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Finn slammed his phone onto the table and immediately regretted it. Even though he just got his one thousandth job application rejection letter, he also only had that much money in the bank. This meant that, no matter how frustrated he felt, Finn could not afford to replace his phone. After getting laid off a year ago, Finn had been applying to jobs nonstop, but finding nothing. He even started a business selling websites a few months ago, but he could not manage to get many clients. Every day he felt purposeless and useless, and the uncertain future scared him.

Finn decided to drive around to clear his head. As he was cruising on Good Hope Road, a sign in front of a house caught his eye.

LOST DOG, ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS REWARD FOR ANYONE WHO finds my GOLDEN RETRIEVER Charley!

With one thousand dollars, Finn thought, I could pay my rent with some left over. Well, I guess today I have a purpose. Here I come, Charley!

As Finn continued to drive on Good Hope Road, which intersected with Joy Avenue, he saw a girl standing by the road. She was frantically waving at passing cars, trying to get someone to stop and pull over. No one seemed to want to, though, and Finn soon found out why. As he stopped at the traffic light, he got to take a closer look at the girl. She had a black eye, a couple bruises on her face, and a lump on her forehead. She looked bedraggled and tired, her clothes had food stains on them, and her hair was tangled and flying every which way. Fearing that the girl might be on drugs, Finn quickly looked away, turning the opposite direction onto Voyager Street as soon as the light changed.

Voyager was a windy, residential street. It intersected with many small streets at strange angles. Finn had to constantly compare his surroundings with the map on his phone to ensure that he was heading the right direction. Finn hoped that Voyager Street would eventually snake its way back to Good Hope Road so that he could continue searching for Charley. Unfortunately, the street soon reached a dead end, and Finn saw that both the gas in his car and the battery on his phone were running low. Instead of turning back, though, Finn parked his car and got out. He started going from house to house, knocking on doors to see if anyone saw Charley. Yet not one person would answer his knock, and soon Finn found himself hopelessly lost.

Finn was standing in a courtyard, with houses on either side. Suddenly, a teenage boy jumped out from the bushes, followed by two ferocious-looking dogs. Finn was about to walk away when the boy kicked him hard in the groin, causing Finn to double over. As he fell, Finn’s phone dropped out of his hand, and the boy quickly took it. Ignoring his pain, Finn shouted, “Give back my phone!” and got up to chase the thief.

Finn was glad that he had been running every day since his layoff, for the boy was tireless. After flying down Voyager Street, he wound his way through Thimble Avenue and dashed down Thorns Lane. In his recklessness the boy tripped over a branch and fell headlong into a garden of roses, crying in pain as the thorns pricked him. Finn took the moment to rush ahead, jump on top of the ry, and snatched his phone back from the thief. He quickly snapped a picture of the boy, who was beginning to get up from his thorny bed.

“Who are you and why did you take my phone?” Finn said.

“Because I can,” the boy said menacingly, and gave a command to his two ferocious companions. The two dogs reared up on their hind legs, growling at Finn. “Give back the phone, or I will let them loose on you.”

Though Finn did not much care for dogs, he hated to see these two dogs being trained to attack people. Taking out a pack of beef jerky from his pocket, Finn gave some to the two dogs and they instantly became friends with him. Instead of staying with their owner, the two ferocious dogs began following Finn, nuzzling him for more jerky. Finn laughed in triumph, while the boy cried uselessly to the dogs, “Attack! Attack!”

After giving the dogs the last of his beef jerky, Finn walked back up Thorns Lane to Thimble Avenue. Using the last 2% of the remaining battery in his phone, he used an app to help him find his car. After stumbling up and down Voyager for half an hour, Finn finally saw it. He knew he had no choice but to follow the road back toward Joy Avenue, where the girl stood.

When Finn reached Joy Avenue, he found that the girl was still there waving at cars. He rolled down his window and called, “Hey, do you need help?”

The smile that spread across her face was so filled with joy and gratitude that Finn felt a knot of guilt in his heart for refusing to help earlier. To Finn’s surprise, the girl was also now petting a dog who seemed as unkempt as her, with matted fur caked with dirt. Finn shuddered at the thought of admitting this dog into his car. However, after taking a closer look at his own disheveled appearance and another at the girl’s joyful smile, that thought melted away too.

“What is the dog’s name?”

“This is Charley. I am Amelia. He is like me in that we both got lost.”

“Charley!” Finn said incredulously. “Did you know that there is a reward for Charley?”

Amelia and Charley got into the car. Amelia looked confused for a moment, but then said, “No. How much?”

“one thousand for the person who finds him.”

“One thousand would pay my rent and some more,” Amelia said. “I am about to be evicted from my place because I haven’t been able to pay rent for a couple of months. Last night I also got robbed and lost my phone and wallet. But you helped me. Do you mind sharing the reward?”

“Not at all, if it keeps both of us from being homeless. And I also think I know who robbed you.”

“A boy, about fifteen, with two ferocious dogs?”

“Yes. The dogs are all right, but we must report the thief to the police before he hurts anyone else.”

As they reached Charley’s house, the dog began panting in the car with excitement. He knew that he was finally home.

When Finn knocked on the door this time, it was answered immediately. The man who opened the door was wearing a police uniform and chomping down on a fig bar. “Oh Charley, where have you been buddy!” he said as soon as he saw his dog, who jumped onto his chest.

“Thank you both so much,” he said after a while of happy reunion, “for bringing my boy back. I have the check ready for you.”

“We also want to report two robberies,” Finn said. He and Amelia then gave the officer all the details of how they were each mugged. “I know the boy,” the officer said after taking a look at the picture. “I am his probation officer. We’ll get everything taken care of, and you will be sure to get your phone and wallet back, young lady.” Amelia and Finn both nodded thanked the officer, satisfied.

In this way, Finn, Amelia and Charley all found their homes, and a thief was caught. Finn accomplished his purpose for the day.

Tina looked out the window and sighed. Heavy clouds hung over the sky like a cold, wet blanket. She checked the weather on her phone and confirmed her suspicions, the entire day would be mostly cloudy.

Just when she was about to put her phone away, it rang.

“Tina, hey, happy birthday,” Angela said in her hoarse morning voice.

“What’s going on?” Tina ask, already knowing the answer.

“We’re so sorry,” Angela said. “I think we have to cancel sunbathing today, as it’s very cloudy. I’m not feeling so well, and Iva just had something come up. Natalie says it’s too cold, and you know she catches every cold and flu that comes around.”

“Of course,” Tina said without much emotion. “I should have guessed.”

“We’re so sorry,” Angela said again. “Let us know if you do decide to do something in the evening, we may be able to make it.”

“Yeah, sure,” Tina said. “I probably won’t be going anywhere in this weather. Hope you feel better soon, Angela.”

“Thanks!” Angela said brightly and hung up.

Tina hated how much the seasons affect her moods. When the sun was shining, she was bright and cheerful like Angela. But on a dreary, cloudy day like today, she found herself moping around her apartment, not getting much done at all besides holding a silly grudge against her friends for making her spend this birthday alone. For the next hour, Tina found herself scrolling on her phone, looking at friends’ parenting pictures and feeling behind in life. She then put on a playlist of mellow, moody music. As the melody alternated between high and low notes, Tina allowed her mind to ruminate over all the activities she could not do when the sun was behind clouds. She gradually drifted off to sleep.

Tina started awake when she heard her dog Eager barking for his breakfast. Her mom was also calling, for her phone was ringing with her mom’s infamous ringtone—a recording of her mom singing “Mom is calling you”. Tina determined that one of her to-do list items today would be to change her mom’s ringtone, which has turned heads at the office for more times than she could count.

“Hi sweetheart,” her mom said in her most cheery, singsong voice. “Happy Birthday! How is sunbathing?”

“You know there’s no sun, mom,” Tina said, a little frustrated. “It was canceled, nobody except I could make it. Not even the sun made it.”

Tina’s mom laughed. “Well, your dad and I are thinking of taking you to lunch. Can you make it?”

Tina hesitated. Lunch with her parents was not on her schedule today, and going out in such weather felt to her like pulling teeth. She also knew that her mom had more in mind than just taking her out to lunch. Yet, she really had nothing planned, and doing something with her parents was better than doing nothing at all.

“Well, honey, I thought it would be good for you and Eager to visit the homeless shelter with me afterward,” mom added. “It is always more blessed to give than to receive. Also, greeting the less fortunate would be a good experience for Eager.”

But who’s giving me _my gift? Tina thought to herself. Out loud, though, she said to her mom, “Sure, mom, let’s do it!”

After hanging up, Tina quickly took Eager out and fed him. “You’ll have an important mission, buddy,” she said to Eager as he gobbled up his breakfast. “We’re feeding the hungry.”

In less than 20 minutes, Tina’s parents were pulling up to her driveway. Eager thumped his tail and pawed the door as her parents walked up and called through the door, “Happy birthday, sweetheart!” Tina’s mom and dad each gave her a hug.

Although Tina expected that her mom would be bringing food and clothing for the homeless, she was still shocked by the mountains of shirts, dresses, and lunch boxes stacked in the trunk and on the back seat. She barely had room to squeeze herself onto the seat, and Eager curled himself into a tight ball on the floor.

Since retirement, Tina’s mom had been filling her days with charity work and serving at church. Tina and her brother knew to book time months in advance in order to celebrate her mom’s birthday. It was just like her mom to commemorate special occasions for the family, like Tina’s birthday, with charity work.

“Where would you like to go?” Tina’s dad asked as he started the car.

“Dad, you know I go to the same Italian restaurant every year,” Tina said.

“Yes, you have always prefer the familiar,” her dad said. “Why don’t my mom and I surprise you this year?”

“You know how I feel about surprises, dad. Remember the last time you tried to throw me a surprise party? You blind-folded me and we went to the restaurant, but it was closed.”

“Honey, that was ten years ago. Anyway, we’ll do whatever you want, it’s your birthday. Let’s go to the pizzeria.”

Tina and her parents sat at the same table they have always sat at since Tina started naming this restaurant to be her birthday go-to. They also ordered the same three dishes, eggplant parmesan, Hawaiian pizza, and seafood angel hair pasta. Everything tasted exactly as Tina expected them to taste, and she was happy. She wanted the moment to last as long as possible, before she was thrown into what she expected to be the chaos of the shelter. However, at one point the bill was paid, and they were off.

When they reached the shelter, Eager was the first to get out of the car. After stretching himself, Eager ran straight toward a yellow Labrador on the other side of the parking lot, dragging his leash behind him. He ignored all of Tina’s pleas for him to come back. Tina became even more embarrassed when she saw that the other dog was wearing a guide dog harness. “I’m so sorry,” she called to the guide dog handler as she ran after Eager.

“What is your dog’s name?” the handler asked, taking hold of Eager’s leash and commanding him to sit.

“This is Eager, and I am Tina,” Tina said, breathless.

“I am Andrea, and my guide here is Path,” the handler said. “Have you come to help pass out food to the homeless?”

“Yes, my mom bought tons of clothes too. Do you need any help getting to a station?”

“Yes please, and I would love it if we could partner together.”

“Of course,” Tina replied. She thought it would be wise to partner with someone more experienced in serving the homeless than herself.

Tina walked in front of Andrea with Eager, calling out directions as they walked toward one of the food stations. She saw that her mom was greeting everyone warmly, while dragging a mountain of clothes behind her. Her dad was holding a teetering stack of lunch boxes in his arms, and Tina felt nervous just watching him.

When they reached the station, Andrea expertly went behind the counter and took out a few bags of groceries. Then, she asked Tina to guide her while they passed out groceries and talked with other people. Tina found an older couple and Andrea offered them a bag of groceries. Each of them was holding a lunch box from Tina’s mom.

“Hey Andrea,” the woman said, “Good to see you. And are you Laura’s daughter?” she turned and asked Tina.

“Yes,” Tina said.

“Well, I just want you to know,” the man picked up, “that your mom makes the best sandwiches. That’s why I come here every Saturday!”

“James and Alyson used to be volunteer puppy raisers for guide dogs,” Andrea added, “before they lost their home. In fact, they raised my Path’s dad Duty.”

Tina felt a wave of compassion wash over her as she looked at the gaunt pair. Rmelessness can happen to anyone, she thought, even the kindest people.

After bidding the couple goodbye, Tina and Andrea continued to pass out bags of groceries. They talked to single mothers, young men and women who were couch surfers, former business owners and engineers, and a few children.

Then, somebody bumped into Tina, and Eager barked. His leash was snatched from Tina’s hand, and Tina was pushed and fell. Before Tina could recover, the person picked up Eager and ran.

“Hey!” shouted Tina indignantly. “Give him back!”

Andrea gave Path a command, and the guide dog team was off after the thief. As Andrea ran with Path, she kept shouting, “Stop him! Stop him!”

Who was this man, and why did he take Eager? These were the questions swimming inside Tina’s head, but she had no time to answer them. She ran on, shouting Eager’s name, ignoring the pain in her calves and the hoarseness in her voice. FINALLY, Andrea caught up to Eager and the thief, and she squirted something that made the man rub his eyes vigorously. Eager broke free from his grasp and ran toward Tina. Tina gave him a huge hug.

Someone must have called the police, for two cop cars pulled up and the thief was arrested. Before he got into the police vehicle, Tina got a chance to look at his face. This was Nimrod, who used to pull Tina’s hair and steal her hair ties when she was in elementary school. Tina hated him then, but now all she felt for him was sadness. The only way Nimrod chose to live was by destroying the happiness of others, and his philosophy has led him to homelessness and encounters with the police.

In late afternoon, as Tina walked back with Andrea, Path, and Eager, she felt a mixture of both fear and gratitude. From talking with the homeless to nearly losing her own dog, she learned that misfortune could happen to anyone.

When Tina and Andrea returned to the food station, Tina was surprised to see many streamers and balloons flying about. On one table someone has placed a large birthday cake. “Whose birthday are we celebrating?” she asked Andrea.

“yours! Happy birthday Tina!” After she said this, the whole shelter started singing “Happy Birthday”, and Tina’s face was flushed red.

“Oh, thank you, everyone! You really didn’t have to do this,” she said when she was asked to give a speech. “Mom was right, it is far better to give than to receive. I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to get out of my apartment this morning, but coming here to volunteer has made this the most unexpected and meaningful birthday in my life!” To this the crowd cheered.

When Tina got home, she realized that she no longer needed to play mellow music or mope around the house. Instead, she started rummaging through her pantry to find what she could cook, because she was going to make dinner for her best friends Angela, Iva, Natalie, and Andrea.

Then, to their delight, some boats came with both men and women sailors. They threw lines for the men to grab onto. They were rowed to shore and given clean clothes to wear. Then, they were questioned.

“Who are you, and why have you come?” the captain asked.

Rupertexplained their plight. “I am Rupert, king of the small kingdom with three cities and twelve villages. These are my men. We were traveling to the palace of the warlord of the northern mountains, to ask for his daughter Bellona’s hand in marriage. Unfortunately, we were betrayed, for she would have us destroyed for her father’s
defeat. We have lost everything but our lives and the lives of these sorry horses you see before you. all our gifts and money are gone.
We would be so grateful to you if would lend us money and passage back to our kingdom. I will repay you double for your kindness.”

“I am sorry to hear of your plight,” the captain replied.
“Our king is holding a birthday party in honor of her Highness Princess Germaine. I am certain she would be delighted to have you as guests. We will take you to her guest chambers so that you may refresh yourselves.”

Stunned, Rupert barely managed to thank the captain. One of the pages was sent into the palace to report the travelers’ arrival. Soon a retinue came out to meet him, with the veiled princess in front. Rupert blushed when he saw the princess in her royal regalia, for he was wearing soaked clothes and his boots squelched with seawater.

Thankfully the men had some time to change into finer clothing. That night many young nobles brought ifts to the princess, including fine horses, jewels, and delicacies from their countries. Rupert thought about trinkets he had commissioned, surely the princess would have loved the earrings with the little monkeys. He regretted that he did not listen to the wisdom of his physician, but rather took a shortcut by agreeing to marry Bellona. At least, he thought, the children got the fruits, and the two horses were alive.

As the various young princes surrounded the princes, asking her to dance and presenting her with gifts, Rupert wandered about, not knowing what to do with himself. Then the words of his minister came back to him. He did not know how he would manage to carry out that advice of sharing the princess’s heart for the needy. The princess seemed to have everything she needed, and if she were to want anything she only need to ask her father or one of these suitors. They would fall over one another to bring it to her. In the great hall, where everyone was dressed in fine clothes and grew up on the best their countries had to offer, no one seemed to be in need.

Then he saw another princess who did not come from a rich kingdom, for her dress was simple and she wore only a string of pearls around her neck. He invited her to dance. As Rupert was dancing, he saw the butler dragging his feet, forcing his weary face to smile. Therefore, after the dance finished, Rupert offered to help the butler pass out drinks. The butler had recently twisted his ankle and was limping, about to spill the cups he was holding. In this way, by noticing and meeting the needs around him, the night passed by quickly for Rupert.

Unfortunately, the long night spent preparing for the party, combined with the stress of travel, proved too much for Ruper’t fragile health. He woke up with a raging headache, the world seemed to be spinning before him, and he could hardly stand. His hands were shaking as he tried to hold the warm cup of tea a maid brought to him, and he spilled it on the servant girl’s dress. Rupert appologized profusely but fainted before he could hear the maiden’s response.

During the day, Rupert spent his time in bed, drifting between waking and sleeping, roused occasionally to eat a piece of bread or drink some tonic. The servant girl’s gentle hands swathed his burning forehead, wiping his sweat away. Rupert could hear the festivities from his room, the music, dancing, laughter. He thought how much the maiden must have desired to be outside with the noble ladies and gentlemen, serving delicacies, rather than tending to him. He thought how much he would like to be outside enjoying the festivities himself, instead of lying in bed. If not to dance with the princess, he could at least go up to thank her for her hospitality. He was deeply grateful for the maid who tended to him with the utmost care. Soon his affection for her began to grow, and he wished that he could come to know who she was as a person. Though she was not attractive in appearance, he was drawn to her by her kindness and patience.

The next morning, Rupert woke up feeling refreshed. Although he was not completely well, Rupert was determined to join the party and hear of the princess’s decision. Because he was still wobbly on his legs, two of his men came to suppolt the king as he walked, one on each side. When they reached the throne room, they saw that
all the suitors were standing, waiting in anticipation for the princess’s announcement. As was his custom, the old king asked the princess if she had met her true love, to which she replied, “Yes, father, I love King Rupert”. The princess unveiled her face, and Rupert realized that she was the maiden who tended to him all yesterday, while the festivities went on. He was deeply moved and wept. The other suitors cried, “Not fair! Not fair!” They realized that hard as they tried to be gallant yesterday, it was to no use because the princess was not among them at all.

After they were married, Germaine went with Rupert back to his kingdom. A strong alliance was formed between the two countries, and a highway was constructed to encourage free trade and travel. The couple lived in love and unity, and in a year a son was born. Prince Don was a bright boy who smiled far more than he cried, and the king and queen determined that they would raise him to be noble, wise, and kind. Rupert felt that his life was perfect. His country enjoyed peace and prosperity, he loved his wife and son, and he was no longer lonely. He wished that he could hold onto each second that tick by. Yet since he could not, he determined to make the most of every moment. He was right to do so, for good times have a habit of ending far too soon.

The next morning, Rupert and his party, led by Bellona and her retinue, set out for the northern mountains.
Rupert brought with him the fruits, flowers, jewelry, and choice steeds originally intended for the plain princess as a present to Bellona’s father.
Under the direction of Bellona, who knew all the underground passages and shortcuts between their two lands, they were able to bypass the jagged cliffs and rolling boulders that protected the northern mountains from invaders. What should have been a treacherous journey of two weeks took only three days, and Rupert passed the time pleasantly by engaging in conversation and making observations of nature with Bellona.

It was nearly sundown on the third day of the journey when their party reached the outskirts of the capital. At a clearing, Rupert saw a group of children sitting around a stone table. Each child was holding a little wooden bowl, and in each bowl was a piece of fruit—either a slice of melon or banana. The smallest child, however, sitting at the head of the table, had a bunch of red grapes in his bowl. All the children were thin, wearing threadbare garments that barely reached beyond their elbows and knees, weathering the cold as bravely as they could. Each child took their piece of fruit and dropped it into the bowl of the small boy at the head of the table. The child took two skewers, stacking and rearranging the offerings of his companions until they roughly resembled the shape of a round fruitcake.

When he was finished, two other children carefully took the bowl of fruit from the little boy and headed toward a nearby hut, with the rest of the children except the little boy trailing behind. Rupert saw that the boy could not follow
his friends because he had no legs!

The king walked over to the boy and asked, “Young friend, shall I help you inside?”

The boy stared at Rupert for a moment in bewilderment. Though he was small of stature, the boy was already twelve years old. His family had always been poor. Throughout his life the people he was acquinated with had only three sets of clothes, one for home, one for work, and a set for special occasions. All his clothes were hand-me-downs from his older siblings, and whether he got new clothes depended on how well his parents could sell their crops. This year the harvest was poor, but the taxes remained high. Therefore most of his friends and siblings were wearing worn-out clothing that barely protected them from the biting cold and harsh frost of the winter. Therefore, he was surprised that such a richly dressed gentleman with means could be talking to him and offering help. Yet, remembering his mother’s suspicion of the greedy barons in his land, he shook his head. “No sir, I don’t need your help.”

Rupert, taken aback by the boy’s cold response, stammered, “Of course. Well, you and your companions seemed to be preparing for a special occasion, and I wanted to offer a gift of my own. I am a visitor to your country, and I have brought along a basket of the best fruits from my own country, which I want to give to you.”

When the boy heard this, his eyes filled with tears.

“Thank you, sir,” he said. “My brother is going away to fight in the king’s army, and we wanted to do something special for him before he leaves. We don’t know if he will ever come back to us!”

When Bellona saw Rupert give the basket away, she took offense. “If you give them away, my father would surely find you less worthy. Your fruits display the richness of your lands, your jewels show off your wealth, and your two steeds your strength and power.”

When Rupert heard this, his face fell. He had wanted so much to impress the king of the northern mountains, by demonstrating that he was a worthy son-in-law, who would provide for Bellona with a prosperous land and mighty army. Yet, how could he not do something to show kindness when the opportunity was there? Why not share a little of what he had if he could make a child happy with his generosity? Why not contribute to celebrate a young man’s bravery before he journeys to to serve in the king’s army?

“Indeed, princess, the richness of our land speak for themselves. Why not share some of our bounty with the poor children, who are wearing threadbare garments because their families could not afford the heavy taxes your father levies?” The princess gave no answer.

That night, their party encamped in the clearing, and for the first time Rupert saw the princess, who had been amiable and gregarious so far, lapse into whwhat he thought was a quiet and thoughtful demeanor. Although she responded to Rupert’s attempts at conversation politely enough, she made no attempt at continuing the banter. Rupert began to regret having given the basket of fruit to the boy, until he recalled the boy’s smile of surprise and excitement. He knew then that he did the right thing.

The next day, the princess led them to the seashore, on which were moored boats prepared to take them to the palace island on the other side. Rupert was about to help the princess into the boat when she withdrew her hand and turned back, claiming to have forgotten something. As Rupert was about to get off the boat to follow her, she gave him a hard shove, sending him toppling back into the boat. Then Bellona cried with a loud voice, “Prepare to meet your deaths, you enemies of my father!”

The lines that tethered the boats were cut. The princess, waving her magic wand, summoned an unnatural storm that drove the boats forward. The skies darkened, and small, sharp pellets of ice began raining down on Rupert and his companions. The men cried out, ducked their heads, and dove in vain for cover, while the two horses whinnied and strained against their tethers. Large columns of dark, murky water buffeted the boat, tossing it up and down like a juggler’s balls.

Despite how hard the men rowed, they could not gain control of the boats as they sped toward the open sea. The princess had sought revenge on Rupert for her father’s shameful defeat by the young king and his small but elite army. As Rupert and his pany plunged deeper and deeper into the ocean, tossed to and fro by the dark, relentless waves, she cackled with glee over their certain demise.

Although the men rowed with great determination, the tempest seemed only to grow stronger against them. The skies split with lightning and rumbled with thunder. Two of the boats began to fill with water and sink. As the men on the remaining three boats began tossing their food and clothing overboard in order to make room for the men they were pulling in from the ruined boats, Rupert joined them by hurling the chests of precious jewels overboard. Rupert was determined to save as many of his men as he could, counting his lost wealth of secondary importance. The chests were hurled with great splashes overboard to lighten the load. Seeing the chests of precious trinkets sink, Bellona’s greed was kindled.
She was momentarily distracted as she attempted to summon a wave that would push the chests back toward herself. This gave the rowers a short moment to put distance between themselves and the reach of Bellonas power. Yet, because Rupert had hurled them toward some rocks, the chests shattered and spilled all the trinkets into the sea. Realizing that the jewels could not be retrieved, Bellona shrieked with fury, redoubling her efforts to destroy Rupert and his men.

For seven miles the men struggled to row against the unrelenting waves. Just as they seemed to gain some control in driving the boat a certain direction, a powerful wave would spin the boat around. The skies continued with lightning, thunder, and hail, and they had to constantly cover their equipment and shield their eyes from the raining pellets. Just as they thought that they were at the end of the reach of Bellona’s power, they found themselves speeding toward a
large, jagged boulder. The ships seemed destined to crash and break.

With one final, tall wave, Bellona made the boats crash against the boulder. The men screamed as the boats splintered, and they grabbed onto any piece of wood they could to float. The horses whinnied and pedaled wildly, terrified by the furious storm.

In another land, a king was seeking a husband for his daughter. Though the princess, Germaine, with a plain face, solid body, and quiet demeanor, was not especially attractive on the outset, she was gracious, kind, and generous to the poor. The people loved their princess. Yet, unless she was wearing her royal gowns and tiara, they would often mistake her to be a maid, while one of her more attractive ladies-in-waiting would be thought to be the princess. The princess was neither jealous nor angered by the mistake. From a young age, she was taught to cultivate the inner beauty of her character, and she firmly believed that her true husband would love her for who she was. Therefore, when one of her suitors fell in love with one of her ladies-in-waiting, she readily gave the couple her blessing along with wedding gifts, winning their lifelong friendship and devotion.

Ever since the princess was of marriageable age, her father has held a banquet on her birthday each year. Many princes and kings would come to try and win the princess’s hand, for they desired to possess her father’s wealth and vast domain. In order to test the character of her suitors, the princess would split her time in the banquet playing the roles of princess and servant. On the first day of the party, she would dress herself in royal attire and keep her face hidden beneath a veil. On the second day, she would put on the garments of a servant, while another maid with a similar bearing as herself put on her clothes and veil to play the role of princess. While the princess helped to clean and serve tables, she observed how the young men who previously flattered her with pretty words and costly gifts would bark orders at her. They would find fault with every aspect of her work, hurling rude and domeaning insults at her only because she was a servant. On the final day of the banquet, it was the king’s custom to ask his daughter whether she has met the man she loved. For seven years now the princess’s answer has consistently been “No, father, sadly I have not met him.” The king was growing impatient, and the princess also began to lose hope of ever finding true love.

When the chief physician suggested that Rupert attend this year’s banquet and join the ninety-nine other suitors vying for the princess’s hand, he laughed. “For seven years the princess has rejected eligible kings and princes, many of them younger, more handsome, and with greater wealth than myself. What do I possess that would make her love me?” Yet Rupert greatly respected his physician, who had traveled through all the world to acquire learning and was exceedingly wise. Therefore, he pushed aside his doubts and began making preparations for the journey, commissioning beautiful trinkets to be made from rare jewels, bouquets of flowers and baskets of sweet apples and plums picked from his own royal gardens, and two choice steeds brought from his own stables. The week before he was to set out, Rupert met daily for hours with his ministers, planning what they would say and do for every possible situation. Unfortunately, the more time Rupert spent in preparation, the more nervous and inadequate he felt. Finally, the chief physician, seeing the king’s distress, rose and said, “Your Majesty, the real trouble is not that we have not prepared enough, but we are thinking too much of ourselves. For seven years the princess has sought someone who would see her for who she is and share her heart for the needy. Could it be that you are the one?”

Two days before Rupert was to set out, a party of riders arrived at the capital. At its head was a maiden mounted on a broad-shouldered gray horse, carrying a sword with a jewel-studded hilt. The girl was tall and graceful, with flowing hair and large blue eyes. She told the guards that she was Princess Bellona of the northern mountains, and she has come with her retinue to visit the noble king Rupert.

The people of the northern mountains were the best swordsmen in the land, well-trained, swift, and daring. Not only were the warriors skillful with the sword, but they also employed a group of trained dogs and tigers in their force. At a word from their masters, these half-starved creatures would latch on to their enemies, biting and tearing at their flesh with great ferocity. The people of the northern mountains have never lost a battle, until Rupert defeated them in his last campaign.
When Rupert heard that Princess Bellona was at the palace gates, he was overjoyed. Bellona was the third of seven daughters of the king of the northern mountains. Besides being expert fighters themselves, it was said that each princess possessed magical powers, though no one knew exactly what they were. Some said that they could control the elements, gathering clouds so that the sun shone on their soldiers, while the skies above their enemies rumbled with thunder and poured down rain. Others claimed that the princesses could create illusions in sight, smell, and sound, causing soldiers to fight phantoms and throw weapons down cliffs made to look like enemy ranks.

When a princess reached marriageable age and had learned to control her powers, the king would send her out into the world to seek a husband. When she has found the man and he has accepted her proposal, the couple would travel to the northern mountains to ask for the king’s blessing. It was considered a great privilege to marry one of these princesses, for their union would guarantee her husband an alliance with the country of the northern mountains and thus, access to a fine fighting force.

Rupert invited the princess to tea with him. For the rest of the afternoon, they talked of everything from politics and philosophy to the natural sciences and military strategy. Rupert was charmed by Bellona’s beauty, grace, and learning, and too soon the sun began to sink on the horrizon. At sunset the pair walked out onto the palace battlements, while the people below murmured with excitement and jostled one another for a better view. After a time, the princess led Rupert down to stand before all the people, knelt, and held out her hand to ask for his in marriage.

When he took her hand, a trumpet blared, cannons fired, and the people gave an uproarious cheer that echoed all the way down to the palace dungeons. Rupert was so moved that tears flowed freely down his face. He was sure that the princess’s wisdom and grace, coupled with her skill in battle and influence in her own land, would make her the perfect queen for his country. The young king was also relieved that, instead of attending a tiresome party to woo a princess who would most likely refuse him, he would be traveling with his true love to turn a former foe into an ally.

That night, Rupert held a ball in the princess’s honor. Princess Bellona was lively and amiable, dancing and talking to everyone, entertaining all the guests with news and gossip that she had collected from her travels. Among her retinue was a juggler who entertained the crowd with tricks that include juggling five balls at once, walking on a string, and making people’s ears to appear and disappear. During one of their dances, Bellona told Rupert that she has met many noble young men since she left her father’s house.
Yet, even on the day she set out, she already knew that she wanted to marry him—for he was the man who broke the myth that her country could not be defeated. Rupert felt a rush of pleasure, hardly able to stop the grin of pride that spread across his face.