Work Text:
Once upon a time in a land far, far away, there lived two brothers-in-arms who loved each other dearly.
They did not share a mother or a father, these two knights, but they had been the best of friends since childhood and had fought many a battle side by side. Where one went, the other was also sure to be seen; they guided and guarded each other and did not like to be parted.
Sir Steven was small but bright of heart, with hair that gleamed like gold. He loved the painter's art and did not care for wicked men, and so often could be found dueling. Always Sir James was there to second; he was tall and strong of arm, and his hair was black as coal. Sir James was fond of dance and laughter, but of Sir Steven he was fonder still.
But their kingdom was poor, and war like hungry wolves was biting at its borders. Reluctantly, the two knights agreed to go their separate ways, and try to seek their fortunes. Their parting was a bitter one, for they did not know if they would see each other again, but such partings happen often in times of war, and our knights were honorable men and did their duty.
* * *
Sir Steven did not get very far, though, for though his heart was bright his body was frail and soon wearied. He sat by the road to rest, and despaired to himself: "How am I ever to go to war, if the simple road defeats me?"
A fellow traveller heard these words, and stopped to talk to Sir Steven. "Do you wish to fight, then?"
Sir Steven met the traveller's eyes and answered, "I do not wish to fight, but I have no love for wicked men. They say the sorcerer who besets these lands is very wicked indeed; I only wish to go and stand against him."
The traveller was very impressed by Sir Steven's brave words. He was also a sorcerer, but a kindly one, and he wished to help the frail knight with the bright heart. So he said to Sir Steven: "I can make you hale and tireless, if you wish it, although there is a price."
But Sir Steven was so weary of being frail that he agreed to the terms without really listening. He stood at once, and the sorcerer made a queer gesture; a bright white light rose up from the ground and swallowed Sir Steven whole. He screamed and shook, the pain was so great. But when the light had gone away again Sir Steven discovered he was tall, and well-formed, and bulging with corded muscle. Lying at his feet was a bright round shield.
The sorcerer look sadly at Sir Steven, who now had a stout body to match his bright heart. "Now for the price," he said, sorrowful, and placed one finger on the knight's breast.
"Bright of heart, but ever lonely,
'Til strong arm and sharp wit join thee."
The words were heavy with sorcery, and Sir Steven gasped to feel an aching, hungry hole open under his breastbone. He staggered with this new, worse pain, and when he had recovered the sorcerer was gone.
So Sir Steven took up the shield and set off down the road once more, marveling at his newfound vigor but sorrowing for the ache in his chest. He felt unbearably lonely, as if the ache had always been there but he had somehow never noticed it 'til then.
* * *
Sir James traveled very far down his chosen road, until the sky lost all its color and the forest began to press in overhead. The land itself grew threatening, but Sir James marched still on, until he rounded a bend in the road to find a stranger blocking his path.
"Good evening," said Sir James, for he was unfailingly polite. But the stranger made no reply. Instead, he struck out with his staff and caught Sir James up in a bolt of blue light, and then carried him away into his lair.
The next time he he opened his eyes, Sir James found himself in a horrible dungeon. The roof was dripping, dank, and the floor was littered with bones. Iron bars all around prevented his escape. Sir James was very strong, but he could not bend the bars that held him, and he began to be afraid. He whispered to himself: "How am I ever to go home again, if my strength so fails me?"
The stranger from the road, who was in fact a sorcerer, and not a kindly one at all, stepped forward when he heard this. "You wish to go home? Well, you cannot, for I have use for your strong arms, Sir James." And his laugh was a mirthless cackle that chilled Sir James' blood.
Over the days that followed the sorcerer used Sir James most cruelly. He made him work until he was exhausted, and practiced experimental enchantments on him, and did not feed him so that he was nearly starved. Poor Sir James wasted away of cold and sick and overwork, until even his great strength was gone.
This would not do for the sorcerer, of course. He made an unnatural gesture, and cold blue light rose up from the ground and swallowed Sir James whole. Exhausted as he was, Sir James could not keep himself from screaming, for the pain was very great. When the light was gone, though, Sir James looked much the same; except his left arm was made of gleaming metal instead of flesh.
The sorcerer sounded his mirthless cackle and placed a finger over Sir James' heart.
"Strong of arm but lost of memory,
'Til bright heart and sharp wit join thee."
The words were jagged with sorcery, and Sir James gave a sob to feel a wintry, howling chasm where his memories had been. He fell, and lay shaking helpless upon the ground.
After a while, the sorcerer bid him up and back to his labor. The knight complied. He could not recall his name, or his home, or his quest; so he sighed a hopeless sigh and served the sorcerer, and did not know that things had ever been any different.
* * *
Sir Steven could travel much faster, now that his body was hale and tall. He marched along the road, whistling a cheerful song. Soon the way grew dreary; the sky lost all its color and the forest began to press in overhead, as if the very land were threatening. Sir Steven had a bright heart, though, and did not despair, though he wished his brother-in-arms were with him, for he was very lonely.
The day was growing late when Sir Steven rounded a bend in the road and noticed that the ground was scorched and the trees seemed blasted. "Some sorcery happened here," the knight surmised. He stopped to listen, and very faintly on the wind came a mirthless cackle, followed by a hopeless sigh. The empty space in Sir Steven's chest ached; he resolved to follow the sounds, and to help if he could.
Through the gloomy trees marched Sir Steven, until the sun had gone down and the woods filled up with glowing, wary eyes. He was glad the sorcerer had made him tireless, for the path seemed to meander over many leagues. In all that time the hopeless sigh did not come again, but still Sir Steven walked, guided by the ache in his chest.
It was deepest night when he came upon the castle hidden in the woods. It looked menacing, and Sir Steven was glad the sorcerer had made him hale, for it would not be easy to breach those walls. He crept quietly in and searched until he found the dungeons, listening all the while. There! — the hopeless sigh came again, and Sir Steven followed the sound all the way back to the lips of his friend Sir James.
Sir James was battered and bloody, lying forlorn on the floor. Sir Steven rushed to him, and gathered his friend in a careful embrace. "Sir James," he whispered, "it is I, Sir Steven."
Sir James opened his eyes, but they were clouded and confused. "Who is Sir James?"
The hollow space in Sir Steven's chest hurt more fiercely than ever before. "You are, Sir James," he said, and helped the battered knight to stand. "I am your friend, and I will not be parted from you again."
Sir James' eyes cleared a little, as he gazed on Sir Steven. "You were once smaller, I think."
Sir Steven smiled at him, and the ache in his chest eased a little. "Indeed I was. Come, let us leave this awful place."
The two knights made their way out of the castle. Servants of the sorcerer tried to stop them, but to no avail: Sir Steven's shield turned knives away with showering sparks that set the keep ablaze, and Sir James' metal arm was just as deadly as any sword. Finally, they stood back on the road, breathing the cool night air.
Sir Steven turned to Sir James with a look of great concern. "You have been most cruelly used. Still, we must move on, though you are weary and we are far from home." And the brothers-in-arms started down the road once again, each leaning on the other.
* * *
The two knights marched for a day and a night, and the land around them grew ever more drear. The trees were burnt and barren, and the road was dusted in ash. At night fires burned red all along the horizon, and nothing stirred, no living thing abroad but the two lost brothers-in-arms.
When day broke, though, they spied a figure on the road up ahead. Sir Steven was cautious and Sir James grew terribly afraid, for they feared meeting another sorcerer. Still, they marched on, and as they drew closer it became apparent that the other traveller was also a knight. This knight carried a crossbow, and wore a tunic of dusty green over mail that looked well-used. Sir Steven hailed the traveller: "Ho there, sir! Well met!" — but there was no reply.
Once they had drawn closer still, they saw to their astonishment that the strange knight was in fact a lady. Under her helm lay curls of glossy brown; her cheek was smooth, and her lips shone ruby red. Sir Steven and Sir James both stopped to bow.
The strange knight's lips moved, but no sound could be heard save the wind sighing through barren trees.
Sir Steven moved yet closer still, and when the lady's lips moved again he heard that the sighing sound carried words, nearly too soft to be heard.
"Greetings, sir knights," the lady said faintly. "I am Sir Margaret, and I am journeying to do battle with the wicked sorcerer who besets these lands."
Sir Steven introduced himself and Sir James, whose mind was still much clouded. "Pray, Sir Margaret, why do you speak so softly?"
Sir Margaret smiled sadly and whispered, "the wicked sorcerer cursed me thus. He cast me from my home and spoiled the land, and said:
"Sharp of wit but dumb you shall be,
'Til bright heart and strong arm join thee."
"So I have been voiceless ever since. How am I ever to regain my birthright, if no army can hear my commands?" And she slumped for a moment in bitter despair, before drawing herself up again.
Sir Steven was greatly moved by her speech, and so was Sir James, though he knew not why. They knelt, and offered their hands to the lady knight, and vowed: "We shall fight beside you, and listen closely to your commands."
Sir Margaret took their offered hands, and accepted their vows. Instantly a great change swept over the three companions. The ache in Sir Steven's chest diminished, disappeared, as he realized he need never be lonely again. Sir James's eyes grew clear and bright once more, and he looked up with wonderment. "Why," he asked his companions, "were we tarrying?"
Sir Margaret smiled down at him. "Waiting for the right partners," she said, and her voice was clear and beautiful as bells. "Come," she said to her fellow knights as they rose, "we have a wicked sorcerer to defeat." And they made their way down the road together, ruin all around them but gladness in their hearts.
* * *
The wicked sorcerer's citadel was not very far off now, and soon enough the three knights stood before its gates. Sir Steven strode ahead and battered the doors with his shield. "Sorcerer, come out!" he cried in a ringing voice. "Sorcerer, we challenge you!"
Sir James stepped up to hammer at the doors with his metal fist. "Sorcerer, come out!" he added in a powerful bellow. "Sorcerer, we challenge you!"
But Sir Margaret said nothing, and from the ramparts above the gate the three knights heard an evil laugh sound forth. It was the wicked sorcerer, looking down at them. He was terrifying to behold: his head was like a bare skull, but it was red as blood, and his eyes glowed with an unnatural blue light.
"You wish to reclaim your birthright?" the wicked sorcerer called to Sir Margaret. "Well, you cannot, for I rule these lands, and you who have no voice will never stand against me." He pointed his bloodred fingers at the knights, and bolts of fire shot out.
But Sir Steven caught the fire on his shield, and Sir James deflected flames off his metal arm, and none of them were harmed. When the flames had died away, Sir Margaret stepped forward. With piercing voice she cried, "Sorcerer, be gone! Sorcerer, we banish you!" The sorcerer staggered back, dismayed, and Sir Margaret shot a crossbow bolt straight through one glowing blue eye.
There was a great red flash that set them all to blinking. When the light had faded away, they saw that the wicked sorcerer had burnt to a cinder! Even as they watched, the enchantments laid by the sorcerer started to fail. The sky brightened, and the land so sere and dead began to blossom. Even the citadel transformed; it took on a cheery aspect, and now green banners flew over the ramparts, bearing an eagle with outstretched wings. Guards on the walls shook themselves, as if waking from a terrible dream. Whey they saw who stood at the gates, a great cheer went up. "Our princess is returned! She has saved us from the sorcerer!"
So Sir Steven and Sir James were greatly surprised to learn that Sir Margaret's title was properly Princess, and with the enchantments lifted would soon be Queen. They knelt before her, but she only laughed with joy and bade them rise.
"Welcome to my home, sir knights! For your faith and fortitude, I would have it be yours also; I pray you be my consorts and stay by my side always."
Sir Steven and Sir James thought this a wonderful idea. They rose and placed their hands in hers, and so it was agreed. Princess Margaret led them into the castle, and the three friends ate, and drank, and rested, and talked late into the night. And then, of course...
Well, suffice to say they lived happily ever after, and in love even longer than that.