The Emperor's Daughter and the Love Spell

There once was an emperor’s daughter.

and she loved to play outside in the yard.

and she met a man, and felt her heart pulled to him powerfully!

and she felt excited and then horrified and helpless when the man turned his back and left

she cried and cried and decided to look for a love spell that would keep men attracted and wanting her so that she would never have to feel that way again

and after searching a lot she came across a woman who said she had the secret

so desperate after trying many things she went in again full of hope, because wild desperation won’t let hope die

well, the magic things the woman showed her were secret. they were plain enough as day, but only the ones who’s eyes had been washed with the water that sees through past experiences would one be able to see them

(omg this is starting to sound like a common fairytale in romania. does this mean that those are coded stories of real life people’s wisdom too? and that there’s magic in there hidden once i wash my eyes? … pretty much… super exciting… but now, back to the story)

so the woman gave the girl a few magic words and a magic invisible waterwheel that always brought her washing water.

it wasn’t easy to use the tools at first but the girl kept on. she was afraid her secret would be discovered or that the tools like so many other things in her life would eventually fail and stop working.

sometimes she found herself panicking and forgetting the woman’s instructions.

sometimes she forgot she had the tools

sometimes she felt so clumsy and thought surely she would never be good enough to use them properly

one thing tho, the tools kept working

and of course, the emperor’s daughter kept getting better and better

she started feeling more secure.

she started feeling a lil bit less desperate.

she started to feel less afraid of the horrible feeling of that man leaving

it was a distant past now, it started to seem like an impossiblity now with her new power

she had whole kingdoms, princes, kings and freemen falling at her feet

everyman wanted the emperor’s daughter.

she started to feel bad.

***

its not me she thought, its the tools. they dont really like me.

sometimes, she felt lonely with everyone under her spell like that

she didn’t feel satisfied. the man that had turned his back never showed up. and none of the other men seemed to quite measure up, or warrant her effort in keeping them attracted

she felt sad and started feeling desperation.

so she went back to the woman.

I used the tools you gave me she said. and they are marvelous. i bless you for sharing these things with me.

and yet i still feel sad. i still feel unfulfilled. and the man who turned his back on me never showed up so i could use them on him to erase that horrible feeling and redo the past.

ah said the woman. yes.

am i doomed? said the emperor’s daughter. is there no hope for me?

no said the woman. there is hope.

here’s what i want you to do. i will give you a magic spell to bring in the man that will make you feel fulfilled.

but you must be very brave, and you must be persistent. listen.

oh yes. said the emperor’s daughter. anything.

every night before you go to bed, look at the moon and tell her about what your life with the man who you will feel fulfiled with.

BE VERY CAREFUL. DO NOT TELL HER WHO THE MAN IS! DO NOT GIVE HER ANY DETAILS OF HIM, or else she will seem to be jealous and hold on to him and the spell will not hold.

when your heart starts at the moon… then you can go tell everyman your story, so that it can reach the ears of the man who will fulfill you

be very careful, as he may not look at first as you envisioned him to be. make sure you allow everyone in to be presented to you who claims to be him.
use all your senses, and do NOT be swayed by some who seem to draw you but don’t feel right. they are only goblins or shadows and if you do not get drawn into their charms, they will disappear. when you are able to recognize them, and hold fast to yourself and your story of what you want, the men who fulfill you will shed their disguises and be seen to you. and there will be one in particular that will be bolder and claim you first.

all you gotta do, is hang on to yourself and remember your story and the desire your heart made to the moon.

i can do that, said the emperor’s daughter. tho she thought it sounded a lil more scary and complicated than it seemed.

***

when she went back to her palace, the emperor’s daughter talked to the moon. and she gave word to everyone that anyone who thought they were the man who would fulfill the emperor’s daughter, they could come to the gates and be seen and speak with her, at certain times of the day

the next day, the courtyard was full

the day after that, the courtyard and the emperor’s main road was full from the crowd

princes, kings, freemen, beggars and paupers showed up. the emperor’s daughter had a hard time letting them each in.

some of them were stinky and sick. some had brought their cows with them from pasture.

her heart jumped when she saw a prince or a king from the multitude. sometimes she would call for him to be let in first, just so she could feel some excitement before having to deal with the rest of the crowd.

but these princes and kings started showing strange signs. she remembered the words of the woman and sometimes repeated to herself the story of her hearts desire, so that she would not fall into the spell of the deceiving goblin. sometimes when she forgot, she found herself alone on the edge of town, at nightfall, not knowing how she got there. frightened, she would go back to the palace and vow to be more careful.

after awhile, she started to see the transparency in the shadow men more quickly. using her tools, the words and waterwheel seemed to weaken the goblin spell.

she started doing them day and night, so that she could always feel protected.

she started to relax more and be kinder to the beggars and sick people. she started to enjoy her time and if a special king still caught her eye now and then, she no longer looked to talking to the people as a burden.

meanwhile, the kingdom grew with men who had seen and talked to the emperor’s daughter. they all claimed she was so kind, and so beautiful, and being around her had induced in them a state of such joy and happiness, that they were all able to feel blessed to be in her presence. some of the sick healed. word spread about the magic of the emperor’s daughter.

****

(...)

a different version:

St. George, wanting to rescue the Emperor's Daughter, tramples the blessed dragon piece of her soul...

grieved, she eventually forgives his fear and ignorance, revives the dragon, and appreciates him for his bravery and willingness to come to her aid

St George becomes the Emperor's Daughter brave and loyal companion and lover

Red October

by Gera Benoit

Thank you thank you thank you my beautiful body