Once there was a king and a queen, both young and beautiful, yet unable to have children. One day a man, from a land far away, visited the king and offered him a potion made from rare herbs that would cause the queen to conceive. The king accepted the gift with gratitude and, in return, bestowed upon the man a suit of gold and a strong, noble horse.
When the herbs arrived at the palace, the royal cook was instructed to prepare them for the queen. Unaware of their magical properties, the cook tasted the food while preparing it. As a result, both the queen and the cook became pregnant. In time, they each gave birth to a son: the queen’s child was named Dafin, and the cook’s child, who was raised alongside him as his foster brother, was named Afin.
As the years passed and Dafin grew into a fine young man, the king was called away to war. Before departing, he entrusted Dafin with the keys to the entire castle, cautioning him strictly: he was free to explore every chamber except the one opened by the golden key. That door, he was told, must remain untouched.
But the prince, could not resist the pull of mystery. Compelled by curiosity, he eventually opened the forbidden door. Inside, he found a spyglass, an enchanted one, which, when raised to his eye, revealed a distant golden castle where the radiant Princess Kiralina resided. So beautiful was she that Dafin was instantly overcome with longing and fell gravely ill.
The king returned and, realizing what had happened, summoned all the wisest witches and physicians across the land. They examined the prince, but all gave the same answer: there was only one cure. The prince had to marry Princess Kiralina, or he would waste away.