Rebecca’s Braid

‘T’was a long time ago that it had occurred. In a kingdom far away, there lived a selfish king and his beloved bride, the queen of said kingdom. The young king had recently married the woman of his dreams and pursued his dream of having his very own castle built. As such, he needed some land for the castle to be built on. Then it was that he happened upon the perfect location.

This land was a beautiful meadow hidden between the trees. Out of all the land in the kingdom, the ground seemed the firmest, perfect for a foundation. Position wise, this area would give a perfect view of the sun rise over the mountains while having a gorgeous forest on all the other sides. From the very moment that this section of land was discovered by the king and queen, Her Majesty had fallen in love with it.

His Majesty, seeking to please his beloved wife, decided he must have it. However, there was just one problem… Someone already lived on this land. In the center of the meadow sat a very old house, much older than the king or even his recently deceased father.

Of course, though, being the selfish man that he was, the king insisted on having the land. With many knights to guard him, the king made a great journey across the land back to the house he had discovered. Inside, a young woman lived with her family. The king knocked forcefully on the door until she answered.

“Oh! Your Majesty! What is it that hath brought thou to my humble abode?!” the young woman asked.

“I have taken notice of the meadow in which your house is built. I must have it for my wife and I to build a brand new castle!” the king said.

“Why shouldst I giveth thou my meadow? My family hath lived upon this land for countless generations!” the woman exclaimed.

“I will pay you for the land...and if you refuse my pay, I’ll just burn your house down,” the king said. “So make the wise choice and allow me to pay you for your land.”

“Giveth me a moment to tell the others, Your Majesty,” the young woman replied.

The woman hurried away. About fifteen other individuals were in the house as well. At the time, they were seated at a table consuming a mini feast purchased with their hard earned labor. Long had they toiled to afford such splendors.

“His Majesty the king hath arrived at our doorstep. Mother, he wishes to purchase our abode,” the young woman informed her mother. “He hath proclaimed that he intends on burning our home if we do not sell it to him.”

“My dear! We shan’t leave! We can do no such thing! Thou must remember my story, of how our ancestors arrivethed in this land over a thousand years ago,” the mother said.

“Verily I recall thine words, but that does not stop His Majesty from demanding our land,” the young woman said. “Thou gaveth me this house and I swore to protect it. Perhaps His Majesty will not demolish our home when he builds his own castle.”

“Alloweth me to speak,” a young man said.

“Permission granted,” the young woman said.

“Is there not still the magic blade buried underneath this framework?” the young man asked. “If His Majesty builds here, he will steal our magic.”

“That is a great concern, my love,” the young woman replied. “If he giveth us enough time, we shall excavate the sword and take it with us. He shall not have it.”

“Then so be it,” the mother said.

There was then some more talk amongst all the members of the household. Something had to be done, but regardless, they would lose their beloved home. At last, the young woman returned, tears in her eyes. A decision had been made, one that hurt the hearts of all that lived within the building.

“Your Majesty, we have come to a decision. Thou may buy our land, just giveth us time enough to pack our belongings and leave,” the young woman declared.

“You have made the correct choice, woman. Here, I have provided money enough for you and your family to get a new home,” the king said, revealing an entire wagon full of gold and silver and precious gem stones.

The money was then given to the young woman and her family. They were in awe of the king’s generous offer, even if it meant vacating their family home. Quickly, the family began to pack their belongings to leave. However, before anyone could finish packing, something had gone terribly wrong.

“Doth anyone smell that sharp odor?” the young woman asked, suddenly alert.

“Fire!” the woman’s mother announced.

The house was on fire with everyone inside. As it turned out, the king was in no mood to wait for the inhabitants to leave. His Majesty had ordered his men to leave a ring of highly flammable fluid around the perimeter of the old house. Then, it was lit and the house had begun to burn.

Screams of terror rang out as the young woman and her family desperately looked for a way to escape. The house was surrounded by flames and, in no time at all, it had entirely succumbed to the flames. The king and his men watched in amusement as the house burned down with everyone in it.

“Now then, men, take your buckets and douse this fire!” the king ordered.

Unknown to the king, the young woman was a witch. She used her magic to escape the ruins. Since that day, she swore she would get revenge on the king and queen. That was years ago, now a splendid castle hath been erected on the ashes of the witch house.

“My love, I have been pondering and wondering, is there anything that thine heart desireths?” the king asks at dinner one evening.

“Oh my love, thou hath given me all that my heart desires. We have riches and splendors galore. We possess knights and their shining armors, excellent storytellers have come and entertained me whenever my heart hath desired, and even our stable is occupied with only the finest equines in all the lands,” the queen said, and yet, and yet she had the appearance of someone who had nothing, someone with great longing.

“Speak not any lies, my love. I can see it in a gaze in thine soul pools,” the king said, gently caressing his wife’s chin. “Speak that which thy heart desireth and I shall make it be.”

“Oh my love… If there were one thing I wanted most, it would be a child; male or female it matters not,” the queen admitted.

It was true, despite all that Her Majesty possessed, she had no children. She had not anyone to look after, to love, to nurture, and instruct. Again, His Majesty wanted nothing more than to fulfill all of his wife’s hopes and dreams. She became pregnant and gave birth to a daughter, the first person to be born in the castle.

“So what dost thou wish to call thine infant?” His Majesty asked.

“She shall be called Rebecca, for she shall bind us to this, our new abode and thus is the ribbon tied atop the gift thou hast given to me,” Her Majesty replied, gently holding her new daughter.