"Ever fair is she,
That the sun shied away when she smiled.
Ever lovely her twinkling eyes are
That the snow never left—
In love with the sweet soul she possessed.
She is the moon herself,
The song of the mountains,
The envy of the thorn—
She is the edelweiss,
The swans' grace.
She is the beauty most fair.
That men fell on their knees
To give her chivalry."
Many moons did pass, and the song came true. It was the servants' hymn for her as she grew and grew until she turned six and ten years old by the present. Maria Blanca bloomed into such a delicate princess that her song, when she sang while on her chores, was like the air they breathed. Her smile never faded, that burdened soul resurrected with vitality. Pale was her hair and skin—she truly turned ever more beautiful like the edelweiss flower. Some men even jested that perhaps the snow became perpetual in their kingdom for it wanted to kiss the princess. The princess laughed at such a notion, but it was very worrisome that the Kingdom of Erdestea was now an unending tundra since her father, King Arnulf, died.
Also, the snow kept the sun away ever since her aunt became the sole queen of the land.
Oh, yes, the countess became the ruler—the queen for almost eleven years. She ruled with such pride that the whole kingdom slowly sank into oblivion. But Queen Gertrude never cared. Waldebert, her lover and the king's former adviser, had become her adviser—a looming shadow that agreed with her iron fist reign. Lord Waldebert was even granted the dukedom, gaining lands from those who opposed the crowning of Gertrude. He left his family for Queen Gertrude and enjoyed the spoils of his new life with open arms, as if disgrace never existed in his body.
Maria Blanca witnessed the catastrophe but was silenced and cast down to become a servant to her very own palace. Yet, as she promised, she chose kindness. She never complained and responded to the servants' empathy: "To be kind nourishes the soul." Matched with her lovely smile. Maria Blanca was only recognised as a princess when Queen Gertrude called for her presence to entertain the lords who visited their palace. The harsh dark reds and blues were not her favorite hues. It was too strong for her, yet it was what the queen wanted to match her gold and green ensemble.
Her loyal servants never understood why their princess was born a saint. They were disheartened by how the wicked queen would look down at the princess, treating her like a lowly maid as she ordered her to go outside to tend to the withering garden, even though snow never ceased the whole year round. Nevertheless, Maria Blanca was graceful and never muttered sour words against her. Some even suspected that Queen Gertrude was envious of Maria Blanca's blooming beauty, noticing that whenever some advisers complimented the princess, the wicked queen would retire to her chambers for the whole day, only to come out and order the princess to do more household chores.
Oh, how these old servants despised and cursed their new monarch. It was even confirmed she was indeed a witch! With black magic and all, Queen Gertrude was a foul beast wearing the holy crown of their kingdom.
However, an uprising was never likely for them because of the wicked queen's dark magic prowess. To add, she also had her lover, Wildebert, who never gave a second thought to torturing those who defied them. Their pale princess was their only sunshine amidst the gloomy aura surrounding them. She was the cause of their joy and healing from their pain, especially when she beautifully sang and danced for them.
Now that her seventeenth birthday was approaching, these sweet servants planned to surprise their princess with a small feast as a gift for her goodness. The pale princess would soon bloom into womanhood when that day comes. Even though that day was also a reminder of their beloved Queen Isadora's death, it was also the day hope came to them in the form of a beautiful baby with pale skin, eyes that were golden, and little white hairs—an epitome of a beautiful edelweiss flower. A glowing hope in the form of a princess with a beauty and heart that were best titled, the fairest of them all.