The Ballad of the Princess and her Prince

I
A fragile princess, as of glass
In tow’r high, locked away
For her own good the king and queen
Placed her there and there to stay.

No windows but a tiny chink,
The light, a mem’ry fade.
Alone for now but not her choice
But her they did persuade.

Cursed was she and from her birth,
A curse that held her tight.
It stopped her from roaming free
Despite how much she might.

At any moment it would strike
And rob her of her friends
The very things that gave her joy
And they would make amends.

Everyday she’d risk her life
To be with them and love.
O, how frustrating was this curse
And the solitude thereof.

The king and queen protected her
Frustrated too they were.
The tower was for her own good
But freedom they’d prefer.

II
To find a charming prince, there was
A quest through her whole life.
One to protect her from the world
And take her as his wife.

Many a suitor there had been,
The king and queen did test
Each one on who would seek to care
For their frail daughter best.

But this cursed girl would rather have
Shared adventure and fun.
An equal to watch over her
And encourage her to run.

Each candidate was surely fun
But failed they did on this:
To look to her own flourishment
And their own cares dismiss.

Many had fallen at these trials,
The king and queen did think
Their little girl might have to live
Her life alone and shrink.

But bold and brave she proceeded
Her uncertain life embraced.
Enjoyed the dalliance of these men
But alone her trials faced.

III
Then, one day, a far-fetched man
From far off country came,
To try his hand at trials set
And her fair hand to claim.

At first the princess was not keen,
His looks were not quite right.
Some unpleasant flaws he had
And grumpy he was to sight.

Stubborn and demanding he was
And difficult to know,
But it was these same traits he had
Stopped her in her flow.

He wasn’t what she wanted
But persistent he became
The princess fell in love with him
As they played their wondrous game.

And so the desperation turned
Into affection craved.
From affection into friendship
And then to love enslaved.

Then the moment where he faced
The trials and the test
How would he fair against the curse
And in their future rest?

IV
Love, the princess began to see,
Was more than first impressions;
In fact love changes the way you see
People and their expressions.

Something you once thought ugly,
When looked at technically,
Changes in appearances
And shifts aesthetically.

So some strange and unusual gift,
That’s puzzling at first sight,
Through those altering lens of love
Become all sweet and light.

A choice it is but hard to do,
Painful at certain times,
To see past others’ failures made
and forgive them of their crimes.

As the princess watched her man
Face up to curse and trial,
She found he fought unlike the rest
And showed some secret guile.

He was not brave as others were
But he did make her smile,
And it was this same outlook shared
That led her down the aisle.

V
Now the pauper became her prince
But not your usual kind,
He seemed transformed by secret power
To which he seemed quite blind.

The princess taught him much in life,
Like how to laugh and trust,
And as they journeyed near and far
The more he seemed robust.

Her life did seem to lilt on him,
Just like a soft refrain,
And softened out his outer quirks
And healed his inner pain.

Despite his lack of social grace
And clumsiness in speech,
With the princess standing by,
The prince began to teach.

Who was he to speak such things
For she was the lesson learnt?
But still the secret power wrought
Changes as old lies burnt.

Together they grew into a team
One flesh they did become.
When thought you one the other too
Would beat their mutual drum.

VI
Joined were they by faithful friends
Those who shared their power,
The princess, with the prince they sought
To save her from her tower.

The curse continued unabated
And tried to steal her soul.
But war they waged for all it’s worth
And fought to keep her whole.

The princess and her prince remained
Upheld by secret guard.
It seemed their story was being writ
By Destiny as bard.

And finally they both discovered
That Love himself was he,
This secret force that shaped their view
And would the captives free.

Love, their story was re-telling
The curse in new light seen.
To the pair, he freedom gave 
And to the king and queen

Strength to face all life brought
To recast all the strain
Through the altering lens of love
Brought joy out of the pain.

VII
But now an epilogue I tell
The princess now has died.
Her lonely prince now mourns her death
And many tears he’s cried.

The king and queen bereft are they
But Love still has a way
To teach them all how to witness
The coming brighter day.

The curse did overwhelm their girl
But won it did not do,
In victory it boasts and chides
But it’s jumped ahead a cue. 

Their princess rests in peace awhile,
While all the scenery’s set
Ready for the second act
When all the players are met.

With this story, Love’s not done,
There is still more to add.
The climax has not yet been reached 
And still twists to be had.

Yes, Love his final gift to give
Our princess will still live,
And the curse with pain and gall
Will with the final curtain, fall.

This is a poetic rewrite of a fairytale I wrote my wife on her 29th birthday as part of a treasure hunt I sent her on. I have added an epilogue to conclude the story.