The Legend of the Frozen Heart🔊

Once upon a time in the land of Frostpine, a kingdom surrounded by evergreen, ice-tipped trees filled with glittering icicles, there was a legend. A tale whispered by firelight on frosty winter nights, amid lockets of swirling snow and the haunting isolation of a never-ending freeze. It spoke of a noble princess, cursed by a wicked sorceress, a heart hardened to ice, and the love that would come to save her. The tale, known as 'The Legend of the Frozen Heart,' has been the subject of numerous books, told in poetry at the court, sung as lullabies, and danced to in grand soirees. Today, I will tell you this tale, in my own words.

The Princess of Frostpine, beautiful Eira with hair as white as the frosted pine and eyes as bright as the northern star, had a heart filled with the tenderness of the spring bloom. But, her world was turned upside-down with the arrival of a wizened old sorceress. On Eira's sixteenth birthday, the sorceress appeared uninvited and cursed the princess for a perceived slight. Declaring that as her heart was as cold as winter, so it shall become, the sorceress cursed Eira's heart to turn to ice. From that day forward, Eira's heart began to harden, turning her joy into sorrow, warmth into coldness, and her tender care into unfeeling indifference.

The King, desperate, sent word across his kingdom and beyond, promising his daughter's hand and inheritance to the man who could thaw Eira's frozen heart. Princes and knights jostled for the challenge but they all proved unsuccessful, for no amount of valour or wealth, power or showmanship, could melt the ice that gripped Eira's heart.

Then one day, a humble bard named Erik came to Frostpine. He respected the kingdom's plight but didn’t aspire to its wealth or power. Instead, he empathized with Eira, understanding that her icy heart was a burden to bear.

Through his songs and tales, Erik spread cheer across the cold kingdom. His songs spoke of warmth, of sun-kissed summers, and the joy of everyday life. He sang of love, in its many forms and its incredible power to transform. He sang of hope, the kind that keeps the human spirit alive even in the face of insurmountable despair.

Intrigued by the strange bard who had no interest in claiming her hand, Eira found herself drawn to Erik. She found solace in his songs, comfort in his tales, and for the first time since the curse, she felt something stir within her. Erik, too, was drawn to Eira, not as a prize to be won, but as a fellow soul enduring pain.

Eira's icy facade started melting little by little, as Erik filled her world with his music's warmth. The journey was arduous and full of setbacks, but the steadfast bard never wavered. Erik brought the Princess to the people, showing her the true power of love and kindness through simple acts of sharing and caring. As she saw her people's love for her, Eira began to feel again, her icy heart giving way to the warmth that was slowly spreading within her.

Finally, on a day marked by the Aurora Borealis' grand display, Eira confessed her love for Erik, not as a princess to a suitor but as a woman to a man who had won her heart. With their true love, the ice that the hand encased Eira's heart shattered, freeing her from her icy prison.

And so the legend goes, 'The Legend of the Frozen Heart,' a tale of pain and isolation, but also about the power of love and the strength of the human spirit. It told of how the warmest of hearts can melt the coldest of ice, a tale that Frostpine will continue to tell for generations to come.