Altair woke up to see the rising of moon. For her, the night sky was a symbol of beauty and youth. She wondered how the world around her could have changed so much in so little time. Yet, when she looked up at the sky, it remained starry and bright, a constant comfort to her. And though she was the only one awake, she thanked the moon for a good rest the day had provided.

The princess had never seen the sun, nor would she ever see the sun, as long as the curse remained. She was not ungrateful for the pain she had endured, only continued to smile as she lived through each night. Retiring to her bed before the rising of the sun.

Altair had lived sixteen years of her life in darkness, the moon and stars being her only source of light.

"Princess Altair?" someone cried out.

She sat up from her bed, watching through the greenhouse glass as her nurse came running to her side.

"You are awake, Princess?" she asked, walking through the entrance of the greenhouse.

Altair rubbed her eyes with the palm of her hands, then looked over at Nurse Goody when she stopped by the princess's side. "Yes, Madame," she replied. Then, she stepped down from her bed that resembled too much an altar.

"Did you sleep well, Princess?" Nurse Goody asked, looping her arm through Altair's.

"Yes, thank you," Altair said, smiling.

They walked out of the greenhouse and into the garden, rose bushes lining their pathway back to the castle. There was nothing that could have ruined the good mood Altair had woken up in, even if the enchantress who cursed her appeared in that moment. Yet, the princess wanted to know if the others were awake and if she could speak with them if only for a moment.

"Have the queen and king retired?" she asked, taking another step along the path.

"I'm afraid they have, Princess," her nurse replied.

Altair looked over at her nurse, the shadow of her face hidden in the darkness. "I miss them so much," she said, smiling sadly. She flitted her eyes to the roses on the bushes. Briar roses. Her favorite.

"I know you do, Princess," her nurse said, her eyes filling with tears. "You mustn't have to go through this torture every day."

"But that's the thing," Altair replied, plucking a rose from one of the bushes. "I've never seen a day."

Nurse Goody halted in her steps, then sat on a stone bench where the vines had begun to climb. Altair sat beside her and watched as her nurse began to cry.

"What is wrong?" Altair asked, grasping Nurse Goody's hand for support.

For a moment, Nurse Goody could do nothing but cry. She wept for Altair and her strength, marveling at the kindness Altair showed while amidst this trial. The curse seemed to pervade every gifted magician the king and queen had sent, and it grieved them to know she may never see the sunlight in her mortal life.

"It's just..." Nurse Goody blubbered.

"What?" Altair asked. "Tell me what's wrong."

"How can you live through this?" Nurse Goody finally asked.

"I've never seen the sun. I suppose I think this normal to walk under the light of the moon," Altair replied, squeezing her nurse's hands.

"Yes, but I meant about your parents, the king and queen."

"Oh," Altair said, not wanting to talk about this subject again. "Well, I..." She couldn't find the right words to say, knowing how offensive it might be to Nurse Goody.

The way Nurse Goody looked at Altair made her realize the pain she caused other people. More, it would seem, had felt the negative effects of the curse than the princess herself. But only Altair had faced the curse. Only Altair was made to live alone for the rest of her doomed life. It seemed as if nothing could be made right anymore, no matter how hard she tried.

"What do you expect me to say about my parents?" Altair blurted out. "As far as I know, they're just the rulers of this kingdom, nothing more."

This seemed to make her nurse's tears flow more steadily. "They may be the rulers of this kingdom, Princess," Nurse Goody cried out. "But they are your mother and father."

"It hardly seems that way," Altair whispered into the night air.

"They've given up more for you than this kingdom has," Nurse Goody continued, her voice more powerful with each word she spoke. "In the citizens' eyes, you are long lost and forgotten. In your parents' eyes, you will always exist, whether you gone tomorrow or not."

Altair looked up at the star she had been named after. It was clear and bright tonight, nothing overshadowing her beloved friends. They were constant, unlike the visits with her parents. She felt isolated, as if she were the only human in the world who existed.

But she wasn't alone. Altair had Nurse Goody look after her, and her parents did care, which was something to be cherished in her heart. Yet, the curse prevented her from truly living.

"I know," Altair said simply.

"The curse may not always affect you," Nurse Goody said, trying to raise her hopes.

"Yet, there is no chance of that ever happening," Altair replied. "I will sleep for one hundred year and still never awake to see the sun rise."

"Be careful what you wish for," Nurse Goody said, smiling. This time, she gave a reassuring hug and kissed Altair's forehead. "I love you."

"I love you too, Nurse," Altair said. "You've gotten me through the last six thousand days of my life."

"You must not lose faith that something good will happen," Nurse Goody said.

Altair nodded and rested her head on her nurse's shoulder. "I promise I will not."

Up in the sky, a beast of the night, a raven, flew across the stars. On and on the creature flew until it seemed he could not fly any higher. Then, he landed on the tallest tower of the castle and sat perched until morning.

***

Cadfan looked out across the kingdom. Much longer was this kingdom than his own, and he seemed to like it far more than his own.

He wasn't exactly sure how he had gotten to the tallest tower but he did not worry. He knew the effects of the curse to be a little mysterious sometimes, leaving him in the oddest places. Cadfan only knew that he was extremely exhausted from the flight the night before. And he wondered how on earth he was to get down without any guards noticing. It wasn't like he could just waltz into the castle, bow to the king and say he was Prince Cadfan of Adardoven.

Or could he?

He was, after all, a prince. A prince from a neighbouring kingdom. His father had made peace with the king of Laralec after they'd joined sides in the last war. He was sure the king still remembered him as the young prince of Adardoven.

Yet, if his plan went wrong, he could be tried by a jury and found guilty of trespassing. A crime such as this received death by hanging. There would be no mercy shown, and the king wouldn't think twice about his death.

Cadfan knew his father to be a tyrant when it came to executions. King Hubert had not cared when an execution order for one hundred citizens had been proclaimed and sent forth throughout the kingdom.

They were found guilty of nothing but farming on royalty land to feed their starving family. It was a crime that almost cost them their lives.

The prince remembered dressing up with the citizens and preparing to die with the innocent. He knew their crime was not much different than the beggars', who spent their time scrounging the grounds for any sign of moldy bread or rotten eggs. Though he did not understand the citizens' struggles, he knew something in the way the kingdom was ruled, had to be changed.

That day, which seemed like a century ago, was gray and cold. It was in the middle of a February morning when the king had ordered the guards to lead the hungry peasants to their dismal death. And the prince would die with them if the king did not change his mind and make the correct judgement about the lives of this people.

"If I die, I die. But if I go, I will leave a mark in this kingdom's history." He had said that before their descent into the execution square.

They were all one hundred and one of them to be injected with a new advanced poison. It was slow and painful, something Cadfan's father had requested. King Hubert intended to teach his son a lesson that nothing in life was ever fair, no matter what the prince preferred to believe.

"We must not lose hope that the king may change his mind," a fellow man in the gloomy crowd said.

The prince, wayed down at the thought of his imminent death, looked up to the man who had spoken. He was broad-shouldered and tall, probably the biggest man amongst them all. His face was hard with a scar reaching down the side of his face. His hands were rough as he waved them in the air. Yet, there was a part of him that was soft and smooth. His eyes were the light in the dark morning. They shined bright and blue, and Cadfan knew, whether he lived or died, everything would be alright.

"Yes," Prince Cadfan replied, tears filling his eyes. "We must not lose faith in our king."

When they all stood in the execution square, King Hubert looked down at them all. He glared at them, as if he was choking on disgust. Though Cadfan was scared out of his wits, he stood boldly and stared back up at the king.

"I had hoped to congratulate loyal citizens, but instead, I must execute a crowd of beggars and thieves," the king said, shaking his head. "There is never honor when the law of the land is not obeyed. There is always justice for those crimes which have been committed."

The king looked up at the sun, as if comprehending something that was hard to understand, then stared back down at the prisoners.

"Today, being the fifth of February at the time of ten o'clock in the morning, this crowd is hereby called forth to execution," King Hubert said, his voice booming above the onlookers' cries. There were wives and children who longed for their husbands and fathers, the look on their faces one of disbelief and grief. Many were crying and some were wishing to be away from the dismal scene.

The king watched intently as each of the guards came to administer the poison to each of the prisoners. As his eyes searched the crowd, he came across a young man with hazelnut hair. His build was about the same as his own, and he knew he couldn't let the citizens die if his son was amongst them.

"Wait, the king muttered, his voice soft. When the guards didn't stop, his voice grew louder. "Stop!" he yelled.

The guards, shocked at what they'd heard, looked toward the king who met their eyes.

"Do not go through with the execution," he said, his voice slightly faltering.

There was something in the way he said it that angered Cadfan. All his father cared about was saving the next heir for the kingdom. His father couldn't see anything past that. He didn't care about the other citizens. He could live without the guilt of murdering those one-hundred souls gnawing at him.

the thought that he must live through his father's tyranny and take the throne when the people hated the king so severely cut him. This was not how the kingdom should be run, he thought. No human being should ever have to go through the kind of torment these people had suffered for so long. No one must be under the extremities of the law his father had created. It was unjust and badly done.

As Cadfan thought about all this, the guards slowly returned to their position near the entrance of the square. King hubert would find a way to execute the wrongdoers some other time when his son wasn't in the way to mess things up. At the present time, the prisoners remained alive. And, for a time, the onlookers were hopeful that their relatives and friends would be freed.

"Release the prisoners," King Hubert said, his strength leaving him.

There were cries of relief, and many tears were shed.

The guards, quickly released the prisoners, for fear of the king executing them instead. After Cadfan was released, he looked around for an escape in which he could make his way out of the kingdom. He was disgusted with his father and intended to find some other way to live.

Whether he lived in a desert or an island surrounded by miles of the deepest ocean, Cadfan didn't care. Anywhere was better than under his father's royal roof.

Cadfan saved the memory and climbed down from the tower and into the open balcony below. He didn't quite know how to get past the guards without them noticing a stranger, but he hoped they would still be drowsy from the night before.

To his dismay, they were wide-eyed and alert, turning their heads every way in search of intruders. They looked much stronger than most of the guards back in his own kingdom of Adardoven. These men looked tough and they were both twice Cadfan's size. There was no way Cadfan could sneak past these men without them capturing him.

And so he became the easy target, not because he wanted to be thrown into prison, but because he wanted to avoid it. He was, after all, a prince from an allied kingdom. There was no doubt in his mind that the king wouldn't let him walk free upon seeing his face.

However, Cadfan did not take into account that he was not wearing his family's crest. In fact, he looked much like a peasant. His transformation into a crow had torn up his clothing and left him looking like a beggar. It would not be easy to fool the king that he was a prince, despite what Cadfan preferred to believe.

He walked along the corridor with the guards each grabbing hold of him, making sure he would not run off before they entered the king's throne room. Prince Cadfan was almost certain the king would let him live and even better, set him free from the guards that ensnared him.

"Your majesty," the guards said in unison, staring at the ground instead of into the ruler's eyes.

"Yes," the kings said simply, eyeing Cadfan with a deep disregard.

"This young man was spotted in the Astronomy tower earlier this morning," one of the guards stated. "It appears he was trying to escape."

"Very well," the king muttered back. "Bring him here and let me decide his punishment."

Cadfan kept his balance as the guards pushed him towards the king. He walked with confidence and dignity, knowing the king would easily recognize him as the son of one of his dearest comrades. When he stopped before the king, he smiled, not able to contain the joy of making the guards a mockery of this kingdom and everything it stood for. He could not wait to revel in the moment.

"Have you been sneaking around this castle?" the king asked, looking towards Cadfan.

"Your majesty, I have," he said, though the words came out forcibly. He did not understand why the king did not recognize him. Perhaps, he did not look like a prince to many.

"Do you know what the punishment is for trespassing?" the king asked.

"Sir, it is hanging," the prince replied.

"Where do come from?" the king asked.

"The kingdom of Adardoven, your majesty."

The king laughed and smiled at the prince. Cadfan wondered if he still had a chance that the king would recognize him. There certainly seemed to be signs that he had at least recollected memories of the young man, though he did not think that to be very helpful at this point.

"I can see now," the king said. "You did not look like one of our citizens. The punishment for trespassing in this kingdom is not death, but two years in prison."

"Oh," Cadfan replied, thinking of the lenient consequence. Perhaps his father was even more of a tyrant than he wised to believe.

"You will be taken to prison and bound for the mere measure of two years," the king said.

Surprisingly, Cadfan was not upset with the king's decision to bind him in prison. He was not even angry at the fact that the king had not known who he was. All he could contemplate was the harsh reality of his father's dictatorship. He didn't know that people could be so forgiving, while his father gained power through the citizens' fear.

"Are you telling me that is all?" Cafan asked, turning back towards the king as the guards tried to shove him towards the door.

"Would you have liked to receive a harsher punishment?" the king asked, signaling to the guards that the young man's movements were welcome.

"No, your majesty," he said. "It's just, I've never known such kindness in all my life.

The king eyed Cadfan, as if curious to know what he meant. "I do wonder if things have gotten worse in Adardoven."

Cadfan stared at the king, his face growing hard. "I am afraid they have, almost to the point of no return."

"Can this be true?" the king whispered, beckoning for Cadfan to come closer. With the king's approval, the guards let Cadfan approach the king.

"It is true."

"The rumors?"

"Yes, your majesty," Cadfan replied.

"I thought things had gotten better in that kingdom, after the war," the king stated. "It appears I am wrong."

"Sir, after the war, our economy fell and times became hard. My father, I mean, the king was afraid and began to issue very grave laws indeed," Cadfan said, hoping the king hadn't heard him talk about King Hubert as if he were his father.

He hadn't. "Of course, I heard about the executions," the king continued. "But I did not know about Adardoven's failed economy."

"King Hubert feared that with the lack of money would come a lack of food," Cadfan said.

"No doubt, it would," he replied, drumming his fingers on his armrest. "Why didn't he ask for help from the allied kingdoms, I wonder?"

Cadfan looked up at the king and the worried expression on his face. "If I may offer my opinion, your majesty, I believe he did not want to trouble the others round about. He felt he could handle the situation, even if he truly could not."

"Yes, well. I suppose I should write to King Hubert myself," he said, rising from his throne. Then, pointing to Cadfan, let the guards chain up the trespasser once again.

As Cadfan was taken to the dungeons and locked up, King Richard walked down the hallway and into his study, where he sat at his writing desk. He intended to know what exactly was happening in Adardoven. He wanted to know if the citizens were being treated properly and wondered if there was anything he could do to help.

He knew Cadfan would not be the only refugee. From the conditions he heard, King Richard knew the citizens would flood in from all corners of the kingdom. He did not mind, knowing how badly treated all the citizens from the neighboring kingdom had suffered.

King Richard reached to grab a piece of parchment and his inkwell. As soon as he had the quill in hand, he began to scroll out the letter. He wrote about his knowledge of their struggles and griefs, hoping this letter would mean something to King hubert.

The Adardoven king had always been a hard king to convince, even before the war. He was stubborn in his beliefs, no matter how twisted or corrupt they were. If the king did not like what was in the letter, there would be no further help granted or assistance wanted.

Though he knew it was harsh to think such things about another ruler, King Richard did so, hoping to write convincing words that would sound pleasing to his fellow ally. There was no guarantee that he did so, but he did try to make King Hubert see that matters would only get worse if he did not receive help from the kingdom of Laralec. There was too much risk in not receiving a letter such as this when a kingdom is in dire need.

When the king had finished with the letter, he kept it open so as the ink might dry. Then, he took it and sealed it in a crip envelope with the Laralec crest stamped on the front.

"This must go to King Hubert of Adardoven," he muttered to a footman at the entrance of the library. "It is of upmost importance."

"Are you certain?" the footman said after taking the letter.

"Of course I am!" the king yelled, wondering why the footman had the audacity to speak to him in such a manner.

"If you cannot handle such a task, I will have someone else look after the matter," the king replied, glaring at the footman.

"I am sorry, your majesty," he said, bowing before the King. "I will send this right away."

"You had better hope I do not find a replacement," King Richard said through gritted teeth.

The footman did not speak again, only made his way from the entrance and down the hallway as quickly as he could. His embarrassment caused him to work five times his normal speed, but the king forgot about the incident almost as quickly as it had occurred.

***

Down in the dungeons, Cadfan muttered nonsensically to himself as he tried to think of a way to escape his prison cell. He'd tried everything he could come up with, but nothing seemed to work. If only he were a sorcerer, he thought. There was no way he could escape his prison.

After giving up, Cadfan sat, leaning against the dirt wall. He hoped the guards would fall asleep next to him, giving him the chance to grab the keys, thus freeing him.

However, none such thing happened, and Cadfan was left to watch the sun lower until it fell into the horizon. It was a beautiful sunset, and he wondered how anyone could miss its magnificence. No doubt, his father could.

The transformation came suddenly, and with it, pain from compression and sharp feathers. This time, he tried to contain the screams, not wanting to awaken the guards who had long since fell asleep playing a game of cards. But the transformation got the best of him and he yelled into the night.

However, the guards remained asleep, possibly from the strong drink.

The beautiful black crow emerged from the prison cell and flew up the stairs and out of the dungeon. He was no longer a prisoner, and he could feel the freedom as he soared through the ever-darkening night.

He marveled at the fact that his curse, though nasty and cruel, had provided him with the means to escape from his two-year sentence. The joy he felt in that instant grasped him as he flew over the castle and garden, and even the greenhouse where an unknown princess lay fast asleep.

Suddenly, his curiosity overcame him and he landed on a rose bush growing just outside the greenhouse. He watched as the princess slowly woke up, a smile drawing itself across her beautiful features.

She stood up from her bed, her movements slow and casual. It was as if she walked on a cloud, her dress flowing across the ground. She was an image of complete beauty. Cadfan wished he was still his princely self so that he may walk with her through the garden, but he knew the truth.

Someone walked towards the princess, a shorter, more plump person. This woman had shrill voice which she used to call out the princess's name.

"Altair!" she yelled, running towards the girl. "You are awake."

Altair. Such a lovely name for a lovely princess, thought Cadfan. He smiled as best as a crow could under the circumstances. He wondered how he could ever come in contact with such a wonderful human being.

"Yes, I am," she said, smiling as she embraced her nurse. "Though I had a fretful day of sleep."

Even the sound of her voice made Cadfan's heart pound. She was perfection, and the crow listened for the time when she might speak again.

"Whatever was the matter?" the nurse asked, leading the princess through the garden. Cadfan had to fly towards another bush to hear what she was saying.

"I had a terrible nightmare, from which I could not awaken," Altair said, looking over at her nurse.

"What was this dream about?"

"Oh, it was lovely. For a time," she replied, her voice growing sweeter with every word spoken. "There was a prince, and he had the most dreamy eyes. He spoke with me and we danced until it seemed the day would never end."

The nurse interrupted. "This does not sound like any nightmare I've ever heard of. A prince dancing with the sleeping princess. Imagine that."

"Yes, I know. It all sounds marvelous," Altair replied. "But when the sun set and the moon began to rise, he transformed into a beast of the night."

Cadfan's heart threatened to beat out of his chest. Could the princess have dreamt about him? A stranger from another kingdom? It did not seem likely, yet when he listened to the girl, it rang truth.

"What was this beast?" the nurse asked, looking back at Altair.

Yes, what was it? Cadfan wonderd.

"The prince became a raven, and I swear I saw the same enchantress who bewitched me as a child," she continued, her fear rising.

"Was Medeia the one cursed your prince?" the nurse asked, clasping Altair's hands.

Altair nodded, wondering what else she might say so as not to frighten Nurse Goody.

"I do not know what this means," she said. "But it cannot come to any good."

"Yes, princess," Nurse Goody replied. "You are right. I must inform the king and queen right away."

"You must not awake them for something as trivial as this," Altair said, staring back at her nurse.

"But I must," Nurse Goody replied. "Wait here in the garden until I return."

Altair nodded and sat down on the same bench she had the previous night. Nurse Goody ran from Altair's side, leaving her to stare out across the garden.

When it seemed to Altair that Nurse Goody had entered the castle, she let out a high-pitched note and began to sing one of the lullabies she had been taught as a younger girl. To Cadfan, he had never heard a more beautiful voice than this. It seemed, to him, that no human being could produce such a lovely sound as Altair had when she sang.

The crow flew from his perch and drew closer to Altair, though still very shy. He knew not if he could get any closer to her without startling her. All Cadfan wanted was to hear her song as she continued to break the silent night.

"If only there truly was a prince out there for me," Altair whispered as she finished her song. "Then, maybe I truly could break this curse and dance through the day. I so long to see the sunlight."

Cadfan wondered what the princess talked about. Had Altair never seen the sun. Had she never lived through the day? Everything seemed so twisted to him. Maybe she only awoke to see the moon and the stars.

If she truly was cursed, he wondered if he could help her break it. And if she had been cursed, by whom. Her nurse had mentioned the name of the same enchantress who had cursed him, and Cadfan thought if she had been the cause of Altair's unhappiness.

Altair looked on Cadfan, who hadn't moved in the slightest bit since Altair had sung her song. She beckoned towards the crow, not knowing that it was the prince she had dreamt about.

Walking towards the crow, she remembered her dream and all the lovely dancing she had been a part of. Slowly and gently, Altair picked up the crow and set him on her fingers.

"May I have this dance?" she asked, smiling towards Cadfan.

Cadfan wished he could speak to her and truly dance with her. However, the circumstances would not permit him to do so. Instead, he nodded as best he could with his crow-like neck. She laughed at this, then proceeded to waltz, encircling he rose bushes one by one.

"If only you were truly my prince," she said to Cadfan. "For I have never encountered such a lovely dance partner as you before."

She continued to twirl through the garden, smiling and giggling as she stared up at the moon and the stars. Altair truly was happy in that moment, though she did not know the reason. Her mood had changed and she had never remembered feeling this happy before in all her life.

While Altair enjoyed her evening dancing with the raven, Cadfan ached to speak with the princess. He longed to understand her situation in life and how she came to live through the night. But he had to admit that he enjoyed dancing with Altair. She truly was a beauty in all forms.

Prince Cadfan knew it was unfortunate that no one else would know of her kindness as he had.