The Story of Princess S -- Part III

Fortunately for Princess S, she had fallen in love (as princesses do) with the Queen of a neighboring realm.  Queen C was loving and wise, and helped Princess S through the sad, dark days that followed her banishment.  They would often visit the dowager queen and the old King in the kingdom of the south, and they tried to comfort each other for the calamity that had befallen them.

Then one afternoon, the knight who had married Princess A sent a message to Princess S from her ancestral kingdom to inform her that the King had died.  Though Princess S was sore afraid of confronting Lady M and Princess A, she knew that she had to mourn for the King in the way that was proper, as she had never been allowed to mourn for her mother, the Queen.  With Queen C at her side she traveled to her ancestral home to attend her father's funeral.  Lady M was courteous, even in her grief, but Princess A ran to her sister and embraced her.  Princess S returned the embrace and yearned for her sister, but knew that as long as Princess A remained in the kingdom of their birth, Lady M would punish her for communicating with Princess S.  So she and Queen C traveled back to their home to observe the mourning customs of their faith.

Twenty years passed as life went on.  Prince H died, an angry, bitter man, and the old King and Queen grew ever more bitter, mourning the loss of both their children and all their other grandchildren, even though Princess S and Queen C visited them often. Eventually they died as well.  Queen C's children grew up, married and had children of their own, wonderful grandchildren for her and Princess S, who loved them with an unbounding love.  Princess S accomplished many good works and was beloved by Queen C, their children and grandchildren, and the people in her adopted land.  Her life was good and worthy and she was grateful every day for all the gifts that life had given her.

And yet, all was not well in the kingdom of her heart.  Food continued to be her comfort, solace for griefs she did not even recognize.  As her body grew older, she could no longer fend off the ill effects of carrying so much extra weight, and she sought desperately for a remedy.  Hearing of a magical kingdom to the north whose inhabitants possessed much wisdom, she traveled there to see what she could learn.  She met many healers who taught her their secrets, and she took them to be her own, following the path they recommended even when it was difficult to navigate and took her through frightening, dark places.

Slowly, Princess S began to heal.  Slowly, she began to realize the enormity of the evil that had befallen her at Lady M's hands.  Slowly, she began to understand that she had taken care of herself the only way she knew how. 

One day, as she traveled through the kingdom of Facebook, she recognized a friend from the days of her childhood.  "Have you news of Princess A?" she asked.  "Do you think she might want to hear from me?"  "Yes, she would," her friend replied.  "She asked me that same question about you."  So Princess S sent a message to Princess A, whose heart was gladdened, and they were reunited.  Princess A had experienced great hardships during the lost years, but had found healers who helped her with their wisdom, and she had come to see Lady M for what she was.  And so the sisters were united, and there was much joy in both their lands.

And yet, Princess S's heart was still heavy, as was her body.  She kept following the path shown to her by the healers from the North until at last she came to a deep, dark forest.  Though she longed for the light, Princess S knew that it was in the deep, dark forest that the secret to healing lay, so she sat beneath the trees and waited to see what would come to her.  She sat for a long time, and storms of rage and grief blew through her, and those storms were so strong and terrible that she did not think she would ever see the light again.

When she had been sitting for what felt like eons, Princess S at last came to realize that she had been holding her mother, the Queen, inside her for all those years, and that the food she had used to fill the emptiness inside her was also a way to feel close the the mother she had lost.  As she had that realization, a shaft of light, warm and bright, penetrated the gloom of the forest and caressed her face through her tears.  She got up and returned to her castle, where she told Queen C what had been revealed.  Queen C, ever loving and wise, said "You kept your mother close in the only way you were allowed," and then she said, "We must put a picture of the Queen in our home for you to see whenever you wish, so that you may let go of what you have held inside so painfully for all these years."

And they lived happily ever after, surrounded by their loving friends and family.