Once upon a time, there was a young maiden who fell in love with a prince. She lived as a peasant within the kingdom while he lived in glory destined to rule the people.

Every day the prince would go horse back riding down the same trail. And every day the maiden made her way to a nearby bush and waited for him to ride by, longing for a glance.

As his horse galloped by, the young maiden watched the prince. Perfect posture, straight face, intense blue eyes. Seeing him made her heart flutter. On this day she knew he had to be hers.

She made up her mind, the next day the maiden would wait for the prince by a pathway tree. When he arrived she knew that he would stop and then, she would proclaim her love to him.

The maiden went home and rested her head on her pillow, imagining it as the prince's chest. A smile spread across her face. Feeling the non-existent prince under her weary head, the maiden felt comforted. Soon, she fell asleep. 

The next day was a beautiful day in the young maidens eyes. She saw this as the day she would never forget. 

As the time grew near the maiden's excitement intensified. She was sure the prince would accept her love. When he saw the passion burning in her eyes, he'll fall in love with her. This, she was sure of.

It was almost time for the prince's daily stroll. Quickly, the maiden made her way to the trail. She stood next to a tree where the prince would definitely be able to see her and she waited... And waited.... And waited... But the prince never came.

After some time the maiden finally gave up and started on her journey home. As she walked she heard a giggle. She waited, listening... sure enough another laugh was heard. The young maiden was enraged. How is it fair that some random girl is able to feel such joy while the maiden herself felt like her whole world was falling apart?

The maiden decided to investigate why a girl would be laughing out in the woods. She wanted to see what someone could find funny out in the middle of a forest. 

As she drew near, both a voice of a woman and man were heard. The man's voice was one that the maiden recognized. 

Unable to put a face to the voice, the maiden quietly crawled up through the bushes and glanced from the shadows. 

There sat a woman, laughing and the prince, whispering into the woman's ear. 

The woman let out another giggle

The maiden was shocked but more importantly she became angry. Looking over, the maiden saw a large log. Before she knew it the maiden already had a tight grip on the log and was slowly walking towards the woman and prince.

Quickly the woman and prince noticed the young maiden. In an instant the maiden swung the log, hitting the woman square in the face. She was killed instantly.

Petrified the prince screamed and tried to run away but ended up tripping over his own feet. He tried to get up but couldn't, the fall caused him to twist his ankle. He grabbed at the grass, trying to drag his body away, but it was no use. The maiden was already above him.

Looking up, he saw the face of death itself.

"If I can't have you, no one can."

In that moment she stabbed the prince through the heart with the sharp end of the log.

The maiden walked away, slowly. She knew what she had done... and what she had to do. There was no mercy for killing a civilian, much less a prince. How could she live with herself anyways, the love of her life was dead. He was killed by her own hands. 

Life wasn't worth living anymore. 

The maiden found the trail where, in the past, she loved to watch the prince ride his horse. She sat by the tree where she planned to wait for him, to proclaim her love for him, but he never came. 

Thinking over her life to this night, she had only one regret. 

"Why'd it have to end up like this?" She asked herself. "If only I told you I loved you yesterday. Would things have ended up different for us?" 

She cried... and cried... and cried. 

As the sun began to rise, the maiden knew she could not wait any longer. Gathering herself together, she stood up. Using the same log that she killed the woman and prince with, the maiden pointed the same end she used to stab the prince with towards her chest. 

"Til death do us part." She cried. 

And like that the young maiden punctured her heart. Her body falling down onto the trail where she had first fallen in love with her darling prince.

~THE END~