Once upon a time…
A long time ago in a kingdom called Erdestea sat a kind, solemn, and beautiful queen named, Queen Isadora.
Queen Isadora hummed an old song while she finished her tapestry, gazing at the sunset from her favourite stained-glass window. She smiled at the tranquil panorama and gently rubbed her belly for she was heavy with child. Looking back at the scenery, she caught a glimpse of the lone edelweiss flower, nestling on a vase that stood at the edge of her window.
"Ah!" She sighed in contentment. "What a beautiful flower the edelweiss is. Oh, if the Divine could hear me, I pray to have a child as pale as the petal of this flower, with golden eyes like its pollen, and as beautiful as the whole of this dainty edelweiss." She hoped as she smiled warmly at the flower as hands glided on her tapestry.
After some months, the queen was in labour. She gave birth to a beautiful baby girl with pale skin, eyes that were gold like the edelweiss pollen, and little hairs that were white as the petals of the edelweiss flower. To seal her position as the most beautiful baby ever born, the little one had lips as pink as the sunset her mother once gazed at.
Queen Isadora, though becoming weak, was filled with joy when she cradled her baby in her arms. She kissed her forehead and cheeks and then whispered her promises before she declared, "I shall name you, Maria Blanca, for you I remembered praying to the Virgin Mary to conceive and Blanca for it means white in my homeland, there in the Mediterranean. I hope someday you will get to visit there."
There was bliss in the room after the little princess was born. But happiness soon faded when the sweet Queen Isadora died hours later. The whole kingdom was devastated—left with a chill weather that seemed to close the sunshine away. The king, the once sunny King Arnulf, was heartbroken and no longer smiled nor became just since that day. Princess Maria Blanca's natal day was engulfed in sorrows and dreariness. Her christening was not even festive—witnessed only by her father, three nuns, the priest, and two loyal maids of the queen, named Olga and Winifred. Later that night, the good queen was laid to her final resting place.
Because of the tragedy, King Arnulf became detached, and cold, and could not even look straight at his daughter whom he left under the care of the two nursemaids. The kingdom of Erdestea, suddenly became cold—wintery even—the moment the bright queen drew her last breath.