Once upon a time, in a land very far from here, there lived a king.
He was one of the best kings that had ever reigned, being wise, just, intelligent, and let's not forget, handsome. But he was sad at heart, for he could not find a woman who would love him for who he was, and not his title. All of the girls who he had met from the royal court were very beautiful, and delicate, but stuck up and spoiled.
After a while, he began to tire of the palace life. He left the kingdom in charge of his most trusted friends for a while. He told them not to worry, that he would be back soon. But if he was not to return after 18 months, then they were to assume that he had died, or wasn't going to return. He hid his crown within his knapsack and walked out of the castle, trading his rich clothes for poor ones, and his title and name for that of William, and trotted down the palace steps, leaving behind him his palace life, ready for it to be collected again when he came back.
He walked through his kingdom, the crown in his knapsack reminding him who he was and of his duties, but the absence of its weight on his head letting him forget.
He met many people, saw many faces, and learned a great many things that his palace life would have restricted him from. He looked upon a great many sights which he had never thought he would ever look upon.
It was a time which he wished would never end. But alas, the 18 months passed quickly, and before he knew it, he had to return to his old life.
He was the same king as before, still wise, intelligent and just, but the sparkle in him was not as constant as it had been. Once in a while he would get a pained look in his eye, and cease smiling. Sometimes he would laugh out loud for no reason and smile at people he could see only in his memories. Often he would say to people "I don't hate you." Although the people he was talking too could see that he wasn't really talking to them.
For while he was away on his quest to find himself, he also discovered that love finds us where we least expect it. But the thing about love is that it is built on trust. And when you are masquerading as someone else, you're not being you.
His behaviour continued for several months, until he realized that it had been two years since the beginning of his quest.
He decided to put it behind him and focus on the future ahead. A week after his decision, she turned up at the palace door. Much to the much to the general annoyance of the palace guards, and to everyone else around the palace, he welcomed her, and defended her.
The months passed slowly, almost treacle-like. But every one could see that his love for her deepened every day so they were happy for him when he finally married her.
The kingdom was for the marriage too, since their king had truly returned when she came to him. He might have been at the palace in body, but everyone could tell that his heart was always with her. And in time they came to love her as much as he did, since not only was she beautiful, with bronze hair, and her leafy green eyes, but she was also courageous, and she would protect what she loved no matter what the cost.
But alas, for the one thing they truly wanted, was a child.
And the one thing the queen could not give, though she tried, was a child.
Finally, after many long months, they were granted the thing they wished for the most.
A beautiful baby girl with red hair from her mother and blue eyes from her father. She was lovely, but in many ways rather dark. She seemed to give off an aura of darkness, and dark magic, although no one could figure out why. The queen and the king never seemed to notice, although more than once they would say something along the lines of "it's only to be expected".
But even if they pretended not to see it, it was still there, so they called her Briar Rose, after the flower which, although so very beautiful, still possessed thorns. Beautiful yet terrible, all at the same time.
And it is here that my story begins.