The God of Stars and the Princess

The dark filled sky is lit with billions of shiny, bright stars. I am laying on a blanket waiting for Susie. Watching the stars which eases the running mind. Susie comes out in her pink and white polka dot footie pajamas and is carrying her teddy bear.

“Daddy what are you doing?”

“Oh there you are sweety I am looking up at the stars, and thinking of a story.”

“What story?”

“Would you like me to tell you the story before bed.”

“Yes, please oh please daddy.”

"Come on over and lay down."

Susie runs over to me and finds a spot on the blanket. She lays down and leans her head on me. She looks up to the stars.

"Are you ready pumpkin?"

"Yes daddy."

*

The story starts with a beautiful Princess Nina being born on a night like no other. Growing up everyone in the palace would try to keep her happy, but she didn’t want to be pleased like that. Princess Nina would sneak away to find a special place in the palace. She came across this beautiful garden and decides that the garden will be her special place. One day Princess Nina could not take it anymore, and sneaks away. She went to her special spot and finds a bench to cry on. While she is crying a man walking his oxen next to the palace walls hears her. He stops and decides to climb the vines that are on the wall. The man gets his footing after jumping from the vines. He pats himself to get the dust off his clothes, and sneaks through the garden to find the crying maiden. The garden seemed big with fountains, statues, a bunch of bushes, and a lot of flowers. The man follows the sound of the cries and came across the princess.

“Excuse me!”

“Ah! You scared me.”

“Sorry about that miss. I heard you crying. Are you ok?”

The mysterious man holds out his hand to help Princess Nina up from the bench. She turns her head before reaching for his hand. Her eyes opens wide when she looks at a tall, muscular, brown hair, and a bearded man. When looking at the man she was lost for words.

“Excuse me, miss are you ok?”

“Ah? Yes thank you.” 

Princess Nina just kept looking into the eyes of the mysterious man and smiles. She notices that he is different from everyone else in the palace. The man laughs and kept looking in her eyes.

“I am sorry I forgot to tell you my name. Hi I am John.”

    “I am Nina. If you don’t mind me asking how did you get here?”

“I climbed some vines that were on the wall, and followed your cries until I found you.”

Princess Nina heard footsteps coming from the hallway. She turns to John and gave him a concerning look. He notices the look on her face.

“What's wrong?”

“You can’t be here. You have to go. They are coming.”

She starts to push John towards the vines and urges him to go.

“You must go before they get here.”

“Before who gets here?”

“The guards They will arrest you. You must go.”

"Ok, but one more thing."

 John puts his hands around Princess Nina's face. He leans down and gives her a passionate kiss. John then reaches for the vines before Nina is able to say anything. He starts to climb, but stops at the top before going over to get one last look of her beauty. The guards can be seen in the hallway dressed in armor, carrying swords and shields like they are ready to go to battle.

    “Princess? Princess where are you?”

    She runs out of the garden, and into the library so nobody would know where she surely was.

    “I am here in the library.”

    “The king has summoned you to the throne room.”

    Princess Nina puts the book down she was holding, and walks out to go to the throne room with the guards.

*

    The next day Princess Nina sneaks away from the guards and goes to the garden. She sits and waits for John to return. He did not show up until the sun started to set.

    “Hey beautiful did you miss me?”

    “Yes. I did.”

    They talked and talked for awhile. John did not care that Nina is the princess. He truly loves her, and she fell in love with him. They met up everyday at sunset to talk, and spend time with her. Princess Nina started to walk around the palace happy without anyone pleasing her. The King found it odd, and ordered a secret warrior to spy on the Princess. The secret warrior caught John and Princess Nina together in the garden. He walks away quietly to report back to the King.

    “What did you find?”

    “Your majesty she is fondling with a peasant in the garden.”

    “What?! This can not be.”

    The King is furious and can not believe what the Princess has been doing. He starts to pace back and forth trying to think of a plan to seperate them. An idea popped into his head.

    “Guards!”

    “Yes, your majesty?”

    “Bring me the Princess. You will find her no doubt in the garden.”

    “As you wish your majesty.”

    The guards left the throne room and proceeded to the garden. Princess Nina did not hear them coming until it was too late.

"Protect the Princess and arrest this man."

"No don't!"

She jumps in between the guards and John. They walked around her and arrest him.

" As your Princess I command you to release him."

"Sorry Princess we have to follow the Kings orders. He has summoned you to the throne room."

The guards took John away and put him in the dungeon. The master of the guard led the Princess. She was surrounded with a guard on every side. When they reached the throne room the doors open for them to proceed. Princess Nina sees her father pacing and muttering to himself.

"Your majesty I present Princess Nina."

The King stops and turns to acknowledge them. Just seeing the Princess got him even more angry.

"Leave us."

The guards bow in unison and walk out. The servants, high priest, everyone left the throne room. 

"Father, how could you?"

    He turns and faces Princess Nina with a look of disgust. The King starts laughing while walking towards her.

    “How could I? It is more like how could you? Flirting with a peasant. You are a Princess and you will marry a Prince.”

    “I can’t.”

    “Do you mean you can’t or you won't?”

    “Both father! I love John and he loves me.”

    The King got furious and starts yelling.

    “Guards.”

    “Yes your majesty.”

    “Take the Princess to her room, and lock the door until she decides to marry a Prince.”

    “As you wish your majesty.”

    “Father you can’t do this.”

    “Oh yes I can and I will.”

    The guards lead Princess Nina to her room and lock the door. Two guards stay by the door to keep watch.

*

John sat in his cell and looks out his window covered with bars. While staring up at the sky he can hear Princess Nina crying. John starts sighting a lullaby.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are!

Up above the world so high,

Like a diamond in the sky.

    After sighting two lines of the lullaby awkward silence followed. The guards looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. One turns and looks through the window that is cut out of the door. John has disappeared without a sign of him being in there.

*

Princess Nina is out on her balcony looking up at the stars crying. John appears in her room and walks over to Princess Nina.

    “Excuse me miss, are you ok?”

Princess Nina recognizes the voice and turns around. She sees John and runs up to give him a hug.

“I am now, but how did you get here.”

“Do you know the lullaby Twinkle, twinkle little star.”

“Yes.”

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are!

Up above the world so high,

Like a diamond in the sky.

When the blazing sun is gone,

When he nothing shines upon,

Then you show your little light,

Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.

Then the traveler in the dark

Thanks you for your tiny spark,

How could he see where to go,

If you did not twinkle so?

In the dark blue sky you keep,

Often through my curtains peep.

For you never shut your eye,

Till the sun is in the sky.

As your bright and tiny spark

Lights the traveler in the dark,

Though I know not what you are,

Twinkle, twinkle, little star.

    “Nina I am the traveler, but there is something else I have not told you.”

    John was about to tell his secret, but the King barges in. 

    “Guards grab him.”

    Before the guards are able to, John grabs Nina’s hand and jumps off the balcony. 

    “What are you doing?”

    “Do you trust me Nina?”

    “Yes John.”

    They stop half way and start to float back up to the balcony.

    “My name is not John and I am not mortal like you.”

    “Then who are you and what are you.”

    “My name is Astraios, the Titan god of stars and planets. Nina I love you and I hope you love me. Would you marry me, and join me up in the stars?”

    “Yes I will Astraios!”

    Princess Nina and Astraios got married up in Mount Olympus. They live up amongst the stars which are their children.

*

    “So daddy every time we are looking up at the stars we are actually seeing Princess Nina, Astraios, and their kids?”

    “Yes my dear.”

    Susie points up to one of the constellations.

    “Daddy what is the name of that one?”

    “That is the constellation Capricorn.”

    A flash of bright light zooms across the sky.

    “Oh look daddy a shooting star!”

    “Make a wish pumpkin.”

    “I wish that one day I will find a man like Princess Nina did.”

    “That is a nice wish pumpkin. Now off to bed.”

    “Ok daddy. Love you.”

    Susie gives her dad a kiss. Then goes inside and gives her mother a kiss goodnight too. The mother walks outside.

    “Which story was it tonight?”

    “Our story Nina.”