Princess without a Palace: A King Thrushbeard Fairy Tale by Kristen Niedfeldt Page A

forest. Liesel was grateful for the
soothing rhythms of the water to help calm her fears. Now that she knew she had
long ago exited her own kingdom, she no longer just mourned every step taken,
but she also dreaded every step forward as it brought her closer to her final
destination: her new life as a peasant.
    Finally at sunset, they emerged from the
trees to enter a great expanse of farmland that stretched as far as their eyes
could see. At the center of everything, towering over the land in solemn
majesty, stood a magnificent white castle surrounded by a sprawling city.
    Remorse pricked her heart as her eyes
soaked in the view. This could have all been mine, her traitorous
thoughts whispered inside. Never had she felt like such a fool.
    Standing in the shadows of such
splendor, she was humbled by the sight and her face couldn’t hide it.
    When she turned to her companion to ask
why he had halted the wagon, she hated the look of triumph she saw on the
minstrel’s face.
    “Welcome to King Thrushbeard’s land,” he
announced simply.
    His obvious pride caused her own to
flare. If only he knew that the mighty Thrushbeard prince had once been her
suitor! Then he would not act as if she were so inferior to his beloved
Brenhausen.
    But if she disclosed such a thing, she
realized she would have to also admit that she had brashly refused to even
consider the prince. And then she would appear very foolish indeed.
     

     
    The sky had been dark for quite some time
when the minstrel pulled his horse to a final halt.
    “This is it,” he announced, waving to an
obscure structure before them.
    “This?” she questioned. She didn’t quite
believe it. It was just so … so small. The tiny hut looked like it could
contain no more than two rooms.
    “Surely this is a jest.”
    “I’m a minstrel, not a jester,” the
minstrel countered. “Come in. There are lights inside. My sister must be waiting
up for us.”
    “You told her about me already?”
    “I thought it would be prudent to warn
her. Your father agreed to send a messenger ahead.”
    He helped her from the cart and then
walked her to the door. Liesel had to duck to be able to enter through its
small frame.
    Once through, she found herself
immediately before a tall young woman who appeared to be about her same age.
The young woman had a similar thin build, but her features were darker and more
striking than Liesel’s. Her black hair was draped over her shoulder in a long
braid, and her deep, brown eyes wasted no time before they swept over Liesel,
looking her over from head to toe.
    Liesel instinctively straightened her
spine to try to stand a little taller against the young woman’s measuring gaze.
    “Maria!” the minstrel exclaimed warmly
as he entered the hut. He dropped his satchel to the ground to greet his sister
with a hug.
    As soon as he released her, the sister
looked back to assess Liesel once more.
    “I didn’t believe your letter.”
    The minstrel waved a hand toward Liesel.
“Now you can see that it is true. Maria, allow me to introduce you to Princess
Liesel.”
    “Welcome, Liesel ,” Maria greeted,
pointedly omitting the title.
    “Maria,” her brother warned.
    Maria was quick to defend herself. “She
is no princess of mine. I’m not going to bow down to her when I’m the one who
is sharing my home.”
    The minstrel didn’t answer his sister,
but instead turned back to Liesel. “I suppose it wouldn’t be right to keep the
title in your new position here. It would probably turn you into the village
spectacle. I’m afraid it’s probably best to be just Liesel from now on.”
    Liesel wanted to protest, but refrained. If only it weren’t true , Liesel mourned silently. She felt surprised by
how vulnerable she suddenly felt without the title.
    “What is the plan from here?” Liesel
asked in an attempt to turn the attention away from her reduced state.
    “I’ve been wondering that as well,”
Maria mused.
    “I’m going to take a break from