In the light of a candle - The Princess

A Story by D.Y.Petkova

Once upon a time there was a lovely house. Almost a castle, but not precisely. A little like a mansion, but not exactly. Sort of like a temple, but it was in the wrong shape. It was a huge house and a priestess was living inside. She was to be a sacrifice to the Ancient God, the Nameless one. She was lovely and virtuous, and she knew arts and philosophy, she could sing and dance, and her eyes shone like diamonds. She lived locked inside, never to be tarnished by the outside world. One day a Hero came to the gates and summoned the Ancient God. Challenged him to duel. Won. And he and the young priestess live happily ever after. End.

Or not. Did you think I would end it like that ? What if… what if I tell you that everything truly happened. And what if I tell you…that a coin has more than one side ? What if… an actual human being has more on their mind than simply learning how to sew, dance or sit and be pretty ? What if a woman, completely devoted to her faith, decides that her God deserves more than one sacrifice ? What if… she was really good in making people see what they want to ?
I will tell you another story. The story of the Princess.

Once upon a time there was a king. He and his queen had a heir and a heiress. The boy was destined to become the next king, his sister �" the head priestess in the temple. Of course, when she was a child, she was lovely. So the king decided to make her a gift to the Ancient God, to give him something so pure and innocent, He would bring life and prosperity in the kingdom. For the God was generous, but he was also cruel and when the gifts were found lacking, the whole land suffered. So the Princess was locked in the Mansion with 100 doors. It was told to be haunted, every one of the doors was known to lead to a different dimension. But there was nothing in the house to tarnish her purity and no one to make her question her purpose of faith.

When she got older, heroes from all the other kingdoms started visiting. First, simply to pay their respects to the old king. And, maybe, to catch a glance of the lovely maiden who was told to be living in the old house, drowning in ivy and tall, dark trees. Some days she could be seen sitting on a window, singing to the birds or braiding her lovely golden hair. And look at whoever was passing by the gates with such longing, a man’s heart could skip and freeze in his chest.

More years passed. The old king died and his son still kept the sacrifice in the house, for he didn’t know when she would be needed, when the land would starve and the rivers �" dry. And more princes kept coming to catch a glimpse of her. They started trying to save her, to break her chains and slay the dragon who was rumoured to guard her. None did. The beasts were huge, their fangs �" like sabers, their claws �" like gnarled roots of an ancient tree. The Ancient God Himself was told to be keeping her inside. He knew she was his nation’s gift to Him, so why would he give her away ?

One day a new prince arrived. He was draped in black and silver, his crest �" a proud feral cat, his only weapon �" a silver pocket watch. When he passed through the city gates, the new king greeted him.
- What is your name and where is your land, young lord ? �" He asked. The prince didn’t have any weapons, no shield, nothing. But he was dressed as royalty and he a riding a beast, something that was not quite a horse. His black hair and eyes, and pale skin, marked him as a foreigner from far away, and his crest �" simply as dangerous. There were legends of the people who worshiped the Cat Gods, and even the simple mention of their names made even the battle-hardened heroes shiver in terror. This prince was slim, tall and cold, radiating arrogance and frost.
- My name is Cain of the Selin clan and my lands are so far, it would take you a lifetime to reach them, and yet so close, you can get there in the time it takes the Universe to destroy itself and then create itself again. And I am here to save the Princess. �" The young prince didn’t offer tribute to the king, didn’t show his respect, didn’t bow his head. He simply checked the time on his old silver pocked watch, and then went straight for the House of 100 doors. He opened the gates and walked in like it was his own palace. Now, I can’t tell you what he saw, but I can give you the story of what somebody else would’ve met, was he in the prince’s place. This person would’ve seen the grand fa?ade and endless gardens, both hidden by the vegetation, growing everywhere, even on the roof. This person would’ve seen the lovely Princess open the door for him. He would’ve reached for her, grabbed her hand, tried to take her away.
- Just rest a little, my lord �" he would’ve heard. And that would be it. Next time when he would wake, because they always woke up, he would’ve seen a wall with hanging bodies. On chains and hooks, on chairs and spikes, they would rot. All of them in noble clothing, all of the young. Some would look still alive, still warm, others would tell stories of torture that has been finished for years. They would all have look of terror on their faces. None would be dead by the claws of a beast. That would be the last clear memory of the prince.

This prince saved the Princess. He carried her out and took her to his kingdom. Or tried to, The inn, where they were staying for the night, because the kingdom was far and they had to hurry, burned to ground. Not even bones were left from the people. Nothing. It a tragic story and the king had to give his twin children to the Ancient God to keep him calm. The kingdom went on.

Now, this sounds like a tragic story, the strange prince, the Princess, saved from the dragons and gods only to die in fire. But still, romantic. Unless, of course, you count the rumours.
T
hey say, that the prince was actually Cain of the Black Srabern dynasty, a family of half demons, who ruled over all dimensions’ Hells and were famous for their lack of respect, kindness, consciousness or empathy. Killers and psychopaths, they were told to be immortal. Another rumour, that was spread far from the kingdom, was that the Princess herself had killed all the other princes. She was supposedly, so devoted to her God, she decided instead of one sacrifice, why not bring him many ?

So she lured the men with her beauty and her silly girly words and gestures, and then made them sweet for her Master, made them die in pain. And when she died ? She didn’t. She became the second wife of the once king of Darkness, she became his one and only, and since he had his heirs and they were ruling Hell, she didn’t have to give him children. They are told to live there still, changing dimensions when bored, killing people when they thought said people were too dumb, evil or broken for their own good, and finally settling down in the modern times. So of you see a young man with slightly curled black hair and milky-white skin, with a blonde girl next to him, both of them so beautiful they look ethereal, don’t approach them. They may be simply random people. But also, remember, the Princess fooled the land and the King ruled over Hell. You wouldn’t want to get in their way.

Sleep tight.