09-20-2019, 04:11 PM
I wasn't born into a childhood filled with fairytales and happily ever afters. Whatever capacity my mother had once had for that sort of thing, it had been used up on my brothers. Maybe my sister's death had crushed the last bit of whimsy she'd been capable of.
I'm the youngest, the baby of the family. Traditionally, the one doted on. A little treasure. I can't even imagine what that would have been like. Sure, I had my brothers, eventually. They did their best with me, I suppose. But by the time they interceded, the damage was done.
I realized that knights in shining armour were not my lot in life. If I was going to do anything in life, it'd be under my own power, damn anyone else who got in my way. I was learning that not all princesses get happily ever afters handed to them. Some princesses take their stories by force, and I guess that's who get condemned to be called "evil queen" long after their sins fade into legend.
I didn't care if others found me evil, or heartless. I don't think I ever will. Playing the villan is much more fun than anything they could find acceptable. My script is the one I write for myself, and it's not one decorated with shining fairies and dewy eyed maidens. That's likely why I ignored the light when I saw it at first.
It was there, in the corner of my sight as I grazed the thick grasses filling in the landscape I had begun to settle into. It hadn't been an easy transition, and the last thing I needed was more kingdom nonsense. There was also the niggling idea in the back of my mind that this was it. The onset of my mother's madness come to call. She often saw things that weren't there, called out to long dead horses when she couldn't sleep. This could well be the start of it.
Fear gripped my heart as the light stayed in sight, not vanishing like I'd hoped it would. Now I looked at it full on, forgetting my occupation with filling my belly, and instead feeling my old friend anger begin to prick my throat. I would not be intimidated by a glowing whisp of light!
"What do you want?" I growled at it, not really expecting any answer. And I didn't really get one. The light just bobbed and shimmered, drifting a few feet away. "Oh, don't be cute." My eyes rolled as the light throbbed in a way I'm sure was meant to be tantalizing. Experimentally, I stepped closer. As predicted, the light bobbed away just as far as I'd closed the gap. Oh boy. It was going to be one of those days.
Looking around me, I realized I didn't have any real reason not to follow it. No friends, no family. As usual, I was alone. As usual, no one would miss me. Why not, then? Another step, another annoyingly cute jiggle of light. God's, I really must be crazy. But here we go, off into the wild blue yonder. Just me and a self satisfied ball of pixie dust.
And what a merry chase I'm lead. Like, a stupidly long way before I'm ready to give up, but by then it's too late. I haven't got a clue where it's lead me, and even if I flew high enough to orient myself, the sun set a few minutes ago. I wouldn't see a damn thing that could be useful. "You did that on purpose." I groused to it, stepping hesitantly over the now overgrown earth. There's no path to speak of anymore, just the narrow circle of light the whisp casts to guide my way. It could be lead off a cliff and I wouldn't see it coming until it was too late.
But there are no cliffs, or deep bogs. No sudden falls or hidden traps. Just eerie silence that I break with ever more nervous comments and the dull hum of magic getting stronger on the air. I hardly notice until the glowwing orb suddenly halts, spinning its ball of light until I stop too. Patiently, it holds position while I look around, and take in the murky midnight view.
My eyes are adjusted by now to the dimness, and I can make out the field of spiring stones I've been lead through. It is a hopeless maze, and I get the sick feeling I won't be getting out the same way I came in. An anxious twitch of my wings betrays the sudden return of my earlier fears. This was a stupid, stupid thing to do.
Turning to the light, I pin my ears to my head, half expecting ambush now that we've stopped. But before I can fly at it, try to stamp out its insubstantial light, it bobs again, and drifts through a gap between two stones. It doesn't reappear on the other side. Cursing the dark and my own gullibility, I edge nearer to its vanishing point, starting at the stones it slipped between.
This is no accidental fall of rock. It is a henge of ancient grey stone, overgrown with lichen and moss, the carefully placed edges softened with age. There might have once been things carved into the surface, but now only faint smudges remain to suggest it, and the hum that's been growing since we arrived now brings a chill to my spine as I become aware of it.
This is no mortal place, and I am far out of any depth I thought I had. But my only guide has vanished through what I now see is a gateway, and I am running out of options. I can see the stones and scrubby plants beyond the henge, and maybe this is all some bizarre dream, and I'll wake up disoriented and crabby, but none the worsev for the wear. Or maybe this is real, and a challenge, and I will come away from it greater than I entered. Or I could die, I guess. Only one way to find out.
Step by step, I hold my breath as the old stones rise over me. I don't come out on the other side.
I'm the youngest, the baby of the family. Traditionally, the one doted on. A little treasure. I can't even imagine what that would have been like. Sure, I had my brothers, eventually. They did their best with me, I suppose. But by the time they interceded, the damage was done.
I realized that knights in shining armour were not my lot in life. If I was going to do anything in life, it'd be under my own power, damn anyone else who got in my way. I was learning that not all princesses get happily ever afters handed to them. Some princesses take their stories by force, and I guess that's who get condemned to be called "evil queen" long after their sins fade into legend.
I didn't care if others found me evil, or heartless. I don't think I ever will. Playing the villan is much more fun than anything they could find acceptable. My script is the one I write for myself, and it's not one decorated with shining fairies and dewy eyed maidens. That's likely why I ignored the light when I saw it at first.
It was there, in the corner of my sight as I grazed the thick grasses filling in the landscape I had begun to settle into. It hadn't been an easy transition, and the last thing I needed was more kingdom nonsense. There was also the niggling idea in the back of my mind that this was it. The onset of my mother's madness come to call. She often saw things that weren't there, called out to long dead horses when she couldn't sleep. This could well be the start of it.
Fear gripped my heart as the light stayed in sight, not vanishing like I'd hoped it would. Now I looked at it full on, forgetting my occupation with filling my belly, and instead feeling my old friend anger begin to prick my throat. I would not be intimidated by a glowing whisp of light!
"What do you want?" I growled at it, not really expecting any answer. And I didn't really get one. The light just bobbed and shimmered, drifting a few feet away. "Oh, don't be cute." My eyes rolled as the light throbbed in a way I'm sure was meant to be tantalizing. Experimentally, I stepped closer. As predicted, the light bobbed away just as far as I'd closed the gap. Oh boy. It was going to be one of those days.
Looking around me, I realized I didn't have any real reason not to follow it. No friends, no family. As usual, I was alone. As usual, no one would miss me. Why not, then? Another step, another annoyingly cute jiggle of light. God's, I really must be crazy. But here we go, off into the wild blue yonder. Just me and a self satisfied ball of pixie dust.
And what a merry chase I'm lead. Like, a stupidly long way before I'm ready to give up, but by then it's too late. I haven't got a clue where it's lead me, and even if I flew high enough to orient myself, the sun set a few minutes ago. I wouldn't see a damn thing that could be useful. "You did that on purpose." I groused to it, stepping hesitantly over the now overgrown earth. There's no path to speak of anymore, just the narrow circle of light the whisp casts to guide my way. It could be lead off a cliff and I wouldn't see it coming until it was too late.
But there are no cliffs, or deep bogs. No sudden falls or hidden traps. Just eerie silence that I break with ever more nervous comments and the dull hum of magic getting stronger on the air. I hardly notice until the glowwing orb suddenly halts, spinning its ball of light until I stop too. Patiently, it holds position while I look around, and take in the murky midnight view.
My eyes are adjusted by now to the dimness, and I can make out the field of spiring stones I've been lead through. It is a hopeless maze, and I get the sick feeling I won't be getting out the same way I came in. An anxious twitch of my wings betrays the sudden return of my earlier fears. This was a stupid, stupid thing to do.
Turning to the light, I pin my ears to my head, half expecting ambush now that we've stopped. But before I can fly at it, try to stamp out its insubstantial light, it bobs again, and drifts through a gap between two stones. It doesn't reappear on the other side. Cursing the dark and my own gullibility, I edge nearer to its vanishing point, starting at the stones it slipped between.
This is no accidental fall of rock. It is a henge of ancient grey stone, overgrown with lichen and moss, the carefully placed edges softened with age. There might have once been things carved into the surface, but now only faint smudges remain to suggest it, and the hum that's been growing since we arrived now brings a chill to my spine as I become aware of it.
This is no mortal place, and I am far out of any depth I thought I had. But my only guide has vanished through what I now see is a gateway, and I am running out of options. I can see the stones and scrubby plants beyond the henge, and maybe this is all some bizarre dream, and I'll wake up disoriented and crabby, but none the worsev for the wear. Or maybe this is real, and a challenge, and I will come away from it greater than I entered. Or I could die, I guess. Only one way to find out.
Step by step, I hold my breath as the old stones rise over me. I don't come out on the other side.