The Jewel of Brittany
The waves crashed against the mighty walls of Ys, but no one worried. The beautiful city stood tall and proud by the sea. King Gradlon watched from his golden tower, smiling at his perfect kingdom.
"Isn't it wonderful, my dear Dahut?" he asked his daughter, who twirled near the window in her flowing dress.
Princess Dahut had hair as dark as night and eyes that sparkled like the sea. She loved to dance and sing, making everyone in the palace happy.
"Oh yes, father! Ys is the prettiest city in all the world!" she said with a laugh that sounded like tiny bells.
The city of Ys was special. Giant bronze gates kept the ocean away, and magical locks made sure the water never came in. The gates were so strong that even the biggest storms couldn't break them.
Every morning, merchants came to sell their goods in the busy market square. They brought silks in rainbow colors, sweet-smelling spices, and golden jewelry that made Princess Dahut's eyes shine.
"Look at all the treasures, father!" Dahut would say, clapping her hands. "Our city has everything anyone could want!"
King Gradlon nodded proudly. He wore a special key around his neck – the silver key that controlled the giant sea gates. Without it, the ocean would flood their beautiful city.
But not everyone in Ys was happy just being safe and rich. Some people started having big parties that lasted all night. They forgot to be thankful for what they had.
"We are better than everyone else!" they would shout. "No one can tell us what to do!"
Princess Dahut loved these parties. She would dance until the sun came up, even when her father asked her to stop.
An old wise woman who lived near the palace shook her head when she saw this. "Pride comes before a fall," she whispered. But no one listened to her warnings.
The people of Ys kept building their houses taller and prettier. They made their parties bigger and louder. They thought nothing bad could ever happen to them.
One evening, as the sun set over the sea, turning the waves to gold, King Gradlon stood at his window again. This time, he wasn't smiling. Dark clouds were gathering on the horizon, and the wind carried strange whispers.
Princess Dahut came to stand beside him, but she wasn't worried at all. "Why do you look so serious, father? Nothing can hurt us here in Ys. We are special!"
The king touched the silver key at his neck. "Sometimes, my dear, the things we think make us special can be our biggest danger."
That night, as music floated through the streets and people danced without a care, something dark stirred in the depths of the ocean. The waves grew bigger, and the wind blew harder.
But in their beautiful city behind the mighty walls, the people of Ys kept dancing, not knowing that their greatest test was about to begin.
| The Wonders of Ys |
|---|
| ✨ Magical sea gates |
| Beautiful glass houses |
| Sparkling stone streets |
| The special silver key |
Whispers of Darkness
The moon cast silver light over Ys when a strange visitor arrived. He rode a black horse that seemed to float above the ground, and his armor was dark as midnight.
“Who goes there?” called the guard at the sea gate. But the mysterious knight just smiled.
Princess Dahut watched from her tower window. Her heart beat faster as the stranger bowed deeply to her. He was different from anyone she had ever seen in Ys.
“Father, we must welcome this noble visitor!” Dahut said at breakfast. “He brings news from far-off lands!”
King Gradlon frowned. Something about the knight made him nervous. “My dear, not all that glitters is gold.”
But Dahut wouldn’t listen. That evening, she hosted a grand feast. The dark knight sat at her right hand. His eyes glowed like green fire.
“Tell us stories of your travels,” Dahut begged.
The knight’s voice was smooth as honey. “I have seen wonders beyond imagining, Princess. But none as beautiful as Ys.”
The old wise woman who cleaned the palace halls saw them talking. She shivered and made a sign against evil.
| Strange Things About the Knight |
|---|
| No reflection in mirrors |
| Flowers died near him |
| Animals ran away |
| ❄️ Cold air followed him |
“Princess,” he whispered one day, “why does your father keep you locked behind these walls? Don’t you want to see what lies beyond?”
Dahut touched her father’s silver key that hung around his neck when he slept. “The gates protect us from the sea.”
The knight laughed softly. “Or perhaps they keep you from being free.”
Day by day, more strange things happened in Ys:
The fountains ran with water that looked like blood.
The marble statues seemed to cry at night.
The sea became angry, throwing bigger waves at the gates.
King Gradlon noticed his daughter changing. She spent all her time with the dark knight, learning secrets she shouldn’t know. Her laughter no longer sounded like bells – it was sharp and cold.
“My child,” the king said, “that stranger brings darkness to our city.”
But Dahut tossed her head. “You’re just afraid of new things, Father. The knight shows me wonderful magic!”
The wise woman tried to warn the princess. “Beware of gifts from shadows,” she said. But Dahut only laughed.
One stormy night, the dark knight took Dahut’s hand. “Would you like to learn the greatest magic of all?” he asked.
Dahut’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Yes! Show me everything!”
His smile was like a crack in the darkness. “First, we need that silver key your father wears…”
Thunder rolled across the sky, and the waves crashed harder against the gates of Ys. In her room, Princess Dahut made a choice that would change everything forever.
The Forbidden Gate
Rain beat against the palace windows as Princess Dahut crept down the dark hallway. The silver key felt cold against her palm. ️
“Father sleeps so deeply,” she whispered to herself. “He’ll never know.”
The dark knight waited in the shadows. His green eyes glowed brighter than ever. “You’ve done well, my princess.”
“Show me the magic you promised,” Dahut said, holding out the key.
The knight’s laugh echoed off the stone walls. “First, we must go down to the sea gate.”
Together they walked down winding stairs. Water dripped from the ceiling, and the air grew colder.
“Listen!” said the knight. “Do you hear the ocean calling? It wants to dance with the city of Ys!”
Dahut shivered. Something felt wrong. The magic stones in the walls flickered like dying stars.
| Signs of Danger |
|---|
| Waves growing bigger |
| Strong, scary winds |
| ⚡ Lightning in the sky |
| Magic stones going dark |
“Maybe we should go back,” she said softly.
But the knight grabbed her hand. His touch was as cold as ice. “Don’t you trust me, princess?”
Up in his tower, King Gradlon woke with a start. His hand flew to his neck – the key was gone!
“Guards!” he shouted. “Find Princess Dahut!”
Down at the gate, Dahut’s hands shook as she held the key. “What kind of magic will you show me?”
The knight’s face changed. It wasn’t handsome anymore – it looked scary and mean. “The magic of destruction, foolish girl!”
“No!” Dahut tried to pull away, but the knight was too strong.
He forced her hand forward, pushing the key into the lock. The magic stones went completely dark.
King Gradlon and his guards ran down the stairs. They could hear the ocean roaring.
“Dahut!” the king cried. “What have you done?”
The dark knight laughed. His form changed into a shadow made of mist. “The proud city of Ys will learn humility beneath the waves!”
Water began pouring through the gate. Dahut screamed as the knight disappeared like smoke.
“Father, help me! I’m sorry!” she cried.
But it was too late. The forbidden gate was open. The angry sea was coming in. And the magical protections of Ys were broken forever.
Thunder crashed overhead as King Gradlon reached for his daughter’s hand. The water was rising fast around their feet…
The Betrayal
Cold water rushed around Princess Dahut’s feet. The dark knight had turned into black smoke and floated away, leaving her alone.
“Father!” she cried as King Gradlon splashed through the rising water.
“My foolish child,” the king said sadly. “What magic did he promise you?”
Above them, bells began to ring. The warning bells of Ys had not rung in hundreds of years.
“WAKE UP!” the guards shouted through the streets. “FLOOD! EVERYONE MUST RUN!”
“The dark knight tricked me,” Dahut sobbed. “He said he would show me wonderful magic. But he only wanted to destroy our city!”
King Gradlon grabbed her hand. “We must warn everyone. Come!”
They ran up the stairs, but water chased them like an angry monster. In the streets, people screamed and ran with their children.
| The City in Danger |
|---|
| Water filling the streets |
| People running away |
| Horses swimming |
| Houses flooding |
“My horse!” the king called. His magic white horse Morvarc’h came running through the water.
Lightning lit up the sky. In its flash, they saw giant waves coming over the city walls. ⚡
“The ocean is taking back the land we borrowed,” an old woman cried. “The gods are angry!”
“Get on!” King Gradlon pulled Dahut onto his horse. They rode through the flooding streets.
The beautiful buildings of Ys were drowning. Waters crashed through windows and doors. Fish swam where people used to walk.
“Save us!” people cried as they ran past.
But the waters rose too fast. Dahut watched in horror as her home disappeared under the angry waves.
“I trusted the wrong person,” she whispered. “Now everyone will suffer because of me.”
The magic horse Morvarc’h jumped from rooftop to rooftop. But the water kept rising higher.
In the distance, they heard a horrible laugh. The dark knight’s shadow danced on the waves.
“You wanted to see real magic, princess?” his voice boomed. “Watch as I make your city disappear!”
More waves crashed over the walls. The proud towers of Ys bent like flowers in a storm.
“Hold tight!” King Gradlon shouted as Morvarc’h leaped over another wave.
But Dahut’s heart was heavy with shame. The water pulled at her like cold hands…
A giant wave rose up before them, taller than the highest tower in Ys. On top of it stood the dark knight, his green eyes glowing with evil joy.
“The sea wants one more thing,” he called. “It wants the princess who opened the gate!”
Thunder crashed and lightning split the sky. Morvarc’h reared up in fear as the massive wave came down…
The Great Flood
The wave crashed over Morvarc’h like a mountain of water. King Gradlon held tight to the reins as his magic horse fought through the flood.
“Father!” Dahut’s voice was lost in the roar of water. She slipped from the horse’s back.
“My daughter!” King Gradlon reached for her, but she was already sinking into the dark water.
A voice like thunder spoke from the sky: “Choose, King of Ys! Save your daughter or save yourself!”
Morvarc’h couldn’t swim with both of them. The horse’s magic was failing under the weight.
“Let me go, father,” Dahut called softly. “I opened the gate. I must pay the price.”
Tears mixed with rain on the king’s face. He watched his daughter disappear beneath the waves.
Behind them, Ys was vanishing. The proud towers fell one by one. Fish swam through palace windows where kings once ruled.
| The City Falls |
|---|
| Towers crumbling |
| Waves climbing higher |
| ♂️ People swimming |
| ⚡ Lightning flashing |
“Look!” someone shouted. “The princess!”
In the stormy water, Dahut was changing. Her hair turned green like seaweed. Her legs joined together into a fish tail. ♀️
“The sea spirits are taking her,” an old sailor said. “She will become a mermaid!”
Morvarc’h galloped across the water toward safe land. King Gradlon didn’t look back. He couldn’t bear to watch his beautiful city sink.
“Help them!” he begged the horse. “Save as many as you can!”
The magic horse ran back and forth. Each time, he carried more people to safety. But he couldn’t save everyone.
Lightning flashed one last time. The dark knight stood on a wave, laughing.
“Pride comes before a fall,” he called. “Remember the lesson of Ys!”
Then he turned into mist and disappeared. The storm began to calm.
“My city,” King Gradlon whispered. “My daughter. All gone beneath the sea.”
Where Ys had stood, only waves remained. Sometimes bubbles rose to the surface, like the city was taking one last breath.
The survivors huddled on the shore. They watched fish swim where they once walked. Seaweed grew on their golden statues.
“Listen!” a child said. “I hear singing!”
From far below the waves came a sad, sweet song. It was Dahut, singing of her lost city.
The king stood on the beach until sunrise. His white hair had turned completely gray. His crown was lost to the sea.
“We were too proud,” he said softly. “We thought we could control the ocean. But the ocean belonged to itself all along.”
Over the water, seabirds flew in circles. They seemed to be looking for the lost city too. But Ys was gone forever, sleeping under the waves.
Sea-Song Echoes
Years passed like waves on the shore. The people who escaped Ys built new homes on high ground. But they never forgot their magical city.
“Tell us about Ys, Grandfather!” children would beg. And King Gradlon would share the tale.
Fishermen said strange things happened where Ys once stood. Sometimes they heard bells ringing deep underwater.
“On clear days,” they whispered, “you can see golden towers through the waves.”
And always, always, there was the singing. Dahut’s voice floated up from the deep, calling to sailors:
“Come see my city, my beautiful Ys! The fish swim through our ballrooms now. Sea plants grow in our gardens.”
| Signs of Ys |
|---|
| Mysterious songs |
| Underwater bells |
| ✨ Strange lights |
| Golden shells |
King Gradlon grew old. His beard turned white as sea foam. But he never stopped watching the waves.
“The sea gives and takes,” he would say. “We must respect its power.”
People wrote songs about Ys. They told stories of its beauty and its fall. Parents warned children:
Sometimes, after storms, strange things washed up on shore: pieces of golden gates, jewels, and shells that sang when you held them to your ear.
One day, a little girl found a crown in the sand. It was small and covered in green stones.
“That was Dahut’s,” Gradlon said softly. “Keep it safe. Let it remind you of our story.”
As years passed, the legend grew. People said Ys would rise again when the world needed magic most.
Others said it stayed underwater to teach us about being humble. To remind us that even the grandest things can fall.
“The true magic of Ys lives in its story,” the old king said. “As long as we remember, it never really dies.”
And so the tale of Ys lived on. In songs, in stories, in the sound of waves on shore.
Even today, people say if you stand on the beach at sunrise, you might hear distant bells. Or catch a glimpse of towers deep beneath the waves.
And sometimes, on quiet nights when the moon is full, a sweet voice drifts across the water. The mermaid princess still sings of her golden city, sleeping in its bed of sand.
But most importantly, Ys lives in the hearts of those who tell its tale. A reminder that true treasure isn’t gold or magic – it’s the wisdom to use our gifts wisely.
And so the legend continues, carried on waves and whispers, as eternal as the sea itself.