The Prince of Two Hearts
Once upon a time, in a kingdom far away, lived a prince named Ethan. Prince Ethan was unlike any other prince; he had two hearts. He was born under the rarest celestial conjunction that happens once every thousand years. Consequently, he bore one heart that felt his emotions and another that shared the sorrows and joys of people he touched.
In the same kingdom, there was a beggar girl named Lily. Despite her poverty, Lily was the happiest soul in the kingdom. Her radiant smile and joyful heart made the flowers bloom and the sun shine even brighter. However, she had a secret that no one knew about. Lily was inflicted with a terrible disease that caused her severe pain; yet she never let the pain steal her joy.
News of Lily's radiant spirit reached Prince Ethan. Intrigued and curious, he decided to meet her. Disguised as a commoner, he went to the market where Lily peddled her flowers. He bought one and as their hands touched his second heart felt an enormous wave of pain, but it was quickly replaced with pure joy and radiance of spirit that was distinctively Lily's.
In that short moment, his heart had experienced an emotion it never had before. He had always felt the pain and sorrow of the people he touched, he had felt their joy and happiness, but he had never known someone who could hold so much pain yet also so much light inside them.
Each day, he started visiting Lily, slowly falling in love with her infectious joy and her kind spirit. Lily too, unknowingly fell for the kind stranger who bought her flowers every day. The connection between them strengthened, as sorrow and joy danced in harmony in Ethan's second heart.
Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, until one day when Lily fell terribly sick. She was unable to get up from her tiny bed, her joyful smile faded, replaced by a grimace of pain. Prince Ethan came to know about her illness, and his heart echoed with her pain more intensely than ever. He finally revealed his identity and his unique ability, and in return, Lily elucidated her secret disease.
Desperate to save Lily and find a remedy for her disease, Prince Ethan consulted every healer in the kingdom. They told him that Lily's life force was consuming itself in light of no cure and that she didn't have a lot of time left.
It was then Prince Ethan remembered an old prophecy that said, 'The prince with two hearts will have the power not only to feel but to heal, only if he lets go of half of his soul.' He was terrified of the thought, but he was more afraid of losing Lily.
Summoning his courage and the love he held for Lily, Prince Ethan enacted a forbidden spell, transferring half of his life force into Lily. Pain seared through him as his second heart disappeared, leaving him with a most human and vulnerable heart.
As the days passed, Lily's health improved, her smile returned brighter than ever. She discovered the sacrifice Ethan had made and was overcome with gratitude and love for the prince. She agreed to become his queen and vowed to always fill his life with the joy he found in her.
From that day forward, Prince Ethan lived as any human would, with a single heart. However, his single heart was now filled with love. Revolutionizing his kingdom with the love and empathy he had experienced, Prince Ethan's reign was known as the 'Golden Era' in the history of the kingdom.
And so, it was told for generations that Prince Ethan was not merely the prince of two hearts but the prince of all hearts, teaching us that sometimes it is alright to lessen ourselves for the ones we love, that it is within sacrifices real love is found.