The Prince Who Loved a Ghost

Prince Alaric could not sleep. Every night, a figure stood by his balcony — translucent, graceful, and sad. She never spoke. Only watched him, her eyes full of something like recognition.

He painted her face. Composed sonatas for her silence. His servants thought he was mad, until one morning they found two sets of footprints in the snow — one solid, one faint as frost.

Years passed. He grew old, but she stayed young. When his final hour came, he asked her name. She only smiled and whispered, “You’ve said it every night in your dreams.”

The next morning, his bed was empty — only the ghost remained, now wearing his crown.