I`ve written a fairy tale titled "The Maiden's Curse" and created a series of 6 illustrations for it. Happy to introduce the story and illustrations to you.
"The Maiden's Curse" serves as a cautionary tale, highlighting the destructive power of selfishness and the importance of compassion and empathy. It reminds us that our actions have consequences, and redemption can only be achieved through genuine change and selflessness.
The story revolves around a proud and self-absorbed maiden who lives in a magnificent castle, surrounded by her servants whom she neglects.
When a deadly plague befalls the castle, the maiden hides while her servants perish one by one. After the plague subsides, she discovers that only one servant, a maid, has survived.
Haunted by her actions, the maiden seeks solace in the park near her castle and encounters an oracle statue.
The oracle condemns her cruel and thoughtless behavior, warning of greater troubles to come if she does not change her ways.
Reluctantly, the maiden sends the maid away and tries to forget about the oracle's warning.
Time passes, and the maiden becomes a mother to three beautiful daughters.
One fateful day, as the maiden strolled amidst the park, she unintentionally veered onto the path leading to the oracle. To her bewilderment, the statue materialized once more, confronting her.
The oracle admonished her for disregarding the warning, failing to embrace and care for the servant, who was now lost within the woods.
Through a haunting vision, the oracle revealed the servant's pitiful fate—a tortured existence wandering the depths of the forest until succumbing to its horrors and loneliness, ultimately meeting her demise by the river's unforgiving embrace.
On a serene day, the maiden's two daughters ventured into the woods, lured by the allure of vibrant flowers. Oblivious to the Oracle's ominous warning, the maiden paid little heed as time slipped away. But as hours turned into days, a sense of unease began to gnaw at her soul. The daughters remained lost in the sinister depths of the forest, and fear coiled tightly around the maiden's heart.
Driven by mounting terror, the maiden plunged headlong into the ominous woods, desperate to find her daughters. There, amidst the twisted trees and shadowy undergrowth, she caught sight of them. Yet, their eyes were vacant, unfocused, as if possessed by some malevolent force. They moved aimlessly, driven by an insidious compulsion to find an escape that eluded their grasp.
The maiden's voice pierced the silence, shrieking in a desperate plea for recognition. But her daughters stared through her, their gazes devoid of recognition or familial love. They had become mere vessels, consumed by the darkness that enshrouded the forest. In their relentless quest for freedom, they wandered in endless circles, their hands clutching a basket of flowers—a haunting testament to their descent into madness.
Tears streamed down the maiden's face as she witnessed the grotesque spectacle before her. Each passing day, she returned to the cursed forest, hoping to break the spell that held her daughters captive. But with each visit, their condition worsened, their minds slipping further into the abyss. Their hollow eyes reflected the twisted branches and skeletal remains, a ghastly tableau that bore witness to their tragic fate.
Consumed by despair, the maiden sank to her knees at the river's edge, her wails of anguish carried away by the mournful breeze. And then, her terror reached its zenith when she beheld a chilling sight—a figure clad in a wedding dress, skin as pale as death. Her eldest daughter stood before her, a ghastly specter trapped between life and the realms of darkness.
The maiden's heart lurched within her chest, its rhythm faltering and halting. Petrified, she transformed into a statue of stone, her features eternally frozen in a mask of horror.
Time stood still as the forest reclaimed her, nature encasing her in an eternal tableau of sorrow.
Silence descended upon the castle once more, a chilling stillness that mirrored the desolation within. The oracle statue, cracked and weathered, trembled before finally revealing its secret.
From its depths emerged a small bird, its presence an enigmatic harbinger of what had transpired. With a mournful chirp, the avian creature took flight, soaring high into the inky sky, carrying with it the tale of a mother's anguish and a family's descent into darkness.
I would be happy if you share your emotions and thoughts about the story and the illustrations. Thank you for your attention.
