Blossoms in the Snow
In a frost-bitten kingdom blanketed with an eternal layer of snowy white chrysanthemums, was a royal family known for their peculiar curse. According to the colloquial gossip, each ruler was born with a cryptic mark and lived for only thirty winters. Their breath would turn into silvery frost, which would eventually envelope them, turning them into an icy statue. The statues would later turn into fresh, fragrant chrysanthemums, only to be blanketed by crushing snow.
This curse was carried from generation to generation, a devastating yet bewitching family heirloom of the royals. This tale is about the last royal heir, Princess Zinnia, who refused to accept her inevitable demise. Emboldened by her unwavering spirit and fierce determination, she embarked on a treacherous journey to lift the snowy curse that bound her royal lineage.
The day Zinnia was of twenty-nine winters, she started noticing the silvery strands of frost in her breath. She knew the fate that awaited her. Yet, she resolved to change her destiny, to live, and free her kin from this frozen fate. Ignoring the pleas from her worry-stricken courtiers, Zinnia embarked upon her solitary quest through the vast kingdom.
She journeyed through piercing blizzards and frost-laden forests, meeting the Snow Spirits to learn about reversing her curse. The ancient snow spirit, the eldest of the elements, resided at the peak of the towering Icebound Range. Shrouded in frost-scarred oak trees, he had acquired wisdom spanning eons. Zinnia stood before him, her sapphire eyes glinting with an unquenched passion.
The snow spirit, intrigued by the fiery spirit concealed under the frosty exterior, passed on the legend of the 'Aeternum'. He narrated how this mystical flower thrives in frigid temperatures, absorbing marrow-chilling winds to bloom a single, radiant petal. This petal could revert the most potent of curses and grant immortality to the consumer. Emboldened by the fresh spark of hope, Zinnia headed towards the Whispering Willow Valley, where the Aeternum was rumored to bloom.
Fighting the hostile terrains, she narrowed her gaze on the glinting jewel at the cliff's edge, guarded by a formidable Frostbear. Surrendering to her royal training, she fought the monstrous creature. Mere moments before being crushed under the colossal paw, she thrust her dagger into the beast, bringing down the icy goliath. Gathering herself, Zinnia approached the flower cautiously and plucked the Aeternum, securing the radiant petal safely.
With barely a heartbeat left, the princess returned to the castle, clutching the precious petal. As she entered, a wave of despair washed over her people. Zinnia, under the wavering flame of her life, consumed the petal with her last breath. As the silver frost began to envelope her, suddenly, the crystals began to retreat, dissolving into thin air. Zinnia opened her eyes, casting a warm, glowing light, her doom was averted, the curse lifted.
Now, the kingdom no longer awaited their doom. The curse that once hovered over them melting away with Zinnia's triumph, the eternal snow began to retreat, revealing the luscious landscapes hidden beneath the frosty blanket. Joyous, the people celebrated not only the survival of their beloved princess but also their newfound freedom and life.
From that day on, the kingdom was bathed in a perennial glow of spring. The frosty chrysanthemums transformed into joyful Marigolds and Daisies, no longer a symbol of death but a celebration of life. Their beloved Princess Zinnia, her name living on eternally, had turned the looming darkness of winter into a festival of blossoms. She had brought the spring of life into their eternally frozen kingdom.