The Light Princess: The Girl Who Couldn’t Fall

Nothing held her

The princess floated against the ceiling. A curse had taken her weight. It had taken her tears, too.

One place to belong

Only the lake gave her weight. In the water she could dive, splash, and stay where she wanted. She swam there every evening.

A hand on shore

A prince began swimming with her. They raced beneath the moon. On shore she floated again, laughing as he caught her hand.

The shore grew

Her aunt’s next spell drained the lake through a passage underground. Each morning, the waterline lay farther down the stones.

No water to hold her

Boats settled into mud. The princess lay behind closed curtains. Without the lake, she would not eat. The prince could not make her laugh.

What the lake demanded

An inscription found on the lakebed gave one answer: a man must willingly stop the opening with his body, and let the rising water take him.

Stay beside me

The prince offered himself. He asked only that she stay beside him. She agreed. She would have her lake again.

The water returned

He fitted his legs into the opening and sealed the gap with his hands. Water spread across the stone. Her boat began to float.

Look at me

She watched the lake. He watched her. When he asked for food, she finally turned. His face was pale; his hands could not move.

Not both of them

“We can swim again,” she said. “Not me,” he answered. She stayed beside him as the water climbed toward his mouth.

Into the water

His face slipped beneath the surface. She plunged after him. For the first time, the lake was the thing keeping them apart.

Let the lake go

She pulled at his trapped legs until they came free. Water could escape again. She hauled him into the boat anyway.

Stay with us

She rowed for the palace and called for help. In her room, the old nurse worked beside her through the remaining night.

The first weight

At sunrise, he opened his eyes. The princess began to cry. She sank to the floor, and stayed there.

A difficult beginning

Outside, rain filled the lake. Inside, she tried to stand and fell again. Her nurse laughed through her tears. The curse was broken.

Learning the ground

Learning to walk took longer. When she stumbled, the prince offered his hand. She gripped it, steadied herself, and tried another step.