The words the princess spoke were faint but heard by all around

“the father of the heir shall not be harmed if he is crowned”

the princess looked toward the hero, with her teary eyes

the hero vaguely understood the reason for her lies

The queen just flicked her sword to gesture to a royal knight

the trembling man in armour thusly disappeared from sight

when the knight returned he brought with him an elder mage

the hero thought he might be fairly strong despite his age

As the hero had confirmed, the mage’s voice rang out

“the princess speaks the truth, she is with child, there is no doubt”

the hero looked around at all the knights and lookers on

and thought of how absurd a scene he’d just been thrown upon

Though the queen still emanated rage that all could feel

she seized the opportunity and made one last appeal

“you now have two choices, if your honour means a thing

you defiled my daughter, will you die or be a king”

The hero looked in sadness at the princess he adored

but now his dedication to his freedom was restored

“I’d be a sorry father but I’d be a poorer king

a hero bound to rule is not a song I’d want to sing”

The mage who stood aside then dared to raise an angered voice

“you lucky fool, to spite your friends, you’d make so poor a choice”

the hero couldn’t help but smile at what the mage had said

“luck and friends would sooner have me leave this place instead”

It hurt him to be honest to the girl he stood beside

but he would make his own fate, and his heart would be his guide

he hoped that there was still a chance that she would follow him

but when he looked at her he knew the chance of that was slim

The innocence in both her pretty eyes had disappeared

now they were as fearsome as the mother she revered

she quickly turned away and walked toward the vicious queen

the hero wondered how this wasn’t something he’d foreseen

The moment that he broke the curse, the princess quickly came

tempting him to stay there, the intention was the same

now they tried appealing to his honour as a man

he just hoped that violence would be their final plan

“Seize him and remove his head” the queen began to shout

“that’s an invitation that I’d rather do without”

he summoned fire beneath his feet and though the queen was fast

he waved and launched himself into the air with one great blast

He landed several blocks away and then began to run

he didn’t want to harm the girl he loved or anyone

the cavalry were faster than the hero would have guessed

and archers waiting up the road put arrows in his chest

They slowed him down but he was lucky none had hit his heart

and though his healing magic took a toll it did its part

he reached the border of the town and noticed up ahead

a caravan of merchants that had packed their things and fled

Before he reached his merchant friends the cavalry drew near

with mages casting magic spells that he had cause to fear

he didn’t want to harm the town where his old friend survived

but then he noticed running water as the knights arrived

A gentle river flowed into a lake just out of town

but he had no intention to make any knight there drown

he jumped across the river and he dove into the lake

and with a breath he summoned all the fire that he could make

The lake was almost emptied and the water reached the sky

not a single member of the army was left dry

and as they stumbled awkwardly through all the slush and mud

the hero summoned ice which froze the overwhelming flood

The forces which had chased him through the town and to the plains

were frozen by their boots to where they stood as if by chains

but one among them managed to break free from his attack

a woman clad in golden armour, come to take him back

“This is truly fascinating magic that you use

it shouldn’t be for someone else’s kingdom to abuse

you’re worthy of forgiveness, and your place is by my side

come with me, dear son in law, your quest is satisfied”

“I wish you’d let me go in peace, this battle is in vain

I will not be some tyrants dog, whose promise is a chain”

the hero raised a fiery blade and asked her not to fight

but she was more than ready for a battle to ignite

Her sword came down and met his own like lightning striking steel

though the ice was melted all the knights could only kneel

every time their blades would meet the world all seemed to shake

but as he thought of killing her his heart began to ache

“I have loved your daughter, though it’s fated we should part

killing you would only be a burden to my heart”

the hero grew impatient with the pointless, bitter fight

but still the queen attacked the would-be-prince with all her might

Every time he had a chance to end the fight he ran

and every time he backed away, her next attack began

finally in sheer frustration, he released his blade

trying to dissuade her, but the monarch wasn’t swayed

She took the chance to drive her sword into the hero’s leg

“stupid boy, now let me see the prideful hero beg”

the pain was hard to bare, but it was not the worst he’d felt

and while she laughed the hero pulled a knife out of his belt

He swung it more in sadness than in anger or defense

at first she didn’t notice, for it made so little sense

a dagger with no magic couldn’t do her any harm

so how could she be lying on the ground with just one arm

The hero pulled the holy sword out of his bleeding thigh

then tossed it to the injured queen who let it fall nearby

he couldn’t find a single word to leave her with at all

and turned around to leave as heavy snow began to fall

Although he didn’t like the cold, he worried they’d give chase

he made a wall of ice to slow the army just in case

he wondered how the merchant was, and thought of what he’d said

but still he’d rather die in war than live on cheese and bread