the prince who came too late

THE PRINCE WHO CAME TOO LATE

Aeri

Intro — Music box, distant church bells, female whisper

Female (whispering):

Hush now, hush now...

A tale of roses, a kingdom of blue...

Once upon a time,

A girl loved a boy who never knew.

Verse 1 — Female, delicate vocals, fingerpicked guitar

I left you roses by your door,

And dreamed of giving you much more.

I learned the stars that you adored,

And prayed to every god I'd known.

You wore your crown, I wore my blue,

A thousand dreams of me and you.

But you just smiled and walked away,

So I taught my heart to do the same.

Pre-Chorus — Female, soft cello enters

Oh, my prince, I tried to stay,

But even roses fade away...

Whispered female backing vocals: "Fade away... fade away..."

Chorus — Female, orchestral strings and distant choir

I fell first, you fell too late,

I was the rose outside your gate.

You held the key, I held the door,

But I can't wait for you no more.

And when you call me your beloved,

When you swear that I'm the one,

I'll be the girl beneath the willow,

Where the fairytales are done.

Background choir, chanting softly: "Ohhh... the rose... the rose..."

Verse 2 — Male, warm sorrowful vocals, piano and cello

I found your letters yesterday,

All tied in ribbons, tucked away.

You wrote of stars, you wrote of me,

Of all the things I couldn't see.

I thought your love would always stay,

Like dawn that comes to greet the day.

But now the halls are cold and bare,

And every room remembers you were there.

Pre-Chorus — Male, distant male choir humming

Oh, little dove, why didn't I know?

You were my home, and I let you go.

Male backing whispers: "Let her go... let her go..."

Chorus — Both, strings and medieval percussion building

Female:

I fell first, you fell too late,

I was the rose outside your gate.

Male:

I'd trade my crown, my throne, my fate,

To turn the hands that sealed our fate.

Female:

You held the key, I held the door,

But I can't wait for you no more.

Male:

I'd give the world to hear you say

You love me like you did that day.

Choir, growing louder: "Too late... too late..."

Bridge — Male, dramatic vocals, deep cello and church bells

I rode a thousand miles to find you,

Crossed the forests, cursed the sea.

I would've fought the gods above me,

Had I known what you meant to me.

Music stops. A single bell rings.

Female — Whispered, ghostly, with long reverb

You should've come when I was calling,

When my garden still could bloom.

Now the ivy climbs the tower,

And the roses guard my tomb.

Female whisper, fading: "My tomb... my tomb..."

Final Chorus — Both, full orchestra and mournful choir

Female:

I fell first, you fell too late,

Love was written, lost to fate.

Male:

I found my heart beside your grave,

The one I never knew I'd have.

Female:

If we had met another day,

Perhaps you'd ask me still to stay.

Male:

In every life, I'll search for you—

Female:

But this one's over, my love. We're through.

Choir chanting: "Love came late... love came late..."

Outro — Music box returns, slow and haunting

Male (whispering):

Once upon a time, I had a queen.

Female (distant whisper):

Once upon a time, I had a dream.

Both (fading whispers):

And they lived forever...

Just not together.

A single church bell. Silence.