A True Princess

by Diane Zahler

Lilia knows that she is a bad servant. She forgets to do chores, falls asleep while doing the chores she remembers, and is a very bad cook. Still, Lilia does not believe that she deserves to be sold to the miller as a servant, because she knows that the miller is a horrible man. Jorgen had found Lilia floating down the river in a basket, and she was so pretty, that he had brought her home to live with his two children. Now Jorgen is married to Ylva, and Ylva wants Lilia to go. So, Lilia decides to head north, following the river, to find out where she came from. The next morning, she is joined by Kai, Karina, and Ove (the dog), and they want to go with her. Lilia is happy to have them with her. They meet a lord and Sir Erlend in a tavern, and Sir Erland gives Kai a sword for protection on their journey. He also tells Kai that he can return the sword to him at his home, when they reach it. They also hear the story of Prince Tycho’s search for a true princess to marry. To prove that a woman is a “true” princess, they have to pass a test that the king and queen give them. They are told to not leave the road when going through the Bitra Forest, but Ove runs off the road after hearing a sound in the forest. Kai goes after him and does not come back. Then brigands come, and after Kai comes and rescues them, they all flee into the forest. They also find out that the basket that Lilia was found in is actually a falcon’s nest. Lilia thinks that the falcons may have rescued her from something bad, and she thanks the falcon they meet for her help. Then, in a clearing, they meet the Elf-king and his beautiful daughter. Kai is enchanted by the princess, and Lilia and Karina are taken prisoner. The Elf-king also tells Lilia that she is probably the child he had taken that was lost to him. Then Lilia notices that the nisse of the farm is there serving the elf king. Will he help them get away from the Elf-king? Will Lilia ever find out who her family is? Will they find out what the test is to find a “true” princess? What do you think it could be?