King's Quest: Chapter III - Once Upon a Climb

Once Upon a Climb is the third chapter in King's Quest episodic adventure game which plays through flashback of, now old, King Graham's storytelling his tales of adventures to his granddaughter, Gwendolyn. His a bit older now, and he substituted his crown for his trusty feather cap, seeing how everyone knows he's a king, it doesn't really make much difference. Life in a castle can be lonely, and while king may be in charge of everything and have everyone at his disposal, the book of laws is rather extensive and demanding that his duties may not even allow him to have a dinner with his friends or even servants. Loneliness has its limits, and King Graham is bound to set on yet another adventure. This time, to rescue a princess imprisoned at the top of the tower and ask her for her hand in marriage.

Our good king got some real muscles since the last time, even Whisper who admires nothing but himself, takes notion. Perhaps being shut in that old castle left him time to do some push ups or visit a gym more regularly, but now he no longer needs to rely only on his wits and luck, but his strength as well. And thus, he reaches the enchanted tower, climbs its walls and meets a princess... or two. Both proposals fails, and he too gets mistaken for another princess and ends up locked in the tower by its sorceress who once was a beautiful princess but over time turned into a rather repulsive looking creature.

Staying in the tower will give Graham time to get acquainted with the two princesses and possible make one of them fall in love with him. Hagatha, who imprisoned them, will occasionally require some objects from the outside world and will use magic to teleport Graham to various locations outside the tower. While her goal is to freeze the time inside the tower and make them all forever be frozen in the moment of what she considers happiness, her heart will open to Graham's kind words and she will abandon the need to keep other princesses trapped in the tower, although it will be a race against time for Graham as he will try to save both princesses before the spell takes the effect.

Back at the present time, selected princess will now finally reveal herself as Graham's wife, the queen. And as was the custom for every birthday, the good king will prepare his favorite dish of pancakes for the queen, along with the gift for her birthday which he carefully taught of together with his granddaughter, Gwendolyn.