The Right Knight

By Anna Hughes

Sometimes falling in love

Requires a small shove

From those who know us the best.

But with her heart on the line

One Princess will find

There really is no contest.

*******

The Royal Princess was most unimpressed

and had locked herself in her tower.

For the King did decide she must soon be a bride

despite her foot stomps and glower.

**

She was quite underwhelmed by the Knights of the realm

With lives so boring and bland.

But the King did declare he would host a great fair

And the prize would be her own hand.

**

But so loved was the royal by her staff ever-loyal

that schemes for the tourney were hatched.

From stable to kitchen the servants would pitch in

To find her the perfect match.

**

The day finally arrived and she wearily sighed

as she welcomed the Knights with their banners.

She wore her best gown and sparkliest crown -

and tried to remember her manners.

**

As Knight mounted his horse and took to the course,

he offered a sign of devotion.

A rose, a kerchief, a morsel of beef.

All hoping for royal promotion.

**

But one was a mystery with no hint of history,

no coat of arms on display.

His visor so low his face didn’t show.

With a nod he entered the fray.

**

Round one saw the Knights engage in sword fights.

with Sir Gadabout tipped to prevail.

But as he attacked there was a great crack

His sword shattered on first assail.

**

The scene was repeated by most who competed

As hilts came away from their blades.

Except for the stranger who was never in danger,

and emerged from the contest unscathed.

**

Skill with arrow and bow was next put on show

(Sir Bellend was touted to win).

Alas, his aim was awry, and his arrows did fly

not straight, but with curious spin.

**

At the end of the bout A clear winner stood out

as only one target was punched.

The King was bemused, the Princess amused,

and they all took a break for some lunch.

**

The jousting was meant as the final event,

but a woeful disaster ensued

Only half of the Knights, were walking upright.

Could there be something wrong with the food?

**

Those able to ride complained on the side

as most of the mounts were lame.

“What can I do –my steed threw a shoe!”

Became a most common refrain.

**

Only one made the course -was that a carthorse

on which the stranger sat tall?

By default he had won and it left the King stunned.

This wasn’t what he’d planned at all.

**

When the uproar subsided (with the winner decided),

the King leapt to his feet in a rush.

“Who is this hero?” he demanded to know.

and the crowd fell into a hush.

**

“I’m no contender, a mere pretender,”

he said with no trace of shyness.

“I’ve never seen battle, instead I tend cattle,

but I am in love with Her Highness.”

**

When the victor revealed this fact to the field,

one Knight could not bear the shock.

He fell into a faint (it was really quite quaint)

and into his neighbor he knocked.

**

This caused him to stumble and in doing so tumble

into the next man in the line.

One by one the Knights dropped and nothing could stop

the crumpling till all were supine.

**

The King was outraged, his tourney upstaged

By endless turmoil and drama

To make matters worse, he now bore a curse.

His daughter must marry a farmer!

**

The Princess was astounded (and rather confounded)

As his helmet the young man removed.

Before her now stood a friend from childhood.

An outcome of which she approved.

**

But this was no boy with whom she’d shared toys

(and her first sweet, innocent kiss).

But a man fully grown - where had the time flown?

And she found him most hard to resist.

**

His jaw was so chiseled that every sense sizzled

Her heart gave a curious flutter.

She was glued to the spot, she simply could not

find anything lucid to utter.

**

“I’ve had enough!” said the King with a huff,

“My child won’t wed a commoner.

The contest is void!” He was very annoyed,

“I simply can’t bear the dishonor.”

**

“Oh, Papa, don’t you see he’s the one for me.”

She said with a smile most disarming

“He’s gallant and brave, and clearly no knave.

To me, he’s truly Prince Charming.”

**

The King slumped in his seat and conceded defeat.

“I suppose there is naught I can say.

This was all my idea but now it is clear

True love will find its own way.”

🩷🩷🩷