Princess Beauty
The story that follows is about facts that took place six hundred years ago but I want the listener to think of it as nothing more than a fictitious tale. As to why, it is because this is an old story that lacks any taste of reality along with any message or salvation. Such a story is better off being treated as a lie.
About six hundred years ago, in a country whose name is not left written anywhere, there was a most beautiful young girl. She was the only child of an affluent noble family and her beauty was such that not a single person in the country was unaware of her, to the point every household was decorated with one of her portraits. Her golden hair was smooth, her head small with big eyes and her lips of the deepest red. Her neck was thin, her fingers slender and her skin so white that it seemed to let the light through. From her thin waist with her high hips departed her slim legs, as if flowing like a river.
Young or old, man or woman, rich or poor, everyone was mesmerized by her. Her title being given to her by His Majesty the Emperor, the people of the reign lovingly called her ‘Princess Fair’. To catch a glimpse of her so rumored figure, the people visited the castle she lived in, forming a long serpentine line and captured by her beauty that far exceed any expectation, they presented her with gifts. Day after day, a mountain of presents ended up being erected in front of the castle.
“I took the princess’s beauty and made it into music. Please, accept it.” Said the musician, as he brought up his violin and started playing.
“I took the princess’s beauty and made it into a poem. Please, accept it.” Said the poet, as he started reciting in a loud voice.
“I took the princess’s beauty and made it into a statue. Please, accept it.” Said the sculptor, as he produced a hundred statues.
“Nobody is looking at me”, lamented the princess in the solitude of her room. “They just go on praising me by saying ‘beautiful, beautiful’, but they say nothing more. None of them has the slightest idea of what kind of person I am, of what I am like inside.” That was what tormented Princess Fair. In fact, everyone was captivated by her beauty. They praised her. They looked at her prioritizing her over anything else. But it was only that, just looking. What she did, what she said, each and every one of her actions went unseen. No one knew what was inside her, no one even tried. Whatever she did, whatever she said, the response was just one single word, ‘beautiful’. Whether she succeeded or failed, did something good or bad, the evaluation was always the same. Beautiful whatever she did. Beautiful when she was awake, beautiful when she was asleep. ‘Princess Fair’ was a really well made nickname. Wasn’t perhaps this beauty what you call devilish?
“Like this it is of no consequence if I possess a will of my own. I’m not some slave meant to be watched for entertainment. A beauty you are born with is nothing but a nuisance. I want everyone to watch not my appearance, but what I have inside.” Such a laudable ambition of someone not spoiled by her own innate beauty deeply moved an old witch who lived in the reign since olden times. At first she only sneaked into the castle during the night out of the curiosity generated by the rumors, but she resolved to grant the princess’s wish.
“Princess Fair, I’ll change your beautiful figure into a color that is transparent to the eye. In turn, I’ll make it so that your heart will be visible to everyone around you. From now on is what you have inside that will be requested from you.” When the old witch chanted the spell while waving her cane, her skin, so pale that it seemed to let the light through, could now actually be seen through. “Thank you so much! Thank you so much! Thank you so much!”. Princess Fair thanked her from the bottom of her heart. As expected her thankful heart was now in plain sight.
The beauty of the princess’s heart that was now uncovered by having her exterior beauty wiped away, could not even be compared to what it was before. The brilliance of the human princess, that was until now concealed by such a gorgeous figure, was now made visible by the magic of the old lady and even while staying in the castle, it spread to every corner of the country. Princess Fair’s father, who until then had not a single time seen the beauty of his daughter’s heart, felt nothing but shame. In the morning, after saying goodbye, he jumped off the balcony as a punishment for himself.The princess’s mother found great pride in having given birth to a daughter with such a pure heart and found that just with this she completely fulfilled her role in life as a human being. As soon as she finished her breakfast she quietly passed away. The musician realized there was no way to express Princess Fair’s kindness in his music. In order to give her a gift of equal value he decided to give her his most important possession, more important than his own life. In other words he cut his hands, that he used for playing his instrument, from his wrists and offered them to the princess.
The Poet realized there was no way to express Princess Fair’s intelligence in his poetry. In order to give her a gift of equal value he decided to give her his most important possession, more important than his own life. In other words he tore his tongue, that he used to recite poems, from his mouth and offered it to the princess. The sculptor realized there was no way to express Princess Fair’s bravery in his sculptures. In order to give her a gift of equal value he decided to give her his most important possession, more important than his own life. In other words he gouged out his eyes, that he used to discern the best materials, and offered them to the princess. The people took the portraits that they treasured until then and threw them in a fire. They asked to themselves how could they have adorned their home with such a trivial thing with such fervent devotion? Rather than that, let’s just admire her nobility, let’s just admire her rightfulness. Who could have thought that such a valuable heart exist in this world. Isn’t this what should be called true beauty?
But in the end no one possesses something more important than his life. So everyone reluctantly, unwillingly, even while thinking that the value was in no way equal, offered their lives to the princess. Their own life, their parents’ lives, their brothers and sisters’ lives, their children’s lives, their grandchildren’s lives. They offered them to the princess. It didn’t take that long before the mountain of gifts, or rather of corpses, surpassed that of the castle.
“Ah! What a tragedy! How could this happen?” Falling in despair at the sight of the mountain of corpses decorated by rivers of blood offered as a gift to her heart, the princess went to the old witch, hoping to have the magic lifted. But she was late. Being the first to ever come in contact with the princess’s heart, she had already offered to the princess her own head, filled to the brim with the knowledge she cultivated over many years. The Princess fell into tears in front of the severed head. The pitiable sight, a heart capable of shedding tears for others, they did nothing but captivate the people even more. They all offered the princess their lives or what they valued even more while competing for who was to go first. They threw their lives at her one after the other with a smile on their faces, all in order to console her. Being able to come in contact with such a beautiful heart without being led astray by appearances and dying for that heart, they reached true happiness.
The ill news of the mountain, or rather castle, of corpses that was built reached roaring to the royal capital and to the bordering countries. Yet, every army that rushed there, after feeling directly the imposing presence of Princess Fair, was stripped of any prejudice or animosity and having their heart cleansed, they gladly and willingly became a part of that castle. “No more… Everyone is dying. Everyone is dying for my sake, and yet I cannot save anyone. The more I do, the more I say, everyone just keeps dying. I just want to die.” But she couldn’t die. The princess’ strength of heart wouldn’t permit it. She couldn’t even lose herself in madness. “Then just go on a journey”, said the severed head of the old lady. The tears shed by the princess created a miracle. For just an instant the old lady came back to life. “Maybe one day you will be able to save those who fall prey of the beauty of your heart that is nothing less than devilish. Until then, you should travel while staying away from people. Live alone, without getting close to anyone. Never stay too long in the same place, because if you do, someone will come and try to offer his life to you.” After saying that, the old lady passed away again.
And so Princess Fair left behind the castle painted red with blood and the castle of corpses to depart for her endless journey, her actions bound by the warning of the old witch, in order to not cause anyone else to die. A journey on the run that she couldn’t share with anyone. Some time will pass before she turns into a vampire but the princess—Kiss-shot Acerola-Orion Heartunderblade’s blood drenched legend starts here. And the first time this pure hearted girl will be able to save a life that was offered to her will be an event six hundred years from now.
