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 are
merely 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 young
peasant boy called Gavin. He worked in the stables for his father
and did lots of odd jobs for the big house that the stables belonged
to. Whenever any wood was needed for the fire it would be his job
to walk to the forest 5 miles away and cut some wood. He enjoyed
these trips as it was a chance to daydream without being
reprimanded by his father. Many of the local peasants were afraid
of the forests but Gavin was used to them and never found them
anything 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 to
the locals and treated all his staff well. He had a beautiful wife and
even more stunning daughter. Her name was Ruth.
All the locals adored Ruth as she would go into the village and play
with the children, help the women folk and listen to the tales of the
old men. Gavin had never spoken to Ruth as he was too shy. He
often saw her in the gardens feeding the birds and tending the
flowers.
One day his father came running to get him and told him he was
wanted in the big house. Sir Ellingham had called for him.
Gavin cleaned himself up quickly and ran to the house. When he
arrived at the front door he saw Ruth's mother in tears. Sir
Ellingham 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 to
collect 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 it
with respect so I have had no reason to fear it.'
'Do you know of a cottage near the middle of the forest? It belongs
to an old hag, or at least, so the tales say.'
'I have indeed seen the cottage from a distance but it has always
been 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 her
mother went to call her in for dinner she had disappeared. We
asked 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 note
inside. The note said that Ruth would be safe but that we would not
see her again. When I saw the writing I recognised it at once. You
see, the hag in the forest is actually my sister. We grew up together
and were always very close. When she was just 18 she became
terribly ill and lost her beautiful looks. After that, no man wanted to
marry her and she shut herself away in the forest. I would often go
to visit her, but after a few years the isolation started to turn her
slightly mad. She began to think the forest could talk to her. She
became dangerous when I tried to explain the impossibility of such
a thing so I stopped visiting her. A few years later the reports of
her became scarcer and scarcer. Eventually I went back and the
cottage was abandoned. It has stood empty for 20 years now. I
never thought she would return. But it appears that she has now
come and taken my beautiful daughter. She always wanted
children, but since no man would look at her it became a wild
fantasy. I never thought she would be capable of doing such a thing
as this though. You are our only hope. Everybody else is too afraid
to 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 no
reward is needed. Who she marries should be her own choice. That
is the price of my help. That she may marry whomever she
chooses.'
'You are quite an unusual boy. Most young men would jump at the
chance to marry my beautiful daughter. It shows how kind you
really are and I hope even more that she chooses you.'
And so, Gavin went back to his and packed a few essentials before
heading 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 of
the hag's house safely. He suddenly realised that he hadn't asked
Sir Ellingham what his sister's name was. He could hardly call her
the hag to her face. He hoped it wouldn't come to a fight. Even if
she was mad he wouldn't want to fight an old woman.

Before he knew it he was at the borders of the forest. Somehow he

was more reluctant than usual to enter. He tried to remember how
he usually felt when entering the woods. Normally it was a refuge
for him from his father's anger.
His dad had been verging on angry all his life. He had never known
his mum and he assumed that the reason for his father's anger had
something to do with her death. His father had never told him much
about his mother except that she was an extraordinary woman.
Gavin has looked for pictures of her or even a scrap of paper with
her handwriting on it, but there was nothing in the house.
He took a deep breath and started into the forest towards the
cottage. It wasn't long before the soft light filtering through the
trees calmed him as it always did. The song of birds and rustle of
leaves were familiar sounds to him and he was soon quite relaxed.
He had almost forgotten why he was even there when he saw the
cottage. It was in the clearing ahead of him and again there was
smoke coming out the chimney. It also seemed to look more cared
for 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 and
remembered what Sir Ellingham had said about the disease that
had taken away her beauty. Gavin couldn't understand why but
there was an air of familiarity about her. Like a face you recognised
but just couldn't place. She in turn stifled a small gasp when she
saw 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 Ruth
is ok.'
'How did you know she was here?' the woman asked.
'He simply said that he guessed this was where she was. He didn't
give me any explanation.' He didn't think it would be good to let her
know the story of her past.

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'Well she's here all right and she's completely fine. I told him I
would take care of her. I suppose you'll want to see her for yourself
though so come on in.'
As Gavin stepped across the threshold he noticed how nicely the
room 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 in
the corner was Ruth by the stove.
As he walked in she turned around.
'Hi Gavin. What brings you here?' she asked
A bit stunned Gavin stuttered out, 'How do you know my name?'
'I always saw you helping your dad out at the stables and all the
women in the town speak kindly of you.'
'Oh. Well, um. I'm here because your dad asked me to, um, check
that 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? Of
course, 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 heading
back through the forest. He suddenly realised that the soup Ruth
was cooking looked really rather good and he hadn't eaten since
breakfast. He accepted her invitation and pulled up a chair at the
table.
Over the meal Sarah asked him a great deal about the work he and
his father did. Ruth it seemed had already told her quite a lot about
him but she was still intensely curious.
After dinner Ruth offered to do the washing up but Sarah told her to
take Gavin for a walk through the woods and leave the cleaning to
her.
Once they'd left the cottage Gavin began to tell her why he'd really
come. Immediately Ruth started to protest.
'But Gavin. She's been awfully kind to me. I'm not a prisoner. I'm
more 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 to
leave? He decided that he would have to go back to the town and
speak to her father again and see what his advice was. He could
always come back tomorrow since she was safe enough for now.

When they returned to the cottage it had started to get dark and
Sarah invited him to stay the night. He began to protest but was
overruled by both the women. It seemed that for all that Ruth was
happy she had enjoyed his company and didn't want him to leave.
So he agreed. Sarah brought out some blankets and pillows to
make the chair more comfortable for him.

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That evening they all sat by the fire and Gavin got up the courage
to ask Sarah her story.
She sat in silence for a good while and he wondered whether she
had 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 very
familiar and yet the reason was just out of reach.
She looked deep into his eyes and could see he still hadn't figured it
out.

She sighed. I never thought things would come together like this. I
didn't think I'd ever get to see you again and I promised your father
I wouldn't try to find you. Funny that you actually came to find me
instead.
Suddenly, Gavin knew. That face, that voice. It came floating back
to him from his infancy. He had been lying in straw in the stable and
a woman was crying. Her face above him blurred by the tears. Then
he 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'll
be 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 are
beautiful.'
'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 smiling
at him.
'So. You do remember.'
Without even thinking he ran to her and wrapped his arms around
her. 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. She
looked 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 that
you disappeared. He didn't know where you went and he only told
me 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 were
very close. No siblings were closer than us. We always got into
trouble together and looked after each other. He was so protective
of his little sister.
But one year, something dreadful happened. We'd been exploring in
the woods when I'd fallen into a bush and the berries had burst on
my face. We never knew what they were but it hurt terribly and by
the time we got back to the village and managed to wash the juice
off it had burned half my face. It didn't hurt once the juice was
washed off so I was quite unconcerned.
Bertie reacted terribly though. He couldn't bear to look at me! I'd
never noticed until then, but Bertie was obsessed with beauty.
It was his idea that I live in the forest. I thought he was protecting
me from other people's reactions but I soon realised he was
ashamed of me. Not many of the villagers knew what happened but
your father Gavin would bring me food and talk to me.
We became very close. After a while Bertie realised the bond there
was between us and was disgusted by the idea that someone as
repulsive as me could be loved by a man. He decided to send me
away. 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 to
give me messages and supplies. It was after Gavin had been born
that I got the message that I had to leave. I didn't tell your father
because I knew he'd storm up to the house and if he did that Bertie
would make his life misery. He couldn't have born the idea of me
having 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 have
believed it of him either but believe me. The idea of ugliness
repulses 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 big
houses. Nobody minds having ugly maids.
I worked hard at that job and tried to put my old life out of my
mind. I saved up my wages and took extra jobs wherever I could. I
spent 15 years working hard for them and then they rewarded me
by giving me my freedom. I decided to head back here and live
quietly in the forest. I had been living here for a few days when I
decided to go and see the house.
As I passed by the garden, I saw you Ruth. I started talking to her
and asking about her family. I told her I was visiting and had heard
much of the beauty of her and how lucky her father was to have
such a daughter.'
'There was something about you that inspired confidence.' Ruth
interrupted. '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 keeps
her trapped in her room. I spend as much time as I can with her but
mostly she wants to know about the outside world so I go out and
report 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't
changed. I then told her who I was and what had happened. It
broke my heart to see to see what a beautiful daughter my awful
brother had had. He didn't deserve you. I decided that you would
be 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 you
away to travel with me until you found somebody that you wanted
to spend your life with.
I realise now that he won't let me do that. He'll come and take you
by 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 has
turned 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 have
reached 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 my
sister though. Then perhaps we could both run away with you
Sarah?' 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 with
us. 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 in
this 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?' Gavin
wondered.
'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 your
clothes a bit first. Then you can tell him that I've turned Ruth just
as crazy as I am and that I rubbed those same berries onto her face
so that she is now as hideous as me. Then pass on the message
that I want him to release her sister to us as we may as well all be
ugly together and out of his way. I think he'll agree to that. He
probably 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 sprinted
down the road so that he would be completely out of breath when
he reached the house. The journey seemed longer than when he'd
arrived the day before.............

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Chapter 4
Gavin ran to the house as fast as he could. He arrived at the front
door 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. It
was urgent.
A few moments later Sir Ellingham arrived and brought him inside.
Gavin then told him the story they had prepared. Sir Ellingham
seemed crushed at having lost his daughter. After a few minutes
silence he told Gavin to wait. He left the room and returned a while
later with a young girl Gavin had never seen before.
'This is Fiona, Ruth's sister.' he said to Gavin. 'Fiona, you're going to
go with this young man into the forest to meet your sister. You'll be
safe with him I promise.'
Fiona looked at Gavin. She seemed to be drinking him in. Gavin
suddenly 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 of
her sister and took it from her.

Once they had left the village Fiona began to speak to him. It
seemed 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 his
voice had gone hoarse answering her questions but he was very
happy. She may be plain but she very friendly and good company.
Inside the cottage everybody exchanged tearful greetings. Sarah
invited 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 and
Gavin about her childhood of imprisonment.

The next day Gavin took Fiona for a walk through the woods to
familiarise her with the outdoors and her surroundings. They talked
for hours and he was surprised to realise that nearly a whole day
had gone by. They hurried back to the cottage to find Ruth worried
about them both. They re-assured her that they were fine and she
gave them a strange look before turning back to the dinner. That
night Sarah told Gavin he would have to go home the next day. Not
because she wanted him to leave, she re-assured him, but because
his father might be worrying. She was going to go with him and tell
him what was going on. Gavin could tell that she was both nervous
and excited about this re-union.

The next day they headed into town leaving Ruth and Fiona to relax
together 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, forgetting
the 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 up
together.'
At that, a slightly sad look passed across Fiona's face. 'Don't give
me 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 look
at him I just imagine a happy future with a family and home. I
know it's impossible but all I have is my dreams.'
Ruth became fierce. 'No Fiona. Father's wrong. You are just as
beautiful 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 knocked
on the door and his dad answered. He saw Gavin first and rushed to
embrace 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 the
neighbours staring now, do we?'
They went inside and sat down. She then recounted to his father all
that had happened to her after she had left and the current
situation.
'Of course I'll help you all!' he cried. By this point they were holding
hands and gazing at one another lovingly.
Gavin felt slightly awkward at intruding upon this scene but was
also glad to see his father so happy.
They made plans for when Gavin and his father would visit the girls
in the woods and ways that they could communicate. Then Sarah
left to help the girls with dinner.

Over the next few weeks both Gavin and his father worked very
hard to earn as much money as they could. They did odd jobs for a
lot of their neighbours and scrimped and saved as much as they
could. Every few days Gavin would go to the forest to visit the girls
and would take them for long walks in the forest. He always looked
forward to these visits, especially if Ruth didn't feel like going out
and he could spend the time with Fiona.
Sarah would also visit Gavin's father as much as she could and they
caught up on all that they had missed.
Eventually, they had saved up plenty of money and Gavin and his
father began extending the cottage. They added extra bedrooms

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and repaired some of the broken parts. Everything was going
splendidly............

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Chapter 5
So anyway, things were going well. The cottage had been expanded
and Gavin and his father had practically moved in there. They kept
their 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 trouble
began.

Gavin had been working in the stables when Sir Ellingham came by.
He looked angry and Gavin remembered hearing from the other
servants that his mood had gotten worse and worse over the past
few weeks. He strode up to Gavin and began to speak.
'Gavin. I have a message for those witches in the woods. I want you
to 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 daughters
of 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. They
went to the woods together straight away.
When they reached the cottage they told the women what had
happened.
'Well.' said Sarah. ‘We’ll just have to do as he says. I guessed that it
might 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. After
all, she'd only ever lived in her bedroom and the cottage. She'd
seen very little of the outside world.
'Don't worry Fiona. Me and dad will come with you all to keep you
safe.'
'You will?' she asked, surprised.
'Of course we will. You're our family and we've nothing to keep us
here.' 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 thought
of that.
After dinner they began to make plans for their departure. They
packed up as much food and clothes as they could carry. And then
they all went to sleep.
'We'll need to have an early start tomorrow so we can get away
without 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 stopped
for 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. They
had 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 on
their way.
After a while they entered into another forest. They all felt quite at
home 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 man
appeared from behind a nearby tree.
He was about the same age as Gavin, Ruth and Fiona and had
rugged good looks.
The first person he looked at was Ruth and he seemed momentarily
stunned. He pulled himself together and addressed Gavin's father.
'Good sir. If you will hand over your money you may carry on your
way.'
Gavin's father simply laughed. 'Do you really think we'd be
travelling 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 what
little money we do have.'
The young man smiled. 'You are a smart man and your answers
have at least intrigued me. Why are you travelling through these
forests?'
'Ah.' said Sarah. 'That tale is long indeed. To hear it we must at
least be allowed to sit and rest, and perhaps share a bite to eat with
you 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 same
smile about you. Living in a forest alone is far worse than anywhere
else and it is extremely hard to stay cheerful.'
'That is very true. Well, you have all interested me enough that I
think 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. They
wondered why he was so trusting in showing them the way but soon
realised that they would never manage to find the way by
themselves. Eventually they saw signs of a camp. There were

- 16 -
makeshift houses in the trees and disguised behind bushes. It was a
small 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 a
healthy, 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 man
twice her age.' he said with pride.
The girls immediately became close friends. Peter suggested that
they leave the girls alone and he would introduce Gavin to the other
young men.
They went round behind the houses to a shelter in which were 3
guys.
'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 was
medium height, and had a strong build and short brown hair. Joe
was the smallest and was quite slight with short blonde hair.
He spent the next few hours with them and really enjoyed spending
time with men his age. He'd never really had any male friends and
it was a pleasant change from all the girly chat with the women.
Then they headed back to Peter's house and had dinner with
everybody else. After dinner they all gathered round the fire and
they recounted the story of how they had ended up in the forest.
Everybody was impressed by what they had been through and they
were immediately invited to stay for a few days. They were spread
out amongst the different houses so the twins stayed with Mark's
family. Sarah and Gavin's father stayed with Joe's family and Gavin
stayed at Peter's.
The next day they all helped out with chores and then relaxed with
the young people. Gavin noticed that Rose had become one of the
lads 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 and
was overwhelmed by their attention. She seemed to be getting on
particularly well with Joe as he was quite quiet like her usually, and
yet Gavin often overheard them deep in discussion.
Ruth got on with all the guys but he often saw her exchanging little
looks with Mark. He thought it was more than likely that the girls
would want to settle here. He wondered whether he should feel
jealous. After all, he'd been their close companion for so long it was
almost his right. But he knew that they'd already become like
brothers and sisters.

- 17 -
He in turn really enjoyed spending time with Rose but he knew that
Peter was keeping a careful eye on them. He was obviously quite
protective of his little sister.
For the next few days they all just enjoyed building up these
friendships 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 that
they couldn't trespass on their hosts' time anymore.

Sarah then made a suggestion. She had been wondering whether

the young folk would all be interested in travelling together for a bit.
She and Gavin’s father would stay at the camp and help out.
She'd noticed the budding relationships between the girls and boys
and 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 to
figure out.
Everybody thought it was a great plan and they started preparing
everything they needed. There was a bit of a debate about whether
Rose could go or not but eventually she persuaded them that she
was just as able to cope as any of the boys were.
And so....they headed off........

- 18 -
Chapter 6
As they walked through the forest they all played games and chased
each other between the trees. Ruth and Fiona were acting more
girly 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 for
walking 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 would
be deep in discussion when Peter would barge between them. It
was quite obvious that he was trying to keep them apart.

They'd stopped for lunch in the forest so they hadn't noticed how
late the day was getting. As it started to get dark again they
stopped on the outskirts of a village. They decided it'd be rude to
turn up now and ask for rooms so they made make-shift tents to
sleep in. The three girls shared one and the boys split between two
others.
As they were sitting around the campfire Peter came and spoke to
Gavin.
'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 and
would 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 your
intentions 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 against
you 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 they
hadn't noticed was that Rose had left the camp shortly before them
to get some water. She had been standing nearby, concealed by a
tree, as they had the conversation. She waited before she headed

- 19 -
back. She didn't want them to guess she'd heard and she definitely
didn't want them to see how upset she was.
She hadn't been sure until then how she felt about Gavin but
realised now that she'd already been having thoughts in the very
back of her mind where they were more than 'just friends'. The
only difficult thing now was deciding what to do. She felt like not
speaking to him, but he hadn't done anything wrong and she still
wanted to at least be friends. Then again, if she spent more time
around him he might start to feel what she was feeling....hm. She
thought 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 they
used the make-shift tents again.
After his discussion with Peter, Gavin couldn't help noticing Rose
even more. Sometimes he would catch her eye across the fire or
watch her as she was talking to someone else and be struck by just
how beautiful she was.
She didn't have the same exquisite beauty that Ruth did. She was
less delicate. And yet, she was very beautiful in her own way. She
was also easier to talk to as she was used to boys and the way that
they think. She wasn't as squeamish as the other girls and would
happily tackle him to the ground. Whenever they made physical
contact 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. He
was beginning to suspect that he no longer felt of Rose as just a
friend. And yet there was never any hint that she thought of him as
anything more than a friend.

By the time they headed back to the main campsite it was very
obvious that Mark and Ruth, and Fiona and Joe were utterly in love.
The evening they got back there was a bit gathering where they
told 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 pulled
them into a warm embrace. That night was a huge celebration for
everybody.
During the evening Gavin quite often noticed Rose standing by
herself to one side. There was something about the way she was
standing that made him wonder whether she was wishing it had
been her engagement notice. He often went over to talk to her but
she 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

- 20 -
as the women folk made dresses and table clothes and all sorts of
other things that are apparently crucial to a wedding.
During all this time Gavin barely saw Rose. After having spent so
much 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. He
couldn't quite figure out if she was avoiding him for some reason.
Rose was keeping herself as busy as she could. Wherever she went
people were talking about the weddings. She was happy for the
girls, and the boys. But she couldn't help wishing that it was her
instead. Seeing Gavin only increased this feeling so she tried to see
him as little as possible.

Before long the day of the big wedding was upon them. The
ceremony was beautiful and the day couldn't have been more
perfect. Part of the preparations had been to build houses for the
two 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 went
back to their usual chores.

It didn't take long for Gavin to get bored. He'd been brought up in
the centre of a village where there was always plenty to do and
plenty of people to spend time with and watch. He loved the people
in 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 again
for a while.
Once Rose heard that he was leaving she was both glad and
disappointed. She still felt very strongly for him but was sure that if
he was able to leave he couldn't really care about her at all.
They all bade him farewell and he headed off once
more..................

- 21 -
Chapter 7
Gavin had been walking for a few hours and was amazed by the
surrounding landscape. He'd barely noticed when he was exploring
with the other young people.
He'd decided to set out in a different direction to the one they had
taken previously. In the afternoon he arrived at a village.
Everybody seemed to be gathered in a big field at the edge of the
village. 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 the
target. Each point is marked with a coloured piece of cloth which
matches a piece of cloth on the arrow they are given. Those who hit
the mark swap colours and the targets are moved further away.
Those who hit their mark again become members of the Royal
Archery Force, RAF for short.'
'Can anybody try?' Gavin asked. He'd always been rather good at
archery 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 and
noticed that he was red. He looked at the target and saw that the
red mark was at the very edge of the board at the top right.
Everybody strung their bows and aimed. A few seconds later there
was 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 their
mark.
'Orange, Green and White.'
Gavin was amazed. He had actually hit his mark.
The General brought back the arrows and the archers that were
successful exchanged arrows. Gavin was now black. He looked at
the target, which had moved much farther away, and saw that he
was 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 Gavin
couldn't quite tell which his arrow was as the target was so far
away.
The General once more walked to the target and shouted out those
who'd failed.
'Pink, Yellow, Turquoise, Grey, Purple, Blue and Brown.'
It took a moment for Gavin to realise that Black had not been
called. 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

- 22 -
learn other kinds of fighting and survival skills. The training will take
2 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's
archers. 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 and
with a sword, how to load and shoot canons, how to bandage a
wounded soldier and carry him back. They also spent large parts of
their day running, jumping, climbing, crawling, swimming, boxing,
and doing anything else they could to be in the fittest possible
state. They had all become friends quite quickly and in between
training they would have great fun. Gavin had become particularly
good friends with an archer called Michael. (Mikey)
One day they were cleaning their uniforms when Michael glanced
out the window. He stared for a second and then nudged Gavin.
Gavin looked up too and saw a young nurse walk past. Neither of
them had seen her before and she stood out as all the other nurses
were 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's
the one that treats us?' asked Gavin, with a smile.
'If we want to see her we only have to wait. The cafe opens up
tonight. 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 huge
group of young men. Michael and Gavin sat at a table at the other
side 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 her
curious.' said Gavin, with a wink.
'Since when have you been such an expert with the ladies?' joked
Michael.
'I spent months living in a cottage with my mum and two female
cousins. 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 themselves
and invited her to join them. She sat down and they spent the rest
of the night talking animatedly whilst getting jealous looks from the
other young men. Gavin thought that Cara was attractive, though
not as stunningly beautiful as Ruth nor as pretty as Rose. She had
her own charms though and was very confident and flirtatious. He
left the cafe with his head filled with images of her. He couldn't
sleep that night for thinking of her.

- 23 -
Over the coming months they spent more and more time with Cara
and Gavin became increasingly infatuated with her.
Eventually, when they were alone one evening, Cara confronted
him.
'Look, Gavin. We've been spending time with each other constantly
for months. How long is going to take you to ask me out?'
Gavin was surprised. He'd been considering it for ages but hadn't
quite 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 moon
is bright and stars are shining. What else do you want?'
'All right. Cara, I've really enjoyed these last few months and I love
being around you. I was wondering whether you'd like to go to the
archers dance next week with me, as my girlfriend.'
'Of course I would! ‘she laughed. She took his arm in hers and
walked 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 worth
doing. Come on.' she said as she led him inside.

The next morning Gavin couldn't believe what'd happened. Cara had
left 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 later
though 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 cabin
each night and leave early each morning. Cara never let him get
much sleep but he wasn't complaining. His nights with Cara were
definitely worth a bit of tiredness the next day.
He started spending less time with Michael and the other guys. Cara
insisted 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 herself
up 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. One
night Gavin told Cara that he really needed to get some sleep and
she was furious. She flew into a rage and stormed out. Gavin wasn't
quite sure what had happened. The next day he tried to talk to her
but she was avoiding him. That night he went to the cafe as usual
and saw her draping herself over Iain, one of the others guys she'd
shown interest in. Gavin walked over to them and asked her what
was going on.

- 24 -
'Well. Some guys know how to appreciate a girl. I'm not going to
waste 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'd
wanted one night's sleep. He'd really cared about her but he
realised that she was only really looking for a man to keep her
satisfied in the nights.
He was looking forward to the end of the training.......................

- 25 -
Chapter 8
Gavin had been working hard throughout his RAF training. Finally
the day came when he had completed the training section and was
given 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 for
King and country. He received many awards for bravery in combat
and excelling in his archery. Whenever he had leave he would enter
archery competitions and carry out odd-jobs for locals to earn more
money. He carried out many exceptionally brave deeds.

Once he had been sent to help a group up in the mountains. When

he arrived there was nobody around. He soon found out that they
had been fighting against a dragon that had made its home in the
cave that they used as their base. He managed to slay the dragon
with a single arrow to a small unprotected patch of skin beneath its
neck.

A few years later he heard rumours from the villages that a giant
had been destroying people's homes and crops and eating their
cattle. He asked special permission to fight the giant and was again
successful. He became renowned for his bravery throughout the
lands.

After he had served his first 5 years in the RAF he decided to travel
into the neighbouring countries. He used the money he had saved
and headed off. He encountered creatures that he'd never even
heard of. He fought wars with dwarves. He negotiated peace
between the elves and faeries. He was invited to join the pixie army
(mainly because of his height) but he preferred roaming free. He
saved villages from lions and bears. He went hunting in the forest
with centaurs. He was sought after by mermaids and most other
single girls. Eventually it got to the stage where he couldn't enter a
village without being surrounded by adoring fans. He couldn't
believe it. He didn't really enjoy the attention so he decided to
travel 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. He
made numerous friends along the way and was popular with
everybody he met. He often wondered how his family were doing in
the little campsite in the forest. But he didn't dwell on it long as
there was always somebody else to be rescued or helped.

- 26 -
After another 3 years of travelling he found himself in the jungle
again. As he travelled through the tribal villages he heard rumours
of another person like him. He was curious to meet this person to
see if there was any news from his home kingdom.
Eventually he got to the village where he'd been told they were
staying. As he walked through he could hear laughter and song. He
followed the noise to the local school. There were about 60 children
and another 100 adults who had gathered from the nearby tribes.
All listening intently and laughing along with a woman at the front.
As Gavin neared he gasped as he realised that he recognised the
girl. She was tall and slim with curly brown hair. Her eyes were
bright and her face could barely contain her smile. All his memories
of walks through the forest campsite came flooding back to him as
he realised that it was Rose who stood before him. He joined the
crowd and listened to her. She was speaking in the native
languages, interpreting between the various dialects. Gavin had
picked up some basic knowledge of the language and so was able to
follow most of what she was saying. She was teaching them and
telling them stories. They sat there for hours, captured by her
voice. She taught them maths and english, history and art. In the
evening they all gathered around a big fire and would swap stories.
During the evening he approached her.
'I thought I had seen you in the crowd' she said. She welcomed him
with a big hug.
'It's been so long since I saw you last!' he said, his voice filled with
emotion. 'How did you end up out here?'
'Oh Gavin. Did you really think I could bear to stay in that little
campsite any more than you could? I left as soon as my parents felt
I was old enough. I travelled around and learnt about different
cultures. An old couple in one village took me in for a few months
which is where I learnt maths from the man and art from the
woman. I travelled throughout different countries but found that I
was happiest in the jungles. I've been in this land for a good
number of years now and have learnt their language and made
many friends. I heard lots of news of what you'd been doing too.'
They spent the rest of the evening exchanging tales of what they
had seen and done.
He was invited to stay at the house of the chief and the next day
Rose joined him for breakfast.
Afterwards she took him round the local area, teaching him about
the plants and animals.

The next few days were absolute bliss. He would listen as she
taught the locals and then they would spend hours alone having
deep discussions. Her beauty had only grown with age and he could
hardly believe she was the same little girl he had met so long ago.
He was relieved when he found that she, like him, had not found

- 27 -
anybody that she wanted to settle down with. They had both been
so busy travelling that they had spared little thought for a family.
They both stayed in the village for many weeks and gradually they
realised what they had denied to themselves before. They were
falling madly in love. They started to discuss their plans for the
future. Rose felt that she should probably go and visit the family
campsite and Gavin thought it was about time he saw them all
again too. They made their plans and left the jungle.

As they travelled back they met many people that they had helped
on their travels and they were received warmly wherever they went.
Eventually they reached the campsite.
Everybody was extremely pleased to see them. Gavin was surprised
to find that both Fiona and Ruth had had children. Peter had
married 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 family
stories of their adventures. After they had been there a few nights
they decided the time was right to announce their plans. They
gathered the family together to tell them.
'Everybody. We've got some news. We want to tell you all that we're
engaged. We want to get married in a few weeks time and then we
will head back out to the jungle where I will continue to teach the
local 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 to
stop you from leaving the campsite. You cannot marry Gavin. We
would like nothing better than to welcome him into our family but
you 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 the

big city. I was good friends with the Queen in fact. The King and
Queen desperately wanted a big family and eventually they had a
little boy. He was actually born the same day that you were. They
were so delighted and wanted to ensure that he would marry and
expand the family even more. They took the fact that you were
born 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 start
in life. As he grew though, he turned into a spoilt child. He had
everything 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 as
far away as possible. That is how we came to be here. We hoped

- 28 -
that he wouldn't find you. After you left though, he heard of your
many good deeds and traced your roots back to this forest. He sent
us a message saying that if you married anybody but him we would
pay 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 no
other way.'

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

- 29 -
Chapter 9
Gavin and Rose walked in silence as they headed towards the
castle. Gavin could tell that Rose was really nervous. After all, her
whole 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 door
that they needed to speak to the King urgently. He should tell the
King that it was Rose and a friend. The messenger rushed off and
returned shortly afterwards.
They followed him into a large hall. The sides were filled with the
rich and powerful and messengers were rushing back and forth. The
castle servants were also kept busy providing food and drink for all
the guests.
They went forward towards the King who was seated on a grand
throne 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 to
ignore 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 why
did you not dress more appropriately?' he asked.
They had decided that wearing the peasant clothes they were used
to may help persuade the King that he did not want Rose.
'Sire. I come before you begging you to help me. I know that when
we were born our parents made an agreement that one day we
would wed. I was only told of this recently. It is, of course, a great
honour for a lowly peasant girl such as myself.
However, before I was told I had been travelling and met Gavin
here. We fell in love and returned home to tell our parents of our
decision to get married. It was only then that I found that I had
already been promised to your Majesty. We have come to ask, to
plead, that you would let the agreement drop and allow me to
marry 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 a
peasant girl. But I understand that you came from a noble family
who gave up their riches to live a simple life. You do come from
good breeding though and that can be seen in your beauty. If you
dressed in the same fashion as the rest of us you would rival the
beauty of any courtier. It does not matter to me that you have fallen
in love with this man. You will soon forget him once you have lived
in 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.

- 30 -
'Sire.' said Gavin quickly, fearful of the angry look on the King's
face. 'Please hear me out. I love Rose dearly and could find no other
woman to make me happy. I beg you to reconsider!'
'I am the King and my word is law. Rose will belong to me and me
alone.'
'Begging your pardon, sire, but she belongs to no man. She is
master 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 their
equals. A wife is not a possession, she is a consort. She should be
chosen not for her beauty or usefulness. I love Rose above my own
life and yet if she did not want to be my wife I would never force
her.'
'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 shall
have a competition. If you win you may have Rose. If I win, I will
have 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 colours
and a stick each. The aim is the put all the balls of one colour into
the holes before your opponent does so with all his balls. I will give
you a demonstration, if you accept.'
'Since it is a new game to me and your Majesty has already have
practice, I propose that you demonstrate first and then we shall
play three games. Whoever wins the most games out of the 3 wins
the 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 the
stick to hit the balls and telling him the rules of the game.
The balls were made of two different kinds of stone. One was dark
and 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 first
game.
Gavin quickly got the hang of it.
The hall was totally silent and Rose was holding her breathe.

- 31 -
It wasn't long though before Gavin realised that the King had spent
many hours practicing his new game. Not long afterwards the King
succeeded 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 outcome

and managed to keep even with the King.
Suddenly the King potted his last ball, and somehow the green one
too. Gavin stood, in shock. He couldn't believe he had failed. Then
he noticed that the King was not rejoicing. Suddenly he
remembered one of the extra rules the King had explained which
meant 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 best
plan. For each ball Gavin pocketed, the King managed to pocket one
of his own.
Rose could barely bring herself to watch. She couldn't begin to
imagine 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 go
against 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. They
could go and live their lives happily ever after....

But the King would not let it rest there. He was furious at having
been so humiliated. He called over one of his advisors and
whispered something in his ear.
'Certainly my Lord.' he replied, and hurried off................

- 32 -
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 lives
spent 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 get
the feeling that they were being followed. There was a rustling in
the trees. They stopped and Gavin stood protectively in front of
Rose.
Suddenly, a group of the King's men jumped out from behind the
trees.
'Halt! The King has decreed that Rose will be his wife after all and
Gavin 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 to
size up the enemy.
'You are under arrest Gavin. Come quietly and the King may spare
your 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 already
strung 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 us
again unless he wants to lose more of his soldiers.'
The men stood still, undecided, for a few brief moments before
turning 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 we
cannot stay there long.'

When they reached the campsite everybody was thrilled to see

them and excited to hear about the confrontation with the King.
Rose and Gavin had decided not to tell them about the episode in
the forest. They did insist however that they could only stay a short
while in case the King did change his mind. They had already
agreed that they could have their marriage back in the jungles. Of
course their parents would be sad to miss the occasion but on the
whole, their safety was more important.

A few days later they said their goodbyes again and headed for the
jungles.

That afternoon, the King's men arrived at the campsite. They

interrogated everybody to try and find out where the couple had

- 33 -
headed. Nobody told them anything so they started to ask people in
nearby villages. Eventually they found out the direction Gavin and
Rose 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 of
the villages they had visited before. They were invited to stay for a
few days and accepted.
During this time the King's men were still following them and
managed to catch up.
In the middle of the night there was a great commotion. Their host
came and woke them up.
'You must leave quickly' they said. 'There are men here looking for
you.'
Gavin and Rose understood immediately and rushed away into the
night.

They couldn't decide what they should do next. Clearly wherever

they went they could be found. They had been discussing their
options for a while, when up ahead in a clearing Rose spotted a
crippled old woman. She hurried over to her and realised that the
woman was blind.
'Do you need any help?' Rose asked her.
'Thank you so much for offering. I've been lost for days.' the woman
replied. '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 of
you.'
'Well. Whatever we're going to do about the King it'll have to wait
until we help this lady.' said Rose decisively.
'But the villages on the southern side are a whole 3 day hike from
here' Gavin pointed out.
'She needs our help.' Rose said simply.
Gavin smiled. 'Of course you're right. I just hope that she doesn't
come 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, under
branches and around ponds. Finally they arrived at a village.
'Should we ask somebody nearby to find out which village this is
and 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 the
nature of your hearts. You are both good, kind and caring young
people. Not many would spend 3 days caring so completely for a
total stranger. Now you will have your reward.'

- 34 -
She removed her cape and suddenly they saw her true form. She
was a wood nymph. As tall as a tree and beautiful as the rarest
flower.
'Here is my gift to you.' she said as she handed them each a small
stone. '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 the
King?'
She smiled at him. 'I suggest that you go back to the palace. His
time as King has come to an end and somebody must rid him of his
crown. Once you reach the castle gates you will be given
opportunities to prove your worth and your heart as you have done
here. 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 palace
then.'
And so they started back the way they had come.............

- 35 -
Chapter 11
On their way back through the jungles, Gavin and Rose talked and
laughed. They tried to keep their minds off their return visit to the
King. 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 posters
with their faces on with notices of large rewards. The villages were
deserted with all the windows and doors closed. Gavin and Rose
could 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. It
meant there was less chance of them being noticed. They reached
the palace gates and stood in silence. They wondered what they
should do. They tried to remember what the nymph had said to
them.
Suddenly Gavin noticed a small child by the side of the road. It was
a small boy, dirty and rugged. He was sitting in filthy rags and had a
stick beside him on the ground. It was then that Gavin noticed the
child 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 last
of 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 child
realised that what Gavin had said was true.
The boy took the bread and his eyes filled with tears. As the tears
began 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 you
look tired.'
So Gavin and Rose followed the boy. They were surprised to find
that he led them round behind the palace and into a hidden
passageway. They went down below the palace grounds into a dark
cave.
The boy went in and sat on an old rug. Gavin and Rose looked
around.
'Is this below the castle?' Rose asked.
'Yes. There are lots of passageways. I often explore them. There are
some 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 was
obviously 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. His
eyes grew wide when he realised who they were. He had heard all

- 36 -
about their challenging the King and then their escape. He had seen
the King's men searching every house in the city to try and find
them.
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 searched
every corner of the land, and yet now here you are. Sitting right
underneath the palace!' and he kept laughing.

Later on they decided that they had best do some exploring. The
young boy found some wood for them and made them torches to
light their way. He showed them the best direction to head in and
wished them good luck.
They walked along the tunnels hand-in-hand. Every now and then
they could hear song and laughter above their heads.
Then they started up a steep incline. At the top they found a crack
high in the wall which looked into the main hall where they had met
the King previously.
He was sitting on his thrown in a terrible rage. He was throwing
things at his advisors, cursing them for not finding the couple.
They listened for a while but it did not seem to provide any useful
information.
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 they
were about to leave he asked them where they were going and
what they were going to do.
'We don't really know', said Gavin. 'We're going to go up to the
Palace and hope for the best.'
'Well, if you're going to go into the palace through the main
entrance you'll just be killed. If you really think confronting the King
is 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 past
where they had stopped. There, in the dark, they could just make
out a small hole.
'It leads to an old corridor parallel to the main hall. Once you're
there just follow the sounds of the King shouting.' said the boy,
cheerfully.
They thanked him again and set off through the passageway. It was
very small and they had to crawl on their hands and knees. Gavin

- 37 -
constantly hit his head on the rock above but they thought it best to
try and be as quiet as possible............

- 38 -
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 couldn’t hear anybody coming, then pushed the tapestry
aside and crawled out into the corridor. They decided that it would
be better not to face the King immediately. They needed some more
information about the castle. The passageway they had come
through continued on past this entrance so they decided to see how
far it went and whether they could eavesdrop on some of the people
that worked there. Everybody knows that the servants know all the
best secrets.
They crawled further along the passageway and soon found a small
hole which seemed to be a vent for the kitchens. They began to
listen as the cooks chattered away. They seemed to be giving a new
maid a hard time. They were telling her ghost stories about the
palace.
‘Hurry along with you girl!’ cried one of the cooks.
‘You’re best to go in and out of the rooms as quickly as possible.
Avoid the western corner as much as you can…it’s the most
haunted.’ She said with a grin.
The poor girl trembled at the words.
‘It… It isn’t really haunted… Is it?’ she whispered to one of the other
cooks.
‘Oh yes my dear. Of course it is!’ the cook laughed.
She began to tell them the story of the castle’s ghost.
‘It was many years ago, when the castle was first built. The King
had made the palace as a gift for his new queen. He wanted it to be
the most beautiful palace ever made. He brought in all the best
craftsman from across the lands. He was a good, kind King and was
loved by all the people. His brother was always jealous of him
though. He hid himself away in a dark forest in the corner of the
kingdom and learnt dark wizardry.
After a few years he came back to the palace and kidnapped the
King’s daughter. He threatened to kill her if the King didn’t hand his
throne 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 brother’s demands, but he
was worried for the safety of his son so he sent his wife and baby
away. They travelled that night to a forest far away. The King
abdicated as his brother wished, but the brother was spiteful and
killed the daughter anyway. The King died of grief and never saw his
wife or son again. The spirit of the King is often seen floating along
the hallways crying out for his family.
The current King is a descendant of that wicked brother, which is
why he is such a tyrant.

- 39 -
Gavin and Rose listened for a while longer, but after the story the
servants all returned to their usual tasks and the talk returned to
normal kitchen gossip.
They decided that it was about time they faced the King. They still
had no plan but comforted each other with the promise of the wood
nymph and the little stones she had given them……

- 40 -
Chapter 13

They walked into the Great Hall with their heads held high. A gasp
of 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 soldiers
from hunting us down. The last time that we came here we made
an agreement. I won the wager and so we should have been
allowed 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 our
freedom’.
‘There is nothing you could possibly offer me that I do not already
own.’ The King scoffed.
‘I guarantee you, your Majesty, that nobody in the world has seen
what I can show you’ boasted Gavin.
The King was intrigued.
‘But surely, if you’re the one to show it to me, then you yourself
have seen it already?’ asked the King.
Gavin smiled. ‘No your highness. You will be the first person ever to
see 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 may
be and have my wife as well?’
Gavin shook his head. ‘You will only be able to see it if you
guarantee our freedom. If you take it by force you will see nothing
out of the ordinary. I know that you may still think this an unfair
exchange, so I propose another competition.’
‘What competition?’ asked the King.
‘Bring in your best archer. I shall compete with him to win the gift I
have 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 have
been trained for many years and can easily beat a young man like
you. Bring in Michael.’
A man with a lined face from years of experience in bitter battles
walked through and bowed to the King.
Gavin could hardly believe his luck. It was his old friend from his
first 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.

- 41 -
‘It is when it is placed on somebody’s head.’
‘Who do you propose?’ the King asked.
‘I shall shoot the apple from the head of my wife and Michael shall
shoot it from the head of your Majesty. If you do not trust his
archery 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 still
lose my wife! No. Instead you shall both shoot the apple from the
head of one of the maids.’
‘Fine’ Gavin agreed.
They were both brought a bow and arrow and a young girl was
brought in. The King ordered the servants to bring an apple but
Gavin stopped him.
‘Don’t 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 excellent
shots.’
He then returned to the line they had marked along the floor.
Michael went first. He looked rather nervous but took his position
and shot the arrow cleanly through the apple’s centre.
‘Ah ha!’ cried the King. ‘You did not mention the result if both of you
should 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 the
apple, 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 hole
Michael had made in the apple.
‘You are a good archer’ commented the King. ‘It is a shame that I
cannot bear to let you live. Guards!’
‘But your Majesty’ said Michael, quietly. ‘You have not yet seen that
thing which Gavin promised. If you kill him you will never be able
to.’
‘Fine. Bring it here Gavin and I will merely banish you.’………

- 42 -
Chapter 14

Gavin glanced at Rose and she gave a slight nod.

He went forward to the little girl and took the apple from her head.
He then took it to the King and gave it to him.
The King stared at it for a second and then started to go red with
anger.
‘You promise me an exotic treasure that nobody has seen and
instead you hand me an apple!’ he shouted.
‘Look at it closely’ Gavin said calmly.
‘It is just an apple!’
‘Yes. But what is different about it compared to normal apples?’
Gavin asked.
‘There’s a hole through it of course! From where you both just shot
it!’
‘Exactly!’ said Gavin smiling. ‘And what can you see if you look in
that hole?’
‘The inside of the apple?’ asked the King, totally baffled.
‘Yes. The inside of that apple has taken years to form. It began with
the small seed which grew into the tree, which then grew with
sunshine and rain and eventually began to produce this apple. It
has been years in the making and now you are the first person to
ever see inside it.’
The King sat for a second, bewildered. Then suddenly, began to
laugh.
‘That’s amazing!’ he cried.
While everybody was distracted by the King’s reaction, Rose subtly
lifted a small stone to her mouth and kissed it.
At that instant all the candles were extinguished. A draught blew
through the room. Everybody fell silent.
Then there was a great cry as a ghost rushed through the wall.
It was of the old King. He swept up to the front of the hall and stood
before them all. Gavin and Rose knelt before him.
He looked down at them.
‘How have you summoned me?’ he asked, insistently.
Rose shook slightly as she answered him.
‘We met an old woman in the forest and helped her find her home.
When we reached the end of the journey she revealed herself to be
a wood nymph and gave us these stones to help us.’
She held the stone up for the ghost King to see.
‘It cannot be!’ he cried. ‘What did she look like?’ he asked.
‘Well, at first she was just a plain old woman. She had short, grey
hair and a purple bonnet over her head. Her clothes were old and
tattered.’ Rose replied.
‘I knew it! That was our old nurse maid.’ He explained.

- 43 -
‘She went with my wife and son on that night of escape. I gave her
these 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 beautiful
as 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 dead
like my son and wife’ said the ghost King.
‘As a wood nymph I cannot die unless my tree is felled.’ She
answered.
‘I was charged by ancient spirits to guard your family. A son of your
line was always to be seated on the throne. When your wicked
brother threatened the kingdom I helped your wife and child to
escape and looked after them both in the forest. I then watched
from afar the generations following your son. Waiting for a time
when 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 admired
how she fought for her freedom. This time she also impressed me
with her wisdom. It was she who thought of the apples.’
‘And I have seen her outside in the world and tested her generosity
and kindness. She is every inch, a descendant of yours. Worthy to
rule 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, that
is.’
She looked at Gavin. She could tell that he was immensely proud of
her and yet, he didn’t look at all surprised.
He smiled gently. ‘You know that I always thought of you as a
princess.’
She tried to clear her head. ‘So, if I accept. I will be Queen? Will
Gavin become King once we are married?’
‘Yes. I have been watching him intently too and he is quite suitable
as King. You will be an excellent pair to rule the Kingdom’ the wood
nymph reassured her.
‘I need to think about this.’ Rose said. ‘It’s a big decision after all.’
‘You can have all the time you need my dear.’……

- 44 -
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' she
replied.
Gavin watched her as she walked out of the hall.
'Well', said the nymph briskly, 'We still need to sort out this tyrant of
a King.'
They turned towards him. He seemed to still be in shock from all
that had happened.
He looked around at them all and it suddenly dawned on him what
had 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 wicked
thing 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!' he
laughed.
'He may be a ghost' replied Gavin. 'But I am flesh and blood and
have already given you a display of my archery skills. I think it
would be best if you left immediately.'
The King gave a worried glance towards Gavin's bow and rushed out
of the hall.
'Well done Gavin' said the nymph, beaming. 'I think you had best go
and find Rose now. You need to be involved in the decision too. It
will 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 corridor
they had originally crawled into. He noticed that the tapestry was
slightly askew. He crept back down the passageway and found Rose
talking 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 was
looking at the boy and Gavin thought he understood why.
'I came down to see if you needed to talk about this decision' he
said 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 the
right 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 the
great Hall. Everybody turned to face them.

- 45 -
They walked towards the nymph hand-in-hand. She looked at the
set look on their faces and seem to gaze deep into their eyes. And
then she smiled.
'I think I know what you're about to say' she told them. 'I suspected
this 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 shock
ran around the room.
'It's a huge honour' she said quickly, 'and I'm aware of how
ungrateful it must seem to say no. It's just that, I've always had a
huge love for children and really enjoy teaching. While I lived in the
jungle I saw the huge need they had and felt I was really making a
difference to their lives. I don't think I'm the right person to rule the
country. 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 jungle
and have seen how much she cares for the children and
underprivileged in those areas. I can't think of anybody better
suited to run the kingdom than her, but if she has set her heart on
teaching 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. But
Rose 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 at
something like this?'
'I think I know' replied Gavin.

A few weeks later there were celebrations throughout the land. It

was a joy for double celebration. Gavin and Rose had had a
spectacular wedding in the main city. Everybody was invited and all
of 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 straight
away. They had invited him to the palace and explained the
situation. He had been as shocked as they had been at first but
soon agreed.
After the wedding he came to say goodbye as they prepared to
head back to the jungle.

'You know how much I care about you both. If you ever need
anything 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

- 46 -
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 to
neighbouring kingdoms to bridge the gaps that have formed due to
the wickedness of past Kings.'

They all embraced each other tightly.

'We really must be going now' said Rose. 'We've planned to travel
back to the places that we saw when travelling years ago, before
returning 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 they
were certain that it would not be empty of adventure.

The end

- 47 -