The Golden Crown by Aditi Dinesh {Inklings Book Contest 2022 Finalist}

Today we are featuring Inklings Book Contest 2022 finalist Aditi Dinesh. Aditi finished 7th grade this past school year and wrote a story called “The Golden Crown.” Our judge remarked that Aditi’s story features “two young adults stand up to their elders when they see something going wrong, which is a powerful story setup.” Enjoy!

 

THE GOLDEN CROWN
By: Aditi Dinesh

Once upon a time, in a land far away, there was a kingdom where the sun shone and illuminated the city. In the main square of the capital city, artisans’ stores showcased their craftsmanship, and merchants hawked their goods. Citizens buzzed through the market, buying things and chatting in loud voices. This prosperous kingdom was called Eversun. Rising high over the little huts was a golden stone castle. This, of course, was where the royal family lived. Great King Andrew and wise Queen Mariel, they were the most loved and respected rulers of Eversun. And so was their beautiful daughter, princess Alina. The princess was the vision of perfection, with her long golden curls, merry blue eyes and pale slender limbs. She was the pride and joy of Eversun.

One bright and sunny day, Alina woke up at the sound of noises outside. She huffed with annoyance. Why couldn’t the common folk outside be quiet?

She looked out the window and her irritation vanished. Outside in the village square children were throwing a ball around and laughing. She could see the mothers with their arms around each other, smiling and chatting. She couldn’t wear the dirty yet comfortable clothes the commoners were wearing.

Alina’s heart ached. She’d never had a friend before. As a princess, it was drilled in her head that she had an image to maintain. She could not run around raucously like the children or gossip loudly with just anyone. 

Her maid entered the room.

“How about wearing normal clothes today?” She asked her maid. “For a change.”

The maid looked ready to faint. “Absolutely not, my lady! A princess shouldn’t be walking around looking like common folk.”

Alina sighed and allowed the maid to outfit her wispy pale blue dress and wrap a necklace of pearls around her neck. Then she set off to her sessions, as a princess must be well educated.

Her pronunciation of the Foreign Languages was perfect, her arithmetics spot-on and her responses to the geography tutor were impressive. 

“Of course you’re too pretty to need to know all this.” Her geography tutor winked at her. “Your king will be doing this for you anyway.”

Alina swallowed her disgust. So that’s how it would be? Her king doing everything for her, as if she couldn’t do anything? It almost made one want to reconsider being a princess.

 

 

For her next lesson, she had to listen to the Legend of the Golden crown for what must have been the hundredth time.

Once upon a time, there was a crown. This crown was

made from solid gold and brought peace and prosperity

to all the kingdoms. Alas, one day, the beholder of the crown,

Queen Merida disappeared in the Dark Forests with the crown

and never returned. Now every four years, the bravest young

men venture into the Dark forest with hopes of retrieving the 

crown of prosperity to the Four Kingdoms. None have ever returned.

 

Now another Quest was approaching. In a fortnight,  men from the Four Kingdoms would Quest into the dark forest to try and retrieve the golden crown that brought prosperity. 

Alina didn’t get the point of those Quests. Eversun was prosperous enough. Why did they need the crown?

Alina pondered this as she changed into a midnight blue gown for the council meeting where the king and his men were to discuss the upcoming Quest. 

Alina sat down at her usual spot: next to her mother near the head of the table. 

Her father, King Andrew leaned forward. “What news of the tournament?”

Every year the young men who wished to venture into the dark forest would have to compete and the most worthy would be chosen by the kings of the Four Kingdoms.

The head of the knights and the best fighter of Eversun, Baxter stood up. “Men from each of the Four kingdoms have been chosen. They will arrive with their kings tomorrow night.”

“Why is it that only men can go on the Quest?” Alina blurted out. Everyone felt silent. Alina wanted to take back the words as every eye in the room turned to her. 

Andrew continued calmly as though nothing had happened. Queen Mariel shot her a disapproving look. 

Alina wished a hole would appear for her to hide in. How could she interrupt a meeting of the council? That was definitely not something a princess should do.

On the other hand . . . why was it that only men could go on the Quest? Her geography tutors’ words came back to her. Your king will be doing all of this for you anyway.

Alina was still restless after the meeting ended. She decided to go on a walk. 

She didn’t want to be followed around by a dozen guards, so she turned off the lights, making it look like she was asleep before putting a cloak over her dress and slipped out the window. 

 

 

Alina strolled through the shadowed streets enjoying the peace and quiet. Here there was no one to make her wear dresses and look pretty. Out here there were no duties for her, no expectations. 

Here she was free.

Elated, she twirled . . . and a gloved hand yanked her into a dark alley.

Alina tried to scream but the gloved hand covered her mouth. Another figure dressed in all black melted out of the shadows.

“She got anythin’ good?” One asked in a rough voice.

The man who had grabbed Alina patted her down and then yanked the exquisite pearl necklace off her throat. “Look at this!”

The man with the rough voice leaned forward. His face was obscured by a hood, but Alina swore she could see hunger glinting in the man’s eyes. 

“That’s no orin’ary necklace.” he said. He turned to sneer at the petrified Alina.  “Seems fit for a princess, no?”

Alina whimpered. “No! I’m not her! I’m not the princess!”

The man pushed her forward. Alina tumbled into some bags of grain where she lay there, trembling. Would the men kill her now?

Then, silhouetted by the light of the moon, another figure appeared. He crept up behind the first man who had grabbed her and kicked him behind the knee. The man stumbled forward into his comrade. The second man whirled around drawing a wickedly sharp knife from his pocket and lunged at the newcomer. 

The newcomer drew a dagger of his own and after a few minutes of fighting, both the men had fled.

The newcomer tossed his long black hair out of his eyes. His age surprised Alina — for he wasn’t much older than Alina herself. He was pale and sallow with a sharp bone structure and hollow cheeks. His raven-black hair fell into his eyes, which were a dark brown. His clothes were dirty and torn.

“You shouldn’t be here.” He told Alina.

Alina climbed to her feet. “Who are you?” 

He didn’t reply. 

Alina’s fear had melted and a bit of indignation replaced it. However she had questions so she asked, “Who are those people?”

“Gangsters.” The boy replied. “Some people trying to get some easy money.”

Alina was shocked. “But Eversun doesn’t have those kinds of people. Everybody is well off.” 

The boy gave her a strange look that she could not interpret. “Let’s just say the sun doesn’t always shine in Eversun.”

“How?” Alina pressed.

The boy looked away. “You’re a princess. They won’t know anything beyond the castle doors.”

Alina had a feeling she’d just been insulted, but she decided not to say anything. “Well I’ll be on my way.” 

She had just exited the alley when a voice said behind her, “Adrian.”

Alina turned around. “Excuse me?”

“Adrian.” The boy said. “That’s my name.”

Alina nodded politely. “Well thank you for saving me, Adrian.”

Then she turned around and walked back to the castle.

 

The next day was the tournament. Men of all shapes and sizes tried to make it to the Quest. Alina watched with not much interest. 

After the tournament, the four kings were discussing their picks when a guard entered the throne room. “There is a boy outside.” He said to King Andrew. “He would like to see you.”

“Bring him in.” Andrew ordered. 

The guard returned with a black-haired boy behind him. Alina gasped. It was Adrian!

Adrian didn’t look in her direction or give any sign that they had met before. Instead his gaze never left King Andrew. 

“What can I do for you, boy?” Andrew asked.

Adrian met the king’s gaze. “My name is Adrian from the outer towns of Eversun. I would like to join the Quest to find the golden crown of prosperity.

Everybody stopped what they were doing to stare at the boy. A couple of knights snickered.

Adrian gazed unflinchingly at the king.  King Andrew leaned forward. “Ỳou see boy, the Quest is only for people much older and more experienced than yourself. The Quest is very dangerous.”

“I can fight.” Adrian insisted.

Andrew leaned back on his throne. “Very well.” He flicked his hand and Sir Baxter lunged at the boy, sword raised.

 Alina gasped, sure Baxter would skewer him, but Adrian dodged him easily. The knight turned and attacked him again. Adrian used his small size and agility to avoid the hulking knight. 

Baxter stumbled. Quick as a fox, Adrian leaped on him, knocking the knight to the ground. Adrian drew his dagger and pressed it to the knight’s exposed neck. The guards rushed forward. 

Adrian stepped off him and met the king’s eyes, silently daring him to refuse him.

“Your fighting skill is impressive, but you may not join the Quest.” Andrew said.

Adrian glared at him. “Did I or did I not just beat your best fighter? I come from the places that actually need the crown. There is no one more motivated than I.”

“Enough!” Andrew raised his hand. Sir Baxter crept up behind Adrian and rammed into him, sending the boy crumpling to the floor. The guard swarmed him, dragging Adrian to the door. 

“Stop!” Alina yelled. The guards hesitated.

“Why are we doing this?” Her voice carried throughout the throne room. “Is it because of our vanity? How we can’t stand anyone who’s not a knight to be part of the Quest?”

 She turned to look at the king. “You are throwing the one person who can find the crown out the door.”

Alina wanted to shrink under the look her father gave her, but she stood her ground. Queen Mariel was shaking her head. The guards’ eyes flickered between the princess and the king, not sure who to obey.

“That is enough.” Andrew said coldly. “Take the boy away. And as for my daughter,” He glared at Alina. She gulped. “I shall deal with her.”

 

Alina was sent to her room and locked in there. As she contemplated escaping through the window, King Andrew entered the room and sat down on the bed beside her. “We need to talk.”

Alina didn’t say anything.

“You see,” Andrew continued.”There is a lot of pressure being in the royal family. Everybody judging how you look, how you speak, how you act— there are a lot of expectations resting on our shoulders.

“That is why sometimes I must act in ways that I might not like or approve of. It’s all about the visuals you see?”

Andrew waited for her to nod before continuing.

“But I cannot tolerate these outbursts and speaking out of turn. You have an image to maintain and you cannot blemish it. That is why I am sentencing you to your room for a week. I cannot let these acts go unpunished.”

“But why?” Alina burst out. “I only spoke the truth. Why is it that only men can go on the Quest? Why is it that you threw Adrian out? Is it because he’s not a knight? That he doesn’t have the money? That Quest is free!

“What is the point of training me to be queen if the king is to do everything?” 

Andrew’s jaw tightened. “You are being punished for these outbursts. You are no longer a child, Alina. You must let go of these delusions and enter the real world.” And with that the king exited the room. 

 

Alina extinguished the lamps but did not sleep. Then, a shadowed figure crawled through the window and leaped into the room.

Alina was about to scream when the voice hissed. “Wait! It’s me!”

“Adrian?”Alina whispered back and sure enough, the figure tossed back his hood, revealing Adrian’s messy black hair and pale face.

“What are you doing here?” Alina hissed. “You can’t be here!”

“I came to talk to you.” Adrian replied. “I heard what the king said to you about your image and stuff. And I understand what you mean. It’s stupid. They care more about their image than about making the right decision.”

“Where are you going with this?” Alina asked. 

Adrian moved closer, his eyes burning with intensity. “I say we go and find the golden crown together.”

“What?” Alina gasped — then lowered her voice. “Us? Going on the Quest. Alone?”

Adrian nodded eagerly.

“You can’t be serious!” Alina spluttered. “I can’t fight at all! And if the best knights of all the kingdoms couldn’t find the crown, what makes you think we can?”

“Because of our heart.” He was sitting beside her on the bed now. “You want to do the right thing. That’s more than I can say for any other royal. All the other knights only care about the glory and nothing else. We do it because it’s the right thing.”

“But won’t my absence be noticed?” Alina asked.

Adrian’s dark eyes glinted. “Haven’t you been sentenced to your room?”

Alina could see the plan coming together. However, was it a good idea for her to go after the golden crown? She was a princess with no fighting skills or experience outside of the castle. That much had been proven when the gangsters attacked. She would probably get herself and Adrian killed.

On the other hand, she was being offered the opportunity of a lifetime. She could have the kingdom finally listen to her. Her voice could be heard.

Andrew’s words echoed in her head, “You must let go of these delusions and enter the real world.”

She met Adrian’s eyes. “I will come with you to find the golden crown.”

“Meet me at the edge of the Dark Forest at dusk.” Adrain said.

 

The next day, Alina made sure to tell her maid not to enter her room and to tell the chefs to slide her meal under the doors. Now no one would notice her absence.

At dusk, she substituted her gown for a tunic and pants, made sure she was wearing no valuables and pulled a cloak over her head before slipping out the window and running towards the Dark Forest.

Adrian was already waiting for her. The forest loomed behind him, dark and unforgiving. 

“Shall we go?” Adrian asked, nodding towards the trees.

Alina nodded, swallowing back her fear. Now was not the time for cowardice. Now was the time to be brave. 

They entered the forest. Alina expected to see glowing red eyes and hear distant howls, but the forest was silent.

Too silent.

The forest didn’t rustle or creak or do anything that forests were supposed to do. It seemed to be holding its breath.

Adrian seemed as unnerved by the silence as she was. He prowled forward, dagger in hand and jumped at the tiniest hint of a rustle.

“So why are you so motivated to find the crown anyway?” Alina asked him to break the suffocating silence. 

Adrian kept his eyes trained ahead when he answered, “I come from a small town on the outskirts of Eversun. Redpine it was called. When the Golden Crown was in our possession, the place was thriving, but after we lost the crown . . .” His face darkened. “The bit of magic that remains was centered in the capital city of Eversun. And even then, the place is disintegrating.” 

He shot Alina a look, and she knew he meant the gangsters.

“Redpine and the other small towns got the worst of it. There were wars, famine; many of us went hungry for days at a time. Soon Redpine was no more and the survivors were all over the place, trying to find a home.

“Then I heard of the Quest. And I immediately set off for the capital of Eversun. I knew I would have to prove myself to be part of the Quest, but I was so sure that I was going to be the one to find it. But then when I arrived here . . .”

Alina could picture it clearly in her mind. Adrian arrives at the main city of Eversun after losing his town, and then sees this: The thriving, ignorant city. The king and queen with infinite resources and wealth, but not even lifting a finger to help the suffering. 

Alina turned to Adrian to apologize, for her parents, for her kingdom, for the years she spent in ignorance, for everything but he was gone.

“Adrian?” Alina called. “ADRIAN?”

There was no reply.

Half-blind with panic, Alina tore through the bushes, not caring about how much sound she was making, and stumbled into a clearing.”

“Hello Alina,” A voice purred behind her.

Alina spun around to find a woman. She might have once been beautiful, with sleek black hair, delicate features and moon-pale skin, but her eyes glinted with a coldness and hardness that made her seem apathetic and inhuman. 

“Who are you?” Alina asked, her voice cracking with fear. “Where’s Adrian?”

The woman prowled around her, her black cape sweeping the grass, her eyes glittering with some sort of cold amusement. “A princess? Traveling in these woods? With a male. A ragtag town boy no less.”

“Where is he?” Alina repeated.

The woman flicked her fingers and Adrian appeared, hovering in the air, eyes closed surrounded by an eerily green mist. 

Alina rushed to help him, but she was pushed back.

“Not yet dearie.” the woman purred and then snapped her fingers. Haloed in a green mist, a crown made of solid gold hovered in the air beside Adrian. 

The golden crown of prosperity.

“You can only choose one.” The woman said. “Choose the crown and the boy will die. Choose the boy, and your kingdom will never ever see the crown again.”

Alina’s heart leaped in her throat. This was an impossible decision. If she chose Adrian, many others would die. But how could she ever ever live with herself if she let Adrian die?

She turned to the woman. “Why are you doing this?”

The woman smiled, a cruel thing that sent shivers down the spine. “I am not doing anything. I am seeing what you will do.”

Alina nearly choked as another horrifying realization came to her. “You killed all the knights on the Quests.” Countless men who had never returned to their homes, their families because of the tyrant in front of her.

“I didn’t kill them.” The woman said silkily. “Men can never find me. They were trapped here until the end of their days.”

“You’re a monster!” Alina shouted.

If possible the woman’s eyes got colder. “They were coming to take what was mine. I am the owner of the golden crown.”

“Merida” Alina breathed.

Merida smoothed her gown. “Queen Merida.”

Alina couldn’t believe it. The legendary queen Merida who had disappeared into the forest with the crown, here? Alive?

“You know Alina,” Merida said. “I was a lot like you once. Beautiful, hopeful. Beloved by my people. The golden crown is passed down by the rulers of Eversun. It should have been mine. But no. My husband, a prince from a nearby kingdom, thought it was his. Because he was king. He took what was rightfully mine. And my kingdom was behind him. 

“And then there was the pressure. I was always expected to look beautiful and nothing else. I was not allowed to give my opinion in any matters of state. I had no power. I was constantly punished by my husband for not being ‘ladylike’ enough.

“One day it drove me mad. I took the golden crown from him and fled into the Dark Forest. It took me in, nurtured me, gave me this.” Merida waved her hands and an emerald glow flared across the sky.

“Aren’t you tired of it?” Merida purred. “What are you going to do? Run back to your kingdom and continue being the useless princess, lorded by a man? Don’t you understand how tedious it is?”

Alina hated to admit it, but she did understand where Merida was coming from. Hadn’t she just been talking about this with Adrian? Why had she been punished? For giving her opinion. If she had been a boy would she have been reprimanded the same way?

A slow smile spread across the witch’s face. “Do you understand now?”

Alina didn’t look at Merida. “Yes.”

“Now good. Now here are the options: You stay with me and I’ll let the pathetic boy go. Or you choose the boy or the crown and flee to your kingdom where you’ll continue being treated like a damsel in distress.”

Alina met the former queen’s eyes. They were cold and dark, like all the shadows in the forests had pooled into those orbs. Not like Adrian’s. “I will never work for you. Give me Adrian.”

The tiniest hint of surprise flickered across Merida’s face, but she hid it quickly. “Very well.” She waved her hand and Adrian was dropped from his green glow at Alina’s feet. She pressed her fingers to his neck. His pulse was strong and steady, but he was still unconscious.

Alina turned back to look at the golden crown hovering above her. In a few days, the knights would try to find this crown. And none would come back. More and more people sacrificing their lives in vain.

Alina turned to look at Merida. She could run, save Adrian, warn everybody about Merida, but what good would it do? It was not like any of the knights could find her. And even if they did bring a woman on the Quest, Merida would probably just kill her anyway. 

There was only one thing Alina could do. 

 “Merida,” Alina said loudly. The witch turned to look at her. “The crown isn’t yours. Return it to the kingdoms.”

Merida sneered. “Do you really think you can stop me?”

Alina looked her directly in the eye. “Yes.” 

Alina raised her hand toward the golden crown. There was a blinding glow and the green light surrounding the crown exploded and the crown landed gently on the grass at Alina’s feet.

Merida stared at her in shock. Then she screamed in rage and launched a bolt of emerald light at Alina’s head. 

Alina picked up the crown and golden spirals beat back the green.

“This has gone on too long, Merida.” She said, “Your reign is over.”

Something strange was happening on Merida. Alina realized the former queen was slowly cracking like a shattered vase.

“NOO!” Merida screamed, clawing at her chest. “What are you doing to me?’

“I’m not doing anything.” Alina told her. “You’ve kept the crown in your possession for so long, that the crown is literally holding you together, so when the crown isn’t in your possession, you die, like any ordinary being.”

“No,” the witch begged. “Please don’t do this.”

“You’ve spent so long in the past.” Alina said softly. “It’s time to move to the future.”

With a small sigh, Merida shattered completely and her remnants were carried away in the cool breeze.

Alina stared at where she’d been, unable to believe what she had just done, when a groan snapped her out of it.

“Adrian!” Alina whirled around to see Adrian stirring on the grass. 

“Hey,” he said weakly, sitting up. “I saw what you just did. Wasn’t I supposed to be doing the fighting around here?”

Alina grinned. “At least we got what we came for.” she gestured to the golden crown dangling on her arm.

Adrian’s eyes practically burst out of his sockets when he saw it. His jaw dropped. He had to wait a few moments before he was able to form coherent sentences. “Do you know what this means? You can be queen!”

“Will the kingdom accept me though?” Alina asked.

“Will they accept you?” Adrian repeated. He gestured excitedly to the crown as if that said everything.

Then again, maybe it did.

“Let’s go back now.” Adrian said. 

 

Somehow, they were able to make it out of the forest without getting lost. The kingdom was in upheaval. Clearly Alina’s absence had been noticed.

Using Adrian’s secret paths, they were able to sneak past the guards patrolling the streets and enter the castle. 

“Make an entrance.” Adrian told her.

Alina turned to look at him. “Really? That’s the encouragement you’re going to give me?”

Adrian shrugged. “People tend to take you more seriously when you dramatically storm into a room.”

Alina took a deep breath and pushed open the large wooden doors of the throne room.

 

 

The entire council was gathered at the long rectangular table. King Andrew and Queen Mariel were seated on their thrones. Someone — presumably the leader of the search party — was reporting to Andrew. 

Alina cleared her throat. Every eye in the room went to her. Andrew started to rise from his seat. “Alina! We were so worried —” he trailed off when he noticed the golden crown on her arm.

Alina held it high for everybody to see. “This is the golden crown of prosperity. What we’ve been sending knights to find for almost a century.”

Everybody sucked in a collective breath.

“You have all heard of how Queen Merida disappeared into the forest with the crown,” Alina met the eyes of everybody in the room. “But what you have not heard is how she inherited the crown, but her husband stole it from her. You have not heard about how she could not give her opinion in anything and was punished for not being ‘ladylike’ enough. Driven mad, she fled to the Dark Forest, and spent years stewing in her hate.

“Now this might sound unthinkable, but it happens, right here in our very kingdom.” Alina met her mother’s eyes. “Do you not agree with Merida?”

Mariel shifted uncomfortably.

“Enough!” Andrew rose from his seat. “ Your intentions might have been noble, but you still disobeyed orders. Give me the crown.”

Alina locked eyes with him. “No.”

Everybody gasped.

“If I were not a princess would you be treating me like this?” Alina asked him. “If Sir Baxter were to walk in this room with the golden crown, wouldn’t you be celebrating? I am sorry for any worry I have caused you, but I will not give you the crown.”

“This is ridiculous.” Andrew said. “This is absolute nonsense! You there! Who should be in possession of the crown now?”

Alina’s tutor shuffled forward, looking intimidated. “W-well the crown is passed down generation by generation . . . but we’ve never had a case like this before . . . that the crown could go missing. But the princess is of royal blood . . . and she found the crown.” he took a deep breath. “Princess Alina should be the true owner of the golden crown.”

Alina met the king’s eyes. “Stand down, father.”

Andrew’s eyes blazed. “Never!”

Alina lifted the crown and placed it on her head.

 

 

A warm golden glow enveloped the room and spread across the kingdom, across all the kingdoms. Sunlight broke through the clouds; people raised their heads to the sky, basking in the warmth of prosperity that they hadn’t felt in so long.

Slowly, the glow faded. The room was silent. Then Mariel rose from her throne, bowed her head, and said, “Hail our new queen.”

Slowly everyone in the room had followed suit. 

Alina turned to her father. Tears were glistening in his eyes. Slowly he sank into a bow. “Hail our new queen.”

 

 

“So,” Adrian said, entering the balcony where Alina was standing. “How are things?”

Maybe it was the crown of prosperity, or maybe it was spending the day in the castle, but Adrian looked distinctly rested and cleaner. His hair was combed back, he was wearing some fine silk clothes which he looked slightly uncomfortable in, and he finally looked well fed.

“Things are going well,” Alina had sent people equipped with food and water to the outer towns of Eversun. Things were going to be slow, but they seemed to be healing. And she was working to make sure that there was equal opportunity between men and women

“I was going to ask you,” Alina turned to Adrian. “Would you be my advisor? I need someone to keep me grounded, someone who’s ‘been there’ to make sure my head doesn’t get turned by all this wealth and power.”

For a moment, Adrian was speechless. Then he grinned. “I’d love to.”

The kingdom of Eversun lived happily ever after under its new queen.

 

THE END