The Tale of the Monster Knight

Once upon a time there was a kingdom plagued by a deadly dragon. The dragon burned crops, ate livestock, and did all the normal terrible things that dragons do. It was so bad that the king of the land offered his daughter’s hand in marriage to any brave knight who could vanquish the dragon. Needless to say, many tried but all failed. The king began to worry that the dragon would never be defeated and they would just have to just pack up and move their whole kingdom. One day a strange knight arrived in court. He was covered from head to foot in armor and wore an enormous helmet. 

The strange knight asked the king if he really promised his daughter’s hand in marriage to whomever could kill the dragon. “Yes,” said the king. “But you should know that many others have tried and all were eaten.”

The strange knight turned to the princess and asked if she too agreed to these terms. “Yes,” said the princess. “I would gladly marry you if you could rid us of this dragon.”

The strange knight turned to the king again and asked again but with these words: “If I kill this dragon, do you give your solemn word and blessing that your daughter will become my bride regardless of who I am or where I come from?” The king was a little irritated at having to repeat himself and gave his word. The strange knight saluted and left the castle.

The next day the strange knight returned, dragging the decapitated head of the dragon behind him. The king was overjoyed. The people celebrated in the streets. A parade formed as the strange knight marched into the castle.

The king praised the knight and begged to know his name but the knight refused. “At least show us your face,” asked the king.. The strange knight removed his helmet and the whole court recoiled in horror. People screamed and the throne room was thrown into chaos. Instead of a human face, the strange knight had the head of a hideous monster. The king ordered his men to arrest the creature but the monster knight spoke and reminded the king of his promise.

The king did not want his daughter to marry the monster knight but he had given his word in front of his people. His pride demanded that he honor it and the wedding was set for the following day. All this time the princess remained quiet but inside she was angry at her father for his rash promise. In the evening they held a feast. The princess gave the monster knight a glass of wine and called for a toast. As soon as the monster knight drank the wine his face twisted in pain. The princess had poisoned him. He gasped and moaned as the poison did its deadly work. But as he died, his monstrous visage melted away revealing the face of a handsome and powerful man. Not just any man but a well-known hero of the land.

The monster knight was human and had been cursed with the face of a beast. He had hoped that by marrying the princess and pledging himself to her and the kingdom that he would cure himself from the curse but the only release he found was in death.

The king was furious. The princess had dishonored him and killed a noble man. He banished her from the kingdom. She wandered the world and died miserable and alone in a foreign land. 

Author’s note (This tale has many variants. In some versions, the dragon is a giant. In others, the monster knight has to do a series of tasks before he can marry the princess. Some iterations end on a positive note and have the cursed knight cured by the princess’s kiss. After which they live happily ever after. Others end with her getting cursed in his place. In all versions, the knight is cursed with the head of a beast and his salvation relies on finding someone to marry him.) 

– Tale by Phineas Fallwreath, traveling bard