Nights at the castle were boring. Everyone was always asleep, and it was too quiet. I hated walking the empty corridors alone.
Before I was born, my mother was cursed by an evil fairy. There was a good fairy who saved her life by saying that instead of dying, Mother would fall asleep until she was awakened by true love's kiss. Father broke the spell and married Mother, and the kingdom rejoiced.
When I was born, the three good fairies gave me gifts as tribute, just as they had done for my mother. Flora said I would have wisdom and charm, as was befitting a future king. Fauna said I would be handsome and muscular, as was only suitable for a valiant prince.
"My gift shall be that he is always able to avoid his mother's curse," Merryweather stated. "He shall never sleep."
As a baby, I demanded attention at all times since I never napped, and I felt lonely as everyone slept at night. As a toddler, I needed constant supervision. My governesses had to take turns watching me while the others slept.
Finally I reached an age where I could be trusted to roam the castle alone at night. I watched my brothers and sisters sleeping and wondered what it was like. When one of them had insomnia, I had company, at least for a few hours. We would play or talk quietly, but none of my siblings ever managed to stay awake all night.
When I grew to be a young man rather than a boy, I decided I had become far too bored wandering the halls of the castle every night. I begged my parents for the chance to go on an adventure. Mother was reluctant, but Father managed to persuade her that every prince should go on a noble quest. Besides, maybe I could find sleep.
During my travels, I saw many interesting things: enchanted princesses, fearsome dragons, old women who were fairies in disguise, dwarves, trolls with unusual names, and mountains made entirely of glass. It goes without saying that I met so many talking animals that now, those who can't speak seem far more unusual. I've spent the night in palaces made entirely of gems, and I've found magical plants that increased my youthful looks, valor, and riches.
I might still be attending weddings or solving riddles to impress kings or end curses over entire realms, but as I took my horse from the stable one day, I hit my head against a beam. I felt a severe migraine, and then everything was black. When I opened my eyes, one of the stablemen was standing over me.
"What happened?" I asked.
"You hit your head, sire," he stated.
"I remember that. What happened next?"
"You were unconscious for a few minutes."
If that was sleep, I wanted no part of it. Satisfied that I wasn't missing out on anything, I returned home.