Written by Kelsey Smith
Illustrated by Rocky Higine
"Then, a knight strode through the festival, parting the crowd like a tall field of grass. Adorned in silver armor that scaled her skin like a dragon, she approached Arabella and everyone became silent."
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Somewhere between the realms of sanity and imagination, lived the court of Queen Arabella. Queen Arabella was a kind and merciful ruler, and only executed people in the dungeon every so often when it suited her. To celebrate the wondrous Queen’s birthday, the village put on a great festival. All for the love and fear of their monarch.
And when the night of the festival came, each and every one of the town’s people put on a great show for the Queen. They brought her the greatest of pastries, the funniest of tales, and the fanciest of gifts.
Then, a knight strode through the festival, parting the crowd like a tall field of grass. Adorned in silver armor that scaled her skin like a dragon, she approached Arabella and everyone became silent.
Queen Arabella fixed her crown and gripped the side of her throne. “Who dares to interrupt my birthday?” She motioned for the guards. Ten guards, in shining armor, marched from the audience and stood behind the Queen, holding their swords high. “Guards, put her in the dungeon. I do not like people who interrupt my fun.” Then, she leaned over to the guard closest to her and added, “Execute her in the morning.”
The guards charged at the knight. The knight drew her sword and struck down each guard one by one as if it were nothing. The knight lifted the visor of her helmet, and said, “I am Samantha of Elmendorf. I have come for the Crown of Power.”
Arabella put on a sweet face, a sharp smile, and said, “You must be confused, young knight. I do not know of what you are talking about.”
“Yes, you do.” Samantha pointed to the crown sitting upon Arabella’s head. “Then, why is everyone afraid of your wrath?”
Arabella glared at the town’s people. They all beamed back bright smiles as if they were the audience of a gripping play. “Because they do well to fear me.”
“You?” Samantha pointed her sword at Arabella and laughed. “I am more afraid of a cactus than you.”
Some of the villagers laughed, but that was put to rest when Arabella signaled some of the remaining guards to pull them from the audience.
Arabella sat on her throne. “You are only alive as I will it, yet you challenge my authority?”
Samantha took a piece of cake from a banquet table and nibbled on it. “I believe you know the answer to that.”
“I know better than to fall into your trap,” Arabella grumbled.
Samantha took another bite, smacking this time. “Are you afraid, Queen Arabella?”
Arabella bit her tongue. She sighed and concentrated on the knight. She rose from her throne and walked over to the knight. She grabbed a sword from a fallen guard and twirled it around like a baton. “No, I have never been afraid.” She cleaned the sword with a napkin. “But if you would like, I will joust you and put you out of your misery.”
Samantha bowed. “I would be honored to accept.”
“You would,” said Arabella.
The joust began immediately. The town’s people gathered in the stands and cheered with their Queen Arabella-signature royal flags and turkey legs. Flashes of light flickered from the stand as the Queen mounted her horse, and took a lance from her squire.
Arabella rode to the starting line, all in armor. She positioned the Crown of Power on her head. “I am Queen Arabella! Knight of Elmendorf, show yourself if you want a quick death!”
The crowd looked at the end of the field. Samantha mounted her horse and had many people behind her helping her prepare, people who were bound to be executed. Upon seeing them, Arabella clutched her lance and said nothing.
“Remember them, tyrant?” Samantha asked.
Arabella trotted to the starting line. “Of course, the soon to be executed. Knight, I’d give up now if I were you. As long as my crown is upon my head, I am invincible.”
Samantha put down the visor of her helmet and rode to the starting line. “For now. Take the crown. Take the kingdom.”
A trumpet sounded and they raced toward each other. Arabella gripped her lance tight in her hand and kept it steady. Arabella’s heart buzzed like a hornet within her chest as Samantha’s horse rushed closer and closer. She aimed her lance at the knight’s head. Suddenly, Samantha jumped on top of her horse’s back with her two feet and flicked the crown off Arabella’s head with her lance. The crown flung across the air, landing somewhere behind Arabella.
Arabella pulled the reins of her horse and took a tight turn as the Knight of Elmendorf headed straight towards the Crown of Power. She galloped with Samantha and rammed her horse into Samantha’s horse’s side. The knight held firm.
Samantha cried, “You have lost. You are not invincible.”
Samantha shoved Arabella off her horse, and Arabella landed on her back a few feet from the crown. Arabella gasped for air as a hollow pain kicked her spine. She launched her lance at the knight, but the knight grabbed the lance’s tip before it pierced her head. The knight tossed it behind her, far away from Arabella.
Arabella tilted her head on the ground to see the location of the crown ten feet from her reach. A sharp pain stabbed her in the spine again, and Arabella winced. Though as the knight rushed towards the crown, Arabella flipped over and crawled to reclaim her invincibility. Arabella reached out for her crown, her fingertips barely gracing its gem-encrusted sides, but not before Samantha had plucked it from the grass.
Arabella groaned. “But I am Queen Arabella…”
Samantha took her sword and divided the crown into separate pieces. She handed it to the people. “No, you are not Queen. You have lost your kingdom. No one tyrant shall rule over anyone.”
The crowd was hesitant at first, but a couple of people neared the pieces on the ground and whistled. The rest of them threw flowers, snapped pictures, and a couple of coins clanked off of Samantha’s helmet. Even a turkey leg found itself onto the field.
Samantha offered her hand out to Arabella. Arabella’s hand hovered over Samantha’s, and Arabella took it and held it up. They looked at each other and nodded, yelling, “Thank you for watching! The Renaissance Fair is now over!”
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