Seven Deadly Kisses

When Harriet was young and full of hope, she dreamed of meeting a prince on a white horse - a handsome gentleman who would take care of her. She doodled her future in the class and never drew herself as a single girl. Her fantasies were not of wealth, adventure, or ordinary gifts of life. She only dreamed of love.

Her belief in love at first sight was her virtue as it was her vice. No boy could get close to her as her taste was distinct. While all her friends were dating and breaking up, only to hook up with someone again, she patiently waited. She loved to pretend that she was a princess imprisoned in a castle and behaved as such.

She went to prom, a night draped in anticipation, the air thick with the perfume of youth and dreams. There, amidst the twirling dresses and soft melodies, Harriet first laid eyes on him - her Prince. He was neither riding a white horse, nor did he wear a crown, but to Harriet, he might as well have. He stood out from the crowd, his charm casting a spell on her heart, igniting a flame she had never felt before. With courage fueled by destiny, she approached him, her words weaving a tapestry of dreams and promises. She spoke of a world just for the two of them, a sanctuary built on love and understanding, far from the mundane. Her voice, soft yet vibrant, painted pictures of moonlit beaches and whispered secrets of laughter shared in the embrace of dawn. She saw the hesitation in his eyes, the weight of convention holding him back, but she pressed on, her determination shining brighter than the doubt. And as the night deepened, so did their connection until the space between them was charged with a yearning. In a moment of mutual surrender, Harriet found herself in his arms, her lips meeting his in a kiss that sealed their fates.

It was her first deadly kiss, the kiss of lust.

When Harriet fell in love, she loved the time with her Prince. She enjoyed the feeling of sand on her feet as they ran through the lonely beach; she thrived on finding love notes hidden in her bag. Time without him felt like being imprisoned again, but he always returned to save her from the claws of ordinary life. His breath on her neck was aphrodisiacal, and his touches warmed up her body. She never had enough of him as he had conquered her mind. The anticipation of their reunions grew unbearable. Compelled by a hunger that bordered on insatiable, Harriet sought to capture the essence of their love in a single, defining gesture. It was during one of these moments, as she pressed his body close to his, that she realized the depth of her craving. She kissed him, not just as a lover, but as someone seeking to devour every ounce of affection, to immerse herself so completely in their bond that nothing else mattered.

It was her second deadly kiss, the kiss of gluttony.

When Harriet started dating for the first time, other girls saw how great a prince her love was. She could talk about him for hours, and it was not enough. But the girls were increasingly curious about him, as he was the first one Harriet ever loved. They wanted to meet him, but Harriet feared they might steal him from her. Her will to protect him was under siege by her friends until it crumbled, and she invited one of her friends on a double date. Her body was shaking nervously, and paranoia overwhelmed her mind. How could she not fall in love with her Prince?

Throughout the evening, Harriet's gaze flickered between her friend and her beloved, the former's laughter at his jokes and compliments on his tales stoking a fire of jealousy within her, and she could promise that sometimes her friend looked like a treacherous snake patiently luring her prey into a trap. Harriet could not take that longer, and at the end of another wine glass, she jumped on her Prince, pressed him against his seat, and started kissing him, not for the enjoyment of his presence but to show the display of ownership that brooked no dispute.

It was her third deadly kiss, the kiss of envy.

When Harriet became an adult, she thought nothing could ever top this. However, the life had more for her. One night at the beach, her Prince kneeled before her and asked her to be his forever. She immediately said yes, and they both fell in the sand.

The concept of a wedding, once an abstract thought, quickly became the center of Harriet's universe. Her initial shock at the grand expectations set by her friends soon gave way to determination. She vowed to orchestrate a celebration that would eclipse all others, a testament to the magnitude of their love. Her dates with her Prince turned to discussions and arguments about their big day. Once spent in the warmth of each other's company, nights became solitary planning sessions, with Harriet poring over plans and budgets until dawn. Their budget grew every day until they could not afford to pay more.

However, Harriet was in tears when her Prince told her their kingdom's was not enough for her planned wedding. She cried for hours until the Prince's parents were called and asked for a loan. The amount of gold would be a burden for months, but she was determined to find the most beautiful venue

It was glorious when the big day finally arrived, and everyone cried, some for pure happiness, others for bitter envy. The wedding itself was spectacular, and when Harriet kissed her Prince, she felt like she was becoming an actual princess. When the priest asked them to kiss, she did not hesitate.

It was her fourth deadly kiss, the kiss of pride.

When Harriet was a married woman, she found that her Prince was not as generous as he used to be. Now, he was a married man who was expecting his wife to be there for him forever. But the princess was spoiled. She wanted her husband to be a prince again, to come home with flowers and a sword instead of complaints and the smell of beer. Her heart loved him, but his self-confidence offended her mind. The beach became a faded memory as he was too lazy to walk around for hours. She became spiteful and started to give him punishments for his lack of affection. She stripped him of his rights to her and made him spoil her again. She teased him every night only to reject him as he became more and more lustful. She only began to express her love for him when she was pleased, but every time he pleased her, she needed more and more. She almost forgot the taste of his lips, but he became a better version of himself. The Prince was reborn and after several months, he was invited to their beach again. He knelt before her and asked for her forgiveness through the most romantic poem. She gave him one kiss, as she knew he would please her for many more.

It was her fifth kiss, the kiss of greed.

When Harriet gave birth to their child, a profound exhaustion enveloped her, a tiredness so deep it seeped into the marrow of her bones. The relentless cries of their newborn sliced through the quiet of the night, pulling her from the fragile remnants of sleep into a harsh, unyielding reality. Each wail was a reminder of her new identity - a mother, miles away from the princess of her dreams. Harriet tried to muster the energy for her child, for her Prince, but found herself running on empty, the reservoir of her spirit drained dry.

The Prince, witnessing the shadow of fatigue under Harriet's eyes, stepped into his new role with a clumsy yet earnest desire to help. He took on night feeds, diaper changes, anything to ease her burden, but his actions, though well-intentioned, barely scratched the surface of her weariness. It was not just the physical toll of motherhood that weighed on Harriet; it was the isolation from the world she once knew, the disconnection from the woman she used to be.

Nights blurred into days, each indistinguishable from the last, marked only by the cycle of feeding, soothing, and sleepless despair. Harriet appreciated the Prince's efforts, but his attempts felt like drops in an ocean of her need for rest, a moment of peace, and a semblance of her old self. Their divide grew, a silent chasm filled with unspoken frustrations and the ghost of their once vibrant love.

In a moment of sheer exhaustion, when the Prince offered a kiss - a gesture meant to bridge the gap between them - Harriet could only respond with a half-hearted embrace.

It was her sixth kiss, the kiss of sloth.

When Harriet was old, she was full of anger. Her Prince died and instead of him was a man who did not love her. It was he who stopped caring for her, it was him who insisted on sleeping in separate rooms and it was him who started seeing other women. Harriet was heartbroken as she saw him coming home late smelling of perfume and cheap wine. At first, he tried to hide it but later did not care. Their love was only in blurred memories and stories that felt like fairy tales. The hollow at her heart was like a crumbled temple of something greater than the world. But she thought any ruins could be restored to love again, only if he would allow it. She came to him, begging and crying, but he was stubborn. After something that felt like an eternity, he gave her one chance, one night, when he would again embody the memory of a charming prince. Harriet thanked him and started planning a dinner that would prevent her Prince from leaving again. She dressed in the prettiest clothes and prepared the best dinner of her life. He took his offer seriously, dressed and was ready to fulfill her dreams. Harriet poured him wine and kissed him while she was once again the happiest woman in the world, married to the best Prince in the universe.

It was her seventh kiss, the kiss of wrath, that did not let the Prince become someone else. She watched in awe how her Prince choked on poison, knowing that this would be how she would remember him for the rest of her life.