Merlin Fairytale Series

Prologue

And then there were 4....
Part 4 of Merlin Fairytale Series.
Above picture is baby Rose.

Inspiration comes from this video (you can consider it a trailer of sorts but substitute it with my characters):

     Once upon a time, a long time ago, there lived a king and queen who had everything in the world they could ever desire. They were good, honest, loyal, kind, and just people and so, it seemed, the gods had seen fit to bless them with everything in the world they could possibly desire, except the thing they wanted most: a child.
     One day, the queen grew so desperate that she went to visit the fairies of that region. There, she knelt at the altar and plead for a child. The queen of the fairies suddenly appeared before her.
     She then called out, "Fear not, your majesty, for the fairies have heard your plea. Go home, for tonight you will become pregnant. And my ladies will attend to you."
     Satisfied, the queen returned home. Sure enough, the next time the healers checked on the queen, they discovered she was with child. The entire kingdom wept with joy.
     Time passed and finally the queen gave birth to a beautiful baby girl who they named Rose. Overjoyed at their good fortune, the king and queen threw a grand party. They invited everyone from all over the countryside to come join in their celebration.
     However, there was one they did not invite: an evil witch named Regina. She was the cause of much suffering and pain and so they left her out of the celebrations.
     The day of the party arrived and people from all over came to celebrate including the fairies. The fairies gladly gifted the princess with gifts of love, beauty, kindness, intelligence, curiosity, courage, honesty, innocence, loyalty, strength, a beautiful voice, and an assured happy ending.
     Just as the final fairy bestowed her gift, a great gust of wind blew open the doors of the castle and a great storm began, lightning striking and thunder shaking the castle. And, in the midst of all this, appeared the witch, Regina. Regina was tall, beautiful, and her presence exuded authority and power, striking awe and fear into everyone who came into contact with her.

     She stood in the doorway, head held high, as everyone cowered in fear of the witch they didn't like. With a smirk slowly crossing her face, Regina announced, "Sorry I'm late." She strode forward with great purpose in her steps.
     Regina stopped before the little crib that housed the newly born princess. As she gazed down at the tiny baby, Regina picked the child up to rock her. "What a beautiful little child!" she exclaimed, with barely-concealed malice tainting her words. "Although I don't seem to see any hint of courage or strength or whatever else that was that you were gifting her with. Not that any of that will make a difference."
     The king and queen were looking at her in fear of what she was doing. What would she do to  their child? All was quiet for a moment, then Regina finally spoke. "Such a happy little celebration, all for this tiny child." She then set down the baby before turning to the king and queen. "'Tis a pity I didn't warrant an invitation."
     King Uther had no more patience to listen to her words. "You weren't wanted here, witch!"
     For a moment, his words echoed in the throne room, allowing a horrible sense of foreboding to spread over the room like a blanket. Regina's smirk only grew wider as she remarked, "Oh dear, what an awkward situation! I had hoped it was merely due to some oversight but...it seems that once again I am slighted by your hand. Very well."
     Regina turned, as if to leave, then turned back, pacing before the king. "Enjoy this happy, happy day." She made a face. "While you still can." The whole castle was frozen, none daring to even breathe while they waited to see what Regina would do. Finally, she said, "I know the perfect gift to give to this child."
     "We want nothing from you!" This time, it was the queen who spoke out of turn.
     "But you shall have it." Regina began to pace once more. "It will be as you've all said. The princess shall indeed grow in grace and beauty. She'll be blessed like no other, smart, brave, loyal. Beloved by all who know her." At this, Regina stopped pacing and used magic that emitted a glow around the room. Regina was bathed in fire and light. "But," she continued, raising her voice, "before the sun sets on her 18th birthday, when she comes of age, she shall prick her finger and, from the moment that her blood is spilt, she shall fall into a sleep like death that she will never awaken from! And the longer she remains under the curse, the worse it will become until you ALL fall prey to this spell! Enjoy these last moments while you can, majesties. Because...I shall destroy your happiness if it is the last thing I do."
     With that, Regina turned and disappeared into the night. The entire kingdom was terrified. Most importantly, the king and queen seemed to have lost hope.
     All at once, the Fairy Queen appeared before them. "Despair not, majesties." She said. "For there is a way to change the fate's design."
     The king softened. "So you can undo this terrible curse?"
     "I'm afraid to say I cannot. However, I know how to break it." The king and queen looked expectantly at her as she answered, "True love's kiss."
     "A kiss will save her?"
     "Not just any kiss. True love's kiss is special. It is stronger than anything, strong enough to break any curse. But I'm afraid you may want to take precautions."
     And that's exactly what they did. The king ordered that the princess stay within the castle walls at all times and always be guarded. In the meantime, they would have to find a way to prevent the witch from getting close enough to touch Rose.
     As the years passed, Rose grew up living a fancy life in a palace but to her, it felt like a gilded cage.
     One day she would meet her true love bit that time was a long ways away. And the man who would win the princess' heart would be one who was more than what he seemed. His name was....Merlin.
                             * * * * *
     Merlin lived a very different life from the princess. His mother and father had been very poor. His father, Balinor, was a kind man and worked harder than anyone else. His mother, Hunith, was Balinor's perfect match for she was as hard a worker as he and equally as kind.
     After working many odd jobs for most of his life, Balinor found his calling as a healer. Soon he and his wife had wealth enough to live in a bigger home and have something they wanted as much as the king and queen- a child.
     They soon had a son whom they named Merlin. Merlin was special from the start for he had magic.
     As the years passed, his parents cared very deeply for him, teaching him tricks of trade, magic, and to always be kind. As he grew up, he grew handsome, charming, and powerful yet he remained kind.
     One day, he learned that his mother was sick and dying. He remained by her bedside until she passed. After that, he and his father took care of things. But all that changed when his father remarried to a woman named Cora who had two wicked daughters, Morgana and Morgause, who spent all their time trying to ruin Merlin's life.
     When Merlin was grown, his stepmother and stepsisters got invited to the palace. King Nicholas was angry with them for many crimes they had committed around the kingdom. To atone for what they'd done, they sold Merlin to be a servant in the king's palace, and they, in turn, had to leave the kingdom for the rest of their lives.
     That's how Merlin ended up in the palace. But, as it turned out, the king's palace was exactly where he needed to be.
To be continued...