Long ago when fairies walked openly among men, King Hightower of Openland lived up to his name by building a tower apart from any castle to protect his daughter, Amanda, from coming war. When his enemies were defeated and the girl desired to come down from her lofty cell, the king bade her to remain. “There are thieves roaming the land and my army is depleted from the war. I will let you know when it is safe to venture from your place of protection.”
In a short span of time, King Hightower’s army regained its strength and drove the thieves beyond his kingdom’s borders. Again, the princess sent a message to her father. “The thieves are gone. Pray tell me why I should not come down from my loft.”
“Nay, daughter,” replied the king. “The thieves have fled, but there is a scourge of wild animals across the land. Stay awhile longer.”
Each year Amanda begged permission to leave her tower, and each year the king gave a new reason for her to stay. There she remained untouched by the distresses of the world. And there in her lofty room she grew to become a beautiful young lady.
The princess lacked for nothing in her tower. The king so ordered, and his chief engineer devised a block and tackle system with which attendants raised necessities to the princess’s rooms. They pulled up each item by hand. Periodically they fitted a maid servant in a harness and with the same rope lifted her to the princess’s quarters to clean the rooms and see to the royal heir’s needs. Twice a year they lifted skilled tradesmen to make repairs. They even sent up a seamstress who measured the king’s daughter for new clothes. Amanda wanted for nothing except daily companionship.
Yet for all of this the princess was not entirely lonely. She followed the happenings of the kingdom albeit from her lofty perch. She saw important visitors come and go from the king’s palace. She spotted threats from invaders yet afar off and so forewarned the kingdom.
For her entertainment, King Hightower commissioned a musical troupe to perform from the tower’s lawn. Each year a circus performed spectacular acrobatics inches from Amanda’s window.
And Amanda had books—lots of books from which she learned about the whole wide world that she could not reach out and touch.
Princes from nearby lands learned of this beautiful princess and sought permission to woo her. However, the king saw none of them as worthy of his daughter’s hand and forbade them setting an armed guard round about her tower. Still these nobles came, defying opposition, determined to win this beautiful girl despite the odds against them. They all failed.
As time went on, it so happened King Hightower became feeble minded. It is unknown whether this came about through natural cause or some devious measure. Most chroniclers assume the latter, suspecting someone of low degree placed a slow acting potion into the king’s drink that over time resulted in his deteriorated mental state. On the day King Hightower appeared in court in naught but his underclothes, the kingdom’s nobility, banded together with the king’s high council to appoint his high counselor, Ignold, as regent to reign in his place.
Ignold, feigned reluctance to take over as supreme ruler of the kingdom, but in his heart of hearts he desired nothing less. He ruled with an iron fist, removing all vestiges of King Hightower’s reign.
When Ignold heard rumors that Princess Amanda approached the age when she could claim the right of birth to her father’s throne, he doubled the guard around the tower. He cloaked his true motive by announcing, “We must keep our princess safe until it is time for her to reign in her father’s place.” When asked when that would be, Ignold had no answer.
To protect his interests, the regent cut Amanda off from all outside contact. He forbade any living soul to come within one hundred yards of her lofty prison. He even plotted her demise. While he continued to send up supplies, he held back food and water, unbeknownst to the princess’s attendants who passed up packages with no knowledge of what they contained.
Of course, Ignold expected the princess to starve, upon which he’d proclaim some illness had claimed her. He’d then be free to reign over the kingdom with no fear of an heir replacing him on the throne.
But Amanda did not die, nor did she wither. The good fairy Emelda traveled through that country and noticing the tower inquired as to its purpose. When she learned about the princess imprisoned there she took pity on the unfortunate lass. Emelda made herself invisible to Ignold’s troops and entered the tower. She showed herself to the princess.
Amanda cried out when she saw the beautiful lady standing before her. “Who are you and how did you get here?” she asked fearing that Emelda was an agent of her foe.
“My child,” answered the kind fairy, “You need not fear me. I am a fairy from the North, and I wish you nothing but good.”
The princess cocked her head. “But I thought fairies were as small as birds, yet you are as tall as me.”
“We fairies can choose our appearance,” Emelda replied. Would it make you more uncomfortable were I small?” And with this she shrunk to the size of a robin.
“Oh, no,” answered Amanda. “I prefer you as you were. But why have you come.
Emelda returned to her original height. “I came to inquire as to what have you done to be imprisoned in this place?”
“Nothing except being born,” Amanda answered. “My father built this tower for me to keep me safe from the woes of the world. Now his usurper keeps me here to deny me what is rightfully mine.”
“You poor dear,” replied Emelda. “The one meant this tower for good, the other intends it for evil, but either way it imprisons you. But wait awhile longer and circumstances will change.” Emelda floated out of the open window.
“Wait,” cried the princess. “Will you return? I am so lonely and have nothing to eat or drink.”
Emelda smiled. “Don’t fear. I will return and you will have no lack.”
True to her word Emelda came everyday visiting with Amanda. She passed through the guards who never noticed her and brought the princess food and water enabling her for to thrive.
Months passed. The regent heard no news of the princess’s demise. Astounded that the girl continued to live, he sent for the captain of his guards. “How is our kingdom’s princess?” he asked in his most sympathetic voice.
“She is as strong and fair as ever,” the captain replied unprepared for the regent’s response.
Ignold became enraged. “Triple the guard. Make sure no one gets through.”
The stalwart captain had no idea why his master reacted so at the good news of Amanda’s health but saw no option but to obey. The week passed and the regent inquired as to Amanda’s condition and learned she still flourished.
Ignold became furious and suspecting someone was sneaking food and water to the girl, ordered his bewildered captain to prison. His troops became reassigned. He sent a secret emissary to the most formidable band of thieves that remained in Openland.
The emissary spoke the regent’s wishes. “My master will give you 100 gold coins apiece if you go to a far land and bring a dragon to the tower of the princess.”
“A dragon?” said Rinebad, the chief of thieves who suspected treachery on Ignold’s part. “First of all why should I trust you? And, second how might we do what you ask?”
The emissary eyed the brigand. “I have a bag of 50 gold coins on my person. Is this not enough for you to see the genuineness of my liege’s offer. The rest will be given when you complete the task. As for the rest, it is well known that dragons love to feast on princesses. You just have to tell the worm where to find this one. Assure him he will have no knights in shining armor to stand in his way.”
Despite their misgivings the thieves agreed. The 50 gold coins convinced them. After a venture into the Land of Rottenwood they located a likely dragon, Longtail the Fierce. The worm eyed the thieves as they approached him while he lounged atop his hoard of gold. “I see you, thieves. Come to steal my treasure, have you? Well- come, better men than you have tried and came to fill my belly.”
Rinebad stepped forward. “Nay, noble beast. We have not come to steal, but to offer you a proposition.”
Longtail snorted, blowing out black smoke. “A proposition you say? What kind of a proposition?”
Rinebad inched closer. “We noticed a shortage of princesses around here…”
“Yes, because I had them all to supper.” Longtail chuckled at his play on words. “But not without cost. I’ve scars to prove the valor of noble but unsuccessful defenders.”
“Well, we know of a tower with a princess and no one to defend her.” Rinebald tilted his head. “Are you interested?”
Longtail studied the thief and considered whether he’d make a good snack or whether this proposition was worth consideration. “Is there any loot involved?”
Rinebad laughed. “There must be. It’s a princess in a tower. Of course there would be loot.”
Longtail bared his long sharp teeth. “Okay, where is this tower? And I suppose when I leave you will steal my treasure.”
“Oh, no,” answered the thief. We will have none of your treasure. We hear it is cursed as all dragon treasure is. No, but we will not tell you where the tower is but instead show you.” This he said to prevent the worm from eating him and his companions once Longtail knew where to go.
And so, the dragon agreed, and the thieves led him to Princess Amanda’s tower. When they arrived, Longtail charged the tower but bounced off an invisible force ten feet from it. He sat on his haunches. He glared at Rinebad who stood nearby. “You did not tell me there is sorcery here. Well, no bother it won’t last, and I will get my prize. In the meantime, I’ll have a snack.” He reached out for one of the thieves who barely managed to evade his grasp.
Longtail settled in while the thieves returned to Ignold to collect their reward. The regent refused their demands. “Not until the dragon carries away the princess.” He ordered them from his sight.
“You have not heard the end of this,” shouted the irate leader of thieves who left the regent’s presence and traveled to a neighboring country where he found Prince Noblis, as noble a prince that ever lived. Rinebad gave report of the beautiful princess in the tower.
Moved by the report of the plight of the beautiful princess, Noblis purposed in his heart he would release her from her prison. He traveled many days to find her and to his dismay found the dragon resting at her tower’s base. He turned away giving up his quest, but Emelda appeared in front of him in a ball of fire. “Noble knight, have you come so far to turn back now?” she asked.
“Nay, good fairy,” replied Noblis. “I’m afraid the dragon has her.”
“Not so,” Emelda answered. “I have placed a spell around the tower that the worm cannot penetrate, but my power is weakening. The princess needs a deliverer.”
With that Noblis stepped forward. “I will deliver the princess if you go with me.”
The noble prince approached old Longtail and made challenge. The dragon laughed at the sight. “A single knight to oppose me? I’ll have you know I have consumed many bigger and mightier than you.”
“But you have yet to see my might,” replied the valiant prince. At this, Longtail lunged, his mouth open wide breathing fire. Noblis strung a sliver arrow resistant to flame as it was forged by dwarves. He let loose and Emelda guided the barb. It entered the worm’s throat and traveled inward to the dragon’s heart. Longtail dropped in midflight.
Noblis beamed in satisfaction and proceeded to the tower. He called to the princess who looked out her window. “You can come down now. I’ve slain the dragon.”
Amanda stared at the prince. “But I’ve no way to get down.”
The undaunted prince answered. “I’ll send a cord up on an arrow. You can tie it off. I’ll use it to come up and carry you down.”
Amanda looked beyond Noblis to the open countryside. “But why would I want to leave the home I’ve known all my life? I have everything I want right here.”
Noblis shook his head in bewilderment.
Emelda caught his eye. “You may have slain the dragon, but now you must win the princess’s heart. This might not be so simple.”
To his credit Noblis stayed his ground. He refused to leave his spot below Amanda’s window and called to her daily. Amanda on her part loved the company but declined to leave the security of her tower. It was all she knew for her entire life. Now with the opportunity to leave it she clung to its familiarity.
Autumn came and went. Still Amanda stayed in her lofty rooms. Noblis could stay no longer, being forced by winter’s chill to return to the warmer land of his father.
In the Spring Amanda became overcome with sorrow. She so missed Noblis. “Why did I let my knight go? By now he’s probably forgotten me and has married another.” she wailed.
Emelda appeared. “It’s not too late. Noblis pines for you so much he has become deathly ill.”
Amanda sobbed. “But I have no way to get to him. I’m still locked in this tower.”
Emelda smiled. “Look in the far corner of your room, the one place you never go. There by the wall is a trap door. You could have left at any time you chose.”
Amanda found the door, lifted it, and hesitated only for a moment.
Outside the tower and on the ground Emelda surrounded the princess in a globe of light and transported her to the prince’s bedside. At Amanda’s kiss, Noblis revived and of course, in the passing days, the prince and princess married.
The chronicles reveal that the couple returned to Openland where the citizens received Amanda as the rightful heir to her father’s throne. Ignold fled and so passes from this story. Amanda’s father regained his right mind and lived out his days in comfort.
When Amanda bore her first child, a girl, Noblis saw how precious and vulnerable she was. As fathers do, he had an overwhelming urge to keep her safe. “Yes, but no tower,” said Amanda.
They tore the tower down.