Introduction
Sabella stood before the small window in the tower. She thought of the day when her savior would come and take her far away from this awful tower. She hated this place so much. It was a stone tower that no one ever came to, and she was to wait for her “savior” to come and get her, but no one was coming. She’d realized this long ago and the only person she had company for was Old Widow, Sir Fredrick. He was a man of magic, having the ability to see a man coming to get her in his crystal ball. She wanted him to tell her that there was a man coming and he would win against the dragon. That’s all she wanted, and soon enough; Lady Sabella felt that she may throw herself to the dragon, and perish. Now, Sir Fredrick did not favor this idea of hers. He wished that she would wait for her savior, for he was coming. The man knew it was soon too, since he had sent news of Lady Sabella being trapped in a castle tower that was heavily guarded by the dragon. Now, this dragon that guarded the tower, which was all that was left of the once so elegant castle, was servant to the old baron whom had once lived there. The last order to the dragon was to simply defend that tower and keep little Sabella safe, but that was when Sabella was four and the castle had been under attack. These orders the dragon would stay true to until the day she was defeated and the man who had done such would have Sabella’s hand in marriage.
Sabella placed her hands on the window ledge and peered out while speaking to Sir Fredrick, “Could you please check just once more for my savior?”
“I have already checked twice today, milady. Are you sure I should check again?” he asked.
“I do not fear disappointment my good servant,” she answered so softly.
“You may not fear it, but I hate to see you sad,” Sir Fredrick replied and set his crystal ball on the table.
“Please tell me of everything you see; you know I do not have the second sight,” Sabella said in her genteel manner.
“I see a midnight black stallion and astride it is a man in shining black armor. The armor has gold leaf accents upon it. He holds his head high with dignity and a small troop of five men follow him with loyalty shining bright in their eyes. Their mustangs are of many colors, not distinguished as his is,” he told her as her peeled his eyes away from the ball, “I believe your knight in shining armor has come.” A certain brightness suddenly appeared in Sabella’s eyes.
“He has!” she gasped as she spotted him from the tiny window, “Oh, Sir Fredrick just think of it! I’ll be walked down the aisle with the prettiest white dress in all the world! Oh, I just can’t wait!”
“Sabella, that’s if he can beat the dragon,” Sir Fredrick replied tearing her away from her fantasies, “and what if he’s the most vile being you’ve ever met, milady?”
“Then I shan’t allow him to have my hand,” she answered the glitter in her eyes beginning to fade slightly, to where she looked almost sad.
“But Sabella, he could also be just as you imagine! I’m just telling you to not get ahead of yourself there,” Sir Fredrick said trying to bring her lovely smile back. The old man ran a hand through his gray hair before sighing aloud, “I’m sure he’s just as you imagine.”
“Oh, but you could be right; he could very well make me unhappy. We just don’t know, now do we?” Sabella said to him with a wallowing sadness falling about her.
“Let me find out then,” the old man stood and left the tower and went out into the warm afternoon. He waved down the group stopping them.
“Who goes there? And what business do you have here at the old castle of Baron Reddwick?” asked Sir Fredrick.
“I have come to save the beautiful Lady Sabella, daughter of Baron Reddwick,” the man in black armor said pleasantly.
“Well, I must warn you; it shall be no easy task. Find the tower in which she resides in these ruins, and the dragon will strike then, when you threaten taking Lady Sabella,” then Sir Fredrick chuckled as he said this, “and hope Lady Sabella doesn’t reject you. She isn’t the kindest of damsels.”
“So you say I could defeat the dragon and still leave empty handed?” the man asked, still sounding very pleasant.
“Yes, I am implying that,” the old man answered as he tottered back into the forest, quickly disappearing into the shadows.
When Sir Fredrick returned to the tower, he was chuckling softly. Sabella looked up at him seeming surprised. She was wearing a beautiful ice blue silk dress. It was extremely beautiful and tailored to fit her mother, and at this age Sabella fit into it perfectly. She smiled kindly at her faithful servant.
“What was this knight like, if you mind me asking,” Sabella asked him curiously.
“I believe you will like him quite a lot,” Sir Fredrick answered with a bright smile.
Sabella placed her hands on the window ledge and peered out while speaking to Sir Fredrick, “Could you please check just once more for my savior?”
“I have already checked twice today, milady. Are you sure I should check again?” he asked.
“I do not fear disappointment my good servant,” she answered so softly.
“You may not fear it, but I hate to see you sad,” Sir Fredrick replied and set his crystal ball on the table.
“Please tell me of everything you see; you know I do not have the second sight,” Sabella said in her genteel manner.
“I see a midnight black stallion and astride it is a man in shining black armor. The armor has gold leaf accents upon it. He holds his head high with dignity and a small troop of five men follow him with loyalty shining bright in their eyes. Their mustangs are of many colors, not distinguished as his is,” he told her as her peeled his eyes away from the ball, “I believe your knight in shining armor has come.” A certain brightness suddenly appeared in Sabella’s eyes.
“He has!” she gasped as she spotted him from the tiny window, “Oh, Sir Fredrick just think of it! I’ll be walked down the aisle with the prettiest white dress in all the world! Oh, I just can’t wait!”
“Sabella, that’s if he can beat the dragon,” Sir Fredrick replied tearing her away from her fantasies, “and what if he’s the most vile being you’ve ever met, milady?”
“Then I shan’t allow him to have my hand,” she answered the glitter in her eyes beginning to fade slightly, to where she looked almost sad.
“But Sabella, he could also be just as you imagine! I’m just telling you to not get ahead of yourself there,” Sir Fredrick said trying to bring her lovely smile back. The old man ran a hand through his gray hair before sighing aloud, “I’m sure he’s just as you imagine.”
“Oh, but you could be right; he could very well make me unhappy. We just don’t know, now do we?” Sabella said to him with a wallowing sadness falling about her.
“Let me find out then,” the old man stood and left the tower and went out into the warm afternoon. He waved down the group stopping them.
“Who goes there? And what business do you have here at the old castle of Baron Reddwick?” asked Sir Fredrick.
“I have come to save the beautiful Lady Sabella, daughter of Baron Reddwick,” the man in black armor said pleasantly.
“Well, I must warn you; it shall be no easy task. Find the tower in which she resides in these ruins, and the dragon will strike then, when you threaten taking Lady Sabella,” then Sir Fredrick chuckled as he said this, “and hope Lady Sabella doesn’t reject you. She isn’t the kindest of damsels.”
“So you say I could defeat the dragon and still leave empty handed?” the man asked, still sounding very pleasant.
“Yes, I am implying that,” the old man answered as he tottered back into the forest, quickly disappearing into the shadows.
When Sir Fredrick returned to the tower, he was chuckling softly. Sabella looked up at him seeming surprised. She was wearing a beautiful ice blue silk dress. It was extremely beautiful and tailored to fit her mother, and at this age Sabella fit into it perfectly. She smiled kindly at her faithful servant.
“What was this knight like, if you mind me asking,” Sabella asked him curiously.
“I believe you will like him quite a lot,” Sir Fredrick answered with a bright smile.