The Kingdom of Arcantis had been plagued by a horrible dragon for some time now. For almost a year it had been hellbent on destroying the kingdom town by town. Knights were instantly killed by the dragon's hot flame and trampling feet. Entire villages were burnt to a crisp. Thousands of people died each week. And nobody could do anything about it. (Author's Note: in different versions of this story, it's been Arcantis and Arcanis. They're very similar and tbh there's really no difference. I just couldn't decide which I liked better. Also, there are three different versions when it comes to names. There's the nameless version, the version with Paige and Aimery, and the version with Eloise and Alexander. Y'all will definitely get all three in this collection. Alright I'm gonna stop jabbering on now)

Once upon a time there lived a young princess, who desired nothing else than to become a Knight. Being an only child, her father forbade her to do anything other than to have fancy tea parties and wallow in her room. Despite these inconveniences, the princess knew what she wanted and was determined to get it. Every night, late when nobody was awake, she would train in secret to become a Knight. She would make her own armor, weapons, and she would teach herself how to fight, using nothing but the woods to guide her. She knew that she was ready to defeat any evil that would come her way.

Once upon a time there was a poor young boy who grew up dreading his destiny. His father, one of the best and most famous knights in the entire kingdom, had died at the cause of the evil dragon. He knew he would have to become a Knight and follow in his father's footsteps to help support his family. The only problem is, he was afraid of literally everything. Especially dragons. He didn't know why he was such a coward, but the poor boy just couldn't get over his fears. When he was conscripted, he remained aloof and distanced from the other knights. They would often jeer behind his back and mock him. They called him "Cowardly Knight." He would often cry himself to sleep at night.

One random day, the dragon decided to attack the castle. The princess was ready: this is what she'd been training for. When she heard the evil cries of the dragon, she sprinted to her room and determinedly changed into her armor. Then, as the cavalry went out to meet the dragon, she waited in the horse stables for her chance.

The Cowardly Knight, on the other hand, was absolutely terrified. He knew he must face his fears if he was to help save the kingdom. He prayed over and over again that God would have mercy on him.
"A quick, painless death please," he prayed. Then he went out into the battlefield.

The dragon was relentless. After killing off the first row of knights, it still had all of its stamina. The knights were afraid to approach it. Finally, realizing that if he didn't no one else would, the Cowardly Knight stepped forward. The dragon looked at the poor boy, seemingly saying Seriously? This dweeb thinks he's gonna defeat me? Ha! There's no way. The poor Cowardly Knight was done for.

Just as the dragon was about to devour the poor, petrified knight, the princess rode in on a striking white stallion, screaming a battle cry.
"HEY DRAGON! LEAVE HIM ALONE!"
The dragon looked amused at the thought that a mere princess thought she could defeat it. Ha. Funny joke.

Before the dragon could think anything else, the princess fired arrows at it, distracting it. It became angry. As the dragon rested up in pain, the princess skillfully threw her dagger, and it pierced the dragon's underbelly into its heart. It screamed in pain and terror as it crashed to the ground. Triumphantly, the princess walked up to the dragon and cleanly sliced its head off as a trophy.

"Who is this mysterious Knight?" The entire cavalry rumbled with confusion and awe.
"Please, take off your helmet so we can see who you are!" The head of the cavalry insisted. The princess complied. Upon taking off her helmet, her shiny hair waved in the wind dramatically. Everyone gasped.
The entire cavalry rumbled with surprise and confusion.
"The princess saved us?"
The princess smiled.

"I was motivated by this knight right here." She said, pointing to the cowardly knight. "While the rest of you were cowering over there, he had the courage to face the dragon. Of course, he was petrified when the dragon was about to EAT HIM! Which he should have been. You should all be ashamed of yourselves! I have heard about how you tease him for being the cowardly knight, but, as far as I know, he is the bravest knight I have ever seen," The princess exclaimed. The whole cavalry hung their heads in shame. 

"Th-thank you princess, but, they're right. I am the most cowardly knight that ever existed. I don't deserve to be a knight, you do," The cowardly knight said, hanging his head in shame.

The princess put her hand on his shoulder, sympathetically.

"You believe you are a coward and that's what makes you a coward. Well, I'm here to tell you that if you believe in yourself, you could become the bravest knight in the world! I can help you if you wish," The princess offered. The cowardly knight smiled.

"I would love that." 

They shared a brief tender moment before suddenly, the air was filled with the sound of an angry father.

"WHAT DID I TELL YOU!" The king thundered. The princess gasped and turned around.

"Father!"

"I FORBADE YOU TO BE INVOLVED WITH KNIGHTHOOD! YOU DISOBEYED MY ORDERS AND THEREFORE COMMITTED TREASON! But, you also saved the kingdom, and I must thank you for that. I'm sorry for forbidding you to be a knight. I had no idea that you were do skilled and determined. I suppose you get your stubbornness from me. And you son, what you did was really brave, but also really stupid. If you learn to have better judgement, I'd be proud to have you in my cavalry." The king said.

"Thank you, Father!" the princess hugged the king.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. And thank you too, Your Highness, for saving my life. I am forever in your debt." The cowardly knight said gratefully. 

Starting the next day, the knight and the princess began training together. Each day, they both got better and better. Along with their skill, they became really close. They new each other better than they knew themselves.

Years and years into the future, the king pulled the princess aside and asked her a lifelong favor.

"Since your mother and I are old and dying, I need you to become the next Queen of Arcanis. I promise, you can still be a knight. I just need you to rule the kingdom." The princess's eyes welled up with tears.

"Of course, Father." The king and the princess smiled. 

The coronation was magnificent. The princess looked beautiful, the ceremony was stunning, and the princess announced something incredible.

"People of the Kingdom of Arcanis. I have something important to say. As you know, I've been training with the knight you all deemed cowardly before. Well, I must say, now, he is the bravest man I've ever met. I realize now that I have learned to love him. I, along with my parents, have decided that I will make him the next King of Arcanis. We will rule the kingdom as knights together. We promise to rule the kingdom fairly." The princess announced. The people cheered loudly. 

It was a lovely wedding. Everyone for miles around came to see the bravest couple in the kingdom get married. The new King and Queen were the fairest rulers that ever lived. And they lived happily ever after.

End of version one