In the mystical realm of Ter Mur, where gargoyles reigned and ancient forests whispered their secrets, there lived a princess known as Mistral. She was no ordinary princess, her desire for adventure was renowned. But fate had a peculiar sense of humor, and it seemed that her destiny was to be a perpetual kidnap victim.

This is how the year has gone so far:

Week 1: The Goblin Ambush. 

One moonlit night, as Mistral strolled through the palace gardens, a band of goblins sprang from the shadows. Their pointy ears twitched with excitement as they snatched her away, giggling like children who had found a supply of chocolate.  The Queen’s defenders, clad in gleaming armor, arrived too late. Their swords clashed with the goblins rusty knives, but Mistral was already far away.  The knights gave chase.

Week 2 : The Treacherous Orcs

Deeper into the Whispering Woods that surround the Royal City, Mistral found herself in the clutches of brutish orcs. Their greenish skin reeked of sweat and battle. They tied her to a gnarled tree, their leader grinning toothlessly. Sir C’drik, one of her bodyguards, charged in, but the orcs overwhelmed him. Mistral watched helplessly as they dragged her away, leaving her defender bruised and humiliated. Nevertheless, he retrieved his throwing blades, and took to the air in pursuit.

Week 3: The Siren’s Song

On the shores of the lake, Mistral encountered a siren – a sea-faring succubus. Her voice wove spells, and Mistral willingly followed her into the depths of the lake. Sir A’l’ric, the youngest of her defenders, plunged into the waters after her, but the siren’s song entranced him as well, and the siren disappeared with him beneath the waves, leaving a confused Mistral spluttering for air.

Week 4 : The Bandit Queen

In the bustling market of Ter Mur, Mistral was snatched by the notorious Bandit Queen, who wore a mask of silver, and moved like a shadow between the stalls. Sir G’wort, a senior knight, confronted her – but she danced aside, dragging Mistral with her, down the alleyways around the marketplace. G’Wort took to the air, which made it a lot easier to follow her.

Week 5 : The Dragon’s Lair

On a trip to see the great Boras that roam the plains, Mistral was plucked from the air by the great beast Iskarthon. His scales gleamed silver and emerald in the sun, and his eyes held centuries of hatred and bitterness. Sir Per’f’rated, the last remaining knight, charged with unwavering determination. But the dragon plucked him from the air as he flew in a death-charge, and batted him aside. Mistral took her opportunity to escape, trying not to hear the crunching of bones behind her.

Week 6 : The Sinister Spa

Mistral was exhausted from all these kidnapping attempts. She came across a scroll advertising a new spa, with hot springs and relaxing massages, and immediately booked a suite. On arrival, she found the spa was actually in a dungeon, and the hot springs were heated by lava elementals, while kidnappers and brigands plotted evil nearby.

A stout band of adventurers from Britannia rescued her, but one of them reported seeing a possible sign of annoyance on the princesses face as they slew the last of her captors. Perhaps all was not as it seemed.

Week 7: ???

Will the princess fall victim to anyone else this month? Will you be ready to defend her? And why does she get kidnapped so often? and, will there be any good loot? Come along and find the answers to at least some of these questions!

In any case, the knights recovered (mostly, well, some of them did), and founded a new order.

They started calling themselves “The Knight Order of the Perpetually Kidnapped Princess” which didn’t exactly endear them to the queen.

Other, lesser incidents followed. For instance:

The Mischievous Pixies:
Tiny, iridescent wings fluttered around Mistral’s head. The pixies giggled, tugging at her hair and whispering secrets only she could hear. Sir Cedric’s jaw dropped as Mistral rolled her eyes.

“Not again,” she muttered, swatting at the pixies. But they whisked her away, leaving the knights bewildered.

The Sly Reapers:
The ancient trees stirred, their gnarled roots rising like serpents. Mistral recognized them—the reapers of Lo’key. They wrapped her in leafy tendrils, lifting her off the ground.

A knight’s sword wavered. “Princess?” he stammered. Mistral sighed, dangling from a branch.
“Yes, again.”

The Enigmatic Dryad
A figure stepped from the shadows—a dryad with bark-like skin and eyes like emerald leaves. She beckoned to Mistral, promising secrets of the forest’s heart.
Sir Go’way’s eyes widened. “Princess, don’t—” But Mistral followed the dryad, her expression resigned.

The Bandit Brigade:
From behind a moss-covered boulder, bandits emerged—Py’ry’te’s crew, led by the silver-masked queen herself. They brandished wooden swords, their eyes gleaming with mischief.

Mistral crossed her arms. “Really? You couldn’t wait until next week?”

Sir Cedarly whispered, “Should we… intervene?”
Mistral shook her head. “They have wooden swords. Barely a threat.”

As the knights stared, flabbergasted, Mistral dusted off her stone gown. “Gentlemen,” she said, “I appreciate the rescue attempts, but perhaps we should schedule these kidnappings? Weekends, maybe?”

And so, Princess Mistral continued her forest frolic, her eyes reflecting both exasperation and amusement. The knights exchanged glances, wondering if they’d ever succeed in keeping their gargoyle princess safe.

Note: The knights later formed a support group called “Rescuers Anonymous.” 

Their motto: “We tried. Again.”