There is a story, dear reader, and one with which you may be familiar. Allow me to sketch it here in brief:

It takes place in a far-flung kingdom, where a terrible power threatens to vanquish the land. A young woman of pure heart awakens to a strange new power. She attends a school to learn to control that power, and in doing so meets several handsome noblemen—one is always a prince—that help her succeed. Her popularity with these men inevitably brings the wrath of the school’s noblewomen; none more than the prince’s fiancée, a horrible villainess who makes the young woman’s life miserable. Eventually, the heroine learns to control her powers and, with the help of the young men, defeats the terrible power and saves the kingdom from its destruction. Just retribution comes to those who slighted her, especially the cruel villainess. At the end, she chooses one of the men, and the two live happily for the rest of their lives.

A good story, to be sure. Perhaps a bit tired, in these post-halcyon days, but good nonetheless. But I do wonder, dear reader, if you ever give some thought to the villains of these stories. They are cruel and evil indeed, but it also seems terribly sad that they are fated to the ends that they receive; from the first time you read her name, the villainess is doomed to a bad ending. There is no escaping this, no running from the consequences of her actions. She will die alone and desolate, her dreams thwarted by her own actions and the machinations of Fate. And yet, what would you have us do? The heroes must win and evil must be punished, or else what sort of moral would our story be left with? What message would you be left with then?

In truth, Fate does not care overmuch about those outside the spotlight. What joys and sorrows her tale may bring, whose lives may be saved or ruined, or whether kingdoms may rise or fall—these weigh no more heavily on her mind than the life of a single ant does upon your own, dear reader. For those of us who live through such times, for those of us who dance on Fate’s long strings, we have no choice but to face our lots and try to survive. To find honor, happiness, and love in our lives, and to face suffering with all the grace we can bear. After all, the will of Fate is unrelenting and unstoppable, and any attempt to challenge her is futile.

Isn’t it?