The Polar Bear Queen
A Fairy Tale: Chapter One
Long ago and far away there were two neighbouring lands that had little in common beyond their shared border. The southern kingdom was warm and green year-round with bountiful farmlands and pastures while the north lay under an eternal blanket of snow.
At sixteen years of age, Anette was the youngest child of the king of Summerland and she dreamed of adventure. With little to fill her days, she read romantic tales of daring quests and spent hours riding in the lush countryside.
On a day that began like any other, a traveler came to the palace. This was exciting in itself as they had few passersthrough, but to everyone’s delight the visitor was a polar bear who spoke as a human. The king of Summerland invited the polar bear to stay for dinner and it accepted with a bow as graceful as an enormous beast could manage.
Anette was fascinated by the bear and contrived to sit next to it at the table. She wore her brightest green dress to match her eyes and complement her fiery red hair. And she was elated at the look in the polar bear’s eyes when Anette took her seat. It may be a beast, but it seemed to appreciate her.
“My name is Anette,” she offered with a smile.
The polar bear inclined its head and replied, “I have no name that I may give you.”
