when you wish upon a star
Once upon a time, long ago, in a valley far from here, there lived a poor prince. The prince lived in a small castle with a small mote on a small plot of land in the center of his village and ruled his people with a kind and just hand.
He was not plain or dull, but neither was he handsome or clever. He was simply a man born in a station of mediocre power over people know one knew or cared existed. But then one day everything changed.
A letter had been dispatched to all the princes of the land calling them to gather for a feast and to share news of their kingdoms. The prince, wary of leaving his kingdom, packed his cases and set out on the journey.
Upon entering the city of Lyr the young prince was taken aback by the opulence and grandeur of the city and sought to discover all it had to offer. It would be his doom.
One day after the meeting had concluded the young prince took to the streets to explore the wonders of the city. He came upon an inn that served food and drink and the aroma of cooked meats and bread was more than he could bare and so he went in.
As he took a seat the most amazing thing happened. A bar maid, the most incredible beauty to have graced the world, caught his eye and began to walk up to him. His heart leaped out of his chest, his breath was labored, his mind a whirling jumbled mess.
She was a stout girl, with long golden hair and grey eyes. She walked as though her feet never touched the ground and her countenance was plentiful and proportionate. She was the most perfect woman that was ever made and she had him by the soul.
“What can I get you?” She asked.
“Um, well…” He stammered.
“Marry me.” He finally choked out the words.
“Excuse me?”
“OH! What I meant to say was, will you marry me?”
“I don’t get it, is this a joke?”
The prince stumbled to his feet and offered the bar maid a place at his table. She objected at first, stating that she was working and had no time to waste on a childish fool, until the price pulled a pouch filled with coin to change he mind.
They sat and talked and ate and drank and laughed. They shared their stories and experiences. She was far more interesting than a prince from a small kingdom and he clung to every word she spoke.
The inn had closed and still they sat talking, laughing and enjoying each other until finally their night ended. He was hesitant to leave each others company and on the very next day, they were wed.
He took his new queen back to his kingdom and showed her to his people who took her in with open arms and the kingdom flourished and all were happy. All good things however come with dark clouds and so it was in this story.
The prince was so in love with his queen that he could never tell her no. her every whim, every indulgence, every need was supplied to her. If the cost was more than he could offer, she would find someone to supply it for her. Even though it was insulting to the prince he loved her so much that he would look away if it meant that she would stay with him.
One day, the cost of loving his queen became more than he could take and he told her no. he told her that his love for her would span all time and he needed to find a way to quell her desires. He told her that she needed to find a way to see in him what he saw in her and that there was nothing she had done that could not be forgiven. He begged her to please see him and understand that even though he was a prince of modest stature, he would give everything if she would be with him and him alone.
His queen laughed at him. Telling him to look around and see that his kingdom was over. All that he had was gone, his riches, his people, all that he had was gone, used by her to fill her needs and he was too blind to notice.
“No.” he shouted.
“No more. All I ask is for you to love me and me alone!”
His queen stood up from her throne and laughed.
“You don’t get it boy!” She spat at him.
“I am not some simple minded bar hand, I am the Ahzeen!”
As she stepped down from the alter of her throne she began to change. Her hair glowed as amber fire. Her body twisted and bent, shifting into something inhuman. Her eyes flashed blue for a moment and then yellow. Her limbs contorted and began to grow scales as she turned into a dragon of the east.
The prince stumbled backwards at the sight of the great worm that now coiled itself at the foot of their thrones. The great wingless monster slithered and drooled as it came towards him.
“I do not fear you. For all that you are and have been, I love you.” He shouted.
“You cannot be loved. Look at you, look at how tiny you are! A tiny prince from a tiny kingdom with tiny hopes and aspirations. You are and will forever be nothing!”
“No.” The prince said flatly. His heart heavy and dispirit.
He stood stripped bare, naked to the words she spoke as she cackled and hissed at him. In his soul he could feel the truth of her words growing, taking over, becoming his truth.
He pulled his sword and stood before her. She would not win. She would not take everything without a fight. And so they waged war upon each other.
A fierce battle raged. The back and forth of words and blows and as she spoke he could feel more and more of himself falling away, weakening his resolve and sapping his strength.
“You cannot win.” She smiled.
“You were and always will be a weak child, easily manipulated. Easily played with. I will defeat you and all that you were or ever will be, will become mine.”
The prince stood still. He lowered his weapon as he stared into the eyes of his one true love. He remembered all the time they had spent laughing, loving, being happy for no other reason than to be happy.
“You’re right.” He said calmly.
“I cannot fight you anymore. I don’t care what you are. I don’t care what you’ve done. From the moment I saw you, I loved you and I will love you long after we are both dead and gone.”
“Fool.” She sneered as she raised herself to full height.
In a flash she dove down upon him with all her fury. Her jaws parted exposing every fang. It was to be her final attack.
In that moment the prince stepped aside as her head crashed into the floor. He raised his sword high in the air and brought it down across her neck. Its blade struck true.
His queen fell to the floor. Her body transforming back to the woman he once knew. She sat there on the floor her hand on her neck trying to hold the blood that flowed at bay.
“I am so sorry.” The prince wept.
“I will love you until time ends and the stars are cinders in the sky. You are and will be my morning and evening star.”
She struggled to right herself as she held her neck. The venom in her eyes spoke volumes to the prince. She made it to her knees before him, gasping for life.
“I never loved you! I curse you! From this day forth you will be the wretched scabby ogre I know you to be. From this day on until time ends you will be what you are, ugly, unlovable, unneeded. You will never be mortal again.”
And with those words, the queen slowly slumped to the floor. Here eyes never left the prince. The hate in them now fixed in death. Hate was the last thing she felt for him.
The prince fell to her. He picked up her body and cradled it in his arms. He wept. He wept for her, for the one thing on the planet that hated him the most. He wept. For all the hatred she had spat at him, he poured the equal measure of his love on her.
As his tears fell upon her face, it began to change to ash. The ash then swirled around them both in a maelstrom of smoke. The torrent then clung to the prince, changing him, contorting him, him transforming him, fulfilling the curse of his dragon queen.
As the storm faded, the prince sat and watched as the last of her ashes drifted from his mangled hands. Slowly he got to his feet and walked to the alter of her throne. With a thump he sat at its feet and a single tear traced down his face.
With one deafening howl of self pity and grief he announced to all the lands the queen is dead.
But this is where our story really begins…