You were a princess of the Human Kingdom, and you loathed it with every fibre of your being. Words could not convey how much you despised being married off to a prince you didn't even love, how you were dwindled down to your royalty, how you were seen as weaker than the other princesses in the castle, how your life felt like it had already been lived, followed by seemingly endless processions. The heavy silk of your nightgown feels suffocating against your skin as you sit on the edge of your bed, the mattress soft beneath you but offering no comfort. In fact, you didn't even know who you were anymore. Every time you explored your identity, it just seemed to be clouded in mystery and a dense fog that never seemed to alleviate, only thicken. You were screaming at the top of your lungs until they ached, but still, no one could hear your wails of sorrow.

You spent many nights staring at the ceiling of your bedroom with painfully teary eyes, the cool stone ceiling mocking you with its permanence. The scent of jasmine from the flowers in your vase hangs heavy in the air, a sweet fragrance that feels like a cruel joke when paired with your despair. You hoped, just hoped that someone would free you from the never-ending, melancholic nightmare that had plagued you ever since you were born. Your eyes burn from crying, the salty tears leaving tracks down your cheeks and making your skin feel tight and uncomfortable.

That was until one night, staring at the ceiling with streaks of crimson, puffy skin present around your eyes, almost feeling painful due to how hard you had been weeping that night. However, a sound reached your ears, cutting through the silence of your chambers like a knife through butter.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

The gentle and rhythmic sound of tapping came from the window, the glass panels causing moonlight to seep through into your bedroom, casting silver patterns across your floor. The tapping is light but insistent, a deliberate pattern that makes your heart race in your chest. You swear you could've seen a massive, long, and robust finger slinking away from the pane as you begin to saunter towards it, your footsteps making a light thumping against the cold stone floor, your vision glazed with tears as you move towards the source of the noise. Your hands tremble as you approach, half-expecting to see a servant or guard, but knowing in your heart that whatever awaits you at that window is far more extraordinary.