Prince’s Sea Bride

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 182, 29 April 1933, Page 19

Prince’s Sea Bride

Beaumine Seeks a Fairy and Her Dragon Steed

The prince of the Betiulilul Isle was walking ou a lea not far from the palace of his father, the king. It was one of the loveliest: days in early spring, and the gold and crimson banner on the castle tower Haunted proudly iu the fresh breeze, which was driving high white clouds across the cold blue sky. and waving, too, the feather In the prince's little crimson velvet The sea below the cliffs came thundering from the wide ocean into the rainier waters of a little sheltered cove. The waves that rose to break cn the brown sands were like masses of emerald edged with crystal, and the water further out was decked with purple cloud-shadow, while white gulls wheeled overhead. ITiuce Beaumine was beautiful, tv", jis beautiful as this same day. UIS Golden hair showed beneath the crimson cap with the jaunty feather: his eyes were bine, a paler colour than the skv: his cheeks fresh ami rosy, his lips full and red as a beautiful girl s. lie was clad in crimson velvet, with ft cloak of royal purple, edged with ermine. Yes, beautiful indeed was he, and young. lie stood gazing down at the break-, ing waves, thinking how lovely was the scene, when suddenly he saw, just as a great wave broke with thunder on the shore, a strange creature rise from the foam, a creature with iiery eyes and scaly back, ou which was sitting the loveliest being the prince had ever seen, a sea-fairy. Her long, dripping hair was brown-golden, the colour or the sands; her folded wings were of the pale colours of rose and blue that are seen in the sky at sunset, and her long, flowing dress was of the same delicate tints.

Prince Beaumine could not very clearly see the fairy's face, for she was not very' near, and he saw her only for a moment, but he could see that she was very beautiful. She waved her baud anil smiled up at him, then her strange steed plunged beneath the. waves and she was lost to view. He ran swiftly down the clift-path and called across the waves, but there was no answer, no.r.did he sec the fairy again, so. with a strange joy, mingled with sadness, he went back to the palace. thinking still of the lovely fairy maiden, hoping lie might see her again, dreading lest he should not. Every’ day after that I he prince spent most of his time ou the sea-shore, watching for the reappearance of the fairy, for he had talleii iu love with her, though he had seen her but for a moment. But iu vain did lie watch, for he never saw the dragon, come cleaving the waves, with the fairy seated on. its back. Daily, saddened by disappointment, he grew paler and thinner, and the king, his royal father, growing disturbed in mind, asked him why he spent so long on the shore, and why ho seemed so sad ; but the prince feared to tell, lest, his father should think he was suffering from some

malady of the mind, ami had imagined he bad seen I be fairy. The king thereupon the ( . lliet: physicians of tin.- , i ” <-iiil the wisest ol me •Tefliaps, earn cue . , ~ be fears to'tXYour Majesty of it, .fearing your dHl'leasure. , • » this bU-3 noLsiblv see the sea-fairy wsomeother part of the ocean; and, seeing ~:c ,o In a short lliuo H>« l’ , ll ' VL '. w ting out. once more full of ho t. He bad a cauop.v erected m Ite > of 'the <iip, ami there he would be “«■» • >.««* ever bops ful of seeing the fairy. But one day a storm arose, and the sailors tried to persuade go below. He, however, kio« u not the danger he ran, refused, ami ay Still on deck, clinging to one ot he supports of the canopy, lest one of the great waves should wash

thought lie, "it is known that ' the people of the sea o ten use to frolic iu a tempest, so perhaps 1 shad now see the fairy-maiden. The wind rose and hopled atound the rigging, cold ami dismal; the sky grew black and threatening, low rumbles were heard, and brigb flashes of lightning reft the sullen clouds, while the waves rose higher every moment. "Your Highness, come below, ot you will be swept away,” begged the captain of the ship. Just at that moment there was a , low bellowing sound, and a dragon appeared near the side of the ship, with a fairv seated on its back; but it MS not the fairy of the prince's dreams. This uiaiden bad raven hair anil wore a dress as blue as the ocean. With a cry, half of joy at seeing the lairy, and half of disappointment because she was not the cue he longed to sec, the prince started up, and before the captain could prevent him, he had Hung himself overboard after the disappearing dragon, leaving Ibc captain Standing in dismay, thinking be had been lured to death by an evil seasprite. Down, down, sank the prince, nud just as be began to repent of having dived after the fairy, she appeared close to him, and stretching out her band, took bis, uttering magic words that gave him immediately the power of breathing under the water. She , drew him up on the dragon s back, and said: “How glad I am that J have found you. for you are he whom ray mistress, the youngest of the sea-fairy princesses, loves. And you love her, 'too, do you not? Of course you do, for to see her is to love her.” “Is it she I saw rise from the waves near the Beautiful Isle?” asked the prime. "Yes, that is the Princess Anemone. She fell iu love with you. but unwisely told her father of it, and he, of course, was angry, for lie bad planned that she should marry one of bis nobles. So he keeps her confined in her own room, where she lies sick and sad. I love her dearly, so I set out to find you, ami by casting a spell over you caused you to follow me into the sea.” “Take me quickly to your mistress,” begged - Beaumine. "Wo are already on our way to her, ’ replied the fairy, and at that moment they saw before them the crystal palace of the sea-king. The dragon came to rest on the bed of the sea, and the fairy ami Beaumine alighted. “Follow nie.” Hie. fairy whispered, “and make no noise. It is Hie hour when the fairies are all asleep. We shall go round to Hie outer door of the princess’s room, for I have the key, which 1 took from the guard when be fell asleep on watch.” They stole round the palace until they came Io a little door, which the fairy unlocked. Prince Beaumine entered first, and saw at. once the figure of Princess Anemone lying on a bed. He ran toward her. She was asleep: but as he bent over her, marvelling at her beauty, she opened eyes that were as blue at hyacinths in the spring, and a rosy flush crept into her pale cheeks. "My darling!” cried Hie prince. “1 am only dreaming, surely,” Atiernone snid. “Hush, dear princess.” warned the little maid. “You will waken the king and Hie courtiers.” “Oh. Pearl." the princess said, rising from her bed, and kissing Hie other fairv-mniden. “You think never of yourself, but. always for others. Yon are the most faithful of all my servants. and I love you dearly.” “It is because I. love you so that I have done this,’’ Pearl answered, happy at this praise. “But time is short. J shall leave you here awhile ami go to find your dragon, princess. When you arc ready, come to meet me.” A little later, the prince and princess joined Pearl, who had two dragons. On one of these mounted Anemone and Beaumine: on the other Hie princess :s maid herself. “We shall go first to my aunt, the wisest of all Hie sea-ljtiries. who loves me, mid knows a spell to enable me Io live on Hie land.” Anemone stiid. “Pearl, you shall conic to live with us. 100. ami we .shall reward you for your faithfulness.” The princess's aunt was sleeping I when (hey reached Hie cave in which she dwelt, but on awaking, she professed herself willing to aid her niece and Beauniine. and set oft wilh them on her own dragon. The three strange steeds set. off. and presently, rising through the foam, value I" rest close (~ the spot where Beaumine had first seen the sea-fairy, in the lovely little bay with calm, green wa i or-. “Now step to the. shore,” said Anemone’s mini, mid n.s they did so she uttered :i spell, so tli.it Anemone and Pearl were changed io mortal-, losing their wings, and llieir power of living for ever, but none of their homily. “You arc quilt- willing Unit Illis should be. are you not?" said Hie fairy woman. "You shall never bo able Io regain fairy form, for lhero i- tmcliariri Io give it back to you.” "We are both quite willing.” Anemone said: "and now. good-bye. dear aunt! You have been very good to us.” As the fairy vanished, the Ihree who were left on the shore turned mid climbed the path to the top of the dill. mid went, toward I he castle. How glad was Hie king Io sec his dear son. whom he thought had been lost! For time under Hie sea passes quickly, and Hu* prince had in reality been beneath the water for several days, so Hint his -hip had come fo port, bringing I it- sad nen.s. The king. I lien, was overI joyed, mid not. a little amazed at the | story the prince told him. He loved I Anemone when he saw her, and she and

Itcaumine were soon married, tear W ed a voting noble of the court, and su they all lived very happily together. ' —original. by ‘'Excelsior Elf,” JI a we r a.