Premise - A princess who has panic attacks has to be brave, survive a war, and marry a mysterious heir from the very different next country over

Dramatic Question - Can the Princess and the Heir work together to save both of their countries?

Motivation - If they cannot, the Giants will murder their people, and the Fae will enslave whomever survives.

Act 1

Ordinary World- She does her job in the castle as best she can. Her people are surviving the effects of The Giant War, but not thriving. Magic/fae are not seen anymore, and much feared.
Inciting Incident- The thought-dead Heir to the neighboring kingdom with Magic Bloodlines returns and upsets the fae, kickstarting a war that was basically over. They call into effect a betrothal from when they and the princess were young in order to get troops to fight for both countries.
Reluctance/Preparation- The princess wanted to end the war peacefully, and never deal with magic again, and seeks out advice. She gets a lot of pressure put on her from different directions, and it triggers her panic disorder. She is really afraid of what could happen if she goes along with this, but even more afraid of full scale war against magic.
Act 1 Game Changer- A giant arrives at what is supposed to be her secret castle, and the war begins again in earnest, right at her doorstep. The princess abandons her home, and agrees to the betrothal.

Act 2

Problem 1 - Politics get in the way
Problem 2 - Fighting against magic
Attempt- The Princess’s people don’t trust the Heir and begin to lose faith. They lose precious time convincing everyone to accept the betrothal, and fae soldiers begin to kill innocent people.
Attempt- The Princess’s sister and the Heir fight battles in the field. The Princess’s sister hates the Heir for their magic, but they both agree– they need to change strategy or they will be slaughtered.
Midpoint- The Princess makes a deal with the Fae Queen out of fear. The Giants are no longer attacking, but the Queen gets exactly what she wants.
Act 2 Game Changer: Despair and change- The Princess’s sister is murdered in an important magical place and her father captured because of the Princess’s fear and isolationist strategies. The Princess must step up, act decisively, and risk much to save her only remaining family member– truly feeling these emotions for the first time since her mother died, combined with exposure to the magic location, unlocks the magic in her own bloodline.

Act 3

Changed attempts- The Princess and The Heir send their people on the offensive to deal with the remaining fae soldiers. Meanwhile, they approach The Princess’s original castle, another magic location. She is able to amplify the Heir’s magic to sneak them in.
Resolution- The Heir saves the Princess’s father. The Princess, no longer afraid, and now somewhat magical, is able to make a deal with the Queen that tricks her into being banished to another realm.
Coda- The Princess and the Heir get married. They have work to be done to put the country back together, and to ensure the fae can’t come back, but for now, they enjoy the day.

Jessica Rivers

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