Happy Talisto Week!
For the first prompt, Mythology, I wanted to go with the Indian folktale "The Snake Prince," which follows the journey of a prince who turns into a snake and a princess bride who has to save him.
For a more Ephedian version: Upon washing in the river, the royal servant Ellira discovers a venomous snake in her pot. She decides to bring it home to make a potion for the queen, who is discovered to be barren. Upon her return, she discovers the serpent has been changed into a beautiful pendant. The King, Nathaniel, discovers the jewels, and gifts it to the his queen, Iris. After a night's rest, the queen wakes to a crying infant, who brings her immense joy. They adopt the mysterious boy, and raise him as king to be, but he becomes spoiled and wicked, unlike his parents. To curve his cruelty, they arrange a marriage to the young princess of Xeris, who comes from a magical kingdom as old as time. Her sister warns her of a dark magic, and provides a special bracelet to repel the darkness. Upon meeting the prince, she fails to fall for his charm and they clash often. He rejects her, and as a result, he turns back into a poisonous snake. The Snake Queen, Praxina, arrives upon his transformation, and tells him of a family curse in which his arrogance and evil habits result in him becoming undesirable to all who meet him. His only chance is to gather 4 crystals from four different kingdoms for her to turn him human again. Easier said than done with no limbs and total dependency on his bride to be.
