They say, that as you walk past the Lake of Longing, you might chance upon something most peculiar. People tell tales of witches and monsters, murmurs, creaks and groans heard near the lake, and of the princess that braves it all to one day meet her prince. What a joke.

As I walk back to my mistress' hut, content with having driven out the last of the onlookers hoping to meet her, she runs outside, haggard and weary, with dark bags under her eyes, crying out "I've got it! I've found him! Come quick, Mary, so you may see!"

She grabs my arm and drags me inside, past books scattered across the floor showing strange formulas and runes, and jars full of strange items tipped over and hanging open, to a cauldron, where, inside, you can see the image of a handsome young man, riding plainly across a field, towards the setting sun.

"Finally! I can see him... Now, where were those books on curses..."

She trails off as I stare into the pot. Hoping for her beloved prince to return? What a farce! All I see is one woman who holds so much hatred for her betrothed that she had to run off and learn witchcraft to finally be rid of him, and one man, so arrogant and stubborn to chase after his princess, that not even a war could keep him down for long.

As I ponder this, my mistress returns to the cauldron. "Eye of newt. Toe of frog. Three little worms. And... aha!" and there, in the image of the cauldron, the prince keels over, clutching his heart, never to reach his destination after years of searching.

Finally done with her goal, after so much work and effort, she cheers out happily and sighs, "Now that that's finally over with, lets see how mother is doing with her own king-sized problem!"