When Bluebell makes it though the thorned path, she is suddenly reminded of a story that she was often told when she a child, the story of the ‘Ugly Prince.’

A prince who was hidden away from the world, cursed to walk the world alone. She remembers walking along the beach near this very castle with her mother; it was one of her favorite memories of her late mother. She smiles sadly, when something catches her eye, a single bluebell stood proudly in the snow. It looked so unreal, she almost wanted to reach out and touch it. Growing up she always felt that in some way she could relate to the prince in the story. Bluebells stops, thinking, how did the story end? She couldn’t remember.

The doors opened and the warms the radiated from within beckoned her. It surprised her to see the darkness within, the interior looked unused although it was clear that it was being taken care of, it looked lifeless, nothing like the luxurious rooms that the girls often described. A small fire was lit in the fireplace and Blue moved closer to warm herself. The sound of movement startled her, making her jump.

“Sorry I didn’t mean to startle you.” A deep voice said, echoing ever so slightly in the room.

Blue turned around quickly, “No sorry I didn’t mean to intrude.”

A tall man stood in front of her, he wore a cloak with a deep hood which cast a deep shadow over his face, making it almost impossible to discern his facial features.

“Please follow me; I will bring you to your quarters now.”

Bluebell nodded and followed silently.

“You can stay here.” He said as he opened the door to one of the rooms in a large hallway on the second fl