Symphony of Dawn

One

Once upon a time... 

No, wait, that's not right. I regret to say this isn't the kind of story that ends in 'and they all lived happily ever after.' In this story, true love's kiss doesn't break the spell. The princess doesn't marry the prince. In fact, in this story, the villain wins. So if you came hoping this was a happy story, you should leave now. Go on, skip ahead. 

Still here? Alright then... don't say I didn't warn you...

The land once ruled by the kings and queens of old was dying. Crops failed. Rivers dried. Animals moved on to greener pastures. And so did the people. There was only one who did not leave. One who could not leave.

The princess had been cursed whilst still in her mother's womb to be forever bound to the land of her forebears. If the land prospered, so would she. But as it died, the princess felt her own life slip away. The enchantress, of course, had seen to that.

Her subjects tried to save their beloved princess from her grisly faith. But if she dared to near the borders of her realms, the girl would slowly and painfully turn to stone. Those closest to her refused to leave. Once they passed the border, they could not return, and she would be left to suffer alone. But the princess had no care for her own life. She did not have one, to begin with. So she ordered all of them to leave her behind and search for a better life elsewhere. As her loved ones said their farewells, they promised to find someone who could free her. But until this day, none had come. The land, and the princess, were forgotten. Forever lost in despair.

The princess' only escape from her kingdom was her world of dreams. There, she was free to go to faraway lands and explore to her heart's content. But when she awoke with the rising dawn, she would be reminded of her plight and long for the night when her dreams would take her on that one final journey.

One night, when the princess was once again in the palace she had built in her dreams, she felt something peculiar. Another presence had entered her dream. She searched for this strange yet familiar presence. She went from room to room, from the highest tower to the lowest cellar. When she walked past the ballroom, she felt the presence stronger than ever. She opened the door and... there he was.

His raven hair, his emerald eyes, his soft pink lips, his gentle features and his strong slender body... He was just as the princess remembered him, only older from the last time she had seen him. It was the prince she had been betrothed to. The boy who had tried to make her feel better about her curse every time he came to visit. The man who had stolen her heart.

The pair walked toward each other. With each step, they went faster and faster until they were running, longing to hold each other again. Three more steps... two more.. one...

A wall sprung between them. They halted, one more surprised than the other. The raven-haired prince did not hesitate and tried to scale the wall. But as he climbed, so did the barrier. Higher and higher. He fell down.

In a fit of rage, the prince pounded on the wall, desperate to break it down. The princess did the same on her side. She had been kept away from everyone she had ever cared about, and now that someone had finally returned to her, even if it was only in her dreams, she would not allow anything to keep them apart.

But no matter how hard they punched and kicked or how much they bled, the wall would not crumble. The enchantress had ensured that, even in the world of dreams, there was no momentary relief from her suffering. There was no salvation. There was only shattered hope.

The princess fell back, screaming. She dropped to her knees, holding herself tightly by her arms. Tears rolled down her cheek. She could hear her prince faintly whisper her name. But she could not bear to face him. Her beloved called out to her again. The princess slowly raised her head and gasped. The wall was nowhere to be seen. Had her prince triumphed? Had he broken down the wall?

The princess rose to her feet and staggered towards him. But with every step, the stones began to reveal themselves again. She froze. It was no use. They would never be together. Not in life, not in dreams... perhaps not even in death.

The princess meant to leave, but something about her prince prevented her from doing so. A smile. Encouraging. Inviting. Loving. The prince bowed to her and held out his hand as if asking her to dance. She shook her head, but he insisted. The princess sighed and put her hand out, laying it where his hand would be if there was no wall between them.

And so they danced. Alone but together. They moved as one, knowing exactly how the other would step next. The princess imagined she really was in his arms. She imagined this was their wedding. She imagined their families, their friends, and subjects, ghostly figures that would never be real, dancing with them.

If only this had been the last journey. If only the princess had died then. But the enchantress would not give up on her prize so easily. She forced the dawn to come early, and the princess awoke, once again alone and in pain. Her heart clenched as another puddle of water dried up, another tree turned to ash, and another tower crumbled down.

As she lay amid decay, the princess held on to the fading presence of her love. In the darkness that was her life, he became a beacon of light. She longed for the coming night, hoping he would be there once more. Even if he wasn't, she would wait for him. In this life or the next.

Forever...