CHAPTER TWO:
THE FIRST MEETING
IN A BEAUTIFUL green field, all different types of flowers laying around, sat a couple, a basket in front of them, the two smiling down at what was underneath the little white blanket. A soft blanket sat underneath their bodies.
"Once upon a time, there was a boy called Elliot."
The blanket was pushed down by little hands, revealing a blonde baby boy, smiling up at his parents. He let out a giggle before putting the blanket back over him.
"And he saw the world not always as it was, but as perhaps it could be, with just a little bit of magic."
Up in the vibrant blue sky, a horse was shaped out of clouds. The baby boy held out his hand in his fathers direction, a piece of fur sat in his tiny fingers, familiar looking to a cloud.
His father chuckled as his mother gasped, picking him up. "My darling!"
"To his mother and father, he was a prince."
As he was being held by his parents, who were smiling brightly at their son, a butterfly flew near the small family, catching the blondes attention. It flew by the family, his small blue eyes still on the beautiful insect.
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"True, he had no title, nor crown, nor castle, but he was the ruler of his own kingdom, whose borders were the house and meadow on the forest's edge where his people had lived for generations."
Many geese and chickens stood in front of the house, all huddled up.
"With Mr. Goose and all their animal family."
Elliot, now a child, jogged towards the geese and chickens, a bag of food in his arms for the geese and chickens. Once he was close enough, he went into a walking pace, gently starting to toss the food in the direction of the animals, so they could eat.
"Hello, there. What do you think you're doing? Let the little ones have their share. We don't want you getting an upset stomach." Elliot's mother watched her son from a couple feet away, a wide smile on her face.
Elliot smiled at his mother, placing the bag of food down before walking towards two little mice that stood in the grass.
"Gus-Gus, you're a house mouse, not a garden mouse. Isn't he, Jacqueline?" Elliot lowered his hands, cupping them together, letting the mice hop onto them. "And you mustn't eat Mr. Goose's food. Isn't that right, mummy?"
"Do you still believe that they understand you?" His mother asked with a small smile.
Elliot looked down at his mother. "Don't they, mother?"
"Oh, yes. I believe that animals listen and speak to us if we only have the ear for it." The two mice in Elliot's hands, Gus-Gus and Jacqueline, glanced between the mother and son, before looking back at his mother, listening to her speech. "That's how we learn to look after them."
"Who looks after us?"
"Fairy godmothers, of course."
"And do you believe in them?"
"I believe in everything."
"Then I believe in everything, too." He smiled while his mother chuckled at her son's words. The two mice looked at each other, squeaks leaving them.
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"His father was a merchant who went abroad and brought tribute back from all of Elliot's subject lands."
Elliot's father sat in a carriage, riding up towards his house. He whistled loudly. "Elliot!"
He took of his hat, waving it in the air to get his son and wife's attention.
"Where is my wife and son, my beautiful family?" He smiled, placing his hat back on his head, continuing to ride to his house. "Where is my family?"
"Elliot missed him terribly when he was away."
Upon hearing his father, Elliot got to his feet, running to the front of the house, a big and bright smile on his face, happy his father was home.
"But he knew he would always return."
"There he is!" Elliot's father quickly said, holding his arms out for his son.
"Papa, welcome home!" Elliot jumped into his fathers arms, hugging him tight.
His father spun around in circle, smiling at his son. "You've grown!" He placed Elliot down, who sat on a stone bench. "Haven't you, now?"
A man jogged slightly by the two, placing a box in his hands. Elliot noticed, of course. "What was that?"
"Oh, this?" His father brought of the box, acting clueless while Elliot laughed. "I found it hanging on a tree. I think there may be something inside."
With a smile, the blonde opened the box, a blue paper butterfly popping out, making him gasp happily. "It's pretty."
Elliot's father picked it up. "In French, that is un papillon."
"Un papillon." He repeated.
His father then spoke in French, standing up, taking Elliot's hands before his little feet was placed onto his fathers bigger ones. His father pretended to be in pain, groaning slightly.
Elliot giggled at his father's act. "You're standing on my feet! Shall we?"
The boy smiled up at his father before they moved around the yard, dancing together as his mother watched her husband and son with a smile.
"Look, mummy! I'm dancing!"
The two soon stopped as his parents greeted each other, Elliot walking to the man from earlier, showing his un papillon.
"Little papillon."
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"All was just as it should be. They knew themselves to be the most happy of families to live as they did and to love each other so."
"When I am king
dilly, dilly
You shall be queen
Lavender's green
dilly, dilly
Lavender's blue
dilly, dilly
Elliot's mother slowly got up from her spot beside his bed, a book in hand, watching her son slowly fall asleep as she sang softly. His father stood a couple feet away with a gentle smile.
"For I love you"
Both Elliot and his mother sang before they left and he fell asleep. His father slowly closed his bedroom door, before the two parents spoke to each other in whispers, as to not wake their son.
"But sorrow can come to any kingdom, not matter how happy."
As the two walked, Elliot's mother suddenly stopped in her tracks, her smile instantly fading from her features. His father stared at his wife in concern before she collapsed into her husbands arms.
"And so it came to Elliot's home."
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Elliot sat in a chair silently outside his mothers room when the door opened, his father and the doctor walking out. After a couple seconds, his father turned to him, finally noticing his son sitting there.
"Come. Elliot." He held out his hand for his only son, who took it, the two walking into the room, where his mother laid. He couldn't bare to see his mother like this, but he knew he had to see her at some point.
Before it was too late.
"Elliot, my darling." Elliot's mother place her hand on top of his smaller one. "I want to tell you a secret. A great secret that will see you through all the trials that life can offer. You must always remember this. Have courage and be kind. You have more kindness in your little finger than most people possess in their whole body. And it has power, more than you know. And magic."
"Magic?" His little voice asked.
As she stared at her son, her eyes started to get glassy. "Truly. Have courage and be kind, my darling. Will you promise me?"
"I promise." Elliot nodded firmly, trying to not let the tears fall.
"Good. Good. And..." She glanced at her husband, who's lip was trembling slightly, watching his wife and son's interaction. "I must go very soon, my love. Please forgive me."
"Of course I forgive you." And that was it for Elliot. The tears started to fall onto his soft cheeks as his mother pulled him into her, the boy crying as his head rested on his mothers shoulder. His father then joined the hug, a few tears leaving his eyes.
"I love you. I love you, my darling. I love you." Her mother continued murmuring.
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Elliot and his father walked through a field, hand in hand, wearing all black clothing, small frowns laying on their faces.
"Time passed, and pain turned to memory."
Elliot, now much older, walked in the same field with his father, who had a cane in his hand.
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"In his heart, Elliot stayed the same. For he remembered his promise to his mother."
Elliot stood in his home, a book in hand, silently reading without any disruptions.
"Have courage, and be kind."
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Elliot sat in the family room, reading his father a story from the book he was reading. Elliot's father watched his son with a smile.
"Father, however, was much changed. But he hoped for better times."
"'And thence home, and my wife and I singing, to our great content,'" Elliot read the book to his father with a smile. "'and if ever there were a man happier in his fortunes, I know him not.' Thus ends Mr. Pepys for today." He closed the book. "I do love a happy ending, don't you?"
"They're quite my favorite sort."
"As well they should be."
"Elliot," his father placed his cup of tea on the table, his face now serious. "I have come to the conclusion that it's time, perhaps, to begin a new chapter."
"Indeed, father?"
"You'll recall that some time ago, in my travels, I made the acquaintance of Sir Francis Tremaine."
Elliot nodded. "Yes. The Master of the Mercer's Guild, is he not?"
"Was." He corrected his son. "The poor man has died, alas. His widow, an honorable woman, finds herself alone, thought still in the prime of her life."
The boy took a deep breath, understanding where his father was going at. "You're worried about telling me. But you mustn't be. Not if it will lead to your happiness."
"Yes. Happiness. Do you think I may be allowed one last chance, even thought I thought such things were done with for good?" He asked with a smile.
Elliot let out a small gasp, a smile going to his face. "Of course I do, father." He got up and hugged his father.
"She'll merely be your stepmother. And you'll have two lovely sisters to keep you company. And a lovely girl your age. She helps around with the housework."
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A carriage drove into their driveway, as Elliot slowly walked to the door with a smile.
"Have courage, be kind." He then jogged up to his father, who patted his son's back, a smile on his features.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome!" His father walked down the steps when the carriage stopped right in front of them.
"He's skinny as a broomstick!" One female voice commented.
"And that stringy hair!" Another added.
Elliot walked down the stairs as two girls around his age exited the carriage.
"You're very nice." One of them said, glancing at Elliot.
"Welcome. I'm so happy to meet you." He greeted them politely.
"You're hair is really nice." The other one complemented, trying to hide her smirk, along with her sister.
"Thank you." Elliot smiled. "Would you like a tour of the house?"
"What did he say?" One of the girls asked her sister.
"He wants to show us around his farmhouse. He's proud of it, I think." She responded to her sister.
"Do they keep animals inside?" They then asked Elliot, who shook his head no.
As they stood there, a young girl, the same age as Elliot, slowly got out of the carriage with his fathers help, giving him a thankful smile. The blonde's gaze instantly went to her
"And that was when he saw her..."
The girl met Elliot's eyes, showing her beautiful e/c orbs. She smiled softly at him. "Hello."
"...Y/n."
The boy didn't say anything as he was memorized by her beauty. The two sisters noticed this and sniggered to themselves. Just then, a cat hissing took his attention away from the girl, his gaze going to a woman who was exiting the carriage, the said cat on a leach, being held by her.
"How charming. How perfectly charming." The woman walked past them all, cat following. "Lucifer."
"His stepmother-to-be was a woman of keen feeling and refined taste. And she, too, had known grief. But she wore it wonderfully well."