A Magician's Evil Plot

This is an excerpt of my book, 'Princess Rose' Copyright 2009 Lulu Enterprises ISBN: 978-1445201672

A Magician’s Evil Plot
  
  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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ow the king's magician, Astroscuiousnov, fell in love with the king's daughter, too. He kept a watchful eye upon Princess Mary Rose and vowed to one day make her his bride with the intent to steal the Crown and become king of Carlisle himself.  'Yes, your Majesty!' he said as he polished the bronzed knob of his walking stick, 'Princess Rose is in grave danger! I can see from my magic knob that some evil man is biding his time until the princess turns of proper age.  Then when the day comes he'll snatch the girl and make him his!' Horrified, the king asked Astroscuiousnov what can be done to stop this infamy.  'There is only one thing to do, your Highness. ‘The princess should be kept under a perpetual guard.  I advise that she be kept behind closed doors at all times. She should be kept safe at all times, your Majesty, for this evil man stops at nothing to kidnap the princess.’ 

So convincing was Astroscuiousnov that he convinced the King that his daughter's life was in mortal danger and that only by keeping her behind closed doors would he keep her safe and sound from harm. 

 

  The king gave strict orders to his guardsmen that they should guard the princess at all times. The princess was to study eleven hours a day.  Her tutors were given strict orders not to give the lessons outside the Castle walls.  She ate her meals by herself and even played alone.  The great Puppet Theater collected dust in one corner of the princess's room because she no longer had permission to entertain the other children.  The guards stood watch outside her room.  No one was to go inside save the king and queen or her tutors, of course.

 

 

 

The princess grew pale, but her beauty was never affected.  She took singing lessons and this filled the castle with her music.  Saddened by her imprisonment, the princess would sit by the corner of her room, looking downcast and sullen.  She longed for the day she was again permitted to go outside and play with all the children of her father's court and all the princes that visited the castle. She longed to see the lovely flowers and to have bluebirds fly near her as together they sang songs of joy by the Gilded Pond.  The king, crestfallen by his daughter's sadness hung his head in sorrow. He longed to see his daughter smile again and listen with delight as she entertained the children with her stories, yet he was beguiled by Astroscuiousnov’s wild tales, and knew he was doing his daughter a favour by locking her up from the outside world.

 

  The young princes knocked upon the castle door, begging the king to let them play with Princess Rose.  The king shook his head each time and told the princes that his daughter could not go out and play.  Asking for a reason as to why the princess couldn't venture out of the castle, the king simply said that she was ill.

A gloom fell upon the entire Kingdom. Soon the entire Kingdom of Carlisle knew of the princess's illness and concerned, prayed for her health. The Seamstress Guild wove a giant banner from silk and embroidered flowers and letters that formed a sign that said:

 

 

Get well soon, Princess Mary Rose

We miss you dearly...

           Your loyal Subjects

 

 

 

 

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rincess Mary Rose, forlorn and lonely in her room besieged her mother to let her roam around outside.  She missed basking in the sunshine and playing croquet on the castle lawn.  She missed pausing by the Gilded Pond before supper and dreaming her life away under the stars.

 

The Queen looked pitifully upon her daughter. 'My Child...Your father and I have agreed that your life is in danger. That is why we've decided it is best for you not to venture out of the castle.' said the Queen. ‘Astroscuiousnov warned your father that you are in grave danger should you go outside, My Child. Please obey your father and me.'  Princess Mary Rose listened to her mother the Queen, but still she was disconcerted.  She simply did not understand this concern  her parents had for her safety. 

 

            To enliven her spirits, her father ordered his chief magician to entertain her.  He went to her room each night and performed all sorts of magic tricks.  The princess just couldn't smile.  All the time, Astroscuiousnov eyed greedily upon the princess, concocting in his wicked mind a plot to make the princess his bride.

 

The princess did not like her father's chief magician. She could feel his cold, greedy stares penetrate her soul.  It felt quite uncomfortable.  'Now, my dear...please put on a smile!' ordered the wicked magician, ‘Who ever heard of a princess who frowns?' He showed her all sorts of magical tricks.  He turned handkerchiefs into flying doves, colourful balls into a rainbow, but he couldn't make the princess smile.’ This is horrible!' exclaimed the magician. 'I can perform all sorts of magic, yet how is it that I can't make a princess smile?' 

 

Princess Rose just bowed her head and continued weeping.  Astroscuiousnov commanded her to smile. 'Smile, princess. Smile!' as he waved his wand upon her, but the princess just wailed all the more.  'You can't order me! I'm a princess!' yelled Princess Mary Rose. 'Please, Your Highness--Please,' continued the evil magician, standing on a giant orange ball whilst juggling ten caged birds. 'Smile!' and with this he lost his footing dropping the birds and setting them free.  The princess looked surprised then went back to her wailing. 'Oh, I give up!' wailed Astroscuiousnov as he ran out the door.

 

 

 

 

  One night the king’s courtier happened to pass the evil magician’s chambers.   He overheard the magician chanting, ‘Soon my plot will unfurl and the princess will be my bride.  No man shall ever lay a hand upon her and as soon as she is crowned queen, I shall steal her crown and become King of Carlisle myself!’ The courtier spied on Astroscuiousnov by looking through the key hole.  The room was illuminated with puffs of smoke of different hues.  On one corner of the room he saw the magician’s cauldron.  It was fizzing away with a deathly brew of some sort or other, smoke rising like a series of snakes charmed by the magic of some sinister spell.  Astroscuiousnov looked in the giant mirror on the wall, straightening his wizard’s robe.  He broke out in a dreadful laughter that shook the entire room with his haughty pride and wickedness.  ‘Oh, yes! I shall rule all Carlisle, indeed!  I will cast a spell on the entire Kingdom and all my subjects shall prostrate themselves upon my feet.’ Astroscuiousnov looked into his magic wand which glowed in an eerie ghostly white sheen. .  ‘I, Astroscuiousnov, the Great have fooled the King into believing that the princess is in grave danger!  Ha, Ha, Ha!  She’s in grave danger all right!  It is I who will kidnap the princess in a precise moment in time.’
 

            Quickly, quietly, the king’s courtier went to inform the King of Astroscuiousnov’s evil plan. ‘Are you certain this is true?’ the king asked his courtier.  ‘Your Majesty, I heard it myself as I passed his room.  He was hissing to himself these very words:  ‘Soon my plot will unfurl and the princess will be my bride.  No man shall lay a hand upon her and as soon as she is crowned Queen, I shall steal her crown and become King myself!’  He looked deep into that thing he holds….that wand with that sinister knob. Then, Your Majesty, he said in this ghastly voice, ‘I was quite convincing at tricking the king into believing that the princess is in grave danger!  The fool bought it too!  He convinced the whole Kingdom that the princess was indeed in danger.  She’s in danger, alright….In a precise time it is I that will kidnap the princess!’  With this, Your Majesty, he burst into this hideously sinister laugh that shook the very foundations of the room!’

 

  ‘Did he see you?’ asked the king.  ‘No, Sire, I tip-toed away as fast as I could so he wouldn’t suspect I overheard him.’ said the king’s courtier.  ‘How can I know this is true?’ said the king.  ‘Your Majesty, on pain of death I ascertain that what I say is true. I assure you, Sire. I speak the truth, for I wouldn’t want to be put to death for lying to the king.’

 

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he king was outraged!  How dare his chief Magician trick him like this! He trusted him and believed his story about the complot to kidnap the princess.  ‘Have Astroscuiousnov thrown immediately in the dungeon!’ he ordered his guards!  ‘This man shall not live! He must be punished for his evil plot!’ The guards stormed into the princess’s chambers where Astroscuiousnov was performing his feats of magic for the princess.  ‘Away, you wicked man!  In the name of the king you are under arrest!’ 

 

  Astroscuiousnov seized the princess, taking her hostage and with a zap of his wand the entire chamber burst in a cloud of smoke.  The king’s guards were coughing from smoke inhalation and stunned by the magician’s sorcery.   They tried to seize him but he and the princess disappeared in a puff of smoke.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author's Note

This has been an excerpt from my book, Princess Rose by Mary Aris copyright 2009 by Lulu Enterprises ISBN: 978-1445201672