Once Upon A Time

Chapter 1

Once upon a time there was a little princess with hair that of gold and amber eyes, skin as soft as silk and white as pearls; indeed, she was a beautiful creation. However, she was a sickly little girl, falling ill every winter for long periods of time. Her parents, who loved her dearly, would lock her away in the left wing of the palace forbidding her to take a single step outside. Such a lonely girl was she to be shut out from the world with no one to play with, her only joy came in the fairy tales she read. Tales of dragons and princesses, princes going to war for the one they loved, a team of friends working together to slay a monster. Mythical creatures, adventures, the unknown, all of these were what she loved. Quite frequently, maids would find the little princess sneaking into the library when she was supposed to be working on studies.

10 years pass and it's her 16th birthday, nothing special, she thought to herself. After all her birthdays were always the same: a dance with her father, a book from her mother, and a promise to see her next year. Sure enough, her parents appeared, and she danced gracefully alongside her father as her mother played the piano. It was as if her body moved in autopilot, doing everything correctly without thinking. For a moment she wondered if she was a doll, a toy that always obeys and smiles, wearing the same dress for most of its existence.

Her mother smiles and hands her a book, not even wrapped, for her birthday before patting her on the head and kissing her forehead before the couple leaves their princess alone. The doors shut with almost an echo, oh how her parents loved her so.

The princess looks down to the book in her hands, it was bound in leather with faded gold trimming, the book looked worn down from use and had a distinct old book smell to it. Large letters spelt the word END in black print. She'd heard of this book before, the one who it allows to open becomes forever bound to it. That was strange, why would her parents give her such a thing? Wasn't END a demon and not a book? Being sensible she takes the book to the library and leaves it there before locking the library doors, not wanting to associate herself with a demon and hurt that her mother gave it to her. They certainly never spoiled her, everyone, save a select few maids had left for fear of catching her illness, many even believed it was a curse of some kind. She may hold the title of a princess, but the fair maiden taught herself how to cook and clean, the maids only helped when she couldn't get out of bed. Beauty gave her nothing but pity and rumors of that poor unfortunate princess.

Getting out of her ball gown and into a softer, lighter dress she climbs into her bed and like every night on her birthday, she cries.