pietá

Beauteous and the lake creature

The writing inside told of an old man who went in search of a child for he and his wife...

He had a basket of goods which he was planning to trade in exchange for a baby. Yea, it was weird times back then.

In the near woods he came across an old hermit who agreed to trade him. The hermit gave him an enchanted apple and told him, "Eat half and give your wife the other. Do this and you will find yourselves a beautiful baby girl!" (Y/n) spoke this out loud in a funny voice to amuse Gavin. Gossamer listened with doting ears, his body slightly leaning against the girl. Peering into the book at the portrait detailing the scene described.

As she went on to say, on the way home the man grew thirsty. There was no water to be found and he was extremely parched. So, after much hesitation, he ate the whole apple. Soon afterwards he stumbled upon a small baby girl wrapped in blankets beneath tree!

He put her in his now empty basket to easily carry her home to his wife. However, an eagle swooped down and snatched the basket from the man! Carrying the child off to it's nest in a high tree for its eaglets to eat, but instead they nestled up to her.

A snake came by to eat the eaglets, but the baby was able to kill it. The eagle would go on to protect and raise the girl along with it's eaglets.

Years later, an king's son saw her in the tree. He could not get her to come down no matter how hard he tried and grew sick from love. His father would ask him everyday what was wrong and hearing of it, sent for the maiden.

A young man promised to get them the girl in exchange for a reward. He went to the tree and began to set up a fire beneath the tree. But he did everything wrong and could not start it. Little Wildrose tried to tell him how to do it from where she was in the tree. But he continued to do it wrong despite her directions. Little Wildrose grew annoyed watching this and climbed down to show him how, only as she finally saw the young man up close. She grew found of him and he of her.

The young man and Little Wildrose ran away together in disregard of the king and his son. Upon finding out about the king and his son sentenced the young man to be hanged when caught and for the maiden to be brought to him.

In the end the the prince married her. And they lived happily ever after. More or less...

(Y/n) shut the book and Gavin quickly hopped off her lap to put it back where it was. Gossamer caught himself resting a little too closely on her and rapidly repositioned how he sat.

She paid no mind to his awkward actions and only watched Gavin move around the room with so much energy. A part of her had always wanted a little brother. And though Leía was nice, she was far too much like her sister for them to get along well.

"I've never met a kid who actually likes reading." The young woman commented as her eyes followed the small boy. Her hands resting on her knees.

Gossamer rested his cheek on his palm his own gaze synching with hers. "Well, when books are all you have to entertain yourself you evidently grow to like it."

"All you have?" The girl sort of tilted her head, relaxing a bit after asking the question. "I'm guessing you must be familiar with most of the books in here then."

Gossamer shrugged as a reply.

(Y/n) leaned a bit close. "Which one would you reccomend I read?"

"Anything from the bottom shelves." He said with an almost mocking smile.

"And why's that?"

"They're the simplest to read. And judging from how you barely got through that book, simple is what you're used to." He folded his arms and the girl narrowed her eyes at him.