Allura means beauty. Though she is trapped in her father's service, she learns to be free in her imagination, in her singing and books. When her father is held hostage by a strange red-eyed beast and sells Allura for his own freedom, Allura faces the choice to rescue him or to take her chance for liberation. She chooses the path of love and is given a magic blessing in the form of a rose to take with her. What will she find? Her death? Or perhaps true love? Credit to Amanda Hull for the graphic art in the picture and photographer Raechel Barnett. Image used with permission. Author Note: This story was written because of a task I recently took on to re-write a favourite fairy tale. I chose this one because my Mother used to tell it to me all the time as a child without a book to read from. I loved it and it makes me remember her with happy memories even though she has now joined the mysterious after-life.