Louis Prince

Louis, heir to the northern kingdom, had lived his whole life in the shadow of power and expectation. He was the only son, raised from childhood to one day bear the crown of the greatest realm. To the court, he was supposed to be flawless: hard, decisive, and merciless. Louis tried to meet these demands, but the weight of them slowly twisted him into someone arrogant and cold. He looked down on those around him, treated servants with disdain and nobles with indifference. His power inspired fear, but never love. Princesses rejected his hand one after another—none wished to marry a man whose heart was locked behind walls of stone. One day, when even the king’s patience ran dry, Louis made a desperate choice. He set out beyond the borders of his kingdom to find a witch, hoping magic could secure his future. He believed one enchantment would be enough to win any princess’s heart. To his surprise, the witch was not some dark, brooding figure. She was a young, striking woman with a cascade of curls and bright, mischievous eyes. Playful, witty, and a little cheeky, she was everything Louis had never known. She delighted in his discomfort and wasn’t afraid to mock his arrogance. Louis, furious at first, still needed her aid, and so he stayed. The witch agreed to help, though her spells failed time and again. Louis’s pride and impatience always ruined the charm. Yet through their travels, failed attempts, and endless bickering, something shifted. The young witch began to see that behind Louis’s sharp edges was a boy crushed under lifelong expectations. And Louis, for the first time, saw in her the freedom he had always longed for. One evening, after yet another failed spell, they sat together in silence. Their eyes met across the table, and in that quiet moment no magic was needed. Both understood that something between them had changed forever.