Princess Janessa’s Last Sleep: A Tale of Love and Sacrifice

In the tranquil kingdom of Ardellan, the birth of Princess Janessa was once celebrated with lanterns, prayers, and songs under starlit skies. Her cries had brought joy to Queen Mary, who had prayed for years to be blessed with a child. But on the twelfth day after her birth, shadows fell over the palace when a cruel shaman, driven by unknown hatred, placed a curse upon the infant princess: an eternal sleep from which she would never awaken.

Yet, in the realm beyond mortal eyes, the patron goddess of Ardellan, moved by Queen Mary’s prayers, softened the curse. She decreed that Janessa could one day awaken, but only by the true affection of a prince.

As the princess slept, the palace around her became a prison of thorns. Wicked vines twisted around the gates and towers, their cruel spikes growing sharper with each passing year. Anyone who came too close to the thorns found themselves entangled, and soon their bodies would turn into thorns themselves, forever part of the monstrous thicket.

In the darkness beneath the thorny labyrinth slithered the shaman, who had transformed himself into a black serpent, guarding his curse, feeding on the fear of those who dared approach.

Years passed, and hope dimmed. The kingdom whispered legends of the sleeping princess behind the wall of death.

Then, one day, Emperor Theon of Rivoria arrived with his son, Crown Prince Matthias, at the borders of Ardellan. The two stood before the sea of thorns, the vines hissing in the breeze like a warning.

“Father, these thorns are dangerous. If we get too close, they could blind us or take our lives,” Matthias said, gripping his sword.

The emperor nodded gravely. “We must clear them, son. The people of Ardellan have suffered long enough.”

Together, they began cutting the vines with fire and steel, their efforts relentless as they carved a path toward the palace. But as the day grew dark, the thorns claimed Emperor Theon, pulling him into their grasp, turning his cries into silence, and soon, into another twisted vine in the cursed forest.

Matthias fell to his knees, tears streaking his soot-covered face. The serpent, seeing the prince’s grief, hissed one final breath before it died, its body crumbling into ash. In that moment, the curse over the thorns shattered. The vines began to wither and bloom, transforming into pathways lined with flowers of blue and gold, forming a road to the palace gates.

The prince, heavy with grief, stepped through the blooming archways and entered the palace. Everywhere he looked, people lay in endless slumber: guards slumped by the doors, maids curled in corners, the court frozen in time. Confused, Matthias wondered if a simple bell might awaken them, but something pulled him deeper into the palace.

At last, he came upon a grand chamber where a pale, beautiful young girl lay upon a bed draped in silks, her dark hair spread like a halo, her face serene yet cold. Matthias’ heart ached as he stepped closer.

“This must be Princess Janessa,” he whispered. “Should I… kiss her?”

Gently, he kissed her forehead, hoping to awaken her from her endless sleep. As he did, the palace stirred. Servants blinked awake, guards groaned as they stood, and laughter slowly returned to the halls.

Yet, as the light of life returned to the palace, Princess Janessa did not awaken. Her face remained pale, her lips cold, her body stiff beneath the silken covers.

Panicking, Matthias summoned the royal healer, who examined her with trembling hands. The healer lowered his head, tears welling in his eyes.

“Your Highness… the princess has passed. She left this world last night, unable to awaken from her long sleep.”

The prince fell beside her bed, tears falling upon the lifeless hand of the princess who would never open her eyes to the dawn.

It was later revealed that Princess Janessa had once seen Matthias from afar during his childhood visits to Ardellan and had spoken of him fondly before the curse took her. She had loved him before they could ever truly meet.

Princess Janessa was buried in the palace gardens, her grave adorned with lilies and roses, the air fragrant with the promise of peace she never found in life. Queen Mary wept beside Matthias, holding him as her own son.

“Dear Matthias,” she whispered, “be patient. Let your heart heal and remember her in your prayers. Let her rest, and live with kindness in her memory.”

In the days that followed, Queen Mary cared for Matthias with a mother’s love, filling the emptiness left by his own mother’s passing years before, and now the grief of his father’s sacrifice.

Matthias, now simply “Matthi” in the queen’s gentle voice, found peace as he lived in the palace where Janessa had once played and dreamed. Though sorrow lingered, he learned to live with gratitude, honoring Janessa’s memory by serving the people she once watched over.

Though the curse claimed her, Princess Janessa’s story became a symbol of enduring love, sacrifice, and hope for Ardellan. In every flower that bloomed where thorns once stood, the people saw the princess’s gentle smile, reminding them that love can conquer even the deepest darkness, even if it cannot conquer death.

Moral of the Story:

Love is stronger than any curse, but even love cannot always conquer death. Yet, through remembrance, kindness, and gratitude, we honor those we have lost and keep their light alive in our hearts.