Dahlia

Dahlia was an evil witch living in the woods of Daventry. Dahlia is the name of the witch who stole the Chest of Gold from King Edward. Dahlia had disguised herself as a beautiful maiden. Edward found her hidden in a tree, surrounded by wolves. He rescued her, fell in love, and asked her to be his bride. On the night before their wedding she stole the keys to the treasure vault and then stole the magic chest. The theft drove the kingdom into poverty and the king into a despair from which he never recovered. Graham killed Dahlia by shoving her into her own oven.

Background
Dahlia was an evil hag who coveted Daventry's chest of gold, and set up a plan to steal it. To do this she took on the form of a beautiful woman and climbed into a tree, and had a pack of wolves claw at the tree as if trying to get to her. She waited for King Edward to come upon the scene.

When the group lead by King Edward approached, the wolves scattered and they discovered her perched in the tree. She descended regally, and thanked the king, claiming that she was the Princess Dahlia of Cumberland. She claim she was traveling through the land when the pack of wolves fell upon her group. She claimed that her bodyguard fled in terror, leaving her alone with the wolves.

The King was charmed by the witch, and he brought her back to his castle to visit. He thought she might be someone who could replace his own late wife, Queen Maylie. In due time Edward asked Dahlia to marry him, and she accepted. The people of Daventry were wildly excited at the prospect of a new Queen (and hopeful again of an heir), and made preparations for a glorious wedding celebration.

On the night before the wedding when the air was thick with toasts and merriment, Princess Dahlia bid Edward good night. He never noticed her hand stealing up to his belt and extracting the ring of keys hanging there. Much later, the Royal treasurer approached the King with alarming news. He had discovered the treasury door standing open, with the King's own key in the lock. The Princess Dahlia had been inside, holding a small Chest of gold.

The treasurer stood frozen to the spot. The Princess' bright laughter changed to a witch's cackle as her form grew old and withered. She grasped the Chest and mounted her broom to fly out the open window. The treasurer watched in dismay as she swooped up through the clouds that clung to the peaks above Daventry, solid-seeming masses that looked like snow cornices, impossible outcroppings poised out from the mountains with no support, and disappeared. The kingdom no longer had money to buy food or pay its soldiers. Dahlia hid the chest in the Land of the Clouds, giving it to a giant for safekeeping. Before returning back the land below.

Decades later, as the kingdom fell into ruin. Dahlia continued to roam the woods, living in her Gingerbread House. She presented herself as a hospitable hag to anyone who nibbled on her house, but her 'guests' were transformed into cookies.

During Graham's journey to save Daventry, he encountered the witch, jetting across the sky, black robes trailing what could only be a broomstick. He was undeniably sure it was an evil witch, and not just any witch, but the witch in question could only be Dahlia for that wicked one was the only cone-crowned cackler reported in the realm for decades. He carefully crouched under a pine tree, sure he had not been spotted.

Graham later trespassed in her house looking for the Chest of Gold or a clue to the whereabouts of the chest. He discovered an enigmatic note in her bedroom. While he was there, he heard the unexpected sound of Dahlia returning causing him to freeze where he stood, however, she did not go to the bedroom. She began making sounds of food preparation in the other room--talking to herself aloud about cooking up something "good and human" to eat. Graham peeked out, trying to judge whether he could bolt for the door successfully. He saw her bent-over form of a figure larger than himself. The witch's attention was on stoking her cooking fire. Escape seemed problematic at best.

Graham chose without conscious volition on the spur of the moment to sneak quickly behind Dahlia. He gave her a mighty shove. The momentum form the blow sent the witch headfirst into the fire, where her body immediately burst into flame. It was over so soon, the body might have been made of the driest parchment. Dahlia had returned to the skies from which she had wreaked terror, and an indifferent wind dissipated her ash and smoke to nothing. King Edward and Daventry were avenged.

Behind the scenes
Dahlia is a name that originates out of the second version of KQ1 manual, it does not appear in any of the main games.

Princess Dahlia of Cumberland is believed to be the assumed identity of the witch who stole the Chest of Gold, as mentioned in the second version of the King's Quest 1 manual. She is also referred to as 'witch Dahlia' in the King's Questions. While she is referred to as the Witch Dahlia in King's Quest Companion. King's Quest Companion, discusses that it is unclear if that is her real name or just part of the false identity.

Its interesting to note that in the original KQ1 manual and within KQ1 the game, the name Dahlia is not even mentioned. In fact in the original version of the manual and the game, there is no indication that the treasures were even stolen from Daventry, but rather Edward just knows of several legendary treasures and wants Graham to find them.. The witch in original KQ1, is referred to simply as "a witch", and there is nothing connecting her to any of the treasures mentioned in the game. . She was originally just a generic fairy tale character placed into the game as an obstacle.

In the remake the witch is not directly linked to Dahlia either and is referred as just a witch much like in the original game (nothing in the game directly connects the witch to the Dahlia mentioned in the manual, nor the treasures). However, the game does make a vague reference to "Daventry's loss of the the three treasures" in the prologue (but does not go into detail how they were lost).

Its interesting to note that the The Royal Family: A Celebration, also just treats the witch as a generic encounter (in fact stating that Graham may have met multiple witches on his journey).

The King's Quest Companion is the source that links the wicked witch in the gingerbread house as being the same individual as Dahlia who was mentioned in the second version of the KQ manual. King's Questions also confirms that the witch is Dahlia.

There is a mysterious note the witch's house that offers a clue to Rumplestiltskin's backwards name, but the game doesn't offer any story reason why she would have that note. She doesn't have any direct connection to the gnome, and the gnome only helps those with a good heart, and are on a quest to save Daventry (as stated in the original manual they are opposing forces the dangerous creatures and the friendly creatures). She also doesn't need him to reach the clouds, as stated in the second manual the witch was able to fly into the clouds on her broom. Nor would he have helped her if she wanted it.

The character, as well as the hut, is taken from 'The Gingerbread Witch' character of the fairytale 'Hansel and Gretel' written by the Brothers Grimm. The fairytale however doesn't name the witch.

In PG Wodehouse's "Jeeves and Wooster" books and stories, Bertie Wooster has two meddling aunts named Dahlia and Agatha. It is possible that Dahlia and Hagatha are named after these fictional characters.

Dahlia (unofficial)
Dahlia has appeared in fan fiction including games, see Dahlia (unofficial).