The Princess in the Dawn: Part 1

Just a short little fairytale I wrote a while back when I was reading George MacDonald's stuff. Enjoy!

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The Princess in the Dawn

Once long ago, there was a King and Queen in a far off land, who desired to have a son, for their kingdom was at war and they feared the king would be slain in battle. But after many years of marriage they were still childless. They sought every physician, wise man, and wizard out and offered them all great rewards if they could find a way for the Queen to give birth. All tried and all failed until finally the King and Queen turned to the Fairy Queen of the Forest. But they were fearful in asking for they knew that a fairy can seldom be trusted.

The King and Queen walked through the Enchanted Forest into the domain of the Fairy Queen, where strange lights flickered in the eternal twilight and all manner of creatures flitted about the trees on gossamer wings. And finally they reached the court of the Fairy Queen at the very heart of the forest.

There at a sacred pool, surrounded by veils of flowers and mist was a throne, carved from the very roots of a gigantic weeping willow. The silvery green branches were parted to form a curtain on either side of the throne, while all around the throne were flowers as tall as a man, with heads that glowed with magic like fire.

The Queen sat upon her throne, in a dress made of white lily petals stitched together by the delicate hands of small pixies with spider silk, so that the white dress glittered in the moon and flower light. Her hair was black like the night, with two eyes so blue they were almost violet. And around her neck she wore a single thin chain of pure silver, set with a shining star.

“Your Highnesses, why have you come to my domain?” She asked in a regal voice.

“We come because we have no other hope.” answered the king.

“Ahhh. I have heard of your problem. It seems inconceivable that you majesties should be affected by such a horrible malady.” The Fairy Queen grinned wickedly as she spoke.

“Please, Your Excellency, if you can help us. I beg you!” The barren Queen cried.

“Very well.” The Fairy Queen spoke as she curled her fingers around a vine that had grown about them as she had been speaking. “Here, take this seed. Plant it in the full moon’s light and you shall have a child. But be forewarned, you must love the child no matter what, for the child will have a special purpose in the world. If you do not, you will regret it forever.”

“We will always love him no matter what.” The King said resolutely as he saw the Fairy Queen pluck a seed from the ivy and step down from her throne.

“Hmm. We shall see.” She said facing both, and gave the seed to the Queen. “Remember, plant the seed in full moon’s light only.”

The King and Queen departed, and soon found themselves out of the forest, guided by the invisible servants of the Fairy Queen. And so the King and Queen retuned to the castle. When they arrived the full moon was descending to the earth, the stars still shining in the blue sky of morning.

“Hurry! Hurry! We must plant the seed before the moon sets!” The King cried.

“My Husband, we won’t make it. Let us wait a month until the next full moon comes and then we will plant the seed.” The Queen cautioned as they hurried into the castle.

“No! We can still make it in time!” called the King as he ran to the garden.

King and Queen reached the garden as the sky was turning from blue to violet and the edge of the moon’s disk was touching the rim of the world. The King dug into the soft dirt and made a hole, reaching up he grabbed the seed from the Queen and planted it. As the earth filled the hole, the moon had just barely dipped behind the western horizon and the sun had just peaked over the east.

The King and Queen stood in silence as they watched and waited, both filled with dread as the light of the sun and moon mixed over the small mound. They were concerned that the sun had risen just as the seed was planted. But nothing happened and so they went away, each with their troubles and thoughts. And the seed sprouted and a flower, like the shining ones in the Fairy Queen’s court, began to grow.

It grew for three years. Then in the third year, the flower suddenly wilted and died one morning in dawns’ early hours. And when the gardener and guard who had been set to watch it came to report it to the King and Queen they found the Queen in her bedchamber with a new born baby. All the kingdom rejoiced. The Queen had given birth to a baby girl.

They named her Princess Lily, and she grew fast for a small girl. By her fourth birthday she was alike in size, stature, mind, and emotions of that of a girl twice her age. The years passed and Lily grew into a beautiful woman. Then on her birthday when she was seventeen in mind, body, and spirit, a stranger came to the castle. It was an old, blind, woman garbed in black who was a servant of the Fairy Queen.

“Why have you come into our courts?” asked the King in anger.

“My Lord, I am a servant of the Fairy Queen, the one who gave you your daughter.” spoke the blind seer.

“You are not welcome here!” called the King whose wrath had been kindled against the old woman.

“My Lord, please, let me only do my Mistress’ bidding, to see to the heir she has provided you.” the old woman spoke slowly.

“Ha! Begone hag! If you could see with your sightless eyes you would know that I have no heir! Your Queen tricked me! She gave me a daughter when I desired a son! Now be off with you!”

And so the hag left the King’s courts and retuned to her Mistress’ forest, taking the shape of a white stag. Then she told the Fairy Queen all of the King’s words, and of how he had spoken of his daughter and of the Fairy Queen. Then the Queen took the guise of the old woman and retuned to the castle.

“Why have you retuned!? Did I not tell you to begone!?” The King fumed.

“O Foolish King, I did not believe the word of my servant and have come to see myself if you are truly as foolish as I have heard. Verily you have made an error today you will regret for the rest of your days.” She said stepping from her disguise into her full glory and light.

“I was foolish? I was foolish to ever trust you scheming sprites!” the King called without thinking. “Where is the promised son? You have given me nothing but a worthless daughter!”

The Fairy Queen stared at the King wordlessly, and simply walked out of the door. The next day, the King went hunting. As he was chasing a large boar with his huntsman and dogs it escaped and wearily he sat by a pool and drank deeply of it. A sleep came over him and soon he was snoring soundly on the grass. When he awoke the magic fairy water had done its work and he had been changed into a boar and his hounds were ever drawn to his scent. So he was forced to run for the rest of his life from his own hounds, haunted by his thoughtless words and selfish thoughts.

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