Once upon a time there was a girl born with ebony skin, jet-black hair, and inky eyes. She was so dark that she could slip into any shadow unseen, so dark that she shone almost blue in the moonlight. She was also the most beautiful, enchanting, and wisest girl in seven kingdoms—far more beautiful than her pale stepsisters, all of whom had ashen skin, bleached hair, and chalky eyes; all of whom were slightly dull and dim.
The girl had one great delight in life. On nights when the moon was full, she could fly. She stood naked in their garden, her black skin brushed with a sheen of blue, waiting for her curls of jet-black hair to catch the wind and transform into magnificent wings. Then she would soar above the lands and seas, her feathers glinting in the silver light, gliding on currents of pure joy...