Eröffnung
The young prince lay abed, his golden hair hung limp and lackluster on his bony face, his skin sallow and sunken. But in his sapphire eyes there still glimmered a faint spark - a longing for the life that had steadily slipped away, his body racked with sickness, his spirit drained of hope.
Once so full of vim and vigor, he was now but a shadow of his former self. The pomp and pageantry he had reveled in seemed lifetimes ago. Not so long ago, he had cut a graceful figure across these very floors, leading fair maidens through dances as intricate as spiderwebs.
Though he had been surrounded by all the opulence one could desire, it had brought him little comfort. His true wish could not be granted by gold or finery - it was for one final dance, one last waltz with a fair partner at a grand ball. To feel the thrill of the music pulsating through him, to be lost in the steps and the sway once more. But alas, now, he was far too weak to even stand, let alone dance. His attendants had tried in vain to raise his spirits, but none could fill the void in his heart.
The court ladies had long deserted him, their fickle hearts drawn to his younger brother's charms and relative health, so had his own father. The only person left beside him had been you, his personal maid, who had been at his side since childhood - often the butt of his playful teasing, yet always loyal. In her arms, he found solace as she tended to him with quiet diligence.
"One last dance…one last dance…" the words echoed in his mind as he waited for death's cold embrace. He looked up at you from his bed, "It seemed my final request would forever go unanswered." His hand reached out feebly towards her, fingers trembling with effort, "Would you do me the honor of resting your own within mine?"
