Prince Yuri Plisetsky grew up the most lovely creature under the sun, seeming to become more beautiful with every passing day. His slender form seemed have grace in every movement without him even realizing that he was doing it. He had the most expressive aquamarine eyes, large and as endless as the sea. The curse didn't go away on its own however; his hair did not return.

His mother forced him to wear scarves and hoods to cover his head at all times, so as not to "appear unsightly." He despised them. It was apparent that the only resident of the castle that was uncomfortable with his baldness was his mother. Ever since he was little, she was a distant figure. As a child he used strive to impress her. He'd bring her little gifts and try his hardest in his dancing lessons in a futile attempt to gain her affections. He soon learned that it was all in vain. The crown princess was disinterested in being involved in her son's life in any way. The only time he really saw her was at dinner, when hardly a word was spoken. The atmosphere was always tense and heavy with silence as they ate.

Over time, Yuri grew bitter. It didn't take long for him to deduce that having no hair was the reason that she kept a distance from him. Her own child. On the inside, the prince was sensitive and neglected. On the outside, he used a viper tongue, harsh tone and an uncaring attitude. The only person that truly made him happy was his grandfather. The king supported him and did his best to be a replacement for his parents. (His father had died before he was even born.) Yuri was very fond of Nikolai. Whenever they were together, he found himself genuinely smiling and laughing, his prickly exterior melting away.

Soon, the prince was reached his eighteenth year, and his mother began pestering the king for the wish.

"Yuri is old enough now to decide what he wants. Give him the wish!" she begged eagerly. Nikolai agreed hesitantly, but wanted to make sure that it was alright to offer the wish to somebody else. He wrote a letter to his faerie godmother and sent it by butterfly. (Which was a surprisingly efficient mode of delivery.) It read,

"The occasion to use the wish you gave me for my wedding has never arisen, although it brought me great happiness to know that I had such a thing in my possession. The wish remains untouched, and my grandson is now of an age that he can understand how precious and powerful of a gift it is. May I have your permission to pass it on to him?"

The faerie sent back a dragonfly that was bearing a mint green envelope.

"My dear Nikolai-

You may do whatever you please with my little present. To be perfectly honest I had forgotten about it, but it brings me joy to know that you treasured my humble keepsake for all these decades.

-Your ever affectionate godmother."

And so, with an uneasy feeling in his gut, the king went down into the chambers below the castle. He made his way to the giant gold safe that contained the wish, then unclipped the key ring attached to his belt with a loud clangle. There were seven locks, each after another in succession. There were also seven keys, each of which had a glittering diamond on its handle. He would unlatch one bolt and then open a pair of small doors; there was another lock behind it. He soon reached the last one, but found himself hesitating.

What would Yuri wish for? Nikolai had faith in his grandson that he would make the best choice, but his mother might try to sway him into asking for hair even if he didn't want it. He shook his head to try and lift his qualms. The action wasn't very effective, but he turned the final key regardless and pulled open the final set of doors. Lying in the reinforced metal vault was a miniature canvas pouch. The king picked it up and slipped it into his pocket, then closed and locked all of the doors. His stomach hurting and his worry barely masked, he began his journey up the stairs.

Once Nikolai arrived on the next floor, he traversed the high-ceilinged hallway to the third door on the left, where his daughter and grandson were waiting for him. He steeled himself and then turned the doorknob, the wish weighing like lead in his pocket. Inside the room, Yuri and his mother were on opposite sides of the room and not looking at each other. The air between them was so thick that you could nearly cut it with a knife.

The prince glanced up and his face immediately brightened.

"Grandpa!" He ran over and hugged the king. Softly, Nikolai embraced him back. Yuri released him and then made eye contact. As he detected that his grandfather was feeling distressed, his smile vanished. "What's wrong?" The king gave a small smile.

"All is well," he reassured, although uneasiness was still rolling over him. His grandson stepped back, unconvinced, and the king withdrew the small pouch.

Suddenly, his daughter was standing at his side and snatching it away. She tipped the contents into her hand, brown eyes glittering greedily. There, resting on her delicate palm, was a smooth, glowing blue stone.

"Alright, now give it to Yuri," Nikolai ordered in an even tone. She ignored him, clutching the wish tightly, and the prince looked between the two of them in confusion and alarm.

"What's going on?" he demanded angrily.

"I'd been saving this wish for you to use once you'd become an adult," the king explained. "I know that you will make a good decision in what your wish will be."

"Well..," Yuri looked down at his boots in thought. "I suppose that I would want everyone in our kingdom to be happy." He blushed a little bit, self-conscious. Pride swelled in his grandfather's heart. The prince might feign toughness, but he was so caring.

"Give him the wish," Nikolai commanded the crown princess firmly.

"I know what he really wants," she replied, waving her hand. Yuri's eyes narrowed in anger.

"No you don't. How could you, when you don't even know me?" he hissed. His mother laughed dismissively.

"Here, I'll do it for you. I wish that Yuri had gorgeous golden hair a yard long, and that it would grow an inch every day, and grow twice as fast every time it was cut-"

"Stop!" Yuri cried, darting forward to try and grab the stone from her, but it dissolved into nothingness and his mother yanked off his blue paisley headscarf. Shining gold locks tumbled down his back, swinging at his thighs and obscuring his face. "What have you done?" he spat, glowering in fury.

"It's shame you didn't let me finish, I was only going to add 'and twice as thick.'"

"You idiot!" Yuri yelled, holding up handfuls of silky hair and looking at it in horror. "I didn't want this!" His voice broke as the words spilled from his lips, clearly fighting back tears. He tore out of the room and slammed the door behind him.

"He could be a little more grateful," the crown princess huffed. "I've only done him a favor. He's not such an eyesore anymore." Nikolai's mouth was drawn into a tight line. Through his anger, he was already doing calculations about what exactly the wish would entail. The sums were quite frightening.

"Do you know what this means?" he asked coldly. Not getting the point, his daughter chittered,

"Oh, yes! We can betroth him now!" Queasy and enraged, the king turned and left without another word.

(More soon! :D What do you think? A certain handsome stranger will be entering the picture next chapter ;) )