Once upon a time, a little girl was born, the fruit of the love between a king and a queen. She was welcomed with love and joy by her parents and her older sister, who was a few years her senior.

  But they were also deeply superstitious: one day, during an audience, a strange oracle appeared before them. He revealed a vision he had seen.

  Their second child would carry within her a power that, if she remained, would bring misfortune upon the entire kingdom. An ancient curse, banished for centuries.

  The king and queen, torn between love and fear, pondered for a long time on how to respond. They made a terrible decision: the child must disappear. Yet they could not bring themselves to end her life nor to arouse the suspicions of their eldest daughter.

  So, the following night, they carefully swaddled the newborn and ventured into the nearby forest, leaving her to the wild beasts that roamed there. Thus, her name would sink into oblivion along with her.

  Fortunately, the first princess, clever despite her young age, discovered this in time. Overcome by a fear she did not fully understand, she slipped outside despite the dangers. She trembled at every whisper and rustle she heard in the forest, but she managed to find her little sister. The baby cried from cold, hunger, and fear. Struggling back to the town and in tears, she placed her younger sister at the doors of an orphanage.

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  The newborn was thus taken in and later adopted. She lived with a modest family, safe and cared for, growing up unaware of her origins.

  Her ordinary life did not fully satisfy her, but she was not unhappy. She went to school, where she learned to read, write, count, and many other things. She had friends to play with.

  Her harmonious features, chestnut hair, and hazel eyes made her very beautiful.

  After she turned eighteen, a man mysteriously appeared before her: tall, handsome, and slightly intimidating, yet surprisingly young despite his long silver hair, which illuminated his fair-skinned face. His ears were pointed, as if he came from another world, and his golden eyes were sharp, as if they could see straight into her soul.

  He said to her with the utmost seriousness:

  “After all these years of searching, I have at last found thee. Come with me, and thy life shall be forever changed.”

  Curious and eager for adventure, the girl’s eyes sparkled. She hesitated only for a moment before taking his hand and letting him lead her away.

  She did not yet know what lay ahead—or how much she would come to regret it.