Fables

By Zorya

 

The woman’s voice was full and rich, soft and sweet. It was lulling and comforting and had the tendency to lilt when she was tired. Her voice caressed every subtle nuance in the words she spoke, enthralling her audience to no end. She was captivating. And when she laughed, it was with her entire heart. Her eyes lit up and her smile brightened and a choir of angels could not have produced a more heavenly sound.

"Tell me a story," the little girl, with the dark ringlets that bounced with every movement, commanded of the woman. Her dark eyes snapped with mirth and intelligence as she snuggled down into the thick blankets of her bed. When everyone was gone, she liked to burrow beneath the blankets and pretend it was her own fort that only she could protect from all of the monsters that inhabited the night.

But before she slept, she had to hear the story. It was a special story. The young girl knew it by heart. Every night the woman came to her, and every night she begged her to tell the story once again. It was romantic and fantastic, but that was not the only reason she liked to hear the story. She liked listening to the woman’s voice. It made her feel safe and secure. Nothing could harm her when the woman was weaving her fable.

The woman smiled with ease as she sat down on the edge of the girl’s bed. As she tucked the blankets tightly around the child, the story poured forth from her lips, her voice as gentle and wistful as ever.

"Once upon a time," she began, "in a land far, far away, there lived a fairy princess."

"And she was beautiful, with long golden hair and sparkling emerald eyes. She was so beautiful that even the Sun was blinded by her light. And so jealous was the Day, that they banished her magic to the Night."

The woman’s tinkling laughter sounded and she tapped the little girl’s nose.

"Just who is telling this story, hmmm?"

The girl’s eyes widened innocently and she batted her eyelashes. With a rueful grin, the woman continued, her hushed tone spinning a web of magic around them and enfolding them in the wonder of this new realm.

"Where was I? Oh yes. The fairy princess. She was beautiful. And pure. Her purity and goodness repelled all that were evil in the kingdom. And so for many years she protected the kingdom from the creatures of the Night, under a veil of anonymity. You see, if the King and Queen were to find out that their kingdom was protected by the magic of the fairy princess, she would have been put to death. For magic of any kind was seen to be evil in their eyes."

"But why?" the little girl asked. Every night she heard the story, and every night she asked the same questions.

"Because," the woman said. "They could not understand how special the princess was. You see, they did not know of the evil forces at work in their kingdom. They knew of odd occurrences, of course. But they chose to blind themselves to the evil. However, had her magic been discovered, surely the princess would be blamed. It’s always easy to lay fault at the feet of those who are different from you. Remember that."

The young girl worked her arm free of the covers and took hold of the woman’s hand, holding it lightly in her own. It was impossible to tell if she was seeking comfort or seeking to comfort.

The woman continued her story. "Of course, the princess had help."

"From a wood nymph and a gnome," the child offered helpfully.

The woman chuckled huskily. "Yes, from a lovely wood nymph, and brave hearted little gnome. They were her dearest friends. All together they fought the evil, and together they were invincible. The fairy princess began to think she could be happy once again."

"But then she met him," the little girl said, a dreamy look flooding her soft brown eyes.

The woman watched as the romantic notions floated through the young girl’s head. "Yes," she admitted quietly. "Then she met him. And who was he?" she asked, a smile in her voice.

"The Prince of Darkness," the child said matter of factly.

"That he was. He - "

"He was a handsome man, with dark hair and dark haunted eyes. And though he was of evil, his tortured soul cried out to the princess, and she loved him."

"Methinks I’ve told this story one too many times," the woman said chidingly as she squeezed the girl’s hand lightly.

"No, no. I’ll be quiet," she gushed hurriedly, not wanting the woman to stop.

With a shake of her head, the woman began once again. "She loved him. So deeply that he encompassed her entire world. And he loved her just as much. And the princess became so happy once again, that the Night became as jealous of her as the Sun had been, and so the Night took her love away. The Night made the prince evil once again, and the princess had no choice but to use her magic upon him. The princess was heart broken, and so she ran away from the kingdom, vowing never to return."

The child could not hold back her excitement. "But how could she leave?

Wouldn’t the evil take over without her to fight it?"

"Yes," she said solemnly. "For hundreds of years the kingdom was plunged into darkness without the princess’ goodness. And the nymph and the gnome were so sad without her. But still, the princess did not come back. She roamed the lands and saw how sad the other kingdoms were. There was no place that she visited that could make her happy, and she mourned the loss of her love. Since there was nowhere else to turn, she finally returned to the kingdom."

"Were they happy to see her again?"

"Well, yes and no. When the princess returned, her friends made it seem as if they were able to fight the evil and protect the kingdom without her. That made the princess feel horrible and useless. But her friends were only upset that she had been gone so long."

"They made up though, didn’t they?" the girl asked hopefully. No matter how many times she heard the story, it sucked her in and caused a sense of wonderment each time.

The woman smiled. "Of course they did. Soon, they were all working together again and the kingdom was a happy place once more. But the princess still mourned her love. One night, she returned to the place that she had killed him. She cried and promised to love him forever, but admitted to herself that she had to let his memory go. But after she left, the most amazing thing happened. The Night, whom we all know is more appeasing than the Day, returned her love to her."

"And they lived happily ever after?" the little girl questioned. This was as far as the story ever got; the woman always refused to answer her questions beyond this. In her opinion, it was a cruel thing to do. It was with little hope that she expected to get an answer.

The woman watched her closely. "Do you really wish to know, little one?" she asked softly, her voice like a gentle breeze.

"Yes," her answer was immediate.

"Okay then. No, they didn’t live happily ever after." She watched as the little girl’s face fell. She could almost feel as the walls of the wonderland the girl had created for herself came tumbling down.

"But...but he came back to her. They’re supposed to live happily ever after," she whispered sadly.

"Perhaps. But it doesn’t always happen that way. However, if you want me to finish the story, maybe you’ll find that it doesn’t end so badly after all."

The young girl nodded, but only halfheartedly. What use was it if the prince and the princess didn’t live happily ever after?

"The prince loved his princess so much that he was afraid. Afraid that he would hurt her again. Afraid that he could never make her happy. And so he left her. Once again the princess’ heart was cast into despair."

"That was mean of him," she pouted. "If he loved her so much, how could he leave her?"

"Well," the woman said. "He thought she would live a better life without him. He was part evil, after all. But there was something the prince didn’t know."

"What was that?" the child asked grudgingly.

The woman’s eyes lit up with laughter. "He didn’t know how stubborn the princess could be. She followed him, much to his surprise. Now, the prince was a strong man. But he could never deny his princess. So guess what?"

"What?"

"They...were married. And they lived Happily. Ever. After. For the most part."

The girl smiled. "For the most part?"

The woman nodded. "Yes. There were a few times the princess had to correct her prince. But they loved each other all the same. Their hearts and souls were joined for eternity. And guess what else?" the woman asked, her voice beginning to lilt and slow.

"What else?" she asked happily.

"They had a little girl. With big brown eyes and curly black hair," she said as she leaned down and kissed the girl’s forehead.

"Just like me," she giggled.

"Just. Like. You," the woman said as she retucked the girl back into bed. "Now, it’s time for all good little girls to be asleep. Sweet dreams, darling." Her voice floated through the darkness as she flipped the light switch and stepped into the hallway.

"How’s my Fairy Princess?" the deep timbre of a male voice sounded behind her. Strong arms wrapped tightly around her and she leaned into the broad expanse of his hard chest.

"Sleepy," she murmured dreamily. Her body swayed slightly as she placed her hands atop his. "Isn’t she an angel?" she asked as they looked in on their daughter from the hall. She was curled up amidst the mounds of blankets and pillows, looking every bit the little nymph.

"Just like her mother," Angel whispered as he dipped his head forward, his lips brushing against her ear.

"Mmmmm. And I guess she gets that feisty spirit from you, hmmm?" Buffy asked playfully.

"Nope," he mumbled as he trailed light kisses over the slender curve of her neck. "I’d have to say her, what is it -- stubborn nature—comes from you also." His voice was a mixture of desire and amusement.

"Do you always eavesdrop on private conversations?" Buffy queried with feigned indignation.

"Only when you’re extolling my many virtues as the Prince of Darkness."

Buffy swatted at him. "You’re incorrigible."

"And you’re delectable," Angel grinned at her without remorse.

She pursed her lips and leaned forward to quietly shut the bedroom door.

"Race you upstairs?" she whispered impishly.

As she listened to her parents pad upstairs, Angelina smiled within the confines of her fort. They definitely lived happily ever after.

The End

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