THE VALIANT PRINCE

CHAPTER I

Hi, hello, how is everyone doing, hi.
Today, we're going to tell you a story.
The story of the valiant prince.
He was a very good and brave prince.
Well, I'm going to tell you, but maybe I won't tell you.
You can watch it yourselves, I hope you like it.
Okay, oh! And tell your little friends to watch it too.
Okay, bye.

Once upon a time, long ago, in a distant and beautiful place, there was a very powerful king, King Luis III.

The king was noble, just, and had a great army at his disposal. His castle, atop the hill, could be seen from a thousand leagues away, thanks to its brilliance and splendor, as it was built with gold, platinum, emeralds, and precious stones.

The king's wealth was due to a beach in his kingdom where the sea would wash up diamonds instead of seashells. It was one of the most coveted realms among all the kingdoms. That is why its borders were always well protected. Its wealth was incomparable.

But nothing compared to the greatest treasure of the kingdom, his daughter Olivia. The most beautiful princess that had ever existed.

Olivia was beautiful, noble, sweet, and wise, and she was always in a good mood. She enjoyed walking through the castle gardens and eating wild fruits.

One day, King Luis III summoned his daughter.

⁃ Olivia, my daughter. I have been thinking about it for a long time. - He said in a paternal tone. - Since your mother disappeared, I am not the same. I miss her dearly.
⁃ I miss her too, Papa.
⁃ You know that one day you will be the queen of this entire empire, right?
⁃ Father, I don't want to think about that.
⁃ I know, my dear. But that's why it's important to find a good husband for you.
⁃ I am still very young, and so are you.
⁃ We both have a duty to fulfill. Besides, I will always be here. - He said, pointing to his heart. - And even though you can rule these lands alone, it's good for you to have a man, strong and brave, who loves you more than anything.

The princess knew that her father was right. One day she would have to get married; she couldn't take care of the entire kingdom on her own. But with whom?

⁃ You're right, Father. I will do as you ask. But I have a wish to make.
⁃ Tell me, my daughter. You know I cannot deny you anything.
⁃ I want to go to the village for a day, but not as a princess. I want to know what it feels like to be a common girl.
⁃ But, my daughter, that is very dangerous.
⁃ Please, Papa. Grant me this wish, it's the only thing I ask of you before getting married.
⁃ Very well. But some men from my guard will secretly follow you.

The village closest to the castle was a very small but picturesque village.
It had a water well in the center of the square.
Merchants of all kinds offered silk, fine herbs, jewelry, and all sorts of food, while people strolled from one place to another, searching for something they knew they would eventually find.
A young, handsome, and kind man approached a merchant.

⁃ Excuse me. Do you know which way to go to reach the Kingdom of the Seven Lakes?
⁃ It is a very distant kingdom - the merchant said in a friendly tone. - It will take you at least a week to get there. But you can take the path that goes west.
⁃ Thank you, good sir.

As he turned around to continue his journey, the young man bumped into a young lady, causing her to drop some fruits she was carrying in a basket.

⁃ Excuse me. I didn't see you.

As he couldn't have seen her, the young man thought. She was the most beautiful girl his eyes had ever seen. Quickly, he bent down to help her pick up the fruits.

⁃ Don't worry - the girl said to the young man. - And when she looked into his eyes, she noticed something that caught her attention. A special sparkle in his eyes that she had never seen before.

⁃ I'm just passing through. Heading to the Kingdom of the Seven Lakes.
⁃ That kingdom is very far. Where are you from? - the princess asked.
⁃ I'm from the village of Modho-or, north of here. And I've heard that there is great wealth in that kingdom. I'm going to try my luck.
⁃ What? You didn't see me? And with those beautiful eyes... I'm sorry. - The young girl blushed and realized she shouldn't have said that. - Before going there, you could stay a couple of days in the village to rest.
⁃ I had thought about it, but there would have to be a very compelling reason for me to stay. - And looking straight into the girl's eyes - I think it won't be difficult to find one in this village full of beautiful things.

The king's guards watched the princess and the young man from afar.
But it wasn't just the guards who watched the couple. A mysterious young woman couldn't stop staring at them, especially at the young man.

Who will be the mysterious girl?
Hmm, who? Who?
is The prince going to discover that the maiden was the princess.
Oh, what will happen?
And why did the prince want to go to the Kingdom of the Seven Lakes?
Maybe because he wanted to learn how to swim.
I don't know, well.
Don't miss the next episode.
It's going to be very nice, okay?
I hope you also watch it and enjoy it a lot.
I am Mr. Pelochas, Ahh.
And I'm going to tell you many stories.
But right now, we're just with the prince.
Oh, and I forgot. I don't know if the king was good or bad.
He looks good, but I don't know.
Let's see what happens, okay? Bye.

CHAPTER 2

Hi, hello! In the last episode, we saw that the king told the princess she must get married.
The princess went to the town and met the prince,
and they got along pretty well.
I'm really cold, but anyway, let's see what's going to happen
because there is a mysterious young woman.
What would she want?
I don't know, but if you want to know what happens with her,
let's see the story.
Whew, it's cold, really cold!

The princess felt very comfortable walking in the plaza with the young man.

- Have you been to this village before? - Olivia asked.
- No. It's my first time. It's very beautiful. But, sorry, you haven't told me your name. I am Alejandro.
- I am...- The princess hesitated to tell him who she was.- Isabel. My name is Isabel.- She lied.
- Isabel, it's a very nice name. Are you from around here?
- My ca...my cabin is located north of the hill.

The young man looked at a merchant offering a new kind of food. It wasn't liquid like water or fruit juices. And it wasn't solid food. He had heard of that food, but he had never tasted it before.

- Look!- He pointed excitedly. - They have ice cream here.

It was the first time he had seen ice cream. So, with an ice cream and a stroll through the plaza, the princess felt the happiest of all princesses. And young Alejandro, for a moment, forgot about going to the kingdom of the seven lakes and his desire to make a fortune.

- It's time for me to go back home.- the princess said.
- Can I walk you home, if you wish.
- No, thank you. But maybe you'll be lucky and we'll meet again.
- I will come to the plaza every day, hoping to see you again,- Alejandro said as the girl walked away through the narrow streets of the village.

The young man felt tired but content. "It seems like it was a good decision to leave my house," he thought. And just as he was about to go home...

- You're not from around here, are you?
- I'm sorry, what do you mean?
- You're a stranger, right?" the mysterious girl said.
- Yes, I come from far away. Is it that noticeable?
- I heard that you wanted to go to the kingdom of the seven lakes. I could take you, I know how to get there.
- Yes, that would be nice. But I'm considering staying in this place for a while.
- This place... - She said in a disrespectful tone towards the young man. - There's nothing for someone like you in this place.
- You're looking for fortune, aren't you? - How do you know?
- I know many more things than you can imagine. And I could take you to the seven lakes and help you have all the gold in the world.

The young man politely interrupted her.

- I'm sorry, you are? - He waited momentarily for the girl to say her name.
- My name is Alicia, but you can call me Aly.
- She said in a seductive tone.
- Nice to meet you. I'm Alejandro. But, to be honest, I would prefer to stay in this village for a while.

The girl's face immediately changed, and she felt rejected.

- You know you're making a bad decision, right?
- I'm sorry...

Alejandro didn't appreciate a stranger telling him what was best for him, and he thought, "Who are you to tell me what is good for me or not?"

- A bad decision can have serious consequences, - the mysterious woman said to Alejandro in a threatening tone.

Alejandro felt uncomfortable.

- I think it's better for me to leave. I wish you a good journey, Alicia. And good luck.

- As the young man walked away, Alicia said to him.
- We will meet again.
- I doubt it.

The prince liked the princess,
but remember, he doesn't know she is a princess.
On the other hand, the mysterious young woman has feelings for the prince,
but he doesn't feel the same way about her.
However, the princess has feelings for the prince.
Well, I really don't know what's going to happen,
but you should find out in the next episode.
It's so cold, very cold, too coooold.
Let's continue watching. And don't forget to tell your friends to watch the next episode too, okay? Bye!

CHAPTER 3

Ah, hi! Hello, where am I? Ohh, I'm here. Oh!
I was telling you the story of the mysterious young woman who likes the prince.
She wanted to take him to a place in the Seven Lakes, but the prince didn't want to go. I think he had something else in mind.
I'm not going to tell you everything now. I don't want to spoil the whole story.
Let's see what happens in this new episode. I hope you like it.

The next morning, very early, Alejandro was back in the square. "If I'm lucky," he thought, "I'll be able to see Isabel once again," and that excited him a lot.
A messenger of the king caught his attention. He was in the center of the square, next to the water well, with a decree from King Luis III.

- Thus, all the young people of the kingdom have been summoned by order of His Majesty King Luis III.

He approached to listen, along with many people gathered there. The messenger continued reading.

- It is expected that all young people of marriageable age must present themselves at the castle as soon as possible. The king hopes to choose the future husband for his daughter, Princess Olivia.

Whispers were heard among the young people in the square. Some of them hurried to go to the castle, while others were not as motivated, thinking they didn't have any chance.
He didn't pay much attention to it. His biggest interest for now was to be lucky enough to see Isabel again.
As the evening approached, he couldn't believe it. His eyes had the joy of seeing Isabel once more. Both of them were delighted to see each other again, and that evening, as well as the following ones, they met in the town square.

- I feel very happy by your side. - The young woman said to Alejandro.
- It was lucky that I came to this town. You know, I could have taken the river path, and we would have never met.
- I don't believe in luck, I believe more in destiny.
- Well, blessed destiny that allowed me to meet you.
- And do you still want to go to the Kingdom of the Seven Lakes in search of fortune?
- I don't think I have to go that far. The king of this kingdom is offering fortune, gold, and wealth. I heard it the other day in the square.
Alejandro said excitedly.
- But I believe all of that is for whoever marries his daughter Olivia. Do you plan on marrying her?
The tone of the young woman was sad.
- I'm not interested in his daughter, but I can try my luck to have something to offer you.
- I don't need gold or silver, your company is enough for me.
The young couple embraced each other.

Several weeks passed, until one day, everything changed.
The plaza looked very lonely and sad that day. At least, that's how it seemed to Alejandro, even though people were coming and going nonstop.
Isabel hadn't gone to the plaza that afternoon. Suddenly, it started to rain, and the young man's tears mixed with the raindrops.
"Did I do something wrong?" he wondered. "Was it something I did?" he thought.
But no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't imagine why the young woman hadn't returned that day.
The next day was the same as the previous one, and the day after that, for a whole week, the young woman didn't show up in the plaza.
The young man thought that maybe the girl had stopped loving him. He had no way to communicate with her, and he didn't even know where to look for her.
Now he felt that leaving his home hadn't been the best decision. He thought about going back. Surely his father would be looking for him. But he had sworn not to return until he had found fortune,
So one day he decided to go to King Luis III's castle.

He had seen large and beautiful palaces before, but he had never seen a palace like this.
Pillars of gold with embedded diamonds. Large windows with frames of rubies and emeralds. And it had vast gardens with trees and flowers from all over, and the view, a spectacular view of the Diamond Beach.

Many young people were waiting for their turn to enter the castle. Some of them had set up tents to spend the night outside the castle.
When the young man's turn came, a guard of the king signaled him to approach the door.

- Where do you come from and what is your name?
- From the north of Modho-or. And my name is Alejandro.
- You go through that hallway, and at the end, there is a large hall where they will talk to you.
The hallway was very long, and as he walked, he admired more and more the wealth of the palace. "If I manage to win the king's favor, I can offer something to Isabel and prove to my father that his son is worthy of his name," he thought.
Upon entering the hall, there was a very large table, and at the end of the table were three individuals. The king's magician, a counselor, and a maid.
The magician signaled for him to approach, and he began.

- The king requests three things that the young man who seeks to marrie his daughter must have. If you fullfill the three of them, you can merry her.
The magician continued, with the approval of the advisor.
- The first trial is that the king wants a strong man for his daughter. There is a place on the Diamond Beach where a hidden treasure is located.
- In that place, - the advisor continued. - you will find one of the largest diamonds in the world. Additionally, there is a golden key that opens one of the palace vaults. The king's ancestors hid it there, and no one has been able to find it.
- You will have to dig on the beach for three days and three nights, without resting. If you manage to do it, you will have proven that you are strong enough to proceed to the second trial.
Concluded the magician.

The young man wasn't thinking about marrying the king's daughter. For some reason, he couldn't stop thinking about Isabel. He still had hopes of seeing her again someday. If he passed this test, he could receive some reward from the king. That way, he would have something to offer Isabel when he found her again.

Will the prince see Isabel again?
Hmm, I don't know.
Can the prince pass the test on the beach? I don't know.
What will happen with the king, the magician, and the young mysterious woman? There are so many things,
but don't miss the next episode. And tell your little friends to watch all of them, from the first to the last.
Okay, good. See you in the next episode. I hope you enjoy them. Bye.