For Brandie
Mar. 25th, 2007 01:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
maderrLong long long overdue drabble (though at three pages more of a ficlet...). From a fairytale I've not looked at for ages, but love love love to bits. One of my personal favs ^__^
I hope you enjoy, Sweets, when you are recovered from your hangover. <3
“You are a mere boy,” the Princess said curtly. “I asked for a great magician.”
The young man smiled patiently and swept the Princess an elegant bow. “Princess, I assure you that looks can be deceiving. You summoned a great magician and I appear before you. Tell me of your desire and I shall prove my worth.”
Ignoring the words, the Princess merely continued to stare doubtfully.
Too young, too pretty. She wished she were able to seduce the boy. Those soft-looking gold curls, the sparkling blue eyes, fair skin just barely kissed by the sun…the way the simple clothing clung…beautiful enough to be with her but not outshine – as if anyone could. Oh, yes, if she was not on her way to seduce a fat, rich king that boy would be in her bed ere the sun had set.
“I cannot see how one such as you could be a great magician,” she finally said.
“Highness, there are many who say they do not see how you could be a Queen. As I said before, looks can be deceiving. Tell me of your need, and if I fail to ease it then you may have me put to death.”
“Very well,” the Princess said at last, then snapped her fingers at the guards. They vanished, appearing moments later carrying a table upon which was carefully laid out bits of shattered mirror. “This was a family heirloom for years upon years,” the Princess said. “It was destroyed by my great-great grandmother. I would like you to repair it, that I might have the strength of my family when I journey to my new home.”
The magician frowned deeply, looking troubled. “A magic mirror, Highness? If you will permit me, such things are better left destroyed.”
“That is not for you to say,” the Princess said icily. “Need I remind you that you swore to fix it or suffer execution?”
A coldness settled over the magician’s face. “Madame, I assure you, a magician never forgets the bargains he strikes. We made a deal, I will fulfill my end. I merely seek to warn you that if you repair and use this mirror, it will be the death of you.”
The Princess laughed. “Ridiculous. Restore my mirror to its full glory, magician. I grow impatient.”
“As you wish, Princess.” He pulled a silver dagger from his belt. “I will need your blood, as it was the blood of your family which made it.”
Eying him suspiciously, the Princess never the less gathered the folds of her blood red gown and climbed down the steps of her throne to join him at the table. She presented her hand, expressionless and unmoving as the magician delicately slit her palm, then turned it so that the blood spattered across several of the broke shards. “Thank you, Princess,” he said, then began to fit together what pieces he could, muttering softly, almost humming.
For a moment everything seemed to shimmer, blur – then before her stood the Great Mirror that had once hung proudly in the private rooms of every Princess and Queen of her bloodline. “Yes,” she breathed softly, reaching out to touch the silvery mirror, admire the reflection of her own dark and perfect beauty.
“You will pay…” the magician said slowly.
“Yes, yes,” the Princess said impatiently. “You are, as you promised, a great magician. What do you seek in recompense for this deed?”
“I would take your Highness’s cat in payment.”
The Princess looked up, brows drawing together in confusion. She looked to the window that overlooked her private garden, knowing her ginger cat was down there somewhere stalking birds and butterflies. The dratted thing had been there for years, refusing to leave. “By all means, take the thing.”
The magician swept another graceful bow. “My thanks, Princess. Blessings be upon your pending wedding.”
“Yes,” the Princess said absently, barely noticing when the magician vanished, softly whispering the old words to activate the magic in the mirror.
It was only much later that she realized she’d never learned the magician’s name.
The magician appeared in a large field through which cut a wide creek. Tucked into the bend of it was an old, ramshackle millhouse.
In front of the millhouse stood an old miller, wrinkled and brown from years of hard labor, but with an easy smile upon his face.
He spoke to a tall, slender man, dressed entirely in black, made so that there was not a stitch of extraneous fabric anywhere. His features were sharp, pointed, like the blade of a sword, softened only slightly by his hair, slightly overlong in the front but cut extremely short otherwise. Without hair to hide beneath, the fine point of his ears was plain as day, sunlight gleaming on the gold hoop pierced just below the point of his right ear.
Both the men turned as the magician drew close. The old miller gave him a friendly, excited smile. The tall, dark figure smile warmly and held out a hand as the magician drew close, bending to kiss him softly. “Auri.”
“Pel,” Aurelius said with a warm smile of his own.
Pel gently pet the cat purring contentedly in Aurelius’s arms. “I see you were successful.”
Aurelius grimaced. “Yes, though I dislike that I had to restore that mirror.”
“Such is the way of things,” Pel said gently. “All things play a part, and all will be as it should be in time.”
“Yes,” Aurelius said softly. He handed the cat to the old man. “As promised, good sir. Something to watch over and protect your youngest son when you are no longer here to do so. We promise he will always be looked after.”
The old man accepted the cat, nodding even though it was clear he was puzzled. “I admit I fail to see how a wee little cat can protect my son from his brothers…but I asked for help and accept it most gratefully. Thank you.” He bowed to each of them. “How might I repay you gentleman?”
Pel smiled faintly. “At this time, we will collect nothing. The cat will remember the debt, and repay it in time.”
In the old man’s arms, the cat opened his eyes, which were a bright, piercing green, and gave a quiet mew.
Aurelius laughed. “Yes, the cat will repay it in time. He is your family now, and the debt is the family’s to repay. Our job is done, we bid you peace and farewell.”
“Farewell,” the old man said.
The two vanished, reappearing in a thick, dark forest. Aurelius immediately turned as slender but strong arms wrapped around his waist, twining his own around Pel’s neck, humming at the slow, burning kiss his lover bestowed upon him. He smiled teasingly when they finally broke apart. “Have I been a good assistant today, Pel?”
Pel smiled as though quietly amused by some silent joke. “You are a perfect partner, my golden prince, and you well know it.”
Auri laughed and took another kiss before simply resting against his lover and fellow magician, relaxing completely as long, elegant fingers stroked his back, his shoulders, enjoying the quiet of the forest and his lover’s steady heartbeat. He’d never felt like this back when he’d been a prince. This complete and utter contentment. This rightness. As much as he still and would always miss his mother and the people he’d once known…he belonged with Rumpelstiltskin.
“So what do you suppose we will be asked to do next?”
Pel closed his eyes, listening to the call of spells long laid, for the sound of someone in need of magic. “I hear something from the ocean,” he said, even as Auri heard the same. “Shall we?”
“Yes,” Auri said, and hand in hand with his lover, they vanished.
I hope you enjoy, Sweets, when you are recovered from your hangover. <3
“You are a mere boy,” the Princess said curtly. “I asked for a great magician.”
The young man smiled patiently and swept the Princess an elegant bow. “Princess, I assure you that looks can be deceiving. You summoned a great magician and I appear before you. Tell me of your desire and I shall prove my worth.”
Ignoring the words, the Princess merely continued to stare doubtfully.
Too young, too pretty. She wished she were able to seduce the boy. Those soft-looking gold curls, the sparkling blue eyes, fair skin just barely kissed by the sun…the way the simple clothing clung…beautiful enough to be with her but not outshine – as if anyone could. Oh, yes, if she was not on her way to seduce a fat, rich king that boy would be in her bed ere the sun had set.
“I cannot see how one such as you could be a great magician,” she finally said.
“Highness, there are many who say they do not see how you could be a Queen. As I said before, looks can be deceiving. Tell me of your need, and if I fail to ease it then you may have me put to death.”
“Very well,” the Princess said at last, then snapped her fingers at the guards. They vanished, appearing moments later carrying a table upon which was carefully laid out bits of shattered mirror. “This was a family heirloom for years upon years,” the Princess said. “It was destroyed by my great-great grandmother. I would like you to repair it, that I might have the strength of my family when I journey to my new home.”
The magician frowned deeply, looking troubled. “A magic mirror, Highness? If you will permit me, such things are better left destroyed.”
“That is not for you to say,” the Princess said icily. “Need I remind you that you swore to fix it or suffer execution?”
A coldness settled over the magician’s face. “Madame, I assure you, a magician never forgets the bargains he strikes. We made a deal, I will fulfill my end. I merely seek to warn you that if you repair and use this mirror, it will be the death of you.”
The Princess laughed. “Ridiculous. Restore my mirror to its full glory, magician. I grow impatient.”
“As you wish, Princess.” He pulled a silver dagger from his belt. “I will need your blood, as it was the blood of your family which made it.”
Eying him suspiciously, the Princess never the less gathered the folds of her blood red gown and climbed down the steps of her throne to join him at the table. She presented her hand, expressionless and unmoving as the magician delicately slit her palm, then turned it so that the blood spattered across several of the broke shards. “Thank you, Princess,” he said, then began to fit together what pieces he could, muttering softly, almost humming.
For a moment everything seemed to shimmer, blur – then before her stood the Great Mirror that had once hung proudly in the private rooms of every Princess and Queen of her bloodline. “Yes,” she breathed softly, reaching out to touch the silvery mirror, admire the reflection of her own dark and perfect beauty.
“You will pay…” the magician said slowly.
“Yes, yes,” the Princess said impatiently. “You are, as you promised, a great magician. What do you seek in recompense for this deed?”
“I would take your Highness’s cat in payment.”
The Princess looked up, brows drawing together in confusion. She looked to the window that overlooked her private garden, knowing her ginger cat was down there somewhere stalking birds and butterflies. The dratted thing had been there for years, refusing to leave. “By all means, take the thing.”
The magician swept another graceful bow. “My thanks, Princess. Blessings be upon your pending wedding.”
“Yes,” the Princess said absently, barely noticing when the magician vanished, softly whispering the old words to activate the magic in the mirror.
It was only much later that she realized she’d never learned the magician’s name.
The magician appeared in a large field through which cut a wide creek. Tucked into the bend of it was an old, ramshackle millhouse.
In front of the millhouse stood an old miller, wrinkled and brown from years of hard labor, but with an easy smile upon his face.
He spoke to a tall, slender man, dressed entirely in black, made so that there was not a stitch of extraneous fabric anywhere. His features were sharp, pointed, like the blade of a sword, softened only slightly by his hair, slightly overlong in the front but cut extremely short otherwise. Without hair to hide beneath, the fine point of his ears was plain as day, sunlight gleaming on the gold hoop pierced just below the point of his right ear.
Both the men turned as the magician drew close. The old miller gave him a friendly, excited smile. The tall, dark figure smile warmly and held out a hand as the magician drew close, bending to kiss him softly. “Auri.”
“Pel,” Aurelius said with a warm smile of his own.
Pel gently pet the cat purring contentedly in Aurelius’s arms. “I see you were successful.”
Aurelius grimaced. “Yes, though I dislike that I had to restore that mirror.”
“Such is the way of things,” Pel said gently. “All things play a part, and all will be as it should be in time.”
“Yes,” Aurelius said softly. He handed the cat to the old man. “As promised, good sir. Something to watch over and protect your youngest son when you are no longer here to do so. We promise he will always be looked after.”
The old man accepted the cat, nodding even though it was clear he was puzzled. “I admit I fail to see how a wee little cat can protect my son from his brothers…but I asked for help and accept it most gratefully. Thank you.” He bowed to each of them. “How might I repay you gentleman?”
Pel smiled faintly. “At this time, we will collect nothing. The cat will remember the debt, and repay it in time.”
In the old man’s arms, the cat opened his eyes, which were a bright, piercing green, and gave a quiet mew.
Aurelius laughed. “Yes, the cat will repay it in time. He is your family now, and the debt is the family’s to repay. Our job is done, we bid you peace and farewell.”
“Farewell,” the old man said.
The two vanished, reappearing in a thick, dark forest. Aurelius immediately turned as slender but strong arms wrapped around his waist, twining his own around Pel’s neck, humming at the slow, burning kiss his lover bestowed upon him. He smiled teasingly when they finally broke apart. “Have I been a good assistant today, Pel?”
Pel smiled as though quietly amused by some silent joke. “You are a perfect partner, my golden prince, and you well know it.”
Auri laughed and took another kiss before simply resting against his lover and fellow magician, relaxing completely as long, elegant fingers stroked his back, his shoulders, enjoying the quiet of the forest and his lover’s steady heartbeat. He’d never felt like this back when he’d been a prince. This complete and utter contentment. This rightness. As much as he still and would always miss his mother and the people he’d once known…he belonged with Rumpelstiltskin.
“So what do you suppose we will be asked to do next?”
Pel closed his eyes, listening to the call of spells long laid, for the sound of someone in need of magic. “I hear something from the ocean,” he said, even as Auri heard the same. “Shall we?”
“Yes,” Auri said, and hand in hand with his lover, they vanished.
no subject
Date: 2007-03-25 06:27 pm (UTC)