The Silent Curse of the Sea Witch: A Retold Fairy Tale

Once, in a Kingdom Beneath the Clouds

Long before storms whispered across the sea, there lived two young women whose hearts beat fiercely in secret halls of a kingdom in the sky.

Princess Adela, with hair like morning sunlight, and Ursula, her closest companion and confidante, with eyes deep as twilight lakes, had grown up together within the castle walls. They shared stolen smiles across ballrooms, whispered dreams in moonlit gardens, and laughter behind closed doors where no one could see.

But in a kingdom ruled by King Brutus, where tradition was iron law and expectations were chains, their love was the deepest secret of all.

A Hiding Place and a Kiss

“Quickly, Ursula, she’s coming!” Adela whispered as they ran down a tapestry-lined corridor, breathless with fear and laughter.

They squeezed into a hidden storage alcove, hearts pounding, cheeks flushed. “It’s obvious, we’ll get caught,” Adela murmured, but Ursula only smiled, her trembling hands brushing against Adela’s hair.

“It’s worth it,” Ursula whispered, pressing her lips to Adela’s in a kiss that stole the air from their lungs. For a moment, they weren’t princess and maid, nor future queen and servant—they were simply two souls, joined in a love too powerful to hide.

A Love That Could Not Last

But fear crept in like a shadow.

“What will we do, Addy?” Ursula’s voice cracked, her hands trembling. “Your father would never let us be together. He will send me away, or worse.”

Adela cupped Ursula’s face, pressing Ursula’s hand over her heart, feeling its rapid beat. “You feel that? It’s yours. I will never let them take you away from me. I love you, Ursula.”

“And I love you, Addy,” Ursula whispered, tears slipping down her cheeks. “More than life.”

Athena’s Betrayal

But secrets do not stay hidden forever.

The small door flew open. Standing there, flame-haired Athena, daughter of a visiting northern kingdom, stared in shock and disgust.

“Disgusting,” Athena spat. “Your father will love to hear how his precious daughter betrays her kingdom and her name.”

“No, please—don’t tell him!” Adela pleaded.

“I will give you anything,” Ursula sobbed, falling to her knees.

Athena’s smile was cold. “You have nothing I want, except your happiness—and that I will take.”

The Breaking of Hearts

When King Brutus learned of their love, rage consumed him. In his fury, he declared Ursula a traitor, banishing her from the kingdom, forbidding her ever to set foot on land again. Soldiers dragged Ursula away as she screamed Adela’s name, the echo of their last kiss burning between them.

Adela was locked in her tower, her cries lost in the wind. She pressed her hand to the window, hoping Ursula would hear her heart calling across the seas.

A Grief Too Heavy to Bear

Years passed, but Ursula’s love did not fade. Each sunrise reminded her of Adela’s golden hair, each wave of her laughter. She wandered the coast, longing for the kingdom she could never return to.

Until one day, word reached her of Athena’s marriage to a prince, of her joy, her laughter, her newborn daughter—living the life she stole from Adela and Ursula.

In a grief-stricken rage, Ursula turned to the old magics she once vowed never to touch. With trembling hands, she cast a spell fueled by pain and saltwater tears. The winds howled, and the sea darkened as the spell found its mark.

Athena’s laughter fell silent, her voice stolen forever, leaving her to live in a world where she could never again speak of her betrayal.

The Birth of the Sea Witch

And so, Ursula’s grief shaped her into legend, whispered on stormy nights by sailors who spoke of the Sea Witch whose eyes were sorrow and whose magic was as deep as her love once was.

For though she regretted the curse, she would never regret loving Adela.

And the sea remembers everything.

Moral of the Story

Love can be powerful enough to challenge kingdoms, but betrayal leaves wounds that echo across lifetimes.