Storytelling Week 4: Speed dating Swordswoman

"Son you've been mopping about the house all week, I know none of those women were right for you... But you cant stop trying! We must keep searching, lets expand our search to include queens instead of princesses. Maybe they'll be more mature and more suitable for you... What do you think ehh?" said king Charles.

Prince George perked up at the thought of meeting some older women, "Okay I'll give it a shot, but how do we get women together for me to meet?" asked George.

"You leave it to me" Said King Charles with a grin.

The next day the prince awoke to a commotion outside his window, hundreds of dazzling women were in the courtyard and going in and out of the castle. Prince George was just about to call for his father when he burst through the door.

"Son why aren't you dressed?! All of those lovely women have come to meet you... we are going to do... um... what do you kids call it these days" said the king. "Oh that's right... speed dating!!"

"But father..." said Prince George.

"No buts, you and I are going to sit down with these women and I am going to help you find the perfect wife" said the King.

The two went downstairs are there was a single table with a chair on either side, and already one woman was waiting in it. Behind her was a single file line of hundreds of women, it stretched out the front doors of the palace and into the front yard and street.

The prince sat down across from the first woman. He reached out his hand and said "Hi, I'm Prince George" and he took the woman's hand and kissed it. She blushed.

Then all of a sudden, King George slid up another chair, cleared his throat and said "And I'm his father" with his arms crossed over his chest.

Prince George gave his dad the "go away" look, but King Charles ignored it and said "So tell me about yourself, sweetie"

"Sure! I'm from Eden, and my trade is making clothes." she said.

"I make five outfits a day, one for my God, one for myself, one to sell, one for a homeless person, and one for my future husband" said contestant 1.

"That is just wonderful. I love how charitable..." George was saying when his father interrupted- "That's great my dear, but NEXT" he yelled out.

So the first girl got up and left, the next woman in line took her seat.

Prince George introduced himself again and kissed the second woman's hand.

"So what do you like to do? asked Prince George.

"Well, I have quite a bit of land... so most of my time is spent taking care of my crops, my animals, or working out in the barn"

"Fascinating... I am have had this itch to do some farming of my own" said Prince George.

King Charles mumbled under his breath "no way will the next queen of my castle be a farmer."

Prince George and contestant two were hitting it off when King Charles couldn't take it anymore and he said "Times up my dear, NEXT... please!"

*A hundred or so women later*

Contestant 127 sat down across from the Prince and King.

Without waiting for introductions she said "I'm Claudia and I'm a swordswoman."

Prince George was taken back by this statement, as was King Charles.

"Show us!" Exclaimed King Charles.

So the woman rose and said to Prince George, "Aren't you going to join me?"

Prince George stood up but was hesitant, she was a woman, afterall.

"Come now my boy, show her what you've got!! exclaimed King Charles.

The two drew their swords and sparred well past the time allotted for each speed dating session. When she had beat the Prince, they were done and she left.

A swordswoman

King Charles was beaming and said "She's a feisty one, she'd give us all a run for our money... I like her!"

"No father, she isn't right for me" said Prince George.

"Nonsense. But if you insist we shall meet a few more and then you can decide" said King Charles.

The last woman in line took her seat at the table, she had been waiting since sunrise and now the sun had set.

Prince George jumped right to the point "tell me about yourself" he said.

"I have the power to bring creatures, people, anything back to life. Here, bring me something dead and I will restore its breath!" said contestant 745.

Prince George raised an eyebrow and was at a loss for words.

Then the king jumped from his chair, "What nonsense is this you speak of! Enough of this. It has been a long day and we have no room for witchcraft today! Be gone!"

She left and the king and prince sat at the table for a minute longer. They were exhausted but had a decision to make.

"So now do you agree that the swordswoman will make the perfect wife?" said King Charles not really asking but telling.

"Yes father" said Prince George.

And then they sent out their page to retrieve the swordswoman.

Author's Note:

This retelling comes from the story of The Four Scientific Suitors. In this story, four men were skilled in a trade science and each of them told of their skills to the King, who was searching for a suitable husband for his daughter, the princess. This story seemed like it might be interesting told in a speed dating format, and furthermore I wanted to switch the gender roles. I did this because to me it seems like it is always the women who get set up, but I wanted to switch it to be a prince who was looking for love instead.

 

For a little bit of context- the original story is told by a goblin to the king. The king is carrying the goblin and as he does it the goblin keeps telling him stories with riddles at the end; the story I retold is one of them. The real king had to guess which suitor the king in the story would have picked, and I have changed that to the selection on speed dating. Therefore the story king, King Charles, helps the prince, Prince George, decide. I chose the image for this story because I figured people who read it would be wondering what a swordswoman looked like; now they know! My goal was to make this a really interesting story with lots of dialogue to help it move along. This story doesn’t fit into my portfolio or storybook but it was an interesting one so I rewrote it.

Bibliography: "The Four Scientific Suitors" from Twenty-Two Goblins, translated by Arthur W. Ryder, with illustrations by Perham W. Nahl (1917).