He crept into the room quietly. Curiosity caught the better of him and he wanted to see the little princess that the castle was raving about. The room was dark and the crib stood alone in the moonlight. He heard rumors about her beauty, the charm in her eyes and the golden color of her hair. Even luck was on her side for as of yet, the mark of the cursed wasn’t on her.

He tiptoed up to the crib and peered over the edge. She was there staring back at him with her bright green eyes. She smiled at the new arrival, happy someone was there to visit her.

William reached his hand over and held out his finger for her to grab. She examined it with awe, absorbing every detail with an intensity only an infant has. He smiled getting acquainted with his little friend, knowing very well that he has no right, being only the son of the castle blacksmith.

His hands were rough and hot from standing near the fires of the pit and her hands were smooth and cold as if made from stone. He pulled his finger away to make his escape before anyone comes. The little girl only reached out for him again, looking confused as to why he would leave so soon. Her eyes pierced him directly, not once looking away.

He studied her a moment, feeling something was amiss. Her eyes stared intently into his, holding him there in a trance. Her eyes were like bursts of flames and against the flame, dark swirls forming the triple moon and within that a pentagram. A dark cloud loomed over them as the mark of the cursed selected i’s new ‘host’, the little princess not even old enough to know the danger she was in.

He checked and rechecked in an attempt to see if he was mistaken; his shoulders slumped and he slipped away, there was no denying what his eyes had seen. “I won’t see you again, princess...” he turned to leave as the girl peeked over the edge of the crib, watching him leave.

He left the room not knowing how true the words were as two new arrivals slipped into the chamber after the boy left. Two shadows on the wall, the figures easily swept into the room and out again, their prize carried in a bundle in one’s arms.

They vanished into the autumn night, not once seen nor heard by any of the castle guard. By the time the kingdom found out, the bandits were already racing away to the docks where a small vessel awaited to depart.

Morning came and with it the discovery of an empty nursery where the princess had slept. The kingdom was in an uproar searching everywhere the girl could have gone.

William watched the knights and the king mount their horses, their gallant armor glistening in the rising sun.

“Get the fire started,” he heard his father order, and the boy turned away from the knights. He heard them charge away and heard the slow clopping hoofs of exhausted horses as they returned home unsuccessful.

He sat and watched his father pound away on a broadsword that was longer than him. His father’s curly golden hair lay damp from sweating in the sweltering heat. A comforting smile from joy and pride in his craftsmanship, William noted his father’s work, knowing eventually he would take over.

Laughter erupted from across the field, William peeked out the door to see a group of boys heading in his direction. Their clothes were well fitted and brightly decorated with different stitching designs and embroidery; these were the royal children, or in William’s mind, the royal snobs.

One spotted William and called to the other boys. They all laughed and charged to the shop. They halted at the entryway, waiting to get his attention.

“Busy day for peasants, how you manage it is beyond me!” one joked. William assumed he was the leader of the group and said nothing.

“It’s because he’s a demon child. A cursed relative always reflects the family,” another said. The group muttered in agreement and kept jeering spiteful remarks against him.

“Why my parents let that golden-eyed freak in the castle is beyond me. Once I’m king, any and all cursed, blessed or not, will be cast out,” the leader declared and turned back to William, “starting with your family.”

William clenched his fists. It was a great crime to beat the snot out of a royal no matter how much they deserved it. Eventually the group left, bored of their teasing, and set out to find the next victim.

“William, go find those medical herbs for your mother,” his father ordered and William ran out of the shop to the edge of the forest, across the town, outside the castle.

Along the way, several children picked up his pace in a game of chase. Their clothes were not as fitting and colorful as those of the royal snobs, and the needle work was practical, not fancy. They smiled as they ran and attempted to catch him; he smiled in response and sped up. He cleared the bridge, where the others stopped and watched in respect. Not many adults dared to go near the forest, much less a child. That was where the cursed lurked before they were blessed by the great divines or fell to the void. They idolized his bravery to face off with the wild powers of the cursed.

He strolled to the edge and started to pick the different herbs and plants his mother had shown him. He learned medicines and medical practices before he was old enough to talk, all thanks to his mother. After he gathered all that he needed, he ran back to the castle to the hospital wing.

He skidded to a halt right outside the door and lightly knocked. He was met by deep chestnut brown eyes, a rim of gold surrounded the iris signifying a blessed person.

“Good evening, Mother, I have those herbs for you.” William handed her the plants. She smiled, brushing away a few strands of hair from her face. She led him into the room and placed the herbs on a table.

William glanced around and saw many workers with cuts and bruises from accidents on the job, but nothing too serious.

“Go, take this and give that man a tablespoon of it,” his mother told him, her voice soft and calm as a whisper but clearly heard. He took the vial from her hands and tried to coax the man into taking the medicine.

William pondered a moment over the events of last night and the morning. He took a breath and asked, “How old do you have to be to get cursed?”

His mother smiled gently. “It can happen at any moment. The most common time is from early childhood to teenage years. Adults can be to, but not as likely.” William thought a moment trying to word it to specifics.

“Has there been a person who was selected within the first year of being alive?” he asked nonchalantly. He saw her hesitate for a moment before continuing her work.

“There are legends about things like that... One being that the three great divines select a person to be their representative... They have the most powerful and most uncontrollable of cursed magics. Therefore they attract only the most powerful of creatures that will try to consume them before they become blessed: the dragon.” William silently listened to her.

The man he was helping then cut in, “Those cursed each have magics that demons and monsters will cling to. They become wild and ill-mannered that people reject them and cast them out into the wild. Those who seize control of their powers become blessed and defeat the demon within them.”

“They are then given a choice to join two of the three divines, the moon and the sun,” his mother resumed. “I chose the sun’s path so I could live my life with your father. The moon’s path wouldn’t allow me to live in the light.” Her eyes shined with joy as she finished her potion.

“What happens if they don’t?” William asked innocently.

“The demon consumes the power and enters the world. Then the void will come and remove it before it wreaks havoc on mortals,” the man answered.

“Go on home before your father gets there. I’m sure he’ll be exhausted after working hard all day,” his mother cut in before he asked more questions.

William left and hid around the corner just out of sight.

“He’s certainly curious,” the man grunted.

“Lean back, you’re in no condition to move,” the firmly told him. “It’s only natural for a child to ask questions. Especially the uncomfortable ones.”

William turned and left, hoping the princess would be alright. He couldn’t shake the image of her bright green eyes from his mind.