Blackhaired princess (2011)- full story

(story is not suitable for younger than 13 years, potential touchy topics and depressive scenes)
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Chapter I

 Lovely, peaceful night. Moonlight slowly finds its way to white wedding dress covered with pearls. That was a wedding dress of the princess Blackhaired, ruler of that kingdom.

 She was the most beautiful woman on the world, with her perfect black hair and her blue eyes, blue as an ocean. She had lips red as rose, skin white and soft as silk and perfect body shape. However, her hair was the most impressive thing on her.

 After taking a bath in a bath full of rose's petals, princess Blackhaired looked at her beautiful dress, after what she felt asleep in her soft bed.

 Morning dawned and princess started preparing for her wedding. That day she was supposed to marry prince Henry, guy with dark, thick hair, eyes like doe and gentle smile. Their marriage wasn't obligation as most of royal marriages, but a marriage because of love. They were strongly in love with each other, so there was no doubt they will marry soon.

 At the noon church bells were heard. In the crowded church a groom standed, a bit nervous but still happy for a wedding. And then... as a glorious white swan, princess Blackhaired entered. Her pearls reflected light, making her dress more radiant and shimmering. She walked slowly, gracefully, holding ends of her dress with hands. Only one thing was whiter than pearls on her wedding, and that was her smile. It seemed that nothing can ruin this beautiful moment.

 Princess aproached her future husband... but she collapsed and felt down on the church's floor.
Everybody ran to her. After several minutes she woke up and tried to look like nothing happened. Still, prince Henry noticed that her eyes are so sad, which for sure didn't match with smile on her lips. "Is everything allright?"- prince asked princess and she, not wanting to worry her future husband, only smiled and said everything is fine. Wedding ceremony ended and guests continued with celebration, while they gone to their champer where they felt asleep.

 They lived happily until princess Blackhaired didn't become ill... She was weak even before marriage, but she only wanted to hide it. She throught that Henry wouldn't want an ill fiance, so she remained silent... But, she couldn't hide her illness anymore. She was always pale, her lips weren't so red anymore and her blue eyes lost its glow. Illness destroyed her as tornado which is crossing through the cities, leaving only debris behind. The only one thing remained the same- her stunning black hair. It seems like everything changed, but it was completly same. It wasn't sure which illness she was suffering from, but it was only sure there is no cure for it.

 Even with all that, princess got pregnant. She was in the seventh month of pregnancy when she had to stay in bed. Henry was with her night and day, but he was still afraid for her and life of their child. It was matter of a time when Blackhaired will pass away.

 "She will live one more week, eventually ten days. I suggest you to call cousins to say goodbye to her. It's not easy to talk to you about this but, believe me, we've tried everything..." doctor spoke to Henry, whose heart was falling apart inside his chest. However, with very quiet voice, he managed to ask: "How about child... What will happen to child? Could it be born before it was supposed to?"  Doctor let his head down and said only one ,,no".  Henry's world felt apart in that moment. He wanted to kill himself, but he decided to be with his wife till the last moment.

 She lied down in her bed, barely giving signs that she is alive, following with her blue, now lethargic eyes people who came to say goodbye to her and who tried to make her suspect nothing, as they came to visit her, not to say goodbye. No matter of that, she knew that the end is getting closer...

 She called Henry to come closer and then asked: "Henry, tell me, tell me the truth- how long will I live? I will die, right? That is what the doctor say too, didn't he?"  Henry, wipeing his teary eyes, decided to lie his beloved one: "No, my love! You won't die! You are only ill a bit and doctor said it will be good for you to see family and friends... You'll see: you, me and our child will live happily..." 

 Blackhaired turned head on the other side, not wanting to listen to lies...

Chapter II

The old clock showed midnight. Henry heard someone is calling for him and realized that was Blackhaired, so he approached. She looked at him with teary eyes, barely breathing, and then she took his hand. His hand shivered, so did the rest of his body, because he had a feeling the worst thing will happen.  "Sit near me, I have something to tell you."- Blackhaired said with quiet voice, and then continued: "The end is here, I feel I will die. I want you to know one thing- I always loved you. I wish you to live happily, to marry someone who can give you a child, as me and this child are going to heaven soon... You deserve all the best... I love... you..."- her words slowly vanished. ,,And I love you. You will forever stay in my heart..."

 He didn't even finish sentence and Blackhaired died. Henry cried so loud that everybody in the castle heard him. They knew exactly what happened, so they ran to the room immediately. Henry left the room and ran into study room, locked himself up and didn't want to get out even to eat. He looked down from the window how are they taking his wife away in the coffin. Couldn't go to the funeral, he didn't even have strenght for this. That was the worst day of his life.

After a week servants brought him a food in front of the door because he didn't want to let them in. He was locked up in that room whole year.

 When he got out, on the Blackhair's aniversary of death, he had what to see- instead his old servants and maids, he saw some new people. When asked one of them what happened to others, he got an answer: "They are gone, you haven't payed them and they couldn't wait any longer. We new ones believed that soon you will get better." It was all clear to Henry, now he will have to get used to new people. Still, he mourned over Blackhair.

 In the further kingdom lived princess Natalia. It was beautiful princess with blonde, curly hair, but overly stubborn. She knew Henry since childhood and was in love with him. She wanted to use a chance to make him marry her, with her making him forget Blackhair and to always be with him... She came to the kingdom where Henry lived.

 In the wonderful garden, full of fragnant flowers, prince Henry sat alone. He didn't even notice that blue eyed, black haired girl is watching him from the window... No, Blackhaired wasn't alive again, this girl is called Yelena, one of maids in the castle. Her hair was covered with scarf so her similarity with Blackhaired couldn't be seen.  She watched prince with love, and then, suddenly, Natalia appeared from nowhere and started to talk with Henry.

 Natalia started asking Henry: "Do you need something? Do you want me to make you a tea or you want me to bring you breakfast? Maybe you only want to rest? Or maybe... someone to comfort you...  (hugging Henry from behind)"

 Henry quickly stood up and walked to the door and, after a while, he said a bit angry: "No, I need nothing! That what I need is in the ground for a year! That what I am longing for disappeared long ago and it will never come back..."
 
 Natalia only looked on his way and then, with
the corner of her eye, caught Yelena who still stood near window, but moved when saw prince entered the castle. Prince called servants. Yelena heard calling and rushed to him. Henry, seeing that somebody arived, not even looking who it is, ordered to bring him a tea in study room. She prepaired everything and carefully brought it upstairs, where that room was.

Chapter III

 ,,Leave it on the table."- prince said to Yelena, and a little bit later started conversation with her. Henry: ,,You work here for a long time?" Yelena: ,,Not too long... four months only." Henry: ,,And why you came exactly here?" Yelena: ,,I don't know... I heard... doesn't matter." Henry:,,What did you hear? I want to know!" Yelena: ,,I heard that there was beautiful princess Blackhaired, the most beautiful women ever, I wanted to be conviced in that on my own. But, when they explained to me later that Blackhaired... Sorry, prince, I don't want to remind you!" Henry: ,,Say it, no problem. You wanted to say when Blackhaired died. You don't have to be silent about it. I never can change that what happened. We can remain silent for something, but it's only question of a time when this topic, no matter how hard it is, will get to surface again. I have to at least try to move on, if my destiny is so black and there is no Blackhaired in it. " Yelena: "I am so sorry for your loss! (with eyes full of tears rushing outside and leaves Henry alone)"

 Several months later, prince Henry decided that, no matter if he still grieved, get married again and move on. Natalia hoped that she will be his wife, but prince found another princess. Her name was Theodora and was really pretty, but her beauty was not even close to Blackhaired's. No matter, Henry realized that he feels better near her, that his days are at least a bit easier.

 Unfortunatelly, princess Theodora, even she was good and lovely, was a good dancer and looked gorgeous, unconciously made two hearts sad: the first was Natalia's and the second was Yelena's. Both watched sadly while Henry danced every evening with beautiful brunette princess in his ball room.

 Henry was with Theodora for a while, but small conflict separated them and Theodora returned to her kingdom.

Henry was alone again.

He started grieving, thinking how his life is destroyed. Natalia, after bunch of unsuccessed attempts to cheer him up, gave up and decided to go away from Henry's kingdom.

Chapter IV

 Henry called Yelena into study room. She rushed as fast she could, and then Henry told her: "You are the only one here that I could trust to. You can stay as long as you want and you could take whatever you want. However, I would like you to remain silent about what is going to happen."

 Yelena, frightened, looked at him, and he took the key from his pocket and started unlocking one drawer of his table. Then, when he opened that drawer, took out... A GUN! Yelena's heart was beating hard, she was really frightened but still managed to ask: "Where do you go... with that weapon?!" He said to her shortly, quietly and with eyes full of tears: "I go to do what I had to when Blackhaired died."

 He gone to the door,but Yelena holded him tight. He was so full of rage inside, he pushed her so hard that she hit the wall and her scarf felt from her black hair... so her perfect black hair felt down her shoulders.

 Henry couldn't believe it but, when he returned to normal, said to Yelena: "You, you are completly the same as Blackhaired! This is impossible! Sorry I pushed you so hard, I would never hurt a female. Here, I will leave weapon were it was, I won't even think about it again!"

 He helped her to stand up and told her she will no longer be a servant, but that she will be in her new chamber.

 After several days spent in her company, he was sure she is the perfect women for him (counting last several months too, of course). He decided to marry her and she accepted. Their wedding was glamorous and was talked about for a long time. Later they had daughter and son, who became good rulers and were remembered for their kindness and for being noble. They lived happily ever after.....

The End.... Not yet!

Natalia married prince from nearby kingdom and was very happy with him. Now it is The End.

Suzana Ristic Suza
March/April 2011
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Disscusion:

Four beautiful girls went throught Henry's life: First, he loved Blackhaired who passed away due to hard illness, than Theodora who was with him for a short time and, in the end, Yelena, who will later marry and live with her whole life. There was also Natalia whose love wasn't returned back. This story is one of the saddest (well, it was the most sad in the time of writting)  because of the Blackhaired's and death of their unborn child.

 This story is changed version, actualy extended version, of original story which represent the very first story of mine, but because of weaker plot, grammar and absence of writting style of original one, I count ,,Year Seasons I" as the first one (even through I re-wrote it too later, still counting it), and I consider original as an idea. Story before this, "The Sky and The Earth", was the first one I typed straight from notebook where it's written, eventually with some small changes.

 With this story, I finnish chapter of stories where characters were from royality, eventually they are in ,,Collection of stories"(after next story), now there will be characters with no title and stories will become more dramatic O.O