All That Glitters: A Magical Adventure of True Power
Once, in a kingdom ruled by a wise but weary king, there lived a young prince who believed the world owed him its crown simply because he was born. He was headstrong, sharp-tongued, and careless with the hearts of others, spending his days hunting, boasting, and polishing his reflection on silver shields. But the old king’s days were drawing to a close, and he feared what might happen should his selfish son inherit the throne before learning what it meant to rule.
To make matters worse, the king’s younger brother, a man of shadows and envy, waited like a snake in the grass, ready to strike the moment the king’s breath ceased. Rumors already whispered of poison in the wine, of dark pacts, and of daggers waiting in the moonlight.
One dusk, with the last light shimmering on the kingdom’s towers, the king called for his son. His voice was weak but steady as he declared, “You will complete three tasks before you may claim the throne. Only then will you prove your worth.”
The prince scoffed, certain that crowns were inherited, not earned. Yet he saw the fear in his father’s eyes—fear not for himself, but for the people they both were meant to serve. With a sigh, the prince accepted.
But that very night, the king died, and the uncle seized the throne under the cloak of mourning. The kingdom fell into hushed terror, and the prince, burning with anger, fled to the old wizard who had once served his father.
“What should I do?” the prince demanded.
The wizard, draped in a robe of shifting stars, replied in a riddle-like hush, “Gold will not buy you loyalty, nor will fire conquer hearts. Seek what glitters beyond its shine. Seek your three tasks, for power without worth will crumble in your hand.”
Infuriated yet desperate, the prince left, sword at his hip, cloak billowing, vowing to reclaim what was his.
The Bandits and the Princess
In a forest on the edge of the kingdom, the prince stumbled upon three bandits boasting around a fire. They had stolen gold, hoarded food, and captured a young woman in ragged clothes with fierce brown eyes.
When they threatened to sell or cook him, the prince drew his sword and struck them down with three swift blows, forcing them to flee.
“You are safe,” he said, cutting her ropes.
“I didn’t need saving,” she snapped, brushing leaves from her auburn hair.
The prince blinked, taken aback, but before he could retort, she added more softly, “But thank you.”
The forest grew dark, and the woman, who revealed herself as Princess Elowen of a neighboring kingdom, asked to travel with him through the dangerous woods.
First Task: The Ogre’s Choice
In a sunless clearing stood a hulking ogre with teeth like daggers and eyes like coal.
“Choose,” the ogre boomed, offering a handful of gold coins in one hand and a worn leather sack in the other. “Fail, and your bones will join the others.”
The prince reached for the gold, believing it would buy him an army.
“No,” Elowen said firmly. “Ask what the sack holds.”
“It holds what you do not expect,” the ogre replied cryptically.
Ignoring the prince’s protests, Elowen chose the sack. As she opened it, endless gold coins spilled forth, enough to feed armies and starving villages alike.
The prince stared, then laughed, “Perhaps I should listen more often.”
Second Task: The Dragon’s Flame
Further into the forest, heat pressed against them, and a red-scaled dragon landed, eyes like molten amber.
“Choose,” it hissed, revealing woodfire crackling in a cauldron and a pair of gray stones.
“Fire will help us forge weapons,” the prince insisted.
“Ask about the stones,” Elowen urged.
“They spark eternal flame when struck,” the dragon rumbled.
Elowen chose the stones, and as she struck them, a clean blue flame leapt forth, hotter and purer than any forge. The dragon, satisfied, let them pass.
Third Task: The Witch’s Potion
In the mist-filled depths of the forest, a crooked-nosed witch appeared, hovering on her broomstick.
“Choose,” she cackled, holding up a shimmering purple potion and a small vial of blood-red liquid.
“Power,” the prince said, eyeing the purple vial.
“Ask,” Elowen whispered.
The witch’s eyes glinted. “The red potion grants love to its bearer, the kind that binds kingdoms, not just hearts.”
Elowen chose the red potion, and before the prince could protest, she drank a drop and kissed him. The magic seeped into them both, filling them with a love that burned hotter than the dragon’s flame.
Reclaiming the Throne
When they emerged from the forest, they were older, their eyes wiser. With the endless gold, they raised an army; with the eternal fire, they forged unbreakable blades; with their love, they united villages that had been divided by fear.
They marched upon the usurper’s fortress, and after a bitter battle, the prince stood victorious. His uncle was cast down, not with cruelty, but with justice.
Elowen and the prince married under the kingdom’s stars, vowing peace between their lands. They ruled with wisdom learned not from birthright, but from trials that taught them power was meaningless without love, and that wealth and strength must serve, not rule.
And so, their kingdom thrived, not because of crowns or swords, but because two hearts had learned that all that glitters isn’t gold—and sometimes what doesn’t glitter is the treasure worth seeking.
Moral of the Story
True power comes not from what glitters, but from wisdom, love, and courage to choose what is right over what is easy.
