queens, witches, and warriors → the princess
no one asked who had placed her in the tower. some blamed a witch, or a jealous stepmother, perhaps because they could not comprehend the truth: the princess, the famous beauty, the lily of the land, had thrown away her own key after climbing the many steps to the top of the tower. when the prince came to rescue her, she cried, she fought, she told him to leave her be, but he took it for a curse and carried her to her father’s court where the king declared her property of her abductor. when she ran into the forest to hide among the flora and fauna and live in peace with the woodland folk, she was pursued like a fox. when she sent herself into a deep sleep, to finally be at peace, she was awoken and forced to be a stranger’s bride. perhaps men can not comprehend that they are unwanted, that the tower, the forest, the deep sleep are walls to keep them out. but they would scale the walls again and again so that they might call themselves gallant, no matter how the princess may weep.