Chapter Text
Once upon a time in a kingdom far-far away, there stood a castle. And within that castle lived a princess, the most beautiful woman in the entire land. Her long hair shone like the golden sunrise upon the rich fields surrounding the high castle, and the intensity of her brown eyes stared on you always with softness and kindness
She had grown up happily, singing and dancing within the castle gardens. Loved by all those who saw her, and admired by all those who heard of her brilliance and gentleness. Her name was Delphine, and songs were sung of that name in all corners of the Kingdom and those kingdoms bordering it.
The King and the Queen raised her to rule over the land with wisdom and compassion, come the time that she would inherit the throne.
But, the summer of her 21st birthday, the beloved Queen died suddenly of a mysterious disease. The pain of the King and the Princess was unbearable, and for a long year, the entire kingdom grieved for the loss of their Queen.
One morning, after practicing her lute in the garden amongst the white roses, Delphine found a smile upon her father’s face for the first time since her mother had passed away.
“My dear Daughter, I have a wonderful news,” he said, as he sat on the bench beside her. “I have found you a new mother.”
Delphine dropped her lute in surprise. “What do you say, Father?” She thought he must be joking, for her mother was irreplaceable. “A new mother? How can this be?”
“Delphine, a king can’t stand alone, is nothing without a woman. You are my only child and I must have another child, for the safety of the throne, and our Kingdom.”
“Father… I understand you, and you know how much important the safety of the throne is to me,” said Delphine gently. “I trust you and I am impatient to meet my new… mother.”
“Good, because the wedding is in a fortnight. She shall arrive soon, and you I hope you will make her feel right at home.”
“Of course Father. As you wish,” Delphine said. She stood up and curtsied. “I will tell the servants to prepare a room for their new Queen.”
She took her lute, which had been her mother’s possession, and went back to the castle, with tears in her eyes. She made her way down towards the kitchens and instructed the cooks to prepare a festive meal for their new Queen. Then she told a handmaiden for to prepare a room for the new Queen, and ordered the great hall to be adorned lavishly.
Two weeks later, everything was ready for the wedding. All the noble Lords and Ladies of the Kingdom were gathered. All the loyal subjects of the King came from North and South, East and West, to celebrate the new era. The castle was adorned with a thousand red and white roses, and wines and champagne flowed freely. Everyone was already singing and dancing before the wedding ceremony had taken place. When the King appeared at the balcony, with his new wife beside him, the clamors of the people melted with the trumpets and drums as the music rose from the entire castle.
It was a shiny day, a wonderful day for all the people.
Delphine’s dress was magnificent, a pattern of birds and flowers was embroidered upon her skirt with golden thread. Her ceremonial crown stood between her curls, shimmering in the light of the candles. She smiled politely, and danced with grace, but her within her eyes a sadness shone; her new mother, her new queen had been ever so pleasant, but somewhere deep inside her Delphine felt a seed of doubt had been planted. The woman had seemed to come out of thin air, and her father was blindly in love; he hardly remembered his late wife. The new Queen had a dark mind, with a smile that never left her face, and yet never quite reached her eyes.
At the end of the evening, after the feast and after each of the guests had eaten and drunk their fill during the banquet, Delphine stood up and took her glass made of the purest crystal and spoke loudly: “My dearest Father, if I may speak for all gathered here today, and those who live under your fair reign, after all you deserve a happy and long marriage, with your new wife...” she lifted her glass at the newly wed couple beside her. “...my new mother,” she added, her voice stumbling ever so slightly over the last word. “I wish you a happily ever after. To the King! To the Queen!”
All the crowd repeated after her: “To the King! To the Queen!’” and added “To the Princess Delphine; fairest of them all!”
Once the cheering and applause had quieted down, the King spoke. “Thank you, my beloved Daughter.”
Next to him, the new Queen sat, sulking. She looked intently at Delphine, and met her glance with a poisonous stare.
Delphine sat down and felt her heart beating fast, too fast. She looked around her, at the smiling Princes and the cute Princesses, the Lords and Ladies; everybody eating and drinking. They all seemed so happy and the Princess felt so lonely. While the musicians began to play again, it suddenly became insufferable for Delphine to stay in the great ballroom between all these happy people.
After saying goodbye to her father and stepmother, she left the feast and walked through the dark corridors of the castle, without a goal in mind. Her feet had led her to a door without her being aware. At the end of the corridor, Delphine stood in front of her mother’s bedroom. She went inside.
Since a year, these private rooms had been empty, and now, there was a new bed, new furniture, some clothes scattered all around the rooms.
Surprised, Delphine said to herself: “Oh Mother! What happened?...” She sat on the bed and began to cry, a hand on her mouth: “I miss you… I miss you so very much… Mother, Mother… Where are you Mommy?”
“I am here my daughter.”
Delphine lifted up her head, and through her tears she saw the new Queen: “What are you doing here?”
“These are my new private apartments,” sneered Delphine’s stepmother.
“How dare you?” said the young blonde woman, as she stood up from the bed, “these are the rooms of my Mother!”
“Were. They were the rooms of your late mother, and now, they’re my own private rooms, and I am your new mother. Your father gave them to me. Furthermore, I don’t remember to have invited you to come in without my permission, therefore, please my dear child, go to your own bedroom, you told us you were exhausted,” said the icy Queen. She stepped to the side to let Delphine exit the room, which was no longer filled with lovely memories.
Maybe for the first time of her life, Delphine felt anger in her soul and she couldn’t hide it, it was impossible to restrain from herself: “I am not your dear child! You are not my mother! You are… you are… “
“What? I am what? How would you dare to speak to me like that, naive and stupid princess?” said the Queen, challenging Delphine.
The gentle Delphine, who was always in control of her words and feelings, who was always afraid to hurt the people around her, couldn’t help but exploded: “You are nothing, and certainly not my mother, nor the queen!”
The Queen smiled maliciously: “Are you sure, little girl? Look at the crown on my head, the ring at my finger… Do they mean nothing to you? Because they certainly mean something to your father.”
“I know the meaning of that crown better than you ever shall. It was the crown of the Queen! The ring of the Queen! My mother, the real Queen!” shouted Delphine, out of herself, and with tears in her eyes. “You can have them, wear them, parade in the castle and on the streets with them, it means nothing to me or to my people.”
The Queen tried to keep a calm tone of voice, but Delphine heard the anger and the jealousy when she said: “You may stop talking to me like that, Delphine. Your beauty will not protect you forever. I know who you are. Your fake kindness and your gentle smiles do not trick me; I know women like you.”
The Queen stepped across the room, threatening the young woman: “Life is easy for you, you do not have to fight for food, for a safe place where you can sleep. You do not have to fight for love.”
Delphine became afraid and stared at her without understanding a word the woman said.
The Queen continued her foolish speech: “I know who you are, my sweet princess, but you have no idea who I am… You are right, I am not your weak and sick mother. I am the one who will teach you some respect! Please, enjoy my first lesson!”
Suddenly, an odd silence filled the dark room. The Queen stopped speaking, her eyes become totally and oddly white and Delphine couldn’t move anymore. She noticed a new and heavy necklace around her own neck.
A croaky voice came out of the Queen’s throat:
Delphine the Beauty, Delphine the Immaculate
I place a curse upon you with this amulet
Your body parts shall switch their rightful place
Your arms shall be your legs, your bum shall be your face
Only true-love’s-kiss shall break the spell
And once again you shall be well
Beware for a kiss from anyone but your Soulmate
The spell shall be renewed, and thus is your fate
A cold spread out from the spot where the amulet touched her chest. She felt the cold spread from her skin, into her flesh and bones, across her limbs. When it reached the ends of her hair, Delphine lost consciousness. The last thing she saw was the Queen grinning maliciously.