The Two Princesses of Bamarre
Encyclopedia
The Two Princesses of Bamarre is a 2001 novel by Gail Carson Levine
, the author of Ella Enchanted
and several other books. The story revolves around the lives of two sisters who are very close, but as different as night and day. Adelina (Addie), the younger and fearful sister, is frightened by many things, like spiders and dragons. Meryl, the older sister, is bold and full of bravado and acts as Addie's protector. She dreams of adventures, slaying dragons, or at least leaving the castle.
Bamarre is plagued by a fatal disease called the Gray Death, which has three stages: Weakness, Sleep, and then Fever. While the weakness may last for hours to weeks, the sleep always lasts nine days, and the fever always lasts three. Bamarre also has specters, which lure travelers to their deaths unless exposed, sorcerers
, ogres, dwarves, elves, gryphons, dragon
s, and fairies, although the latter have not been seen since Drualt, Bamarre's greatest hero and subject of an epic poem akin to Beowulf
or Arthurian legend
, went up to visit them after his sweetheart died and no one from a nearby town tried to help her.
Addie, along with Meryl and Bella, has begun a friendship with Rhys, the apprentice sorcerer helping her father, when Meryl is struck ill with the Gray Death. Addie has trouble coming to terms with the fact that Meryl is going to die, while Meryl tries in vain to prove Addie's theory that the Gray Death might be cured if the person who is ill refuses to be sick, running when weak, staying awake when tired, etc. Since a fabled prophecy from a specter states that the Gray Death will be cured when "Cowards find courage and rain falls over all Bamarre," Addie convinces her cowardly father to seek out a cure and prays for rain. When the king returns just as cowardly as before and no clouds are in sight, Addie determines to find the cure herself. Using a pair of seven-league boots
and a magical spyglass
from her deceased mother, a copy of Drualt, an invisibility cloak
and magic tablecloth from Rhys, some of Milton's herbs and Meryl's sword, Addie successfully travels to the Mulee forest to find a specter, only to be tricked by one that took the form of Rhys. The real Rhys makes her realize the truth, and she learns from the specter that a dragon would be her best bet for finding the cure. Rhys has to leave for the Sorcerers' Citadel, but not before Addie realizes that there's more behind their friendship.
After accidentally overcoming a pack of gryphons with her tablecloth, Addie is found by the dragon Vollys and taken to her lair. Although dragons are solitary creatures, they are also lonely, so Addie is forced to entertain Vollys to avoid a fiery demise in Vollys' stomach. She does this through her embroidery, which is Addie's sole bold attribute. Although she is terrified of the dragon, she learns that Vollys is always sad when she eats her "guests" after they have angered her one time too many. Addie also learns the dragon version of Drualt's story, which portrays the hero as a villain who mercilessly kills noble dragons, including Vollys' mother. Vollys also tells Addie that the Gray Death came from her mother's corpse, a revenge for her death. Because she does not think Addie can escape, Vollys also tells Addie that the Gray Death can be cured by the water of a waterfall that flows from Mount Ziriat, the fairies' invisible mountain. She even tells Addie where the mountain is. Meanwhile, Addie learns through her spyglass that Meryl has entered the sleeping stage of the Gray Death, and later fever stage of the Gray Death.
Addie manages to escape Vollys with her boots, and returns to the castle. Rhys, Bella and Milton are there, and Meryl tells Addie that she has until the next dawn to live. Addie tells them about the cure, and she and Rhys used the seven-league boots to carry Meryl to where Vollys told Addie the cure was. They end up outside the same village that refused to help Drualt's sweetheart due to their cowardice. Upon questioning, the isolated villagers say that although they have heard of the Gray Death, no one in the village has ever had it. The three also learn that all the villagers drink from a waterfall that comes from a mountain so tall and shrouded in mist that no one has ever seen it. Realizing that they are talking about Mount Ziriat, and the villagers are never sick because they drink the water, Rhys and the Princesses manage to find a few villagers courageous enough and willing to show them the waterfall, which is a few hours away, despite the dark night and the threat of ogres and gryphons. While they walk, Rhys confesses his love to Addie, and she does the same. Just as they reach the waterfall, though, the party is attacked by ogres and gryphons and an enraged Vollys. The sky begins to lighten, and Addie tells Meryl, who is having the time of her life in battle, to run to the water and drink. While she is running, though, Addie is caught by an ogre unexpectedly and screams. Meryl runs back to rescue her when the first rays of sunlight come, just as rain begins to fall, Addie is knock unconscious, Meryl falls to the ground, and shining beings fly down.
When Addie wakes up, she learns from Meryl, who seems different somehow, that they were rescued by fairies and taken to the top of the mountain, Mount Ziriat. The rain had fallen everywhere, curing all with the Gray Death except those who were to close to death were too late to save. When Addie gained the courage to save her sister, and when the cowardly villagers redeemed themselves by helping Meryl and Addie, the fairies made water from their waterfall rain over all Bamarre. Meryl also tells Addie that she, too, was one of those on the brink of death when the rain came, and so the fairies could not truly save her. However, they offered to turn her into a fairy and join them in a battle against fearsome, monstrous creatures, the outcome of which affecting the world below. Meryl accepted the offer, and is now a fairy, unable to return with Addie. However, Meryl is now with Drualt, who was also transformed after leaving Bamarre, and Addie discovers that he had been the presence Addie felt in her darkest hours, cheering her up and giving her the strength to go on.
Rhys finished mending and was walking down the dining hall. Addie saw a swift in the hall and knew it was him so she ran outside to talk to him. Rhys carried her in his arms. Rhys said he did not trust Milton when he asked if she was well and made sure he figured it out. Addie noticed a scar on his left eye. He said the fairies let him keep it because it made him look dashing. Rhys could not take the feeling anymore and kissed Addie on the right eyelid. Rhys found his mouth in Addie's lips and they kissed, Addie had found her delight and they kissed again.
Rhys and Addie marry and live happily ever after, with Meryl as Fairy Godmother to their children, the first after hundreds of years.
Gail Carson Levine
Gail Carson Levine is an American author of young adult books. Her first novel, Ella Enchanted, received a Newbery Honor in 1998.-Early life:...
, the author of Ella Enchanted
Ella Enchanted
Ella Enchanted is a Newbery Honor book written by Gail Carson Levine and published in 1997. The story is a retelling of Cinderella featuring various mythical creatures including fairies, elves, ogres, gnomes, and giants...
and several other books. The story revolves around the lives of two sisters who are very close, but as different as night and day. Adelina (Addie), the younger and fearful sister, is frightened by many things, like spiders and dragons. Meryl, the older sister, is bold and full of bravado and acts as Addie's protector. She dreams of adventures, slaying dragons, or at least leaving the castle.
Plot summary
The two princesses of Bamarre could not be more different. Princess Addie is fearful and shy. Her deepest wish is for safety. Princess Meryl is bold and brave. Her deepest wish is to save the kingdom of Bamarre, most notably from the Gray Death. They are sisters, and they mean the world to each other.Bamarre is plagued by a fatal disease called the Gray Death, which has three stages: Weakness, Sleep, and then Fever. While the weakness may last for hours to weeks, the sleep always lasts nine days, and the fever always lasts three. Bamarre also has specters, which lure travelers to their deaths unless exposed, sorcerers
Magician (fantasy)
A magician, mage, sorcerer, sorceress, wizard, enchanter, enchantress, thaumaturge or a person known under one of many other possible terms is someone who uses or practices magic that derives from supernatural or occult sources...
, ogres, dwarves, elves, gryphons, dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
s, and fairies, although the latter have not been seen since Drualt, Bamarre's greatest hero and subject of an epic poem akin to Beowulf
Beowulf
Beowulf , but modern scholars agree in naming it after the hero whose life is its subject." of an Old English heroic epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative long lines, set in Scandinavia, commonly cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature.It survives in a single...
or Arthurian legend
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
, went up to visit them after his sweetheart died and no one from a nearby town tried to help her.
Addie, along with Meryl and Bella, has begun a friendship with Rhys, the apprentice sorcerer helping her father, when Meryl is struck ill with the Gray Death. Addie has trouble coming to terms with the fact that Meryl is going to die, while Meryl tries in vain to prove Addie's theory that the Gray Death might be cured if the person who is ill refuses to be sick, running when weak, staying awake when tired, etc. Since a fabled prophecy from a specter states that the Gray Death will be cured when "Cowards find courage and rain falls over all Bamarre," Addie convinces her cowardly father to seek out a cure and prays for rain. When the king returns just as cowardly as before and no clouds are in sight, Addie determines to find the cure herself. Using a pair of seven-league boots
Seven-league boots
Seven-league boots are an element in European folklore. The boots allow the wearer to take great strides—seven leagues each step—resulting in great speed. The boots are often presented by a magical character to the protagonist to aid in the completion of a significant task...
and a magical spyglass
Spyglass
Spyglass, Inc. , was an Internet software company based in Champaign, Illinois.The company, founded in 1990, was an offshoot of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and created to commercialize and support technologies from the National Center for Supercomputing Applications...
from her deceased mother, a copy of Drualt, an invisibility cloak
Invisibility Cloak
Invisibility Cloak may refer to:*Cloak of invisibility is a theme that has occurred in fiction.**Magical objects in Harry Potter#Invisibility Cloaks is the device in Harry Potter books....
and magic tablecloth from Rhys, some of Milton's herbs and Meryl's sword, Addie successfully travels to the Mulee forest to find a specter, only to be tricked by one that took the form of Rhys. The real Rhys makes her realize the truth, and she learns from the specter that a dragon would be her best bet for finding the cure. Rhys has to leave for the Sorcerers' Citadel, but not before Addie realizes that there's more behind their friendship.
After accidentally overcoming a pack of gryphons with her tablecloth, Addie is found by the dragon Vollys and taken to her lair. Although dragons are solitary creatures, they are also lonely, so Addie is forced to entertain Vollys to avoid a fiery demise in Vollys' stomach. She does this through her embroidery, which is Addie's sole bold attribute. Although she is terrified of the dragon, she learns that Vollys is always sad when she eats her "guests" after they have angered her one time too many. Addie also learns the dragon version of Drualt's story, which portrays the hero as a villain who mercilessly kills noble dragons, including Vollys' mother. Vollys also tells Addie that the Gray Death came from her mother's corpse, a revenge for her death. Because she does not think Addie can escape, Vollys also tells Addie that the Gray Death can be cured by the water of a waterfall that flows from Mount Ziriat, the fairies' invisible mountain. She even tells Addie where the mountain is. Meanwhile, Addie learns through her spyglass that Meryl has entered the sleeping stage of the Gray Death, and later fever stage of the Gray Death.
Addie manages to escape Vollys with her boots, and returns to the castle. Rhys, Bella and Milton are there, and Meryl tells Addie that she has until the next dawn to live. Addie tells them about the cure, and she and Rhys used the seven-league boots to carry Meryl to where Vollys told Addie the cure was. They end up outside the same village that refused to help Drualt's sweetheart due to their cowardice. Upon questioning, the isolated villagers say that although they have heard of the Gray Death, no one in the village has ever had it. The three also learn that all the villagers drink from a waterfall that comes from a mountain so tall and shrouded in mist that no one has ever seen it. Realizing that they are talking about Mount Ziriat, and the villagers are never sick because they drink the water, Rhys and the Princesses manage to find a few villagers courageous enough and willing to show them the waterfall, which is a few hours away, despite the dark night and the threat of ogres and gryphons. While they walk, Rhys confesses his love to Addie, and she does the same. Just as they reach the waterfall, though, the party is attacked by ogres and gryphons and an enraged Vollys. The sky begins to lighten, and Addie tells Meryl, who is having the time of her life in battle, to run to the water and drink. While she is running, though, Addie is caught by an ogre unexpectedly and screams. Meryl runs back to rescue her when the first rays of sunlight come, just as rain begins to fall, Addie is knock unconscious, Meryl falls to the ground, and shining beings fly down.
When Addie wakes up, she learns from Meryl, who seems different somehow, that they were rescued by fairies and taken to the top of the mountain, Mount Ziriat. The rain had fallen everywhere, curing all with the Gray Death except those who were to close to death were too late to save. When Addie gained the courage to save her sister, and when the cowardly villagers redeemed themselves by helping Meryl and Addie, the fairies made water from their waterfall rain over all Bamarre. Meryl also tells Addie that she, too, was one of those on the brink of death when the rain came, and so the fairies could not truly save her. However, they offered to turn her into a fairy and join them in a battle against fearsome, monstrous creatures, the outcome of which affecting the world below. Meryl accepted the offer, and is now a fairy, unable to return with Addie. However, Meryl is now with Drualt, who was also transformed after leaving Bamarre, and Addie discovers that he had been the presence Addie felt in her darkest hours, cheering her up and giving her the strength to go on.
Rhys finished mending and was walking down the dining hall. Addie saw a swift in the hall and knew it was him so she ran outside to talk to him. Rhys carried her in his arms. Rhys said he did not trust Milton when he asked if she was well and made sure he figured it out. Addie noticed a scar on his left eye. He said the fairies let him keep it because it made him look dashing. Rhys could not take the feeling anymore and kissed Addie on the right eyelid. Rhys found his mouth in Addie's lips and they kissed, Addie had found her delight and they kissed again.
Rhys and Addie marry and live happily ever after, with Meryl as Fairy Godmother to their children, the first after hundreds of years.
Addie
- The main protagonist, Princess Adelina (Addie) is timid and fearful of many things,(spiders) especially compared to her sister Meryl, whom Addie sees as her protector and idol. She and her sister, despite their differences both in demeanor and appearance, are close. When Meryl contracts the Grey Death, Addie decides that no matter what how afraid she is, Meryl's life is more important, and she sets out to find a cure for the disease. She falls in love with Rhys, a handsome sorcerer, and at the end of the novel marries him. It's also assumed that they had children. Addie has a gift for drawing and is especially good at embroidery (with which she entertained Vollys.) Addie has dark hair and although she enjoys bright colors on people and things around her, she dislikes it on herself.
Meryl
- Addie's older sister, known for her fearlessness and sense of adventure. Meryl is as skilled at declaiming, especially "Drualt". Despite how ill she is with the Gray Death, she continues to protect Addie, which prompts Addie to seek out a cure for her sister; Meryl gives Addie Blood-Biter, the sword Rhys gave her, to aid Addie on her quest. Despite her bravado, Meryl admits to Addie that in the end, Addie was the courageous one since she overcame her fears and put herself in danger for the sake of other people while Meryl had wanted to have adventures for the thrill of it. Despite Addie curing the Gray Death, it was too late for Meryl to survive, and instead was given the choice to die or become a fairy. She chooses the latter, and becomes Addie's "Fairy godmother", as well as Addie's children and grandchildren and so on.
Rhys
- Rhys is 78 years old in sorcerers' years but about 17 when human years. Rhys has no family, as sorcerers are born when lightning strikes marble. It is not known where Rhys was born, but it is speculated that he was born in Bamarre as he has had many experiences there and he is serving the five mandatory years of service to King Lionel, Bamarre's king and the father of Addie and Meryl. It is clear that Rhys differs from many sorcerers as he clearly has affection for human beings. Rhys helps Addie in numerous ways, either by using his magic to lift her spirits, or by helping her on her quest. He gives Addie a length of beautiful blue cloth that she uses to entertain Vollys by embroidering for her. He also gives her a magic tablecloth that will feed her and a cloak that makes her invisible to all except Specters, dragons and fairies. Rhys confesses his love to Addie, and at the end of the novel they will be married; despite the disapproval of his teacher, Orne. They say that Rhys and Addie will have children.
Vollys
- Vollys is the dragon who captures Addie and later tells her cure for the Gray Death. Addie first sees Vollys only as a monster, but she is in actuality a rather lonely dragon who enjoys the company of her "guests" before she eats them. When she kidnaps a human, she gives them a cabinet and allows them to have a few items from her hoard. When the guest pleases her, she lets them take more items, but when she's angry she takes some away. When the cabinet is empty, she eats her guest, always mourning them afterwards. She recognizes Addie as royalty because Addie chooses to wear simple clothes from Vollys' many chests, explaining that poor guests decide that they "might as well die rich." Vollys also tells Addie that the Gray Death first came from her mother's belly as she lay dying, sent to avenge her after Drualt slew her.
Bella
- The two princesses' governess. She initially doesn't trust sorcerers, but warms up to Rhys, especially after he gives her a dragon scale. She knows much lore and gives Addie Queen Daria's Seven-League Boots, which fly seven leagues with each step, and spyglass, which can see any distance even through wood and stone, for her quest. She also tells Addie that a dragon or Specter would be most likely to know the cure. Addie and Meryl trust her so much that they invited her to see Rhys presents.
Milton
- Milton is Bamarre Castle's main elf healer. He nurses Trina, Addie's former chambermaid who had caught the Gray Death,Rhys when he was knocked down in the battle, and Meryl when they are sick. The elves have their own stories of Drualt, as they began healing humans after Drualt saved their Queen., and Milton tells the princesses the story after Meryl falls sick. Milton gives Addie healing herbs to help her in her quest, which probably saves her life.
King Lionel
- Meryl and Addie's father. He is a great coward who set off to find the cure for the Gray Death following safe roads, only to return without it. At the sight of his dying daughter, he doesn't weep and touch her because he is afraid of catching the Gray Death. He refers for answers to a book of riddles called Homely Truths. Lionel is still a coward by the end of the book.
Drualt
- Although only a cultural icon until the very end, Drualt is a presence throughout the book. Many centuries ago, Drualt was Bamarre's greatest hero, slaying monsters and helping establish the monarchy. His story was written in a series of epic poems, which the characters refer to and quote frequently. Drualt killed Vollys' mother, inadvertently causing the Gray Death. He forsook Bamarre when his sweetheart,Freya was attacked by Gryphons outside the gates of a remote village and the villagers were too scared to help her. The poem ends with his telling the villagers he'll return when Bamarre is brave again before walking up Mount Ziriat to see the fairies, whom he had been the only person to visit. Drualt is viewed as a legendary or even mythic character in Bamarre; no one is truly sure if he even existed. his legend can be compared to Arthurian legend in that no one is truly sure whether or not an actual Drualt existed. Later it is revealed that Drualt did exist, and that when he went to the fairies, they transformed him into one of them. He fights in the celestial war and falls for Meryl when she is transformed. Known also as "The Laugher", most notably in the poem, Drualt invisibly helps Addie many times, from the time when she feels an invisible force steer her away from a tree while in the Seven-League Boots to the time she was trapped in Vollys' cave and she felt the presence of someone laughing, which immediately cheered her up. Drault also got turned into a fairy when he was 19.