You Found Me

Madeline sat in the tower waiting. How had the wizard noticed he'd grabbed the wrong girl? It had been years. Surely at this point, the king had found his real daughter. Had she not been worth saving? How foolish had she been to swap places with the princess like this was some kind of fairytale? 

She missed her family, her friends, and the village. As she leaned against the stone of the window frame one face entered her mind, Ralph. The boy her mother had called her childhood sweetheart.  He was brave and kind and when she was younger she'd believed he would come to save her but she was older now. 

She'd tried to free herself from the tower but it seemed to be designed to keep her there. She'd thought because she wasn't the princess it would let her go. But no she was trapped – possibly forever. Would she die here? Would her parents die not knowing she was alive this whole time? She didn't even know how far she was from the village. 

Sure she had everything she needed, the magical tower gave her food, water, clothes that always fit and even things to keep her entertained. She didn’t even need to clean but she was lonely, and she wasn't free. 

Madeline watched the sun come up and sat at the window until the sun reached its highest point in the sky, "Time for a meal." She sighed and turned to see what the tower offered her today but before she could slide off her window seat something appeared on the horizon. 

She squinted, there was a rider! She quickly pulled the pillowcase off one of the one too many pillows on the bed and waved it out the window, hoping to catch his attention. The dot on the horizon kept getting bigger. 

Her heart raced, could it be? As the dot got closer she saw them, "Look out !" she shouted as jagged rocks jutted out from the ground. She watched the horse and rider weave through the new obstacles. He made it through the rocks and as he passed the last one a great chasm opened and flooded with water, the horse reered up and panicked. 

The rider quickly jumped off the horse and calmed the animal. Looking around he tied the horse to one of the jutted-out rocks. She couldn't hear him but it seemed he calmed his animal companion. How was he going to get across the new mont around her tower? Surely he wasn't going to swim across – was he? Who knows what was in there? 

He walked along the bank as if he was looking for something. Then he tossed some stones and a few of them landed in the water, but some floated in the air, he walked across a magical bridge "My Fair Lady?" He called from below. 

"Yes Brave knight?" she squinted to get a better look at him. 

"Do you know what I might face as I climb up your tower?" He unsheathed his sword. 

"No, I've never been able to make it past the floor below me." She paused – "Please be safe." 

“I will move with hast it to save you at once my lady!" And with that, he was off. 

She opened the trapped door and listened for any sound, "Hello? Is everything okay down there?" 

"Keep talking! It's a maze down here!" He called out his voice sounding very familiar. She quickly grabbed a book from her shelf and started reading out loud. Eventually, she heard his steps. "I can hear you!" she called out. 

"I think I can see the light of your room!" His voice sounded close.

Madeline kept reading until she saw his face," Raluphy?"

"I knew I'd find you, Maddie!" His smile still had the same boyish charm she remembered. 

"You saved me," she whispered. 

"I became a knight so I could save you. I wasn't going to let the king forget you." He stepped closer. 

"I thought everyone forgot about me." She reached out and took his hand. 

He kissed her hand, "Shh say nothing more of that, your parents will be thrilled you’re back and the king owes you a great debt." He rushed and picked her up and thrilled her around. "Let's get you home." 

Taking her hand he let her through the towers whose magic seemed to fade. The chasm closed and the horse and rider were reunited, "Let's get Madeline home, old boy."

"I can't wait to see what adventures I can find." She takes in a deep breath of fresh free air. 

"I'll come with you if you'll let me." Ralph offered her a hand up the on his horse.

"I think I'd like that." Madeline took his hand and climbed up on the horse, ready to go home.