The Princess and the Thief

Princess Clara stepped inside the tower and examined the seemingly endless spiral staircase. After weeks of journeying through the woods--fighting monsters and breaking curses, with friends and alone--she had finally made it. All that was left to do was climb some stairs. So why was she so afraid?

“Stop,” Clara mumbled. She shook her head violently as if to force out all negative thoughts. Then, she took a deep breath and began the climb.

Her mind wandered, and all she could focus on was the ball. That one fateful day that would change the course of her life. Of course, she already knew that was the case beforehand, for it was the time in every princess’ life where she had to find a husband. All that was expected of her was to dance with some princes from neighboring kingdoms and pick the least abrasive one to marry. Naturally, Clara had to overcomplicate things and beg her parents to invite the entire kingdom. Then again, she rarely did what was expected.

That’s how they were able to get in. The princess had made it so easy for them; all they had to do was buy some cheap suits, and then they could waltz right into the castle amongst the civilians, hidden in plain sight. This particular gang of thieves had been going from kingdom to kingdom, stealing from the rich and giving it all back to the poor. Princess Clara had been following them for some time. She could not help but be fascinated by the thieves who lived in the cursed woods. The thieves who only committed crimes to support the people and never themselves. Now they were in her kingdom, and they chose her ball as the time to strike. The thieves planned to cause a distraction while their leader— The Hood, they called him—headed straight for the Crown Jewels. They would be in and out without a trace. At least, that was the plan.

“I would have thought that the world’s most notorious gang of criminals would split up before they entered the castle. It would certainly make them harder to spot.”

The Hood jumped at the sound of the princess’ voice. He had escaped the fervor of the ball, and, after journeying through the maze of endless hallways and massive rooms, he found the treasury. The walls were lined with large glass cases that held ceremonial robes, ornate scepters, and jeweled orbs. The Hood’s attention, however, was drawn to the center of the room. That was where the most spectacular--and valuable--artifacts were held. In one long rectangular case, the royal family’s crowns were on prominent display. The princess had caught the thief inspecting the queen’s crown. He cursed under his breath, and before he could say anything, she continued,

“I have always admired your work. I find your actions to be quite noble. You and your gang do more for the people than some kings.”

The Hood was shocked, but he recovered quickly and responded, “It’s always a pleasure to meet a fan.”

“I am a bit disappointed, though. I thought you of all people would know to never steal crown jewels. They are so easily recognizable that there is not a merchant in the world who would risk buying them from you. In the unlikely event that you did find one, they would immediately return the jewels and provide us information about you in exchange for knighthood or land. The mystery of The Hood’s identity is revealed, and within days, there would be wanted posters with your face on it all over the kingdom.”

He smirked and raised his hands in mock surrender. “So are you going to have me arrested, Princess? I had big plans for this year and getting executed would be really inconvenient.”

The Hood didn’t have any expectations for the princess, but he certainly didn’t expect her to hand him her necklace and bracelets.

“I will save you the trouble,” she said. Then, she walked back to rejoin the party. However, once she reached the doorway, she hesitated. After a moment of indecision, she turned back to The Hood and said, “Promise me one dance before you go. I would hate for you to not enjoy a decent party.”

The Hood was surprised but didn’t let himself show it. He nodded to the princess and followed her back into the ballroom.

Princess Clara kept surprising him. She was beautiful, of course, but that was all a commoner ever heard about royalty. Within minutes, The Hood realized that her beauty was only one of the myriad of things to love about the princess. After one dance, which quickly became three, the pair escaped the chaos of the crowded ballroom and found solace in the gardens. They spent the entire evening together trading stories, swapping jokes, and sharing their dreams. The Hood had never felt more comfortable around anyone than he did with the princess, and Clara found that in a world of pretentious bureaucrats and snobbish royalty, she had never met anyone as genuine as the thief. They had only known each other for hours, but it felt like decades. Yet, all good things must come to an end. 

The clock struck midnight. The pair heard yelling coming from the castle. The Hood’s memories came rushing back to him, and he jumped up. 

“I’m sorry,” he said to Clara, a look of panic on his face.

“What’s happening?”

“Our plan...my friends,” he cursed and raked his fingers through his hair. He was having difficulty finding the right words, “I’m sorry. We were going to steal from you…I lost track of time…I’m so sorry.” With that, he rushed towards the exit.

Clara ran after him. “Wait!” she yelled, “Wait, please! Don’t leave! I want to see you again.”

He slowed his pace. As Clara caught up with him, he went through his pockets and fished out a wooden whistle.

“Anytime you want to see me, go to the edge of the woods and blow this. No matter where you are, I’ll hear you and I’ll come. Okay?”

Clara grabbed the whistle from him and nodded in understanding. She opened her mouth to respond, but The Hood stopped her.

“Don’t,” he said, “Goodbyes are final. I will see you again, Princess.” 

“Call me Clara.”

“Then call me Robin.”

He took his hand in hers and squeezed it. With one final smirk, he ran towards the exit.

Robin had kept his promise. The two did see each other again. Every chance she had, Princess Clara escaped from the castle and rode her horse to the edge of the woods. Every time he heard the whistle, whether he was in deep sleep or the middle of a hunt, Robin ran towards his love. They kept it up for months, all the while Robin continued to steal from the rich and give to the poor, and Clara continued to postpone her engagement using every excuse she could find. That is until their world changed.

Robin’s home, the Cursed Forest, was also home to many mythical creatures, all of whom were controlled by a witch. She had created the forest herself eons ago, and as her power grew, so did the woods. For centuries, a prophecy foretold of The Witch gaining so much power that the forest would destroy entire kingdoms. Day by day, the edge of the forest crept closer to the kingdom’s borders, and it appeared the prophecy had finally come to pass.

Despite her parent’s wishes, Clara refused to sit idly by while her people were in danger. Thus, she escaped the palace one final time. This time, she was dressed for battle, sporting simple trousers and a tunic--nothing like the elaborate chiffon dresses she was always forced to wear. Clara rode to the edge of the woods, blew the whistle, and, as always, Robin came. He noticed her change in attire.

“Did you plan to join us on a hunt?” He said with a chuckle.

“My kingdom is in danger because of a centuries-old witch that controls the woods, and I need your help to lead me to the center of the forest and kill her.”

“Excuse me?”

“No one knows the woods better than you do. In fact, you are the only person to enter the woods and live to tell the tale.”

“I can’t let you do this, princess. You don’t know the first thing about wilderness survival-“

“I was trained in self-defense by the captain of the guard.”

“and the creatures in this forest are unlike anything you or any of your knights have ever encountered-“

“Which is why I am asking you.”

“No, Clara, it is far too dangerous.”

“Be that as it may, I am going in there with or without you, so if you do not wish to join me that is fine, but know that nothing you say will dissuade me.”

Thus, Robin and Clara embarked on an adventure. Clara finally met the rest of Robin’s crew, and after a week of Robin and his men training her, their quest began. 

Clara had entirely underestimated the dangers that lurked in the forest, but she would never admit it. Around every corner, the witch had sent monsters after them, each one more frightening than the last. As the weeks went on, more and more of their crew were lost to the woods until just Robin and Clara remained. Even then, The Witch had more horrible magic in store for the pair.

She refused to let the princess win; she would not allow some child to destroy everything she had built. The Witch would take everything from the princess if it was the last thing she did.

Clara felt the hot tears falling down her face as she continued to climb the steps. She couldn’t bear to think of The Witch, of everything that she had endured because of that vile woman. Even dead, The Witch managed to destroy her life. But now she was so close to succeeding. All she needed to do was get to the top of these damned stairs.

After what felt like hours, Clara climbed the final step. The landing opened into a large windowless room with a king-sized bed in the middle. Through the wispy drapes hanging from the bedposts, she could see him. Clara suppressed the sob building in her throat and walked towards him. 

She stopped on the side of the bed and pulled back the drapes. There he was, Robin, her love, sleeping soundly underneath the covers. His face looked so peaceful that she almost didn’t want to disturb him. For a few seconds, she watched his chest slowly rise and fall.

“You know what you have to do,” she thought. She had read enough stories to know how these things worked; True Love’s Kiss could break any curse. She also knew, however, that true love has to work both ways. Even with everything they had been through, even though she knew her feelings were reciprocated, Clara still felt butterflies in the pit of her stomach. For a moment she was overwhelmed. Then, she thought of his smirk, his bright eyes, his quick wit and how it charmed her so easily. The anxiety faded and was replaced with anticipation. She could not bear to waste another moment that she could be laughing with him and gazing into those vibrant eyes. After taking one last look at Robin, she leaned down and kissed him.

At first, nothing happened. Clara pulled away from the kiss and watched as he remained in his slumber. As tears welled in her eyes, she saw Robin take a deep breath. His eyes fluttered open.

He was disoriented. “What…where am I? Clara? What happened?”

She lost the ability to form words. All she could do was hug him and never let go.

“I appreciate this grand show of affection, but I’d love to know where we are,” suddenly, he shot up from the bed. He attempted to stand, but his legs were weak from lack of use and Clara was barely able to catch him. “The Witch!” He exclaimed. “Where is she? Where has she sent us?”

Clara eased Robin back onto the bed. She responded, “She’s dead. I killed her.”

“You fought her alone?”

“I was not left with much of a choice. You were cursed. She did everything she could to stop me, and she thought taking you away would defeat me, cause me to give up. It’s okay now. We can forget about her. The forest is gone.”

He was silent for some time. Then, he said, “Well, that’s unfair.”

“What?”

“The first time I get to kiss my true love, I’m unconscious.”

She laughed and all the butterflies in her stomach disappeared. Clara forgot all about the witch, the curse, even her kingdom. All that mattered was that they were together.

”I suppose we could give it another go.”

Their future was full of uncertainties, and, for all they knew, happily ever after was a myth. Yet the pair didn’t worry or feel fear. Instead, they let the world fall away, and the moment lasted forever.