8 days and counting!

Revisit King’s Quest III and how a slave named Gwydion mastered magic, defeated a wizard, slew a dragon, saved a kingdom and became Prince Alexander of Daventry!

King’s Quest III: To Heir is Human

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In a land far away from Daventry, Gwydion had served the cruel and evil wizard Manannan in the kingdom of Llewdor for as long as he could remember. Under the wizard’s sharp gaze, young Gwydion lived as a servant–more like a slave, in truth–preparing meals and caring for the wizard’s home, high atop a mountain overlooking the kingdom of Llewdor. Forbidden from ever leaving the confines of the wizard’s home, Gwydion grew up apart from the world, subject to Manannan’s sharp eye and even sharper tongue.

Finally growing desperate to escape the wizard’s grasp, Gwydion began searching for a means to do so while Manannan slept or left to run his mysterious errands. He discovered the key to his liberation in an underground cellar when he found the wizard’s magical laboratory and spell book. Having already made frequent trips to the countryside of Llewdor to explore and collect various baubles and mundane objects, Gwydion was able to conjure up a magical cookie which, when eaten, turned the consumer into a cat. By serving this cookie to Manannan crumbled up in a bowl of porridge, Gwydion finally earned his freedom!

Leaving the now-feline Manannan in his lofty and lonely home, Gwydion returned to the countryside of Llewdor and discovered an Oracle in a cave. Here, Gwydion learned that he was no ordinary wizard’s slave. His true name was Alexander and Manannan kidnapped him from his home and family in Castle Daventry shortly after his birth. He was also shocked to learn that he had a twin sister named Rosella who had willingly offered herself to appease a fearsome three-headed dragon which had been terrorizing the kingdom for years. Determined to make his way to Daventry and rescue his sister from a most gruesome death, Alexander commissioned passage aboard what he thought was a merchant ship at the Llewdor docks, only to find out after the ship left port that it was in truth full of pirates! After a perilous and long journey, Alexander evaded his captors at a deserted beach by use of another spell he’d prepared. From there, he made his way through the mountains, narrowly avoiding becoming an Abominable Snowman’s meal with a spell of flight, and at long last found himself in Daventry!

Far from warm and welcoming, the countryside was charred, barren, and lifeless. In the distance, Alexander spied the ramparts of Castle Daventry, its flagposts barren. Heading towards the castle, Alexander was met by a gnome who was sitting outside his home resting in a rocking chair. Almost immediately the gnome recognized Alexander and told him to save his sister lest she meet her end at the hands of the terrible dragon. Alexander made way with all possible haste to a mountain cave and plunged into the dark depths without a second thought to face the fell beast.

After traversing the cavernous maze of passages and causeways, Alexander found himself on a vista in the clouds, the air thin due to being so high up and it was humid. A few score feet away, he saw the dragon of the Oracle’s vision. Its three heads roared, snapped, and spewed fire before his brave sister, Princess Rosella, tied to a pole near the dragon. Despite her fear, she tried not to cry out in terror too much, but as the dragon snaked it’s heads ever so closer, she couldn’t help herself and she let out a blood-curdling scream. Her screams drove Alexander to action!

Thinking fast, he quickly used the last spell he had prepared while still in Llewdor, a spell to brew a mighty storm. Almost immediately the storm kicked up, blasting torrents of rain down upon the dragon. It reared up, roaring in anger at the impudence displayed by nature’s fury. The storm responded by blasting the dragon with bolt after bolt of lighting, each bolt flashing in an arc around the terrible beast. Then suddenly there was an earth-trembling crash as the dragon fell to the ground, dead! The storm, its fury spent, quickly dissipated as Alexander ran to Rosella and freed her from her bondage. Blinking tears away from her eyes, she recognized Alexander, for he bore a striking resemblence not only to her father King Graham but also Queen Valanice–not to mention he had the embarassing birthmark her mother had told her about! The twins happily made their way back down to the countryside of Daventry. Alexander’s heart was beating quite rapidly as the pair walked up to the old gnome’s shack. The gnome, his eyes widening in amazement, sprang from his rocking chair and started running towards the castle, shouting that he must alert the King and Queen at once of the joyous news. By the time Alexander and Rosella reached the castle gates, they saw that the once empty flagposts were now sporting the royal flags of Daventry, flapping brightly on the breeze.

Together they entered the castle and made their way to the throne room, where their parents awaited them. A joyous reunion it was, with many tears of joy shed by all in attendance. After hearing of Alexander’s journey, King Graham decided it was time to pass on his trusty adventurer’s cap to his children, for his pride at their courage and and determination gave him insight that not only was his family together at long last, but the future was bright with possibility. He retrieved his adventurer’s cap from its customary place beside the thrones and, standing at the apex of the dais, he tossed it to his waiting children, their arms outstretched to catch their father’s gift…