The elven prince and the sleeping rose.
'Long ago. During the times of war against humanity and the fea world a beautiful princess was born. Every one in the whole kingdom rejoiced as a new hope in the form of an infant was given to them by the merciful gods. But their hope was very short lived. After seven years of triumph the kingdom of the mortals fell into ruin as the elves rose from their underground kingdom with an army forged in gold. The golden army butchered the humans like animals. Not recognizing the innocent from the enemy nor the children and females for the soldiers. Bloodshed was everywhere, the soil smelt of blood and the flowers no longer bloomed, dead corpse lingered every inch of the land. The king and queen of the mortal kingdom was forced to send their only child away in fear of having her brutally slaughtered by the golden army'
A small figure can be seen running through under ground passages. Passing through fleeing servants and wounded soldiers as she willed her small legs to carry her further away from the massacre. The young princess huffed and puffed as she struggled for air as she went unnoticed by the golden army that attacked her home like a swarm of bees. Unforgiving and merciless. She felt hot tears sting the back of her eyes as flashes of images of her parents being torn limb by limb burned a scar to the back of her young mind. Her whole body trembled with fear and exhaustion. Sweat ran down her porcelain skin like fresh morning dew. Her dark ebony locks were damp and clung to the back of her neck and forehead. Her sapphire blue eyes shone with fresh tears as she ran further into the dark forest that hid her from her dying world. Her knees trembled and she fell to the ground. Exhaustion finally taking its toll on her young body. Her dress was now muddy and torn, her skin was covered in muck and blood. Surely death is better than all of this. Her tears finally broke the dam and she wept with all her grief and sorrow. Her people were being slaughtered like animals in a butcher shop and her parents were no longer alive. How was she supposed to cope with such scars and memories forever haunting her in her dreams?
The smell of death was everywhere. Limbs and dead corpse scattered through out the kingdom like flowers in a meadow in the bloom of spring. The princess of the elven kingdom watched as her fathers army killed thousands of innocent mortals. No longer can she take the sight of the dead and the smell of dried blood poisoning the flowers and trees. It was no longer a war but unjust and unmerciful murder! She pleaded with her father to stop the war but he did not listen nor did her brother! They were all blinded by their hate and bloodlust!
The elven princess of bethmoora fled to the forest to find peace in the company of unspoiled soil and towering trees. She ran deep into the forest feeling the warmth of its life and listening to the tree's soft whispers. Her white blonde hair swept past her shoulders as the warm breeze carried the scent of the earth. The elven princess smiled as she inhaled the warm intoxicating scent. Suddenly her eyes snapped open. She could smell human blood and the scent of roses. Roses? Roses did not bloom in that time of the season. Spring was almost over and the summer breeze had started to come more frequently. It was too warm for roses to bloom. The white haired princess inhaled once more and slowly followed the scent. As the smell grew stronger her strides became longer until she was going on a full on sprint towards the peculiar scent. She stopped dead on her tracks. Her golden eyes resting on the sight of a human child. Her skin was like porcelain, so white and flawless. Her hair was as dark as midnight but was damp and matted with dirt and dried blood. Her eyes were teary and filled with fear but they shone a bright azure. Nuala was quickly taken by the child and her heart melted with the sight of her fresh tears falling from her gleaming cerulean eyes like two beautiful water falls. She felt her heart ache with motherly longing as she thought of the sorrow and torment that the child had to go through. She approached the young mortal with cautious and measured steps. When she sees her she immediately crawls back. Away from the elven princesses reach.
"No. Do not be afraid little one. I am not here to cause you harm" Nuala said as she smiled at her tenderly.
"Come now, my name is Nuala. Tell me what is yours?" She said as she stretched her hand towards the frightened child beckoning her to come closer. The child looked at her with hesitation in her eyes but soon she reached out and took the elven princesses hand.
"R-rose" was all she said and from then on everything was forgotten only to be nothing but fragments of a faded dream that never stayed long enough to be pondered upon.
Everything was gone. Nothing was left but a haze of a fantasy. A soft lullaby that drifted into eternal darkness and a woman that saved her from all the sorrows of fading and mortality. She slept for a thousand years. Only memories of her new life in a solitude tower in the middle of no where remained as dreams, fractions of what she knew. Her dreams consisted of her and her supposed 'mother' with golden eyes and white blonde hair. Days when she would visit her in the tower bringing her beautiful silk robes and gold leafed music boxes. One of her favorite gifts was a beautiful azure dress with sapphires encrusted at the bodice and white laced hems. It was given to her on her eighteenth year and was also the last of her memories. Replaying like an endless tune in one of her ornate music boxes. Soft and comforting but dissolves into darkness of eternal slumber.
Never to wake until a prince breaks the enchantment with a kiss.
'A thousand years had passed and the mortal and fea world has decided upon a truce that will ensure the safety of both the humans and the magical world. The crown of the golden army was split into three. One piece shall go to the humans while two shall remain in the royal elves' possession.'
'Everyone was at peace. All except but one.'
Somewhere in the dark confines of the crowned prince's private quarters, lies a dark shadow. His heart raced with anger as he pondered upon his fathers foolish decision. Prince Nuada silver lance hated all things human and mortal. He saw them as nothing but foul and hateful creatures that did nothing but massacre and slaughter one another in the name of greed and selfishness. To him they were a lowly being. They destroy and abuse the earth. Taking but never giving back. They were foul creatures indeed.
But his foolish father and naive sister thought otherwise. They could've won the war! They could've restored the earth to its former glory, without the horrible stench of human pollution. If only they had listened to him. Now look at where it brought them. Their once towering kingdom of trees and gold were now nothing but wilted plants and wrought iron and rusted metal. Nothing was left. Now they reside in the underground world of rocks and cement. What used to be cascading crystal chandeliers that hung from the high painted ceilings were now broken pipes and rusted metals that humans used for their waste and water supplies. The humans had taken all their land and left them to squander like insects in their underground tunnels.
The dark prince wondered the damp halls of his home towards the throne room of the king Balor. Courtiers and soldiers lined the walls like flies as he walked towards his king. His long strides were confident but graceful, like a feline stalking its prey. Once only a foot away from his fathers throne he sunk down on one knee, his head bowed slightly.
"Father, i am here to ask for your approval of my leading an army to the surface" he said his golden eyes down cast.
"My son, i have told you this before and i will tell it to you once more. There shall be no war. If the gods of the earth wishes this to be our fate, then so be it. " the king said. His golden eyes now worn and wary with old age.
"But father, do you not see how the humans abuse and destroys the earth?! The world will soon end if we do not act swiftly!" Nuada's voice rising with the tremor of rage and hatred.
"If the earth shall perish, as the sons of the earth it is our duty and fate to fade with it" his voice was old and quiet with thousands of years of age. Nuada stood from his place in one swift motion. His body stiff and shaking with rage.
"No! It is not our fate. I refuse to accept it! We will 'not' fade!" His voice was now the sound of a growling beast! Nuada faced his sister. Her eyes reflecting his own. They looked so much alike yet so unfamiliar upon the face of the other. Her hair was adorned with golden leaves and she wore her favorite blue dress. The color of the sky and the sea meeting in her waist like a mixture of blues, some a shade darker than the other.
"And my dear sister, you agree with such weak hearted decisions given upon by your king?" His golden eyes searched her face for any signs of emotion.
"Yes, i do brother. I am at peace with our fathers intentions" she said. He felt betrayed and heart broken as his most beloved sister and confidant set him aside to save the humans and watch as their kind slowly perish as the world does. He turned toward his king.
"Then i shall exile myself from this shameful kingdom and return when my people shall need me most" he said solemnly. He turned to the elven court. "One day i shall come back and we shall claim our birth right and once again rise to the surface!" After that he walked away and never returned to his kingdom. Not yet.
The person who was the dark prince of the elven kingdom soon became a dark shadow that shrouded its people in fear and grief which soon was left to be forgotten just like all the unheard faery tales. Until he returns.
'Rose could feel the soft drops of rain splashing down her face like a blessing in which she gladly accepted. Her long ebony hair that reached past her hip clung to her face and body like a dark shadow that refused to let got. Her soft ivory skin felt cold but she didn't notice. Her head was raised up towards the sky letting the rain drops soak her face. Her cerulean eyes closed wistfully, her ruby red lips slightly parted in a small smile. She dance in the rain barefoot. She could feel the soft blades of wet grass tickling her ankles. Her soft linen night gown was soaked all the way through making it slightly see through but she didn't mind. No one was there to see her. It was just her in her own little world. She soaked in every feeling and every scent of the midnight shower until it all faded into blackness.'
It was another one of her dreams, one that she had replayed in her mind more than a thousand times yet each time felt like it was the first. Each dream as vivid and realistic as reality. She had lost count of how many times she had thought herself to be awake only to be consumed again by the gaping black hole at the back of her mind. And before she knows it she had already forgotten.
Frozen and eternally beautiful until a prince comes to kiss her awake.
Prince Nuada wondered the lands and forests until he was soaked to the bone by the evenings summer shower. It was warm and yet he felt as cold as winter. His inside felt hollow. His eyes devoid of any hope and life as he wandered farther into the dark forest. He has left his family, his people and his kingdom. He had nothing left but his rage! His hate and torment. Nothing more. Maybe he has gone mad, perhaps they made him so. He can no longer tell the difference. Lightning struck. Illuminating his pale face. His alabaster skin shone with moisture as he soaked up more of the rain. He felt weary and tired. His journey was still a long one if he wishes to cross the boarder to the human world. Never has he felt so lost in his entire life. But he will not fade. No. He will not allow humanity to be the cause of their extinction! He will purge all things mortal if he must. To cleanse the world of all traces of their foul greed and selfishness.
He wandered further into the dark forest. The rain never ceased as he never stopped. Soon he found himself facing a curtain of willow tree's lined in a perfect circle as if to serve as a barricade. they swayed and cascaded beautifully like a drapery of silk. Small dews ran on every strand of its thin vines. He carefully lifted one side of the thick curtains and he found himself standing in the middle of a clearing. A meadow with all sorts of flowers that should have wilted long ago, for the blooming season has long since passed. The intoxicating scent of roses infiltrating his nose. He walked further into the clearing finding a tall ivory tower stood next to a pond. He stood in awe as he stared at the beautifully carved arch ways and pillars that supported the main building. He strained his neck and looked up at the only window visible which was accompanied with a small balcony that over looked the meadow. Vines adorned with blue roses and sharp thorns crept up the walls and balcony. He sought the entrance to the tower and opened the dark oak doors that lead to a set of spiraling stairs. More blue roses crept up the inner walls of the tower. Only the moons dim light guided him through the steep steps of the ivory tower. As he reached the top he stopped in front of a set of tall dark wood doors. Thorns and more roses adorned it. Blue. It was all so... Blue. His grip on his silver spear tighten, his sword ready at his side.
He turned the knob and the sound of creaking wood echoed through the walls like a loud cry for help. His eyes scanned the room with great curiosity. Flashes of lightning illuminating the room. He picked up a gas lamp lying on the table and a box of matches. He lighted it with great haste and then the room slowly filled with a soft glow as he lighted a few more candles. The room was sparsely large. Everything was decorated with elven culture. The tall ceilings were painted with creeping blue and red roses and a crystal chandelier hung in the air. The floor was made of white limestone. The pillars were carved beautifully with stories depicting bethmoora's finest hours. The fireplace was made of black marble carved with the kings seal. Stained glass windows almost reaching the ceilings lined the circular tower. The furniture were all made of dark wood and all the curtains and drapery were the color of deep sapphire blue. He found the bed. Its drapes drawn completely closed. They were made out of velvet and heavy silk with gold trimmings at the bottom. He drew the drapes aside and his golden eyes widened at the sight before him.
There lay in a bed of blue silk and fine fur was a woman. She was unlike any elven woman. But she was too beautiful to be a human. Her skin was pale. Almost the color of ivory. But unlike his skin, hers was soft and warm while his was rough like the earth and cold like the dead trees. Her hair was also as black as midnight. Long and soft like silk. Her lips were the color of rubies from bethmoora's jewel mines. Oh how he wondered what the color of her eyes were. Were they the same hard gold of his or a dull gray. Or may a striking blue. Blue as the sky.
He wished to touch her to see if she was real but he was too afraid that she might wake if he does. What if she is afraid of him. The dark prince of the elven clan. The one who slaughtered a thousand humans. Prince Nuada the silver lance. He felt so drawn to her mysterious beauty. Oh how he wanted to feel her ruby lips with his own dark ones. If only she would not wake.
Oh only if she will not wake. But what he doesn't know is that she never will, unless a prince kisses her and breaks the enchantment.