"Father, can you tell me a story?"
"Again? I told you a story last night, my dear."
"Please?"
"Well, I suppose that I could tell you a quick one. If you promise to go to sleep right after I'm done."
"Of course, father."
"Very well, then.
"Once upon a time, there was a Princess. She was smart and beautiful and sweet. She grew into a mature young woman, and her parents decided that it was time for her to find a husband. So she did, and she married the love of her life."
"A Prince?"
"...Not exactly. He was known as the Prince consort. But for the sake of the story, yes, he was the Prince. They were ecstatic to be with each other, and wanted to start a family as soon as possible. The Princess loved children, and dreamt of holding a little baby of her own.
"However, she was soon found to be barren. It was a dreadful blow, and she wept for days. The Kingdom mourned alongside her, for they loved their Princess. They could not bare to watch her grieve. They wanted to heal her pain. Thousands of people offered their services, their fakey and phoney magicians. None of them could help her.
"And then one day, an old woman arrived in the court, draped in rags. She sought an audience with the Princess. 'I can help you,' she promised. 'I can ease your suffering. If you agree to grant me one wish, I will give you the baby you so desire.' The queen was young, she was too naive to know how dire the repercussions of her action would be. She accepted the old woman's offer.
"'All you must do is invite me to the naming ceremony of your child. When there, I will bless your son or daughter with gifts unimaginable,' promised the old woman. She winked once, then was gone.
"Three months later, the young Princess was told by the court physician that she was indeed carrying a child. She and the Prince began to make plans immediately. The entire country was caught up in the baby fever, and the child was quickly given the title of 'the Golden Prince.'"
"When it came time to send out the invitations, a grave mistake was made. The Princess was young, flighty. In the stress and exhilaration that came with motherhood, her promise to the old woman slipped her mind. The invitations were sent out to every important person in her Kingdom. Yet no invitation was sent to the old woman.
"The Princess gave birth, to a golden haired baby boy. He was as perfect as she had imagined, and she and the Prince spent their every waking hour at his side. He didn't cry, he didn't complain, he was seemingly the perfect son. His parents couldn't be happier.
"The fateful day arrived, and the castle was in full celebration. The Princess was glowing, the Prince was grinning ear to ear, and the angel baby was delightful as ever. Surely, nothing could go wrong.
"But go wrong it did, as you have surely guessed. The old woman arrived, practically blasted through the door to the Great Room. Her rags had been replaced. She now stood in flowing robes of deepest purple, clutching a scepter that glowed silver.
"Her wrath was bestowed, for she was an angry and vain sorceress. She marched up to the Princess and the Prince and their child, and she said, 'This child will not live past the age of 25. On the day of this birthday, he will prick his finger on the thorn of a rose and die.' Then she was gone, disappeared as quickly as she had come.
"The parents were devastated. They clutched their son to them tightly, and wished for a miracle.
"Alas, it seemed as though they had used up their share of miracles.
"At the last minute, a kindly young woman approached them, with rings on her fingers and strands of feathers threaded through her hair. 'I cannot reverse the sorcerer's curse,' she said sadly. 'But I can feel the love you have for your son. And with this, I can alter the spell. Instead of death itself, your son shall face a death-like slumber. It can be broken only through a true love's kiss.' The strange woman touched her finger to the Princess's nose, then melted back into the crowd. They never saw her again.
"You would never have known the young Prince had a curse upon his head. He was truly the perfect child, with curly locks of gold and a smile to warm even the coldest of hearts. He always had a joke in his mind, and could win over a room as soon as he walked in.
"Soon, he was joined by a little brother and a little sister. Of all his siblings, he was the leader. He was the favorite of the Kingdom, of his family. There was nowhere that he could go that light was not.
"As his expiration date grew near, his parents began to think. They had a plan devised. In their son's 21st year, they held a competition, a contest of sorts to find the champion of the young Prince's heart. Girls were selected from every corner of the country and brought to the castle to win his true love.
"One girl stood out from among the others. She charmed the Kingdom almost as completely as the Prince had. They were a handsome couple, and he quickly chose her as his bride.
"For three years, they were happy. Blissful, even. They welcomed a daughter, a little girl almost as perfect as they were. They lived in a bubble of golden contentment, where they could not be touched by sorcerers, curses, or death.
"It was shattered, though, as it inevitably would have been no matter what. On the Prince's 25th birthday, he was offered a flower, a rose plucked by his young daughter from the royal gardens. In a moment of weakness, he took it from her, forgetting the warning that had been issued from his parents since before he could remember. As he accepted the flower, a single thorn sliced his thumb. He collapsed to the ground.
"His wife was at his side, almost in an instant. She kissed him.
"But he didn't wake up.
"And so the Golden Prince of the Kingdom was dead-or at least, as close to death as one could come. He was placed in a glassy golden coffin, and laid in the deepest chambers of the castle. It wasn't a burial. Not quite.
"But it was enough in the minds of the people. It was enough for his family. Surely, a ray of hope shone through. One always would, as long as his family kept him in the palace. But for the time being, he would be out of sight, out of mind.
"And so life continued at the castle."
"Father, is that how the story ends?"
"No, darling girl. In fact, that is only the beginning."
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Oh my goodness! I am SO excited for this story. It's been in the works for a while now, and I think that it's going to be super cool. I'll continue writing for Under the Surface, but chapter updates will be less frequent. Also, forgive me if this prologue was a little cheesy, but since the story is going to be based off of Sleeping Beauty (sort of), I thought that this would be a really fitting way to begin. This is DEFINITELY going to be an SYOC. For Under the Surface, I only admitted ten girls, which I actually really liked. However, for this, I am going to take 15. It will be trickier to get to know them, but it will also give more opportunity to people that want to submit. I'll choose a few girls that I specifically focus on as I write it out. You can find the form on my profile, as well as a brief description of the royal family! OK THATS IT BYE