In a faraway land, in the kingdom Decipula, a blue moon rose every night. It is said that many years ago, a curse had befallen on them by the wizard of the far west who was refused entry into the glass castle to meet the beautiful princess. In anger, he cursed that every princess of the land would be chained to the glass castle forever, and if the chain was broken by force, the whole kingdom would perish.
But by the grace of the Goddess of the white moon, a part of the curse was reversed. When the blue moon turned white every once in 21 years, when its white rays entered the glass castle, the chains would corrode into white dust for one night.
There, in the Kingdom of Decipula, lived a lonely princess. Her name was Avis, born on the night of the white moon. She walked to the balcony each night watching the moon's blue seep into the dark sky.
But on her 17th birthday, she heard grass rustle below her, and when she looked, there stood a prince. "Princess I'm from the land of the white moon, I want you to wish you, won't you come down?' the princess gave a sad smile 'if I don't, will you leave me my prince?'
The prince smiled and sat of the lush green grass below 'what's your name, my dear?; the princess blushed, it was the first time someone spoke to her... 'Avis'
'Avis? As in 'free bird' in latin? Befitting for a princess born on the night of the white moon indeed' The princess turned pale 'do you know of the tale, my prince?' the princess asked, looking at him in slight panic. 'Of course, but don't worry princess, if it was true I would come to you' he chuckled, as she smiled warmly at him.
They spoke till the moon set and the prince had to return. But before he left 'dear princess I must give you something, step back', when the princess did so, she saw a flicker land at her feet, a piece of the white moon. 'princess I must go now, when you rub it thrice, I'll be here' the princess held it close to her chest as she saw him fade into the dawn. The lonely princess would stand by the balcony each night and rub the piece thrice, and the prince would arrive. But one night, as she rubbed the piece of the white moon, a bird swopped down startling her, the piece plummeted down the balcony landing where the prince would have stood. Days passed, she hoped the prince would miss her, weeks passed, she hoped the prince would want to see her, months passed, she hoped the prince would come to see her, years passed, and all hope was gone.
On her 21st birthday, the moon turned white, the princess walked inside the castle and with each step the velvet cloth around her ankle filled with white dust seeped out the folds. She stepped onto the green grass for the first time, eyes watered remembering the prince. She walked through the streets with dancing women, adorned in white, celebrating freedom.
She walked till the end of Decipula and reached the land of the white moon. She entered the castle and when the prince saw her, he rushed to her and embraced her. The princess broke away from the embrace 'Did you miss me, my prince?' the princess asked with a straight face; 'of course I did my dear! why didn't you call me?'
In reply the princess asked 'if you missed me, why didn't you come my prince?'
'I thought you didn't want to see me';
'my prince, what made you think so?', he held her hand 'Avis, your name, a free bird, you go where you want and do what you like, what else could have been the reason?' The princess sighed and stepped back, 'I guess we don't really know each other'.
'Princess?' the prince questioned confused, the princess curtsied...
'Let me introduce myself, my name is Avis, princess of Decipula'. With that the princess left and walked back to her castle before the moon inked blue, as the prince looked on her, he realized 'Decipula, a cage'.
The princess returned to the glass castle and never stepped on the balcony again. Is it the princess' fault for never telling him of her dark truth or the prince's for never trying to know?
