Suddenly, the singing minstrel appeared yet again, this time he was carrying Gitta's club.

"Well look at you, I see you've met The Pet."

"Do you think you might get it to let me go?"

"I could whack it with this club of yours, but how many times now have I tried to warn you guys? I told you about the blue dragon. I told you about the old man in the valley, yet here you are. Tsk, tsk, tsk. This is your last chance guys."

Gitta sagged inside as the minstrel did a few throat exercises, brushed his hair back and began to sing another song.

"I've warned you, and that stupid knight,

the one that seems afraid to fight.

There's danger every step you take, so listen to my plea.

I've looked at this from both sides now, and still I find I'm wondering how, you managed to be such a boob to find yourself this way.

I think I'll give you one more chance, to get a plan and take a stance; to follow up your quest and see the maiden that you seek, set free."

The minstrel tossed the club high in the air and when it came down it landed right on the head of The Pet and Gitta was free.

"Over yonder hill lies the castle with the imprisoned maiden. Get your master and go set her free. By the way, whoever does free the maiden must also marry her."

"But we never heard that before!"

"You're hearing it now, pal. The sorcerer isn't going to lift the spell until his daughter gets a husband."

"You mean that the maiden is the sorcerer's daughter!"

"Best of luck, squire." And the minstrel was gone once again. Gitta rejoined his master and told him that the castle was just over the next hill but he didn't tell him about having to get married just in case Sir Charge changed his mind, in which case, they would be doomed to spend the rest of their days in the black and white world.

"I hope this experience has taught you something, squire. The duties of a knight are many and demanding and each task you face must be done with honour and confidence." Gitta sighed and nodded, taking Deadlast's reins once again and leading his master toward the castle. They trudged for hours over hill and dale, through valleys and forests and still didn't seem to get any closer to the castle. Sir Charge suggested that they rest and eat before going any further and so they stopped and spent the night in a small glade.

The next morning, the two set off again and this time they found the going much easier and pretty soon they were at the entrance to the castle.

"This is it, master. This is where you use the golden key to free the maiden."

"Yes, yes, Gitta, I know. But first I have a little surprise for our maiden." He took off his helmet, combed his hair, checked it in his shield and replaced his helmet. Then, to the squire's surprise, he produced a mandolin from his pack, jumped down off Deadlast's back and ran to a spot below the maiden's window.

Gitta watched as his master, instead of immediately rescuing the maiden, decided to show off by singing to her about his dangerous quest to find and rescue her. The maiden was enraptured with his performance and pleaded with the knight to set her free. When he finished his song, Sir Charge took the golden key and unlocked the tower door, freeing the maiden. Gitta took the opportunity to warn his master of the minstrel's message about marriage and when Sir Charge saw the maiden come out of the castle, he bolted.

Instead of the fair maiden they had been told about, this maiden was an ugly hag and now that she was free, she was going to marry someone—anyone! Gitta was trapped. If he ran too then he would never get out of the black and white world. His only choice was to marry the maiden. He took a deep breath, walked slowly toward her waiting arms and smiled weakly.

"Fair uh, maiden. My name is Squire Gitta Long and I uh- I uh- will you marry me?"

No sooner were the words out of his mouth when suddenly there was a bright flash of light and the black and white world filled with colour and the ugly maiden was transformed into a beautiful princess. Gitta just stood there, stunned. The princess gave him a beautifully warm smile and said,

"Dear Squire Long, I would be proud and happy to marry you. At last," sighed the princess, "I am free of my father's spell. And I'm so glad it's you that asked for my hand squire, that Sir Charge was a terrible singer."

Gitta nodded and shook his head. "He isn't much of a knight either. But forget him, I can't believe that I could be so lucky," he said, beaming from head to foot. "Tell me, why did your father imprison you in the castle tower?"

The princess blushed. "Because he felt it was the only way to find a suitable husband for me. Someone who was daring and fearless... Like you Squire Long."

"Aw shucks," said Gitta, and he twisted his toe in the dirt. "I bet you'd say that to anybody that freed you from the tower."

"But I wouldn't agree to marry them all. Let's hurry to my home and make plans for our wedding. We'll need food and flowers and I want to invite all my friends and we'll need music and dancing..."

"I know a singer who might be interested," Gitta smiled. "He seems to have songs for all occasions."

"Cool," the princess said, and Gitta wondered where she had heard that saying.

https://youtu.be/0a45z_HG3WU

"Everything is beautiful... in its own way, Princess and the squire... were married today.

Sir Charge was the best man... a position unearned, but the Princess forgave him, even though she was spurned.

You shouldn't care about the look of her face or about how much she weighs. What really matters is... you love that girl for all your earthly days.

We can get it all together now... everything's turned out fine, just stay on her good side friend and never be unkind.

Oooh everything is beautiful... in its own way, especially my singing... And I do it without pay."

The princess's father, the sorcerer, bestowed a full knighthood on Gitta Long after hearing his version of the quest to free his daughter and allowed him to take over the castle and all the land around it for his new home with the princess.

Sir Charge returned to Doze and spent the rest of his days searching for a new squire. The minstrel kept appearing over the years every time there was a special occasion and the Blue Dragon moved with The Pet to a monster retirement home in the Valley of the Mist.

The End