original fic: traditional fairy tale
Mar. 7th, 2011 10:53 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
starlightsaoirselast one, from fairy tale fictions: a traditional fairy tale. bonus points for every fairy tale element you catch!
Once upon a time, there was a man who was a very successful merchant and much favored by the ruler of his land. This man had seven children, the youngest of whom was the only girl. The man’s wife had died when the last child was born, but it was she he loved most of all of his children. He named her Rose, and she was sweet and kind and very beautiful.
When Rose was seven years old, her father brought home a new wife. She was young and beautiful but cold, and was frequently cruel to all of the children when their father was away. However, it was clear that their father was enamored of his new bride, so the children bore the harsh words and blows of their stepmother in silence. They continued in this way for three years, until their stepmother became with child and their father fell ill.
The stepmother became more and more wicked as her belly grew and the father grew weaker. One day the stepmother found the brothers working hard in the garden and called them to her, telling them she had important news for them all. She sent the oldest to search for Rose, who often wandered into the woods surrounding their home, but she was nowhere to be found. Even so, the stepmother approached the six brothers, and they found they were afraid. For it so happens that their stepmother was actually an evil sorceress who had only married their father in order to have a child to inherit his holdings and position of favor in the land. While their father laid helplessly ill inside, the evil sorceress raised her arms and spoke a spell. A strong wind arose around the brothers, who found themselves rooted to the ground and unable to run away, and slowly, painfully, they began to transform, one after the other, into mourning doves.
The sorceress watched all of this calmly, a look of triumph on her face. When the transformation was complete, she cried to the panicked birds, “Hear this! Fly far away, and never return, for any dove I see around here will find himself on the dinner table!” The birds flapped their wings, still unused to them and unable to fly, as the sorceress turned and headed back into the house.
All was not lost, however, for little Rose had been perched high in a tree and had seen all that had transpired. As soon as her stepmother disappeared inside, Rose came down from her tree and found herself surrounded by the feathery birds who were her brothers. She allowed them to guide her into the woods, where she once more climbed high into an ancient tree and her brothers settled into the branches around her. As night grew, little Rose began to weep. Her brothers cooed in attempts to comfort her, but to no avail. The shivering girl only looked up when she saw a warm light before her.
A fairy of the wood, glowing faintly from within with the light of the sun and moon, was perched at the end of the branch. “Little Rose, why do you cry?” asked the fairy.
“My father has married an evil sorceress who has turned all my brothers into birds,” the little girl sniffed. “I am all alone.”
“Do not be afraid, little one. Do you wish to save your brothers?”
“Yes, of course.”
“I have the ability to change them back, but I must set you a task to collect what I need. And I warn you, little one, the way will long, and hard, and lonely.”
Little Rose’s face set determinedly. “I will do what I must.”
The fairy nodded. “Very well. You must collect a golden apple from the Tree of Life, which grows deep in a cave on the far side of the world. You must collect it and bring it back to me in six years’ time, one year for each brother, or your brothers will remain doves forever. But do not worry, you will not be alone. You will meet others along the way who, if you use good discretion, will be helpful to you. I also have gifts for you to help you on your way.”
First the fairy gave her a loaf of bread and a sturdy cup. “This loaf of bread will never end, and this cup will always fill itself whenever you want it. In this way you will be able to sustain yourself on your journey.”
Second, the fairy gave her a long taper candle. “This candle will light whenever you say to it, ‘Candle, light yourself.’ Once lit, it will never burn away, and it will not go out until you say to it, ‘Candle, extinguish yourself.’ In this way you will be able to light your journey.”
Last, the fairy gave her a beautiful golden key. “Keep this key with you and take care not to lose it. You will know when to use it, and it will serve you well.”
Little Rose’s head was spinning with all she was being told, but she took care to remember each instruction. She placed the loaf and cup into her little pack, and she carefully tied the key onto a length of cloth and tied it around her waist so she would not lose it. She then found she was very tired and, as the fairy alighted from the branch saying, “Sleep now, and begin in the morning,” she obeyed without question, tucking her small body against the tree trunk and falling asleep.
The next morning, Rose awoke early and found her brothers had gone. A little frightened but undeterred, she climbed down from her tree and set off for the Tree of Life, which grew deep in a cave on the far side of the world. She walked and she walked for many, many days, eating from her loaf and sipping from her cup, adding berries and things she found in the forest, sleeping in the treetops at night.
She had walked for nearly a year when she came across a bear, locked in a great cage with iron bars. As a child living at the edge of the forest, she had been taught to fear bears, for they were ferocious animals, but this bear caused no fear for her; rather, he was a sad old creature, huddled in a corner of the cage. Rose’s tender heart felt great pity for him, and so she approached the cage.
“Oh, Bear, why are you locked in this cage?” she asked.
The old bear lifted his great, noble head wearily. “An evil sorceress has trapped me here, in this body that is not my own and in this cage. Only a certain golden key will open this cage and free me from my enchantment.”
Little Rose instantly recalled the golden key that the fairy had given her. “I will try to free you, Bear,” she told him, reaching for the key at her waist. She grabbed the great big lock and placed her key inside. The lock opened, much to the Bear’s surprise, and all at once the cage and the lock and the Bear all vanished, and in their place was a gentleman in once-nice clothes, now shabby.
The gentleman fell at her feet. “Thank you, my lady. My name is Bjorn, and I was once a mapmaker before an evil sorceress tried to take over my business for her own gain. When I tried to stop her, she transformed me into the Bear that you have rescued. How can I repay you?”
“The very same evil sorceress has transformed my brothers into birds, and I must find the Tree of Life and retrieve an apple from its branches in order to save them. I have been searching for a year, but I have no idea if I am any closer to finding the Tree of Life.”
“That I can help you with. If it exists in the world, it is on my maps. Come back to my home with me and we will find your Tree.”
And so Rose went with the mapmaker who had been a bear to his old home, and they spent days poring over every map he had ever made until they finally found one that showed the way to the Tree of Life. Rose was astonished to find that it was thousands of leagues from where they were; it would likely take her several years just to get there, let alone the time it would take to return to the wood by her father’s house to take the apple back to the fairy. Still Rose took heart. The mapmaker let her take the maps which would show her the way to the Tree of Life, and she set out the very next morning to continue her journey.
The way was hard, as the fairy had warned her, and lonely. At night, Rose longed for the company of her brothers, the warmth of her childhood bed, and the security of a house with walls rather than her bed made nightly on tree branches. Though her never-ending loaf and ever-refilling cup provided nourishment, Rose dearly missed the meat stews and fresh salads and milk each morning from the little cow, all that she had taken for granted in her father’s house. Still, each day she grew stronger, and her map showed her how much progress she made toward her goal.
Two more years passed in this way, until one day, deep in a wood, Rose came upon a gilded cage with an owl inside, hooting softly and sadly, hanging from the boughs of a tree. Her heart was moved with sympathy for the creature, so pitiful in its captivity, and she approached the birdcage.
“Oh, Owl, why are you locked in this cage?” she asked.
The sad owl turned her head slowly to look at the girl. “An evil sorceress has trapped me here, in this body that is not my own and in this cage. Only a certain golden key will open this cage and free me from my enchantment.”
Little Rose recalled again the golden key that the fairy had given her. “I will try to free you, Owl,” she told her, reaching for the key at her waist. She placed the key in the lock on the cage door. The lock opened, much to the Owl’s surprise, and all at once the cage and the lock and the Owl all vanished, and in their place was an old woman, whose face was marked by both years and wisdom.
The old woman grasped Rose’s hands gently. “Thank you, my dear. My name is Nascha, and I once lived in a village where I was very respected. One day an evil sorceress attempted to seduce our lord’s son. When I saw through her to her true intentions and spoke out against her, she transformed me into the Owl that you have rescued. How can I repay you?”
“The very same evil sorceress has transformed my brothers into birds, and I must find the Tree of Life and retrieve an apple from its branches in order to save them. I have a map that will lead me to the Tree, but I do not know what I will face when I arrive.”
“That I can help you with. Long ago I heard tell of the Tree of Life, and I will share with you what I know. The Tree of Life grows deep within a cave. It is guarded by a fearsome dragon, but this dragon has a weakness. He is lonely in this cave, and if you tell him a story, he will allow you to pass unharmed. However, once you have retrieved what you have sought, take care, for there are other creatures who would take it from you. These creatures answer only to royalty, so you must take care to be on guard against them, for you will be quite without protection.”
Rose thanked the old woman for the information and sat down to share her loaf and cup with the old woman. It was a mean supper, but there was plenty to be had, and the old woman thanked her many times. After the supper, the old woman took her leave to see if there was anything left of her old village and former home. Rose then settled in for the night, ready to set off to continue her adventure the next morning.
The way was still hard and Rose was still lonely, but she felt sure of her purpose and so Rose persevered. She followed her progress on her map, and each night before sleeping she studied the old woman’s words, which she had written on the back of the map. In this way, another year and a half passed.
This day Rose came into a brief clearing in the wood only to find a third cage, this one similar to the Bear’s iron cage, but smaller, and containing a beautiful large dog. However, the dog lay curled up in the middle of the cage, his ears hardly even perking when she entered the clearing, and her soft little heart broke to see such a beautiful creature in such a state. “Oh, Dog, why are you locked in this cage?” she asked.
The beautiful dog lifted his great, noble head wearily. “An evil sorceress has trapped me here, in this body that is not my own and in this cage. Only a certain golden key will open this cage and free me from my enchantment.”
Little Rose recalled once more the golden key that the fairy had given her. “I will try to free you, Dog,” she told him, reaching for the key at her waist. She grabbed the great big lock and placed her key inside. The lock opened, much to the Dog’s surprise, and all at once the cage and the lock and the Dog all vanished, and in their place was a Prince, as noble and as handsome as the dog had been.
The Prince knelt at her feet before she could move to acknowledge his station. “Thank you, my lady. My name is Rian, and I was once prince of these lands before an evil sorceress tried to convince me to take her as my wife. I was quite taken with her for some time, but one day I saw through her falseness. When I tried to leave her, she transformed me into the Dog that you have rescued. How can I repay you?”
“The very same evil sorceress has transformed my brothers into birds, and I must find the Tree of Life which grows deep in a cave and retrieve an apple from its branches in order to save them. I have a map that will lead me to the Tree, and I know what I will face when I arrive. However, there are creatures in the cave which would take what I need from me and only answer to royalty, and I am proceeding on my journey quite without protection.”
“This I would be honored to provide for you, if you would have me as your companion.”
Rose, by now nearly fifteen years old, could not help but notice how handsome the Prince was, and blushed. “I would be glad to have you as my companion for the rest of my journey.”
And so Rose and the Prince set out together for the Tree of Life which grows deep in a dark cave, to retrieve a golden apple that would release her brothers from their enchantment. It only took the pair six months to reach the cave wherein they would find the Tree. Unafraid, Rose spoke the words to light her magic candle, grasped her Prince’s hand, and the two made their way forward into the deep, dark cave.
It seemed they walked for days before they came upon a dragon. “Halt,” he breathed, plumes of smoke pouring forth from his nostrils. “No man has business here. Go back now and I may spare your lives.”
Rose stepped forward. “I will leave very soon,” she promised the dragon, “but first, mightn’t you like to hear a story?”
The dragon was startled. “A story?” he asked hesitantly. “Why...all right.”
And so Rose settled on the cave floor near the dragon, with her Prince nearby, and told him her story from the beginning, from her childhood without her mother to her father marrying the evil sorceress, enchanted by her beauty; from her brothers being turned to doves to the little fairy of the wood who laid out her task; and all her adventures along the way. She even told the dragon why she had come to the cave, and asked if he might spare just one apple to save her brothers.
A great tear rolled down the dragon’s face, sizzling slightly as it went. “Your story moves what I thought was a heart of stone. Yes, my dear, take your apple.” Rose thanked him and entered the garden, awestruck by the treasures and gleaming things she was surrounded by. However, in the center of it all was a large tree which bore golden apples. From this she plucked just one apple, for that was all she had been granted, and she left the garden.
“One more question,” the dragon said. “How long do you have to return in order to break the enchantment?”
“Only one more year,” Rose told him. “I’m not sure how I will ever cross the world in this time, but I must try.”
“On my back, little one, you and your prince, and I will carry you,” the dragon told her. “It will take me nearly a year, but I will carry you quite close to your father’s house.”
Rose hugged the dragon (as best as one can hug a dragon, for they are quite large) and climbed onto his back, her Prince with her, and together they left the deep dark cave. What had taken days for the pair to walk took only an hour with the dragon’s flight. Once in open air, his speed increased even more, and Rose could truly see how they might make it home in time to save her brothers.
The year passed quickly on the dragon’s back, as they stopped only every couple of days so the dragon could rest and replenish his strength. Soon, only two weeks remained of the time that the fairy had laid out for her, and the dragon set them down not far from where her father lived.
“I can take you no further,” the dragon said. “Go, and make haste, for you still have many leagues to walk.”
Rose and her Prince thanked the dragon for all his help before setting on the last leg of their journey. The woods had changed some in Rose’s time away, but she was able to find their way with little trouble. She was heading unerringly for the tree where she had first met the fairy when her Prince grabbed her arm. In her focus, she had failed to notice an ogre barreling toward them from the west. She allowed the Prince to pull her behind him.
“Halt,” the Prince commanded, the power in his voice apparent. Still, the ogre took his time about it. “What is your business here?”
The ogre sneered. “The lady has something that I require.”
“You shall have nothing of the lady’s. Go on your way.”
The ogre took a step forward, and Rose clutched her little bag. “And who are you to stop me?”
“I am Rian, the only son of the king of these lands, and you will leave the lady be.”
The ogre immediately backpedaled. “Your majesty, I apologize.” He bowed deeply. “I shall leave you and your lady be, and will spread word through the forest that you are to be left alone.”
“I appreciate it. Thank you.”
The ogre bowed deeply once more and left the way he had come. The Prince grasped Rose’s hand in his, and the two went forward. Finally, they came to the very tree where Rose had spent the night in the woods, surrounded by her brothers, where she had met the fairy of the wood. Her Prince stood guard at the base of the tree and Rose began to climb the tree, though less easily as she had before, until she reached the familiar branch. Once there, she settled with the golden apple in her hands. The fairy of the wood appeared soon after.
“Ah, little one, you have done well,” the fairy said, taking the apple from her. “Go, go to your father’s house. There you will find everything set to rights.”
Rose could hardly thank the fairy before she was scrambling down the tree. She grabbed her Prince by the hand and ran the whole way to her father’s house. Once there, she found her brothers in the hard, returned to their human forms. They embraced her and kissed her and were introduced to her Prince.
The brothers told her that, as of the breaking of the enchantment, their stepmother had fallen down dead and turned at once to ashes. Their father had then regained his health and planned to raise their stepbrother, now nearly six years old, on his own. Rose was taken inside to be reunited with her father and introduced to her new brother.
The Prince decided they should all accompany him back to his father’s castle, and so they packed up and followed him to the castle. Once there, his father, the King, was overjoyed to be reunited with his son, who had, after all, been enchanted years ago by the evil sorceress. Rose and the Prince were married the very next day, and her six brothers who had been doves were married to the Prince’s six sisters, and as I have not heard otherwise, they may be dancing still.
(I did get fussed at for the dragon.)
Once upon a time, there was a man who was a very successful merchant and much favored by the ruler of his land. This man had seven children, the youngest of whom was the only girl. The man’s wife had died when the last child was born, but it was she he loved most of all of his children. He named her Rose, and she was sweet and kind and very beautiful.
When Rose was seven years old, her father brought home a new wife. She was young and beautiful but cold, and was frequently cruel to all of the children when their father was away. However, it was clear that their father was enamored of his new bride, so the children bore the harsh words and blows of their stepmother in silence. They continued in this way for three years, until their stepmother became with child and their father fell ill.
The stepmother became more and more wicked as her belly grew and the father grew weaker. One day the stepmother found the brothers working hard in the garden and called them to her, telling them she had important news for them all. She sent the oldest to search for Rose, who often wandered into the woods surrounding their home, but she was nowhere to be found. Even so, the stepmother approached the six brothers, and they found they were afraid. For it so happens that their stepmother was actually an evil sorceress who had only married their father in order to have a child to inherit his holdings and position of favor in the land. While their father laid helplessly ill inside, the evil sorceress raised her arms and spoke a spell. A strong wind arose around the brothers, who found themselves rooted to the ground and unable to run away, and slowly, painfully, they began to transform, one after the other, into mourning doves.
The sorceress watched all of this calmly, a look of triumph on her face. When the transformation was complete, she cried to the panicked birds, “Hear this! Fly far away, and never return, for any dove I see around here will find himself on the dinner table!” The birds flapped their wings, still unused to them and unable to fly, as the sorceress turned and headed back into the house.
All was not lost, however, for little Rose had been perched high in a tree and had seen all that had transpired. As soon as her stepmother disappeared inside, Rose came down from her tree and found herself surrounded by the feathery birds who were her brothers. She allowed them to guide her into the woods, where she once more climbed high into an ancient tree and her brothers settled into the branches around her. As night grew, little Rose began to weep. Her brothers cooed in attempts to comfort her, but to no avail. The shivering girl only looked up when she saw a warm light before her.
A fairy of the wood, glowing faintly from within with the light of the sun and moon, was perched at the end of the branch. “Little Rose, why do you cry?” asked the fairy.
“My father has married an evil sorceress who has turned all my brothers into birds,” the little girl sniffed. “I am all alone.”
“Do not be afraid, little one. Do you wish to save your brothers?”
“Yes, of course.”
“I have the ability to change them back, but I must set you a task to collect what I need. And I warn you, little one, the way will long, and hard, and lonely.”
Little Rose’s face set determinedly. “I will do what I must.”
The fairy nodded. “Very well. You must collect a golden apple from the Tree of Life, which grows deep in a cave on the far side of the world. You must collect it and bring it back to me in six years’ time, one year for each brother, or your brothers will remain doves forever. But do not worry, you will not be alone. You will meet others along the way who, if you use good discretion, will be helpful to you. I also have gifts for you to help you on your way.”
First the fairy gave her a loaf of bread and a sturdy cup. “This loaf of bread will never end, and this cup will always fill itself whenever you want it. In this way you will be able to sustain yourself on your journey.”
Second, the fairy gave her a long taper candle. “This candle will light whenever you say to it, ‘Candle, light yourself.’ Once lit, it will never burn away, and it will not go out until you say to it, ‘Candle, extinguish yourself.’ In this way you will be able to light your journey.”
Last, the fairy gave her a beautiful golden key. “Keep this key with you and take care not to lose it. You will know when to use it, and it will serve you well.”
Little Rose’s head was spinning with all she was being told, but she took care to remember each instruction. She placed the loaf and cup into her little pack, and she carefully tied the key onto a length of cloth and tied it around her waist so she would not lose it. She then found she was very tired and, as the fairy alighted from the branch saying, “Sleep now, and begin in the morning,” she obeyed without question, tucking her small body against the tree trunk and falling asleep.
The next morning, Rose awoke early and found her brothers had gone. A little frightened but undeterred, she climbed down from her tree and set off for the Tree of Life, which grew deep in a cave on the far side of the world. She walked and she walked for many, many days, eating from her loaf and sipping from her cup, adding berries and things she found in the forest, sleeping in the treetops at night.
She had walked for nearly a year when she came across a bear, locked in a great cage with iron bars. As a child living at the edge of the forest, she had been taught to fear bears, for they were ferocious animals, but this bear caused no fear for her; rather, he was a sad old creature, huddled in a corner of the cage. Rose’s tender heart felt great pity for him, and so she approached the cage.
“Oh, Bear, why are you locked in this cage?” she asked.
The old bear lifted his great, noble head wearily. “An evil sorceress has trapped me here, in this body that is not my own and in this cage. Only a certain golden key will open this cage and free me from my enchantment.”
Little Rose instantly recalled the golden key that the fairy had given her. “I will try to free you, Bear,” she told him, reaching for the key at her waist. She grabbed the great big lock and placed her key inside. The lock opened, much to the Bear’s surprise, and all at once the cage and the lock and the Bear all vanished, and in their place was a gentleman in once-nice clothes, now shabby.
The gentleman fell at her feet. “Thank you, my lady. My name is Bjorn, and I was once a mapmaker before an evil sorceress tried to take over my business for her own gain. When I tried to stop her, she transformed me into the Bear that you have rescued. How can I repay you?”
“The very same evil sorceress has transformed my brothers into birds, and I must find the Tree of Life and retrieve an apple from its branches in order to save them. I have been searching for a year, but I have no idea if I am any closer to finding the Tree of Life.”
“That I can help you with. If it exists in the world, it is on my maps. Come back to my home with me and we will find your Tree.”
And so Rose went with the mapmaker who had been a bear to his old home, and they spent days poring over every map he had ever made until they finally found one that showed the way to the Tree of Life. Rose was astonished to find that it was thousands of leagues from where they were; it would likely take her several years just to get there, let alone the time it would take to return to the wood by her father’s house to take the apple back to the fairy. Still Rose took heart. The mapmaker let her take the maps which would show her the way to the Tree of Life, and she set out the very next morning to continue her journey.
The way was hard, as the fairy had warned her, and lonely. At night, Rose longed for the company of her brothers, the warmth of her childhood bed, and the security of a house with walls rather than her bed made nightly on tree branches. Though her never-ending loaf and ever-refilling cup provided nourishment, Rose dearly missed the meat stews and fresh salads and milk each morning from the little cow, all that she had taken for granted in her father’s house. Still, each day she grew stronger, and her map showed her how much progress she made toward her goal.
Two more years passed in this way, until one day, deep in a wood, Rose came upon a gilded cage with an owl inside, hooting softly and sadly, hanging from the boughs of a tree. Her heart was moved with sympathy for the creature, so pitiful in its captivity, and she approached the birdcage.
“Oh, Owl, why are you locked in this cage?” she asked.
The sad owl turned her head slowly to look at the girl. “An evil sorceress has trapped me here, in this body that is not my own and in this cage. Only a certain golden key will open this cage and free me from my enchantment.”
Little Rose recalled again the golden key that the fairy had given her. “I will try to free you, Owl,” she told her, reaching for the key at her waist. She placed the key in the lock on the cage door. The lock opened, much to the Owl’s surprise, and all at once the cage and the lock and the Owl all vanished, and in their place was an old woman, whose face was marked by both years and wisdom.
The old woman grasped Rose’s hands gently. “Thank you, my dear. My name is Nascha, and I once lived in a village where I was very respected. One day an evil sorceress attempted to seduce our lord’s son. When I saw through her to her true intentions and spoke out against her, she transformed me into the Owl that you have rescued. How can I repay you?”
“The very same evil sorceress has transformed my brothers into birds, and I must find the Tree of Life and retrieve an apple from its branches in order to save them. I have a map that will lead me to the Tree, but I do not know what I will face when I arrive.”
“That I can help you with. Long ago I heard tell of the Tree of Life, and I will share with you what I know. The Tree of Life grows deep within a cave. It is guarded by a fearsome dragon, but this dragon has a weakness. He is lonely in this cave, and if you tell him a story, he will allow you to pass unharmed. However, once you have retrieved what you have sought, take care, for there are other creatures who would take it from you. These creatures answer only to royalty, so you must take care to be on guard against them, for you will be quite without protection.”
Rose thanked the old woman for the information and sat down to share her loaf and cup with the old woman. It was a mean supper, but there was plenty to be had, and the old woman thanked her many times. After the supper, the old woman took her leave to see if there was anything left of her old village and former home. Rose then settled in for the night, ready to set off to continue her adventure the next morning.
The way was still hard and Rose was still lonely, but she felt sure of her purpose and so Rose persevered. She followed her progress on her map, and each night before sleeping she studied the old woman’s words, which she had written on the back of the map. In this way, another year and a half passed.
This day Rose came into a brief clearing in the wood only to find a third cage, this one similar to the Bear’s iron cage, but smaller, and containing a beautiful large dog. However, the dog lay curled up in the middle of the cage, his ears hardly even perking when she entered the clearing, and her soft little heart broke to see such a beautiful creature in such a state. “Oh, Dog, why are you locked in this cage?” she asked.
The beautiful dog lifted his great, noble head wearily. “An evil sorceress has trapped me here, in this body that is not my own and in this cage. Only a certain golden key will open this cage and free me from my enchantment.”
Little Rose recalled once more the golden key that the fairy had given her. “I will try to free you, Dog,” she told him, reaching for the key at her waist. She grabbed the great big lock and placed her key inside. The lock opened, much to the Dog’s surprise, and all at once the cage and the lock and the Dog all vanished, and in their place was a Prince, as noble and as handsome as the dog had been.
The Prince knelt at her feet before she could move to acknowledge his station. “Thank you, my lady. My name is Rian, and I was once prince of these lands before an evil sorceress tried to convince me to take her as my wife. I was quite taken with her for some time, but one day I saw through her falseness. When I tried to leave her, she transformed me into the Dog that you have rescued. How can I repay you?”
“The very same evil sorceress has transformed my brothers into birds, and I must find the Tree of Life which grows deep in a cave and retrieve an apple from its branches in order to save them. I have a map that will lead me to the Tree, and I know what I will face when I arrive. However, there are creatures in the cave which would take what I need from me and only answer to royalty, and I am proceeding on my journey quite without protection.”
“This I would be honored to provide for you, if you would have me as your companion.”
Rose, by now nearly fifteen years old, could not help but notice how handsome the Prince was, and blushed. “I would be glad to have you as my companion for the rest of my journey.”
And so Rose and the Prince set out together for the Tree of Life which grows deep in a dark cave, to retrieve a golden apple that would release her brothers from their enchantment. It only took the pair six months to reach the cave wherein they would find the Tree. Unafraid, Rose spoke the words to light her magic candle, grasped her Prince’s hand, and the two made their way forward into the deep, dark cave.
It seemed they walked for days before they came upon a dragon. “Halt,” he breathed, plumes of smoke pouring forth from his nostrils. “No man has business here. Go back now and I may spare your lives.”
Rose stepped forward. “I will leave very soon,” she promised the dragon, “but first, mightn’t you like to hear a story?”
The dragon was startled. “A story?” he asked hesitantly. “Why...all right.”
And so Rose settled on the cave floor near the dragon, with her Prince nearby, and told him her story from the beginning, from her childhood without her mother to her father marrying the evil sorceress, enchanted by her beauty; from her brothers being turned to doves to the little fairy of the wood who laid out her task; and all her adventures along the way. She even told the dragon why she had come to the cave, and asked if he might spare just one apple to save her brothers.
A great tear rolled down the dragon’s face, sizzling slightly as it went. “Your story moves what I thought was a heart of stone. Yes, my dear, take your apple.” Rose thanked him and entered the garden, awestruck by the treasures and gleaming things she was surrounded by. However, in the center of it all was a large tree which bore golden apples. From this she plucked just one apple, for that was all she had been granted, and she left the garden.
“One more question,” the dragon said. “How long do you have to return in order to break the enchantment?”
“Only one more year,” Rose told him. “I’m not sure how I will ever cross the world in this time, but I must try.”
“On my back, little one, you and your prince, and I will carry you,” the dragon told her. “It will take me nearly a year, but I will carry you quite close to your father’s house.”
Rose hugged the dragon (as best as one can hug a dragon, for they are quite large) and climbed onto his back, her Prince with her, and together they left the deep dark cave. What had taken days for the pair to walk took only an hour with the dragon’s flight. Once in open air, his speed increased even more, and Rose could truly see how they might make it home in time to save her brothers.
The year passed quickly on the dragon’s back, as they stopped only every couple of days so the dragon could rest and replenish his strength. Soon, only two weeks remained of the time that the fairy had laid out for her, and the dragon set them down not far from where her father lived.
“I can take you no further,” the dragon said. “Go, and make haste, for you still have many leagues to walk.”
Rose and her Prince thanked the dragon for all his help before setting on the last leg of their journey. The woods had changed some in Rose’s time away, but she was able to find their way with little trouble. She was heading unerringly for the tree where she had first met the fairy when her Prince grabbed her arm. In her focus, she had failed to notice an ogre barreling toward them from the west. She allowed the Prince to pull her behind him.
“Halt,” the Prince commanded, the power in his voice apparent. Still, the ogre took his time about it. “What is your business here?”
The ogre sneered. “The lady has something that I require.”
“You shall have nothing of the lady’s. Go on your way.”
The ogre took a step forward, and Rose clutched her little bag. “And who are you to stop me?”
“I am Rian, the only son of the king of these lands, and you will leave the lady be.”
The ogre immediately backpedaled. “Your majesty, I apologize.” He bowed deeply. “I shall leave you and your lady be, and will spread word through the forest that you are to be left alone.”
“I appreciate it. Thank you.”
The ogre bowed deeply once more and left the way he had come. The Prince grasped Rose’s hand in his, and the two went forward. Finally, they came to the very tree where Rose had spent the night in the woods, surrounded by her brothers, where she had met the fairy of the wood. Her Prince stood guard at the base of the tree and Rose began to climb the tree, though less easily as she had before, until she reached the familiar branch. Once there, she settled with the golden apple in her hands. The fairy of the wood appeared soon after.
“Ah, little one, you have done well,” the fairy said, taking the apple from her. “Go, go to your father’s house. There you will find everything set to rights.”
Rose could hardly thank the fairy before she was scrambling down the tree. She grabbed her Prince by the hand and ran the whole way to her father’s house. Once there, she found her brothers in the hard, returned to their human forms. They embraced her and kissed her and were introduced to her Prince.
The brothers told her that, as of the breaking of the enchantment, their stepmother had fallen down dead and turned at once to ashes. Their father had then regained his health and planned to raise their stepbrother, now nearly six years old, on his own. Rose was taken inside to be reunited with her father and introduced to her new brother.
The Prince decided they should all accompany him back to his father’s castle, and so they packed up and followed him to the castle. Once there, his father, the King, was overjoyed to be reunited with his son, who had, after all, been enchanted years ago by the evil sorceress. Rose and the Prince were married the very next day, and her six brothers who had been doves were married to the Prince’s six sisters, and as I have not heard otherwise, they may be dancing still.
(I did get fussed at for the dragon.)
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-11 06:11 pm (UTC)