Merlin had barely finished explaining the dangers of the road when Alan mounted his black steed and rode towards the western kingdoms.
"Remember, my prince," Behek had told him before his departure, "not every monster is defeated by strength. Some are defeated by patience, others by knowledge. Learn the difference."
Alan carried those words with him as he travelled through villages, forests and kingdoms. His first destination was the kingdom of O'Neill, an old land inspired by the legends of Ireland. Its people were known for their music, hospitality and fierce loyalty to their royal family. Yet when Alan arrived, he found no music in the streets.
Shops were closed. Farmers had abandoned their fields. Even the children seemed afraid to play outside.
He approached an elderly man sitting beside a dry fountain.
"Good sir, why is this kingdom so quiet?"
The man looked at Alan with tired eyes.
"Because our princess has been taken."
"Taken by whom?"
"The Banshees."
The old man explained that King O'Neal had been returning from a raid when he discovered a cow trapped in a thorn bush. The thorns were sacred to the faerie folk, known in Irish tradition as the sídhe. Ignorant of the danger, the king freed the animal and angered the beings who claimed it.
A few nights later, a storm swept across the kingdom. When morning came, the princess had vanished from her chamber. The king and his soldiers searched the surrounding countryside until they discovered strange footprints leading towards Lake Nye.
They had found the entrance to a hidden kingdom beneath the water, but the Banshees had driven them back.
"Can they be killed?" Alan asked.
"Ordinary steel cannot harm them. Only gold can wound them. Their queen is the source of their power, but no one knows how to reach her."
Alan looked at the old man.
"Then perhaps it is time someone tried."
He rode to the royal blacksmith, who listened carefully to his request. Alan removed his golden ring and placed it on the workbench.
"Use this to make a dagger."
The blacksmith examined the ring.
"You intend to enter the lake?"
"I intend to bring the princess home."
The blacksmith worked through the night. By dawn, he had forged a slender golden dagger. Before Alan departed, he also handed him an old arrow.
"My father gave me this," he explained. "It is enchanted. Once released, it will produce a fire powerful enough to destroy almost anything in its path. Use it only when you have no other choice."
Alan thanked him and rode towards the lake.
For three days and nights, he travelled through mist-covered woodland. Eventually, he reached a forest where the trees grew so closely together that daylight barely touched the ground. At its centre lay Lake Nye, its surface unnaturally still.
He tied his horse to a tree and approached the water.
Below the clear surface, he could make out a dark stone structure. Taking a deep breath, he dived. Just as his lungs began to ache, a doorway opened in the stone wall. He passed through it and discovered, to his astonishment, that he could breathe.
The castle was enormous. Its corridors were decorated with pale stones and strange ornaments. Faint singing echoed through the walls.
Alan followed the sound until he reached a chamber where several pale women hovered around a young girl. Their long hair covered their shoulders, and each carried a silver comb. The girl was barely conscious.
Then their queen appeared.
She was more beautiful than the others, but something about her face was deeply unnatural. Her eyes were colourless, and her smile revealed teeth as sharp as needles.
Alan understood that the ritual was meant to transform the princess into one of them.
He waited until the Banshees departed, leaving the girl behind.
"Wake up," he whispered, gently shaking her shoulder.
The girl opened her eyes.
"Who are you?"
"Someone who has come to take you home."
"You cannot defeat them," she whispered. "They are too many."
"I do not intend to fight them all."
The princess explained that the queen's crystal comb was the source of her power. If it were broken, the queen would become vulnerable and the entire kingdom would collapse. She also warned Alan that the queen could hear almost everything within the palace.
"Where can I find her?"
"In the upper chambers. Follow the singing."
Alan gave the princess a moment to recover before explaining his plan. She would scream as loudly as she could. The Banshees would rush to silence her, leaving the queen's chamber unguarded.
The plan worked.
As the princess screamed, the palace trembled with the sound. The Banshees rushed towards her chamber, covering their ears. Alan slipped through the opposite corridor and entered the queen's room.
A crystal comb rested on a stone table.
He seized it and smashed it against the floor.
A terrible shriek shook the palace.
"No!" the queen cried.
She appeared in the doorway, her beautiful disguise fading. Her fingers stretched into long claws, and her face twisted into something monstrous.
Alan drew his golden dagger.
The queen lunged. He rolled aside, barely avoiding her claws. She struck the wall, sending fragments of stone across the chamber. Alan slashed at her leg, but she recovered quickly and knocked the dagger from his hand.
He reached for it just as she attacked again.
This time, he used the narrow chamber to his advantage. He stepped behind a stone pillar, allowing the queen to strike it instead. Before she could turn, Alan retrieved the dagger and drove it into her chest.
The queen collapsed.
Throughout the palace, the other Banshees froze. Their bodies hardened, turning into pale stone statues. Cracks spread across the walls, and water began pouring through the ceiling.
Alan found the princess and guided her towards the entrance. They swam through the passage as the underground kingdom collapsed behind them.
When they finally reached the surface, Alan's horse was waiting beneath the trees.
The princess introduced herself as Hannah, daughter of King O'Neal. She was exhausted, but she refused to let Alan carry her without helping him first. Together, they mounted the black steed and rode towards the palace.
The king wept when he saw his daughter.
A feast was held that evening, but Alan did not remain long. He told the king about his journey and the task Merlin had given him.
King O'Neal listened with great interest.
"You have the courage of a warrior, young man, but courage alone will not protect you. Take this sword. It belonged to my father. May it serve you better than it served him."
Alan accepted the royal sword.
Before he departed, the king also told him about a mysterious realm said to be inhabited by fairies. He recalled an old tale about a traveller who had helped an injured woman on a freezing night. The woman had turned out to be a fairy and had rewarded his kindness with a shield capable of protecting its bearer from almost any weapon.
"Perhaps," the king said, "you may find such a gift on your journey."
Alan thanked him and rode away.
He had saved a princess, but he had also learned something important: a creature's weakness was not always found in its body. Sometimes it was hidden in the magic that sustained it.