The Ugly Prince

A Fairy in Disguse

She was nearly home, the sun nearly completely set as darkness began to descend the sky. Coming out of the woods into the clearing at the back of her house, she wore a smile on her face; a greater one then she had ever had before after meeting him on the way home. For he staying in the mortal realm to continue to see her, near the small thin trees by the side of the house, she childishly held the thin trees and proceeded to spin around them dancing to the next spinning around again while she thought of him. Coming at the corner of her house she peeked around the corner facing the open clearing of village looking for any of the villagers still roaming about and found none around, as every other house was alight with life filled with lively activity with the chimneys smoking continuously. With the coast clear she came around the corner to the front of her house, going up the stairs to her porch and through the door into the house closing the door behind her. She was greeted by her mother who poked her head out of the doorway with a smile on her face welcoming her back home, telling her that supper was almost ready Juliana smiled back and nodded and said that she would be in her room to clean herself up. Taking a step towards her room she stopped and noticed that her father had yet to poke his head out of the doorway with her mother welcoming her back home. Doing what her mother often liked to do, she poked her head into the front room while her mother was walking back into the kitchen. Her eyes staring at the vacant armchair and the empty seat around the table finding him nowhere in sight, “where’s father?” she asked her mother with a quizzical look on her face as her mother spun around to look at her.

“He and the men thought it better to spend an extra hour to chop some more wood for the winter. Everyone believes it might be a bad one this year. But don’t worry he should be home soon” her mother replied with a smile as she turned round towards the kitchen.

Coming back into the passage way Juliana made her way to her room taking off her cloak as she got to her door hanging it over her arm. She opened the door stepping inside, the last of the day illuminating the room. “You know, I really like it here” came a voice that sounded intrigued and cheery.

Her head shot up instantly, her mouth a gap with shock and startled surprise until the panic made her work again as she hushed with panic urgency, “W- W- W- Winnie!” she stammered “what are you doing here?”

Winnie stood in the middle of the room, her bare reddened and muddy feet on the wooden floor, as Juliana could see the many muddy footprints trail back from the wide open window to the middle of the room. Winnie’s eyes travelled around every speck of the room almost in a trance like state, unable to hear Juliana until she spotted the bed, and without a moment to waste she jumped onto the bed landing on her belly first; as she bounced on the springy mattress, her face snuggling in and against the soft white fluffy pillows inhaling its freshness and indulging in its softness. Her feet wavering across the bed slightly dirtying the white blankets with trails of smudged mud, finding pleasure in its comfort and warmness she gave out a content almost goofy moan of delight hiding her face in the pillows. “This is nice” she said her voice slightly muffled by the pillows.

Taking care not to slam the door behind her as she shut it, concealing them both in the privacy of her room, her hand still on the door handle she called out her name in an urgent hushed voice trying to gain her attention “Winnie?!”