst days in the RAF.Now called the King. How shall we arrange the competition?Gavin stepped forward.

We must each shoot an apple in the centre.That is no challenge exclaimed the King.

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It is when it is placed on somebodys head.Who do you propose? the King asked.I shall shoot the apple from the head of my wife and Michael shallshoot it from the head of your Majesty. If you do not trust hisarchery skills then you forfeit and give us our freedom.

That is absurd! the King cried.Not if you trust your archer smiled Gavin.But if you miss and kill her I have lost my wife. If you succeed I stilllose my wife! No. Instead you shall both shoot the apple from thehead of one of the maids.Fine Gavin agreed.They were both brought a bow and arrow and a young girl wasbrought in. The King ordered the servants to bring an apple butGavin stopped him.Dont worry your Highness, I have one here. And he produced a

shiny green apple that was perfectly shaped and shiny.He went over to the young girl and placed it on her head. Do not worry he whispered. Michael and I are both excellentshots.He then returned to the line they had marked along the floor.Michael went first. He looked rather nervous but took his positionand shot the arrow cleanly through the apples centre.Ah ha! cried the King. You did not mention the result if both of youshould succeed!In that case, it is simple. You may have the beautiful sight, and I

may have my wife.No, I think not said the King craftily. If you now succeed to hit theapple, you may have you life. Rose, however, is mine.Gavin gritted his teeth and agreed.He then took his position and shot the arrow clean through the holeMichael had made in the apple.You are a good archer commented the King. It is a shame that Icannot bear to let you live. Guards!But your Majesty said Michael, quietly. You have not yet seen thatthing which Gavin promised. If you kill him you will never be able

to.Fine. Bring it here Gavin and I will merely banish you.

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She went with my wife and son on that night of escape. I gave herthese stones that they would always remember who they were.Then, with a rush of sound through the window came a bright light.And there before them was the wood nymph. She was as beautifulas when they had last seen her but she quickly changed herself

back into her human form.She smiled at the ghost King and bowed before him.I never thought I would see you again. I presumed you were deadlike my son and wife said the ghost King. As a wood nymph I cannot die unless my tree is felled. Sheanswered.I was charged by ancient spirits to guard your family. A son of yourline was always to be seated on the throne. When your wickedbrother threatened the kingdom I helped your wife and child toescape and looked after them both in the forest. I then watched

from afar the generations following your son. Waiting for a timewhen a suitable heir could come forth to claim the throne.So then, is this boy?No. Rose. She is one of your heirs. she answered.I have watched her each time she came into the castle and admiredhow she fought for her freedom. This time she also impressed mewith her wisdom. It was she who thought of the apples.And I have seen her outside in the world and tested her generosityand kindness. She is every inch, a descendant of yours. Worthy torule the Kingdom.

Rose suddenly realised what they were saying.Wait! Me!? Rule the kingdom?Yes she replied gently. If you feel you are right for the part, thatis.She looked at Gavin. She could tell that he was immensely proud ofher and yet, he didnt look at all surprised.He smiled gently. You know that I always thought of you as aprincess.She tried to clear her head. So, if I accept. I will be Queen? WillGavin become King once we are married?

Yes. I have been watching him intently too and he is quite suitableas King. You will be an excellent pair to rule the Kingdom the woodnymph reassured her.I need to think about this. Rose said. Its a big decision after all.You can have all the time you need my dear.

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Chapter 15

Rose turned away. Gavin reached out towards her.'Do you want me to come with you' he asked.

'I think...I need to have some time along to think this through' shereplied.Gavin watched her as she walked out of the hall.'Well', said the nymph briskly, 'We still need to sort out this tyrant ofa King.'They turned towards him. He seemed to still be in shock from allthat had happened.He looked around at them all and it suddenly dawned on him whathad happened.'I don't care what you all say' he blustered, 'I'm still the King!'.

'No you're not' thundered the ghost King. 'My brother did a wickedthing all those years ago and now it is finally being put straight.Leave now and be thankful that we're sparing your life.'The King scoffed. 'How can you hurt me? You're a ghost!' helaughed.'He may be a ghost' replied Gavin. 'But I am flesh and blood andhave already given you a display of my archery skills. I think itwould be best if you left immediately.'The King gave a worried glance towards Gavin's bow and rushed outof the hall.

'Well done Gavin' said the nymph, beaming. 'I think you had best goand find Rose now. You need to be involved in the decision too. Itwill affect your future together after all.'So Gavin hurried out after the King.It took him a while to find Rose. He eventually passed the corridorthey had originally crawled into. He noticed that the tapestry wasslightly askew. He crept back down the passageway and found Rosetalking to the young lad in the cave.She was simply sitting and chatting to him.Gavin walked towards them and sat down beside her. In the dark he

could see that her eyes were glistening with unshed tears. She waslooking at the boy and Gavin thought he understood why.'I came down to see if you needed to talk about this decision' hesaid gently. 'But I think you already know what to do.''I know what I want to do' she replied. 'But I don't know if it's theright decision.''Follow your heart and I'm sure they'll understand.'She nodded and smiled. 'We'd better go back up and tell them'.So they crawled back up the passageway and went back into thegreat Hall. Everybody turned to face them.

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They walked towards the nymph hand-in-hand. She looked at theset look on their faces and seem to gaze deep into their eyes. Andthen she smiled.'I think I know what you're about to say' she told them. 'I suspectedthis would be your decision. I suppose I should let you tell us

though before I jump to conclusions.'Rose took a deep breath and glanced at Gavin for encouragement.'I don't want to be the Queen' she told them. A slight ripple of shockran around the room.'It's a huge honour' she said quickly, 'and I'm aware of howungrateful it must seem to say no. It's just that, I've always had ahuge love for children and really enjoy teaching. While I lived in thejungle I saw the huge need they had and felt I was really making adifference to their lives. I don't think I'm the right person to rule thecountry. I think my calling is to work more with individuals'.

'And what do you think?' the nymph asked Gavin.'I had the privilege of seeing Rose as she worked out in the jungleand have seen how much she cares for the children andunderprivileged in those areas. I can't think of anybody bettersuited to run the kingdom than her, but if she has set her heart onteaching then I will fully support her.''So who will run the kingdom?' asked the ghost King.The nymph smiled. 'Well, there are many other heirs of course. ButRose will have the best knowledge as they will be her relations.'They looked towards Rose again.

'I...I have no idea...I mean...How do you know who'd be good atsomething like this?''I think I know' replied Gavin.

A few weeks later there were celebrations throughout the land. Itwas a joy for double celebration. Gavin and Rose had had aspectacular wedding in the main city. Everybody was invited and allof their families came to see them.

Before the wedding though was the even more important ceremony,

the crowning of the new King.When Gavin had suggested him the nymph had agreed straightaway. They had invited him to the palace and explained thesituation. He had been as shocked as they had been at first butsoon agreed.After the wedding he came to say goodbye as they prepared tohead back to the jungle.

'You know how much I care about you both. If you ever needanything at all you must simply ask. You gave me this position of

honour and I will always remember that. But more importantly,you're family and I love you both dearly. You will have to come back

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regularly to visit and tell me all about the work that you're doing.Once I've set the Kingdom in order I want to reach out toneighbouring kingdoms to bridge the gaps that have formed due tothe wickedness of past Kings.'

They all embraced each other tightly.'We really must be going now' said Rose. 'We've planned to travelback to the places that we saw when travelling years ago, beforereturning to the jungle tribes.''We'll be back soon though, don't worry Peter' added Gavin.

And they headed off into the distance towards their bright future.They still didn't know what it might hold in store for them. But theywere certain that it would not be empty of adventure.

The end

the really amazing fairytale

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