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Beyond this room lies a young heir caught between life and death, waiting for a tear to end his eternal rest.

—Snowfall Kingdom plaque, Rise of the Snow Queen

Prince Gwyn is a main character who was first introduced as a child in the third Dark Parables game, Rise of the Snow Queen. He reappears as a teenager in the seventh Dark Parables bonus game, The Thumbelina Curse, and as a young man in the twelfth Dark Parables game The Thief and the Tinderbox.


The son of Snow White and Prince James, Gwyn is the current ruler of the Snowfall Kingdom.

Gwyn is presumably based on the prince from Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen.

 Appearance and Personality[]

Gwyn is a handsome man with short blond hair, blue eyes and pale skin. As a boy of about eight or nine years old, his hair was a white-blond color and cut around his face. As a teenager, Gwyn had his hair slicked back and wore an outfit almost identical to the one he wore as a youth - but with leather shoulder armor instead of a furry jacket. He carries a bow and a quiver of arrows.

By the time he ascended the Snowfall Kingdom throne, Gwyn has grown a thin mustache and a slight beard. He bears a strong resemblance to his father, Prince James.

Through the majority of Rise of the Snow Queen, Gwyn is in a comatose state but based on information from the 'Rise of the Snow Queen' parable Gwyn was an adventurous and curious boy, which is what likely got him into trouble in the woods near the Mist Kingdom. As a young man around his late teens to early twenties, Gwyn is still eager to explore the world on his own and learn about lands outside of his own kingdom. He also developed a very chivalrous attitude and believes it is the duty of a Prince to help all those who are in need of assistance.

When he returns in The Thief and the Tinderbox, Gwyn has grown up into a handsome young man who loves Gerda to the fullest and has asked for her hand in marriage. At the time of The Thief and the Tinderbox happenings, his age is estimated to be the around early 30s.

History[]

Prince Gwyn is the son of Snow White and Prince James, the Frog Prince. Both of his parents were immortal at the time of his birth and throughout his youth, but it is unclear if this has effected Gwyn's own longevity or not. He does, however, seem to have inherited at least a little of his mother's magical powers over ice and snow. Gwyn has an unnamed half-sister from his father's first marriage to Princess Ivy Green, but it is unknown if he is aware of this.

When Gwyn was approximately eight or nine years old, he sneaked off to play in a meadow and was attacked by a Mist Wolf. His father's men were unable to reach him in time to prevent the attack, but Gwyn was rescued by the first Red Riding Hood Sister, Isabella. However, Mist Wolves' claws contain a paralytic poison that will incapacitate and kill their victims. There was nothing anyone could do to cure Gwyn at that time, so Snow White fed him a piece of a Golden Apple in order to put him into a dreamless sleep until a cure could be found.

Snow White blamed her husband for their son's state so she left him and took their son to her family's home in the Mountain Kingdom. The Mountain King immediately arranged for a safe resting place for Gwyn inside the Mountain Kingdom church. He called on all of his sorcerers and doctors to find a cure for the boy's ailments, but none could be found.

Gwyn's mother, in desperation, searched for the False Mirror that was hidden within the Mountain Kingdom palace. She hoped it would be able to grant her a wish and cure her son, but all the Mirror did was amplify Snow White's grief and pain, turning her into the bitter and cold Snow Queen. Gwyn's grandfather, the Mountain King, was also changed into a hulking beast that did the Snow Queen's bidding.

It was only once the False Mirror was destroyed and the Golden Child Gerda was moved to tears by Snow White's plight that Gwyn was eventually awoken from his slumber. He was reunited with his mother and grandfather, eager to get started living life once again.

Gwyn's mother was understandably a bit overprotective of her son after all that had transpired, but she raised him well. He grew to appreciate the duties of being the heir of a kingdom and took them very seriously. He also remained forever grateful to the young girl, the Golden Child, who had given him a new chance at living life.

When Snow White set out to Floralia to assist her brother, Ross Red, in his search for Rapunzel, Gwyn accompanied his mother. He was eager to see the world outside of the Mountain Kingdom and by traveling together, Snow White could keep an eye on the young man.

While traveling, Gwyn began to be plagued by dreams of a small girl pleading with him for help. Once in Floralia, he recognized the scenery and as soon as the pollen cleared out of the air, he set out to find the girl he'd been dreaming about. Unfortunately, Mother Gothel found him first and turned him to stone, chaining him to the wall of a cave.

Gwyn was found and rescued by Gerda, whose Golden Child abilities reversed the enchantment on him and restored his human form. She freed him from the cave and the two set out on an adventure. They found the girl from Gwyn's dreams, Thumbelina, and rescued her from Mother Gothel's evil clutches.

Along the way, Gwyn came to enjoy Gerda's company. He was overjoyed when he learned she was, indeed, the Golden Child who had saved him and restored him back to life nearly ten years earlier. He swore to always give her aid or assistance whenever she should need it.

When their quest was finished, the Goddess Flora expressed a desire to reward the young people who had saved her, but she stated that they had already found their own rewards along the way. In Gwyn's case, she was clearly referring to his reunion with Gerda. When they parted ways, he promised to invite her to visit him in the Mountain Kingdom palace someday.

A few more years have passed until the Mountain King's death. He asked for his grandson to build the new Snowfall Kingdom on the lower parts of the mountains, which the Prince did. Soon after, Gwyn and Gerda proclaimed their love for each other and planned to wed.

They invited the Fairytale Detective to attend their wedding as well as finding out the cause of the wildfire that was ravishing the forest.

Gwyn was later frozen in time due to Kai's first wish to stop the wedding and erased because of Kai's second wish. He was brought back by Kai's third wish and "appeared out of nowhere" to witness his mother battling against Rasputin. He and Gerda returned to the kingdom to calm the people down from the chaos. He later encounters the Detective in search of a way to unfreeze his mother.

Sometime later, he met with the Detective again and help set up the barriers to stop Rasputin. With his great uncle trapped in the Tinderbox and Kai freed, Gwyn, along with Gerda, forgives him before resuming the wedding. After the wedding, he entrusted Kai to take the Tinderbox to a safe location.

Powers and Abilities[]

  • Archery: A skill he has practiced since childhood, Prince Gwyn is a fairly skilled bowman who is able to shoot long-distance with ease.
  • Snow Manipulation (possibly): Prince Gwyn appears to have inherited this ability from his mother Snow White but how powerful it is unknown. He can at least imbue objects (such as his arrows) with extreme cold and ice.

Relationships[]

Relevant Parables[]

Rise of the Snow Queen (from Rise of the Snow Queen)

Centuries ago, before the legend of the Snow Queen flowed from the first teller's mouth, there was a Princess as pure as the driven snow and beautiful as the day. They called her Snow White. As a young maiden, Snow White was sentenced to death, but the Frog Prince saved her from that eternal slumber. The two fell madly in love, married, and had a son. One day, the boy snuck out to play in the meadow and a monster attacked him. The Prince's guards were not fast enough to protect him. Snow White fed the remains of a magic apple to her son to place him in a dreamless sleep. Though she saved the boy from the imminent death, the best doctors and sorcerers could not wake him. Snow White is ravaged by sorrow and blames her husband, the Prince of the Forest, for not sending his guards sooner. With nothing more than the will to save her child, Snow White steals the boy away to the Mountain Kingdom, where her father rules. It is in this castle among the peaks where Snow White will become the legendary Snow Queen whose sorrow leaves the kingdom in ruins.

The Snow Queen Tale (from Rise of the Snow Queen)

When Snow White arrives at the Mountain Kingdom, the King places the boy in a protective tomb. He summons his best sorcerers and doctors, but none could wake the slumbering child. Snow White overhears the servants speak of a False Mirror locked up in the palace- they say it is powerful enough to grant a wish. Desperate to save her son, Snow White sneaks into the rumored chamber. The mirror, tarnished and in disrepair, speaks to Snow White in a weak voice: I can bring your child back from the brink of death if you wear this shard and put the other around your father's neck. Fashioning the shards into necklaces, Snow White and then the King chained themselves with pieces of the False Mirror, who projects the worst in its owner out into the world. The Mountain King was first to succumb to the mirror's curse. The guilt that plagued him for not protecting his daughter from her wicked stepmother slowly morphed him into a hulking beast who would forever guard Snow White. The False Mirror projected Snow White's sorrow as winter and her constant tears began to fall as snow. The air turned so cold around Snow White that time seemed to crawl to a halt. The servants began calling her the Snow Queen. Scared witless by the King's and Snow White's transformations, most of the kingdom's inhabitants fled. Soldiers loyal to the King stayed on, though each eventually succumbed to the deadly cold. Snow White saw that her son was still in a coma so she visited the False Mirror a second time. The False Mirror spoke: I am still in disrepair. Heal me with the tear of the Golden Child, and I will heal the child in kind. Enshrouded in coldness, Snow White is now known as the Snow Queen and rules the kingdom with an icy hand. On the eve of every Silver moon, she casts a heavy snowstorm in search of that special child. Centuries have passed and the Golden Child is as elusive as the Snow White of old fairy tales. Though the Mountain Kingdom has been forgotten by history, the villagers in the valley below carry on its legacy with folklore. Adults warn the children about the evil Snow Queen who snatches children who wander off in storms.

A Love That Couldn't be (from The Thief and the Tinderbox)

Once upon a time, a boy and a girl could be seen wandering the paths of the Swiss Alps, talking until the sun set behind the peaks. They shared a deep friendship, but the boy was infatuated with the girl's sharp wit and deep green eyes. Secretly, he hoped that their long looks meant something more. As time passed, duties claimed them - his as the botanist of the realm, hers as its protector, and their strolls became sporadic. Sometimes the pair was joined by another boy, of royal posture. The trio became friends quickly, but the botanist didn't like the looks the other two exchanged. The boy never had the courage to admit his love for the girl. Upon his return from a long journey, he found out that his two friends had declared undying love and were planning to wed. Despairing, the botanist claimed the title of Forest Warden and roamed the woods, seeking solitude to ease his broken heart. But neither the ancient trees nor the everlasting moss could heal him. The forest just reminded him of the girl's deep green eyes. One faithful night he had a singular dream. In it he saw an obscure figure whose words echoed in his mind forever: "Find the spark of flames - it shall grant you what your heart desires."

An Old Friendship (from Journey of Atonement)

There once was a botanist of the highest order named Mother Gothel, who held an ancient grudge against Goddess Flora. If Gerda, Gwyn, and Kai had not disrupted her plan, she would have succeeded in destroying the Goddess. But with the Goddess Flora in full possession of her powers, Mother Gothel had to hide from her reach and lick her wounds. Years passed until one day she was seized by a strange connection with Kai, whom she had cursed in the past; she could feel that Kai was cursed again, but by something far more powerful than her magic. She immediately forged a plan - if she could have the item of such power, not even a Goddess could stand up to her. "Flora, you're mine!" she thought to herself, as she set sails towards the Snowfall Kingdom. Mother Gothel absorbed the energy from nature itself, allowing her to transform into a giant sea serpent. All that remained between her and the Tinderbox was Kai.

Trivia[]

  • Prince Gwyn's name actually means "white" in Welsh.
  • It's possible to assume that Gwyn is slightly based off of Kai because Gerda's tear allows him to be free from his curse.
  • Gwyn's name can also be inspired by Gwyn ap Nudd, a Welsh mythological figure who is the King of the Fairies as Gwyn is the son of Prince James of the Forest Kingdom, a kingdom which should be inhabited by fairies.
  • His and Gerda's ship name is Gwyrda.
  • Gwyn's character could allude to the Heartless Tin man due to reuniting with Gerda in The Thumbelina Curse, whom he thought was lost to him.

Quotes[]

Quotes by Gwyn[]

  • "Mother, why are you crying?"
  • "She did not seem this small when she came to my dreams..."
  • "It is my duty as Prince to protect those in need."
  • "That eagle is my mother's familiar. She's always been a little over-protective."
  • "I wished to understand the world beyond our country. As heir to the throne, there is much for me to learn."
  • "Now let's go after that beast."
  • "How on earth did we manage to lose sight of a winged monkey?"
  • "It is my honor to provide you with any aid you require."
  • "I will be by your side to protect you."
  • "Go, I'll take care of those monkeys. No harm will come to Thumbelina."
  • "We will do this together."

Quotes about Gwyn[]

  • "Beyond this room lies a young heir caught between life and death, waiting for a tear to end his eternal rest." (inscription on a plaque in the Snowfall Kingdom chapel)
  • "The young child lies here peacefully. I can barely hear his faint breathing." - Fairytale Detective
  • "The prince is oddly familiar..." - Gerda

Galleries[]

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