Chapter Text
Once upon a time in a kingdom whose name is lost to the mind of man, in an age where magic and those who wielded it were still known to all, this is where our story begins. In a castle, this vast and ever-changing castle, there was trouble brewing and a curse that would take the royal family by storm.
The prince and princess of the kingdom had been fighting yet again on who should inherit the throne and the marvelous castle they lived in. The princess argued that because she had the most powerful magic in all the land that she should be the one to take the throne, while her brother boasted of being the wisest in all the kingdoms. Finally the king had heard enough of his children’s bickering and set before them a task, whoever is wed and produces the next heir shall have the castle and the kingdom.
The prince rejoiced for he had had a sweetheart of many years, whom he planned to wed once the time was right and it seemed just to be, and so the two were promptly married, and set quickly forth on conceiving a child.
The princess, however, had no sweetheart, no courtings, nor did she want to be married, so with time running out she decided to find a simpler solution. She searched the kingdom to find a widower who already had a child, someone in poor health, someone on the brink of death itself. At long last she had found a suitable match, and none too late with her sister in law plump and ripe with child, the man she found was very wise and very kind despite his rough job as a forger and metal worker. He knew he could never provide much for his infant son, and that he himself did not have long left on this earth and so he consented to the union. Before the two could be wed however, the man died disinheriting the princess who vowed to make the man’s son her apprentice, teaching him all the magic she knew, so that he might have a long and happy life. The princess ensured that the man had a great tomb and monument erected in his honor, and after the proper funeral traditions had been performed, she returned to the castle to present her heir.
The king proclaimed that because her child was not bound to the family by blood that he did not qualify as an heir and since she had tried to find the easy way out she did not deserve the throne or the castle, and that her brother would inherit all. Upon hearing this, a rage and fiery hatred grew within the princess and she swore that no matter what her child would inherit the throne and that her brother would perish. The king ordered his guards to take her away, which only fueled her anger causing her to cast out strong and horrifically evil magic, killing all in the king’s throne room excluding herself and her son. The princess set out of the room, the castle, and even the kingdom to build her own castle out in the woods of a far away land.
The prince discovered the gruesome scene left in the throne room after he watched his sister flee the castle, truly aghast that his sister would kill their own father and countless guards and courtesans, he ordered that she would never be allowed to return and that if she ever stepped foot into the kingdom again she would be put to death. He was quickly crowned and a hasty coronation took place and proclamations rang throughout the kingdom celebrating their new ruler and mourning the death of their last.
It was only few weeks later that the newly crowned queen gave birth to their child, a healthy baby boy, they named David after the late king. A grand celebration was to be had at the castle for people of all kinds could come and offer blessings and gifts to the new little prince. Crowds poured into the castle to give gifts and well wishes to the child, and among the peasants and the nobility slipped in a cloaked figure that no one paid any mind to.
King Paul sat upon his throne with his wife and child at his side welcoming and thanking each visitor, when three women each cloaked in a brilliantly colored silk garment approached. The first woman clothed in a vibrant, olivine gown bowed before the family and announced grandly, “My name is Lady Celine and I have come to bless the child with cunning and handsome features, suited to a prince and some day ruler.” She waved an olive wand over the child and bowed once more before stepping back amongst the other two. Next stepped forward a woman of considerable height and strength, yet she moved with a grace that seemed impossible for someone of her stature. She was draped in ruby gossamer that wound intricately around her form and the stunning golden gown that held tightly to her bodice, with a flourish she gave a kneeling bow, and straightforwardly proclaimed, “I am Madam Cinna, and my blessing for the child is that he shall be forthright, courageous, and shall have great perseverance in the face of whatever life may throw at him.” She waved her wand of elm before the child, who giggled and cooed at the red cloud that hovered around him momentarily before dissipating.
Madam Cinna stepped back, but before the youngest of the three women could step forward, a plump cheerful looking girl in a bright yellow gown that made her look as though she were wearing the bell of some great flower, a figure wrapped tightly in a dark blue, velveteen cloak pushed her way to the front of the room and the woman out of the way. The hood fell away to reveal Princess Sue standing before the happy couple, she spoke in a cold, bitter tone, “All hail the happy couple and the darling little prince, my nephew. I too have a blessing for the child dear brother.” The king too terrified of what his sister was about to do could not move, he could hardly even breathe. “Oh, he shall be wise and kind and loved by all who meet him, but before his sixteenth birthday his heart shall be broken and he will die.” Sue cackled out, as she waved her cedar wand over the child before vanishing in a gust of wind, leaving the hall in a stunned silence.
“Do not worry my king,” A gentle voice, spoke breaking through the heavy silence, “I have not yet given my gift to the child.” The young girl approached the shaken family, “I am Marigold, your highness and I shall bless the child with the gift of discernment and prophecy, he will know of things that no man may know, and when his heart breaks at the age of sixteen he shall not die, but sleep and as he sleeps these dreams shall come to him, dreams of his true love who upon their kiss shall break the curse and awaken the prince.” Marigold held her holly wand above the now sleeping prince and touched it gently to his cheek; a strand of gold and purple light wrapped around the child and hugged him gently before vanishing.
The king and queen shed tears for their child and for the gifts the women had blessed him with, thanking them and asking that they stay after the celebrations had ended for a word. The women agreed and stepped back into the crowd allowing the other, now melancholy, guests to give their presents to the babe. The prince received a great quantity of gifts and blessings, kisses and coos, kind words and warm thoughts before at last the night had began to set in and the king asked that all other gifts be given at another time due to the taxing day the royal family had had.
Once all the crowds had left and the king had the guards at their posts to keep a watchful eye out for his sister, he spoke with the women. “You three have already given my son so much, and it troubles me deeply to ask this of you, but might you please consider taking my son away with you to some far away land and raise him so that he will never meet another person until a month before his sixteenth birthday, so that he might not have his heart broken?”
The women looked at each other, each nodding their head in assent before turning to face the worried eyes of the king and queen, “We shall,” spoke Lady Celine, “We will raise the child as our nephew, and teach him his heritage, he shall know the customs and the ways of his kingdom, but he shall not know the circumstances by which he is being hidden away.” Madam Cinna continued, “We will guard him from your sister, and lay down our lives for the prince. I will instruct him in the ways of combat and make sure he is gifted in all manner of weaponry.” “He shall know all the names of the animals and plants, and he will know how to care for them, we shall pass on our knowledge and our gifts to him, while ensuring that he grow to be a noble and humble prince.” Marigold finished, reaching out a hand to lovingly stroke the crown of the baby’s head.
So that night the prince was wrapped up tightly and slipped out of the castle in secret, and the three sorceresses took him away to a land far from his home to raise him a part from any other human. And this is where our tale truly begins.