Valley of Shadows and Roses

*ONC 2024 Longlist*

There was a princess
Living carefree
She wanted the world she wanted everything
Diamonds and pearls
Emeralds and gold
She bathed in the riches only she could know
Then the Shadow King came
And asked for her hand
But she said no and sent him away
The Shadow King vowed to himself
One day she'll be his
He curses her until she pleads for mercy
And so the princess has to die
When the midnight strikes
And comes back to life with the first rays of the sun
Turn the pages
Read so you know how it will end
The story of the Shadow Lord and the cursed princess

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A classic story retold in a new, dark way. This is where the lines between hero and villain blur.

Once upon a time, in a distant kingdom in the Rose Valley, there lived a young princess. Maybe a little proud. Maybe she was the sweetest princess. And maybe not. She had many suitors, but she did not accept a single proposal for her hand in marriage. She didn't want to become a king's wife, she wanted to be a queen and rule her country.
But one day darkness crept into the happy kingdom. A thick fog crept through the forest. Shadows walked under the treetops. The Shadow Lord came to propose to Princess Luna. She rejected him like everyone else, despite the fact that he was the only one who managed to impress her. However, the Shadow Lord isn't about to give up so quickly. He presents a gift to the princess. For the rest of eternity, at the stroke of midnight, she will die and come back to life with the first rays of day. Again and again. Every night. An endless cycle. Because as the Shadow Lord said, "I will wait for you, even if it takes forever."
Old wounds are being opened. The boundaries between worlds are blurring. Will a prince on a white horse arrive and bravely rescue a cursed princess or...?