His destiny was supposed to have been within the chest made of lead.

The youth stared up at the beautiful but haughty princess wondering how he could have chosen wrong. He was the third and youngest son of a poor yet hardworking farmer and he knew how the story was supposed to go.

The beautiful princess had declared she would only marry whoever chose the chest that contained the white rose of purity. However, should the suitor choose falsely, the he was beheaded and said head would be displayed outside the castle as a testament to her power. Many men had already tried and failed, including the two elder brothers of the youth.

Undoubtedly the eldest son would have chosen the chest of gold thus defining his arrogant ways and eternally greedy eye. The middle brother had to have chosen the silver chest because of his similarities to the eldest though he was not as greedy. But he, as the youngest son, was supposed to triumph, was supposed to choose the chest of lead because that was how the story always went.

The princess frowned at the youth, her sword already clasped tightly in her white hand. With one fluid swipe the head of the youth left the body and was tossed upon a pike outside, displayed for all to see.

Perhaps the youth might have survived had he known that he was not actually the youngest son at all but rather the youngest legitimate son. Sixteen years ago the farmer’s wife had cheated on her husband with a seductive nobleman who had offered her the world on a string in exchange for lying with him. However, the mother died in the birthing of her son and the nobleman had no desire to father a bastard child.

However, instead of merely killing the child, the nobleman sealed the boy up within a wooden box and tossed him into the fastest flowing river the kingdom had to offer and never bothered to think on the child’s fate again.

If there is one being in the world that is luckier than a third and youngest son, then it is a child orphaned without cause. For the river the child was thrown into was a magical one with a mind of its own. And so, for the sixteen years it took for the boy child to become a strong, youthful lad, the river cared for the child feeding him fish and teaching him to speak via the gurgle of the wind on water. However, upon the death of the ill-informed third son, the river refused to keep the lad afloat for any longer. So the river forced the lad to finally swim ashore and find his own way in the world.

So the lad ventured forth into the world, helping anyone who just so happened to stumble across his path. In this manner he earned a reputation of being the most honorable and kind person in the kingdom no matter what the circumstances.

It was not long before the hard-hearted princess heard of his deeds and invited the lad to her castle for dinner. The lad accepted, for to refuse would have been an insult to royalty, and soon they dined together in warm silence.

Something about this particular silence began to melt the heart of the princess. Such an event had never happened before, not even when the third son came to call and she slowly began to wonder if this was the lad for her.

With beckoning arms she led him to the room which contained the three chests of gold, silver, and lead. In her most solemn voice she informed him that one of the chests contained the white rose of purity and that if he were to choose correctly, they could live happily as husband and wife.

The lad considered the chests for a long time before turning back to the princess, a crafty smile adorning his face. “The white rose,” he said “does not lie in any of these particular chests but rather with you for it is you who are the purest maiden in the land for none have been able to touch you.”

With a deft hand he plucked the rose from her blouse and held it up for the world to see. With a cry of delight the princess ordered the wedding celebrations be performed at once. And so it was that they lived happily ever after.

The

End