The day was fading in The Forest. Looking straight ahead, one could see the setting sun through the long trees. Toby and his son, Eli, were packing up the day's hunt, he wasn't one to brag, but his son had grown up nicely; at ten years, Eli could carry his weight in meat and not break a sweat. Dawn, his wife, said it was her cooking, and he could not argue with her, mostly because she was his wife but also because that woman could do wonders with meat. Sometimes he wondered if it was still the same meat he hunted.
“What story do you want to hear today?” Toby asked Eli as soon as their loads were on their backs. They had developed a tradition where he would tell Eli a story every day after a hunt. Initially, it had started to serve as a distraction from all the noises in The Forest, which scared Eli when he was younger, but over the years, it had grown on them. Occasionally, he would throw in a cautionary tale whenever there was the need for one, not that day.
It had been a while since Eli had heard the story about the Princess and the Prince. It had become his favorite of all his father’s tales. Pretending he hadn’t decided, Eli feigned deep thought for a second. “How about the tale of the Prince and Princess who fell in love? It has been a while.” Eli asked 'absentmindedly,' and Toby smiled. He had made up a lot of stories throughout their hunts. Some were genuinely terrible, and some okay, but this one was his favorite too.
Toby cleared his throat and began in his deep, clear voice. "Long, long ago,” Toby paused as always for dramatic effect, and Eli smiled. Sometimes he could swear that every time his father began telling a story, the birds and insects in the trees would go quiet to listen. Toby continued, “when there was still magic in the land, there existed two kingdoms; there was the magic kingdom and the non-magic kingdom." Eli had once asked why they didn't live together, and his father had explained rather passionately that man was a jealous and greedy creature trying to manipulate the magic folk since the beginning of time. After trying and failing rather miserably to acquire the magic for themselves, they had decided to banish them.
At the edge of the kingdom had been a forest no one dared go deep, for it was believed to harbor the vilest of creatures. The King banished them to the forest and everything that lay beyond it. In his mind, he was sentencing them to death. Little did he know they would thrive on the other side of The Forest and build their kingdom.
"In the two kingdoms, there were born heirs at the same time; a Prince, Christopher, for the non-magic folk and a Princess, Olive, for the witches and wizards. These two heirs were to be taught the ways of their people from a very young age, so they were given free rein over their kingdoms, and for them, that meant they could go into any place they liked. Born with an intense curiosity, they wanted to know what lay in The Forest and beyond. Each day they would go inside The Forest and roam for a bit, and the following day they would return and roam further. After some time, the two were bound to cross paths, and they did.
“They were still children at the time, and they talked about their love for The Forest and all its misconceptions. They had been roaming there for a while, yet not a single animal had attacked them. Of course, they knew to avoid the darker parts of The Forest. That day after their meeting, they stayed in The Forest until dark, not wanting to leave. They feared they might not see each other again, but they did. Every day for the next several years, they would meet at the boundary and embark on a new adventure together. One day it was hunting; another day, it would be watching birds or climbing trees and eating the highest berries, but most of the time, they would walk around enjoying each other’s company.
“Years went by, and the two matured. One day Olive was about to leave for her meet-up with Chris, as it had become custom, when her parents stopped her. ‘You are a woman now. Women have responsibilities to their families and more so, in your case, to the kingdom,’ they said and started preparing her to wed. Just like that, her life with Chris had ended, or so she thought. That day was the darkest she had experienced yet. She cried her eyes dry and locked herself in her room, not wanting to eat, drink, or talk to anyone.
"Like every other day, Chris went to their spot and waited for a few minutes. He could sense a sadness in the birdcalls, the way the trees swayed, even the sun wasn’t hitting their spot the way it usually did. He felt a fear grasp his heart and squeeze it so hard it almost stopped beating.
Eli sprinted to the magic kingdom, and there he asked around. He heard that the queen was looking for a suitor for her daughter, and he realized what he needed to do. He returned home and asked for his parent's permission, but the mere mention of the magic folk was enough to make them furious. It was then that he realized how much hatred they harbored against magic folk, especially the King. He tried to explain that they were people just like them, but they did not want to hear it. After pleading with his parents incessantly for a while, they had him confined to his room.
"Three days had passed when he was allowed to leave his room. He ditched his new guards the soonest he could and raced through the forest to the magic kingdom. After eavesdropping here and there, he discovered that the Princess had found a suitor and was getting married that night. At that point, he looked around and noticed that the town was extra excited, with everyone everywhere trying to get somewhere or something. His heart sunk in his chest, and he felt tears in his eyes for the first time since he could remember. Olive was the truest friend he had in his life, and if she got married, there was a real possibility they might never see each other again. That realization gave him a determination to see her even for one last time to say a proper goodbye.
“Getting inside the castle that day was easier than any other day. The guards had all been allowed to take a break, so Chris walked right through the front door. The trick, as always, was appearing as if he belonged. Eli picked up a gift at the door and carried it upstairs purposefully, and luckily for him, they had been there so many times he knew it almost better than his own house. Nodding at everyone he met in the hallways with a smile, he arrived at the Princess’s chambers.
"He pushed the door, and it bulged without effort; it was unlocked. He entered, and there was no one else apart from Olive. She was facing away from the door. The dress she had on was of the purest white he had seen; it flowed to just above her ankles. Her feet donned white strapped slippers with gems on the straps, and her tiny beautiful feet with nail polish looked Princess probably for the first time. Her hair, shiny and straightened, was tied in a bun. Chris looked at her, and it was like he was seeing her for the first time. Growing up with her had blinded him to the beautiful woman she had come to be, and looking at her then, she was the most beautiful person he had set his eyes on. He locked the door behind him, walked up to her, and wrapped his arms around her waist.
“Olive felt his hands on her waist, and all of a sudden, she felt safe, warm, and loved. Her heartbeat, which had begun to fade, returned with vigor. She pulled his hands even tighter around her body and let his scent comfort her. Typically she criticized the eucalyptus-scented soaps he used, but that day it was the most beautiful scent.
"Chris felt at home. If everything else in his life was taken away and only Olive was left, he knew he would be fine. He wanted to stay like that forever but knew it was only a matter of time before the bride was needed; it was her wedding, after all. He pulled his arms away with a lot of resistance and turned her to face him. Looking into her face there, he realized what he felt for her was love. 'Marry me.' Chris wasn't sure what he had wanted to say when he opened his mouth, but that was what he said. He watched as the sadness on Olive's face transformed into a smile most beautiful; he couldn't help but smile too. Olive embraced him and said, ‘Yes.’ It was like all the growing they had done over the past years vanished because they squealed and jumped around the room like they were kids once more.
“Chris and Olive ran away from her parents’ house and sought refuge among the citizens. There, they announced to both of their parents their decision. They would have been furious if the two married someone that they had not approved but to make it worse, they were from the other kingdom. The debate between the two families went on for ten short minutes, and it was decided that the two couldn't be married.
Within that short time, the bravery of the Prince and the Princess spread everywhere. Even after being refused permission by parents from both sides, they still decided to proceed with the marriage, and people from all kingdoms went to celebrate with them. This called for another meeting on both sides; what to do with the rebels. Both kingdoms decided on banishment, and the magic kingdom placed an unknown curse on them.
“Chris, Olive, and their supporters retreated to The Forest to start a community, and they couldn’t have been happier. The people started building, and soon they transformed a section of that forest into a village of their own. Olive and her friends worked tirelessly, and soon they discovered the curse that had been placed on Chris and her, and they undid it. After several years, the small village turned into a small kingdom where all people, magical and non-magical, were welcome." Toby finished the story just as they came up to their house. As always, Eli was overcome with happiness.