The Prince in Exile

    Long ago in a land not far away, a prince was born in a castle. His first few years were happy and healthy ones, as his parents were kind and capable rulers. But when his father the king was killed in a robbers' ambush, his wife lost her mind with grief and retired to her chambers, never to set foot outside them for the next eighteen years.
    The kingdom was now ruled by the queen's greedy sisters, clever and calculating women learned in both cunning and the darkest of magic arts. They imprisoned the true heir in a high tower. He grew up a prisoner, never knowing his true heritage, but always yearned to know more about the world outside and his past; so when he was nearly a grown man he made a ladder out of cloth and climbed down to begin a new life.
    His prison sat far from the country of his birth, so no one he met on his travels could have guessed who he was. As it happened, however, when the queen's sisters had seized the kingdom their court jester (a deceptively wise man who preferred to keep his great learning a secret, and had often advised the former king in private) had overheard where the prince was being taken and fled there himself.
    For years he lived under the hill before the tower, where he could watch the boy. Upon seeing the daring escape, he tracked the young man (whose name was Eric) to an inn, where he introduced himself as a friend of the boy's father.
   "I know what you are searching for," said the Jester to Eric, who was already fascinated by  the idea that here stood someone who had been close to the parents he'd never known. "And I know where you can find it." So saying, he handed Eric a map of his kingdom. "I shall lead you to this castle," he continued, pointing to the prince's former home, "and there you will discover the truth about yourself and your family."
   Eric immediately agreed, and the two traveled together for a year and a day. On the way the Jester taught Eric everything he would need to know about ruling: philosophy, tactics, logic and law, among other invaluable lessons of life. Having had so little experience of life, Eric was an enthusiastic learner, and the Jester was satisfied that he would make a devoted and passionate king.
    It seemed like hardly any time at all before they came to the castle one brightly moonlit night. Upon its great doors were paintings of all the rulers that had ever lived in it. "Observe closely!" the Jester instructed his student. Eric looked, and to his shock he saw face upon face that looked just like his. "These must be my family!" he cried.
    "Not so loud! Yes, and this is your castle. And do you see the sword that the last figure of all holds? That is your father, and that is your father's sword—or perhaps I should say…" The Jester drew his pack off his back and produced from it the blade of the portrait. "This is now your sword. Many believe that your father's spirit resides within. With this, no one will doubt that you are indeed the true heir to the throne. Now go in, while the entire court is gathered to commemorate the new year, and make your claim."
    And that is exactly what Eric did. The nobles of the kingdom could hardly believe their eyes when this remarkable young man came striding in with the heirloom they thought had long since disappeared, for the wicked sisters had spread the news that the true prince had died in infancy. The sisters themselves were furious, and rose to cast spells of death down upon his head, but Eric blinded them with the reflection of chandelier light from his blade and in their confusion their magic turned against them, transforming each and every one of the six terrible sisters into piles of cobwebs on the floor.
    "Did the magic of the sword do that?" Eric said in awe as the court surrounded him in welcome and joy.
    "Not at all," said the Jester, appearing behind him. "It was your own courage that made it happen. But isn't that a kind of magic as well?"