The Elf
Once upon a time, in the great kingdom of Paradonia, there lived a king named King Marcus, whose love for apples was known throughout the kingdom. All day long he ate only apples and wouldn't even share them with his daughter, Princess Alma.
— Mmm, mmm, mmm. You know I love you, Alma. Mmm. But my love for apples surpasses everything. Ah!
— That's not fair, Father! I'm only asking for one bite! — My dear, even if I wanted to, I couldn't. And you know why. I had the... — Yes, yes, I know. You had the great wise man cast a spell on all the apple trees in the garden. And whoever eats an apple from there will be dragged into the world beneath the earth. Yes, I've heard that a million times!
— Oh, fine. — But Father! — Mmm, mmm, mmm. Let me eat my apples in peace. Ah!
Princess Alma's Wish
— Hmm! No matter what, today I'm going to taste an apple!
That afternoon, while the king was taking his nap, Princess Alma took out her golden clapping toy and brought it near the garden where the guards stood. She hid and put the toy down. Immediately, it began to clap its hands and move closer to the guards.
But to the princess's surprise, none of the guards budged. The toy stopped next to a person, and when Alma looked up, she saw a man dressed like a prince, with a crown on his head. She immediately understood that it was the mighty prince who had come to ask for her hand in marriage.
Princess Alma immediately ran back to the palace.
The Meeting with the Mighty Prince
Later that same day, as King Marcus and the Mighty Prince were speaking in the throne room, the maids brought in Princess Alma.
— Oh, look, my daughter Alma. He is the great prince from the kingdom of Restan. — How do you do, Princess Alma? — Ah, I'm very well. Thank you for asking.
— Well, it seems you two get along very well. My daughter, why don't you take the prince with you and show him the kingdom? — Of course, Father!
When the princess and the prince left the castle and headed towards the guards, she asked:
— And, why are you called the Mighty Prince? — Oh, because I am the mightiest prince in the world. I have imprisoned dragons, made lions bow before me, and defeated an army of bears. I am the strongest man who has ever existed on earth. — Oh dear! What a braggart!
— Oh, really? Then I must be the luckiest princess, for I am in your presence. And because you are so brave and have come to ask for my hand, I would like to ask you a favor before we unite our destinies. — Go on, tell me.
— Do you see those apple trees over there? — Yes. — All I wish is to eat an apple from those trees. Would you be so kind as to pick one for me? — Oh, by all means! Ha ha ha! Yes, I will bring you the apple. Come!
Nexus, Guardian of the Garden
As the princess and the prince approached the guards, Nexus stopped them.
— My Princess, entry here is forbidden by the king's order. — How dare you?
Then, Nexus took off his helmet and looked directly into the Mighty Prince's eyes. Princess Alma was amazed at how handsome Nexus was.
— Oh dear! The gentleman here is the Mighty Prince! — I am only following the king's order, Sire.
— Servant, I shall order you to... Just then, Princess Alma interrupted him. — Prince, leave him be. I suppose my wish to eat an apple will remain unfulfilled.
This moved Nexus, who didn't realize that Princess Alma was only pretending.
— Oh, my Princess, please don't say that. But I don't want to displease the king. — But he'll never know! Let the Mighty Prince pick just one apple and then we'll be on our way.
Nexus thought for a while, then nodded.
— Alright. Just one apple. — Oh, isn't he adorable?
The Curse Unleashed
When Nexus moved, the Mighty Prince went to a tree and picked an apple from a lower branch. When the princess received the apple, she took a bite and savored its taste.
— Mmm, this is the best taste in the world! Ah!
Suddenly, a dragon appeared from beneath the earth. It took Princess Alma and vanished with her.
The Mighty Prince began to tremble, and Nexus was stunned. Everything happened so fast that none of the guards, including Nexus, had time to react. Just then, the king came running towards the garden, for he had heard the dragon's roar.
— Alma, are you alright? Where is Alma? Where is my daughter?
The Mighty Prince explained everything to the king, who was now very angry with Nexus.
— Nexus! How dared you let her eat the apple? — My King, I am sorry. But the princess was very sad and only wanted one bite of an apple. I felt sorry for her.
— Fool! Do you think it wasn't hard for me to say no to her all these years? This garden is cursed! — What do you mean, Your Majesty?
— The great wise man cursed me many years ago when I was hunting in his forest. I accidentally stepped on his plate of apples, and he cursed me to have to eat apples for the rest of my life. Otherwise, the people of my kingdom will suffer, and the dragon will leave no one alive. And if anyone else ever eats an apple from the garden, then the dragon will come and take them.
Nexus regretted his decision to let the princess eat the apple.
— Is there a way to bring her back? Or to break the wise man's spell? — The spell cannot be broken or reversed, unless the wise man himself does it. And I cannot set foot in his forest. Otherwise, the entire kingdom will turn to ashes.
The Search for the Wise Man
— Your Majesty, please give me a chance. I will go into the forest and bring her back. — Very well, but take the Mighty Prince with you. He is a brave man. — Mmm, actually I was thinking... — Of course! I wouldn't dream of going there alone!
And so they set off on horseback, without other soldiers,
