The Princess Idleways: A Fairy Story

In a towering mountain castle draped in vines and velvet, young Laura Idleways lives surrounded by silk, music, and countless curiosities. Though the halls are filled with painted rooms, golden cages, and a library of bright volumes, she drifts through days without purpose, preferring the comforts of her nurses and governesses to any real discovery. Her mother, a talented musician, watches the restless girl with growing worry, sensing an emptiness that wealth cannot fill.

One morning her mother returns from a solitary walk in the forest, eyes wet and voice trembling, announcing a short journey for Laura the next day. The castle buzzes with whispered preparations, while Laura, half‑indifferent, watches ribbons and gowns being gathered into a cedar chest. As the wind whistles through the ancient stones, the promise of a hidden path beyond the garden’s fountains begins to stir a quiet curiosity within the once‑shelved princess.