In a land ruled by a powerful king, there lived a prince who longed for adventure. One day, he ventured beyond the kingdom and came upon a giant’s house. The giant offered him work, and the prince agreed, not revealing his royal identity.
The giant warned him, “Do what I ask, but never go into the west room.” The prince’s curiosity was piqued. When the giant left, he opened the west room’s door and found a beautiful maiden.
“Who are you?” he asked, awestruck.
“I am the Mastermaid, a prisoner of the giant’s spells,” she replied. “You’ve disobeyed him, and now he’ll make you do impossible tasks. But I can help you.”
True to her word, when the giant set the prince impossible tasks, like emptying a lake or fetching the giant’s horse, the Mastermaid used her magic to complete them.
“Your tasks are done,” the prince declared each time.
The giant, puzzled and suspicious, finally said, “Fetch me the golden apple from the Garden of the Hesperides.”
The Mastermaid instructed, “Take this golden apple and three loaves of bread. Do not stop on your journey, no matter what you see.”
The prince journeyed and returned with the apple, having overcome many temptations and trials with the Mastermaid’s wisdom.
Grudgingly, the giant conceded, “You have done well. Choose your reward.”
“I choose the Mastermaid,” said the prince boldly.
Angered, the giant agreed but plotted their demise. The Mastermaid, sensing treachery, advised, “When we leave, do not stop, no matter what happens.”
As they fled, the giant’s enchantments caused a raging river and a ferocious fire behind them. But the prince, heeding the Mastermaid’s words, did not stop.
They reached the prince’s kingdom safely. But there, the prince made the mistake of sending the Mastermaid to his father’s castle alone while he tarried.
Upon her arrival, the king’s advisers, envious of her, tricked the king into replacing her with another bride for his son.
On the wedding day, the Mastermaid used her magic to cause a great storm. The prince, recognizing the storm’s nature, rushed to confront his father.
“What have you done?” he demanded.
The truth was revealed, and the Mastermaid was restored to her rightful place beside the prince. The kingdom rejoiced, for the prince had not only found a bride but a wise and powerful companion.
Together, they ruled justly, their kingdom flourishing under their joint wisdom and kindness, a testament to the power of love, cunning, and courage.
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