Anneliese was the princess of her kingdom, which was ruled by her father, the king. The two of them never truly got along, despite their close relation. Anneliese frequently disagreed with his methods of leading, and after her mother passed, they heavily drifted apart. However, everything drastically changed once Anneliese was cursed by a witch. The witch gave the princess meticulous instructions; before the last midnight of the month, she was to receive an action of true love. If she failed to complete this, she’d be cursed to never be loved again, and would die alone.

Anneliese rushed to host a ball after the encounter with the witch, terrified and desperate to find this “true love” she needed. After hearing about the incident, her father agreed and together they started to set up and prepare for the event. One week later, the castle’s gates were open to the public, with the intent of finding the princess a partner. Many suitors piled into the ballroom, and one by one, Anneliese danced the night away with them. However, she felt no connection with a single person who showed. As the night disappeared, so did her hope.

The princess sat on the steps of the royal garden, head buried in her knees as she wept. She couldn’t find her true love, and she’d be cursed for eternity. She felt a presence next to her and an arm wrapped itself around her shoulder. Her teary eyes glanced up to meet her father’s sympathetic ones.

“Please don’t cry,” he pleaded as he rubbed her back comfortingly.

“How could I not? I’m to die alone now, you never understand anything!” she snapped with a glare.

The king fell silent for a few moments. He finally spoke up again, “You’re never alone. I shall love you forever.”

He pulled his daughter into a hug and placed a kiss atop her head, something he had not done in several years. They were never affectionate with one another, not since they became distant. Anneliese, much to her surprise, was comforted by this. She relaxed into her father’s arms and sobbed contently.

“I see you’ve both broken the curse.”

The pair perked up at the sound of another voice. There, in the garden, stood the very witch who had cursed Anneliese. She gave the witch an astonished expression, “Whatever do you mean?”

“You’ve been given an act of true love, so I shall now lift the curse,” she said.

With misty eyes, Anneliese looked to her father, the one she had claimed to hate for so many years, and hugged him tightly. She had been so, so wrong about her love for him.