History of Fictitious: Volume Two

Story #2-Prick of a Finger (Told by the Scribe of Legend)

A beautiful child was born to a fair queen and king. This queen and king were the leaders of the high kingdom Avani. It was their first and only child to be born. The doctors claimed the child's birth was a miracle.

To celebrate the birth, they invited twelve notable leaders throughout the united land, sea, and sky. The guestlist included three humans, two merpeople, three fairies, two elves, and two centaurs.The two elves were none other than Peter Pan and Zelylia, who both appeared thirty-eight but were actually in their two-hundreds.

The twelve guests gathered together at the table with the queen and king and their daughter. They announced to the twelve that her name would be Briar Rose but the rest of the kingdom soon referred to her as Beauty. For the human child had vibrant violet eyes.

Soon the time of giving gifts and blessings to the little princess had come. It started with the centaurs who placed down a metal rose. Next was the humans. They gave her a tiara with a design of flowers and doves. It was meant for when she grew older, and the tiara was presented by the young Prince Turner who barely learned to speak properly. After the humans came the merfolk. They gifted the darling princess a smooth purple clam shell with a mirror inside. Just as Zelylia was giving the princess her gift, there was a swoosh and a cold wind.

Everyone in the room turned to see a shadow fairy standing behind them. She wore all black and had green sharp nails that matched her eyes. Her black hair was loosely tied back in a bun. She wore an expression of dread and sorrow as she pretended to wipe at nonexistent tears.

"Such a sad funeral," she said, gliding closer, "I would have thought the King and Queen of Avani would have invited me. Of course, that's hardly why I'm so emotional! This meeting represents Avani's dominance. You finally have your first child and demand we all unite! Who said Avani should be the leader? What of TerraNeil?"

One of the fairies, Matilda, who was a prominent frost fairy, stepped in front of the shadow fairy, "Fascienne, this is not the time! It is a simple celebration of a child being born. We have already agreed that the land, sea, and sky go on as is with one high kingdom in each domain. There is not one governing all! We are at peace. Besides, this princess is a blessing. She has the blood of human, mermaid, and fairy."

Fascienne frowned, "Oh, pardon me. I had forgotten the queen's mother married a merman. I suppose she thought fairy men weren't good enough for her. Well, since we're all so close like a happy family, I suppose you wouldn't mind if I blessed the little princess too?" No one said anything, afraid to upset her more than she already was.

She walked forward, tossing the material of her dress before looking down at the girl in the crib. "Lovely princess, I give you this blessing. On your sixteenth birthday, you shall find true love . . ."

"That's a wonderful gift," the queen said.

"I wasn't finished," Fascienne stated flatly while her eyes narrowed, "You shall also find a spinning wheel. And you will prick your finger on it and die!"

The queen let out a stifling cry. Fascienne glanced over and felt no pity as she added more to the "blessing."

"And your mother will be barren for the rest of her life, so you will be their only heir and die at the age when you would have wed. That is my blessing for you," Fascienne finished, black magic falling down upon the princess.

"Reverse it now!" Zelylia demanded taking out her bow that she always had nearby. Next to her, her husband went for his staff.

Fascienne rolled her eyes, "Happy funeral." Fascienne's wings appeared as black shadows and she flew around the room and out the window. Zelylia and Peter tried shooting her with magic and arrows but they missed. For it was hard to hit a moving shadow.

The three fairies who didn't give their blessing turned to the king and queen. Matilda spoke for the three of them as the two beside her were her students. "We can soften her curse, but we may not be able to reverse all of it, such as you being barren, dear Queen. Fascienne is not only a very gifted fairy but she also has powers only a witch could possess, most shadow fairies are like that. She is the worst of them all."

"Do what you can," the king said.

The fairies nodded and put their magic together as Matilda said for them, "Beautiful princess we bless you with the strength and courage to overcome this curse. She said you would find true love so that being said when you prick your finger on the spinning wheel, you won't be dead. You will only be in a deep slumber. And you shall be awakened by true love's kiss like any other sleeping curse. So again we bless you with kindness, courage, brilliance, and beauty. That is our blessing to you sweet princess."

Magic from their fingers sprinkled out and landed on the child. It was bright and hopeful. The king and queen relaxed a little, but the blessing wouldn't be enough to settle their nerves for the next sixteen years. Therefore, they burned and hid every spinning wheel in the castle to make sure their child was safe.

However, no one could completely dispose of an item that was of great use and importance. When the princess could walk on her own, and the maid watching her fell asleep, she waddled away to the only room in the castle where a spinning wheel was kept. The princess was drawn by the power of her curse. Luckily, the queen found her darling in time to scoop her up from the danger.

Soon it came apparent that Fascienne was constantly putting spinning wheels back in the castle walls. Something had to be done, even if the king and queen didn't like it at first. Their precious child was sent away in secret to TerraNeil where she would be watched over by Peter and Zelylia along with the three fairies, acting as aunts. The King then shut the castle to visitors, so as far as everyone knew, they assumed their daughter was still with them. Rumors sprouted throughout the lands with only the kings and queens knowing the facts, but even they didn't fully believe the truth.

Peter and his wife took Briar Rose to their house in a small secluded village where they stayed for many years, being some of the only elves left. They gave the child a new name to go by. They called her Paige and she grew up without any clue as to who she was. She just knew about her blissful life with her sister Tori, who was born later on when Paige was around ten.

Zelylia always explained to Paige that she was dropped off at their doorstep. That they took her in because she was like Peter when he was growing up without his parents. She never questioned anything else after that and continued to grow more beautiful every day while Fascienne grew impatient. The fairy began her search for the child when she finally discovered the princess was no longer in the castle. And so our adventure begins.