Prologue
Once upon a time, a prince was born in the kingdom of Ectasmoria. He wasn’t a handsome child, or even remotely good looking. He was the ugliest and most foul-looking creature which has ever had the misfortune to be brought into this world. Not even his own parents, the king and queen disagreed with this and he was their own son. In fact, the prince was so ugly that his parents refused to even look directly at him for the first few months. They made their servants look after him, while they wept in their chambers over their son’s terrible misfortune. This only made matters much, MUCH worse. The less his parents looked at him, the uglier the prince became. After much fuss over being forced to even glance at him from time to time, the king and queen called for an enchanter to save them and their son.
Enchanters from all over the kingdom flocked to the palace, all desperate to be in the employ of the royal family. There were witches and wizards of all shapes and sizes, Old and young, short and tall, plump and skinny, muscular and puny. Female and male. Well, I think you get the point. There were 13 enchanters in total, not as many as the king and queen had hoped for. Considering the size of Ectasmoria, it was disappointing that only 13 of their most talented enchanters came to their aid when called upon by their rulers. The number greatly disturbed the queen in particular because she was convinced the number 13 was unlucky. The king had to summon her lady in waiting to calm her nerves.
These 13 enchanters came before the king and queen one by one and introduced themselves. According to legend, they each did so by song and no two were the same. It is not known to which tune these songs were sung to, but for the purpose of this story, just choose any song you wish.
The first enchanter came before the king and queen. This is how his song went:
“Ted Teddington is my name,
You may have heard of my fame,
I am old and wise,
And do not wear any disguise.
I hail from the city of Avon,
They will have noticed I am gone,
But they would greatly encourage me,
Should you hire me for a fee.”
The second enchanter came before the king and queen. This is how her song went:
“Rosa Trail be what I am called,
You don’t appear too enthralled,
I am but a humble witch,
And am not very rich.
I come from Jordye Tower,
There you hold all the power,
Here I am to put my skills to the test,
Let my actions prove the rest.”
The third enchanter came before the king and queen. This is how his song went:
“Thomas Bevor at your service,
I may appear rather nervous,
I am skilled despite my nerves,
I hope any doubt of that swerves.
Cheywood city is my home,
This is very different from my known biome,
Yet here I am to help you both,
To propose a troth.”
The fourth enchanter came before the king and queen. This is how her song went:
“Wilhelmina Hill here at your request,
I am your humble guest,
I am not as experienced as the others present,
But I will do my best so you do not resent.
Bourne Keep be my domain,
I shall however refrain,
From reciting what I know,
Let’s get on with the show!”
The fifth enchanter came before the king and queen. This is how his song went:
“Adam Waiver is what my name is,
I’ll admit I’m no curse whiz,
Yet here I am all the same,
So, allow me to proclaim.
I travelled from the city of Harli,
This is not a parley,
I shall prove myself to you,
I promise this is not a coup.”
The sixth enchanter came before the king and queen. This is how her song went:
“I am Mary Pends,
Not here to make friends,
I will follow your every wish,
I’m no cold fish.
Disanz Deep is where I come from,
Home to the atomic bomb,
Don’t let that misguide,
For here I am to sway the tide.”
The seventh enchanter came before the king and queen. This is how his song went:
“Stephen Tommy I am,
Not here to breach the dam,
Actions speak louder than words,
So, they say to even the birds.
Dorwine city is my place of origin,
Birthplace of sin,
Don’t let that mislead,
I have committed no bad deed.”
The eighth enchanter came before the king and queen. This is how her song went:
“Caroline Fords is the name on my birth certificate,
I will prove I am legitimate,
No easy feat,
I will do so without even missing a beat.
Barad Galure is my birthplace,
Not noticeable from my face,
Do not underestimate,
Just you wait.”
The ninth enchanter came before the king and queen. This is how his song went:
“My God given name is Roger Hill,
I was blessed with great skill,
I am here today to prove my talent,
Despite not being very gallant.
I have come from the city of Yenfalls,
Yet here I stand within your walls,
Here to lift the curse,
And not to make it any worse.”
The tenth enchanter came before the king and queen. This is how her song went:
“Call me Florentine Lampe,
I will be your champ,
Just let me prove myself,
As I am, but a lowly helf.
I live in Caer Guilegon,
I can say so with a grin,
As it is known how famous our enchanters are,
It is proven by my scar.”
The eleventh enchanter came before the king and queen. This is how his song went:
“Reaver Barnes is my moniker,
This palace is no lowly donniker,
I am not used to fancy things,
Like queens and kings.
Peny City is where I dwell,
I know it very well,
I’m here to help the prince,
So, his head won’t be turned into mince.”
The twelfth enchanter came before the king and queen. This is how her song went:
“My Christian name is Helena Carter,
That is just a starter,
I aim to be here for a long time,
Unlucky for some, as this is how I rhyme.
The Bastion of Suuha is where I reside,
I travelled at low tide,
I am the second last,
Don’t judge me too fast.”
The thirteenth and final enchanter came before the king and queen. This is how his song went:
“My appellation is Sebastian Stronghammer,
I am wearing no glamour.
What you see is exactly what you will get,
This is a face you are not likely to forget.
I inhabit the sorcerous City of Hilumen,
I will not say it again,
I am not here for any competition,
Lifting the young prince’s curse is my only mission.”
The king and queen had sat and listened to these 13 songs without saying very much, that is until they heard the last song. As the final song came to a close, the king stood up and smiled.
“Sebastian Stronghammer, did you say your name was?” he asked.
“Yes, your majesty,” the 13th enchanter replied.
The king’s smile widened.
“There will be no contest to decide which enchanter shall be under my employ. This man standing before me is my choice. Sebastian Stronghammer, welcome to the royal staff,” the king announced.
There was much arguing amongst the remaining twelve enchanters at this unexpected and sudden announcement from the king. The royal guards were called to escort them out before a fight could break out.
“Why me, your majesty?” the new royal enchanter asked.
“Your song, Mr. Stronghammer. It stood out from the rest. Now, my son awaits you in his bedchamber, will you walk with me?” the king queried.
“Of course, I would love to,” the royal enchanter said.
