HELLO HELLO! i have checked Fairypoems out, and i see that it's #317 on wattpad or something! I'm HAPPY!:) anyway, I haven't uploaded this in a LONG time, so here you go! This is dedicated to Yu Xuan, being the inspiration for so MANY of my fairytales! This is for you dear!:)
Once upon a time, in a land far far away, there lived a girl. She lived on the edge of the mountains with skin as pale as the snow drifts and black hair like the shadow of the moon. She lived with her family, for some unknown reason, they had never been able to go back into the capital. The girl lived a quiet life, tending to the hearth during the day, and plucking the white roses by the night. She loved to make necklaces, and being a lonely child, she had barely nothing to amuse herself with but with the flowers.
One night, while gathering flowers under the silver moonlight, she spotted two pairs of eyes following her movements. Being one of inquisitive nature, she continued gathering her flowers, peeking out of the corners of her eyes once in a while. Soon, the two pairs of eyes grew closer, and with the rustle of the bushes, out came a boy and a girl.
The boy was of her age, with bright brown eyes and early smile crinkles, as if he did smile a lot. The girl was younger, with mousey brown hair and frightened green eyes. She was limping on one leg, with one hand clutching a crossed-eyed doll against her white night gown. They both looked drenched, and terribly cold. The girl got up immediately and ran to them.
"Are you both alright?" She asked.
The little girl whimpered a little, and hid behind her brother.
"I am afraid to say that we are quite lost." The boy admitted.
The girl bent down to the little girl and smiled encouraginly. She must have been frightened and hurting, and terribly afraid.
"Hello my dear, what is your name? My name is Sterculia." She said kindly.
The little girl looked at her in fright.
"Her name is Gemma." The boy offered.
Sterculia smiled and held out the rose necklace she had threaded.
"Isn't this pretty? Now, would you like to have it?" She offered.
Gemma touched one of the roses in wonder and smiled, her eyes lighting up.
"Yes please!" She squeaked.
Sterculia grinned and stood up, facing the boy.
"I am Oliver." He introduced.
Sterculia cutseyed, coughing self conciously.
"What brings you both here so high up?" She asked.
Oliver winced a little.
"It is a long story. I would be sorry to intrude upon your hospitality, but I am afraid Gemma might fall more ill if she stays outside." He started.
Sterculia was jolted into proper thinking then.
"Oh yes, yes you can. Follow me!" She said quickly.
"And which part of the captial do you hail from?" Father asked Oliver.
Sterculia looked up from her bandaging of Gemma's feet. Father had usually been distant and quiet if they had any guests. How is it that he showed so much interest now?
"The northern province, sir. The weather there is harsh and cold." He added.
"And why have you come here? It has been a long journery for you." Father said.
"I have come for a purpose, sir. I have come with this letter, and to escort Lady Sterculia to the captial." He bowed and presented a letter sealed with three ink stamps.
Sterculia glanced up in surprise, and she looked at the letter. What was going on?
Father's face was white, and Mother looked between a cross of being strickened and full of acceptance.
"So soon, darling? It can't be so soon!" Mother cried.
"What is soon?" Sterculia demanded.
"Sterculia darling, go out with Oliver for a while. I need to speak to your mother alone." Father ordered.
"But-"
"Yes dear, go out for awhile, I'll take care of Gemma." Mother agreed.
Sterculia stared at them, before getting up abruptly.
Outside, the moon was bright again, and it cast a silvery glow down onto their seating place. Sterculia looked at Oliver in puzzlement. Oliver smiled back at her, as if he was holding some great secret. He seemed unwilling to divulger it of course, so she started some small talk.
"I was named after a tree. Did you know that?" She said gaily.
"Yes I do."
"A tree that blossoms in spring, even though it is winter all year round here."
"I am aware of that."
"I don't fit in here properly."
"Yes, I agree."
"What did my father mean?" Sterculia demanded.
Oliver looked down then, and didn't meet her eyes.
"Oliver, I saved your life. Please tell me what he meant," Sterculia begged.
Oliver sighed and looked up at the moon.
"Years ago," He begun. "Sir Thomas of the northern province had married a village girl. That day, it was said that they were married in the full blast of a drought, heightened with the midday sun. Immediately after the ceremony, a sudden downpour cooled the parched earth, softening the cried lumps to the extent of flooding. A prophecy was said that a child with the powers of warmth and coolness would descend upon the earth to bring justice to the King of the North. Have you heard of him?" Oliver asked her.
Sterculia shivered and nodded. Since she was able to understand words, her parents have oftened told her stories about the King of the North. He was a brutal man, with a heart of black and a desire for his people to hurt each other. His rule has brought nothing but sadness and pain, and everybody wished for the girl to appear to set things right.
"And so, when Sir Thomas heard of this, he feared for the safety of his daughter, for she was conceived the night when the drought and floods combined. And so, he took his daughter and his wife, and they fled to a place where they were never seen again." Oliver said.
Sterculia looked at him.
"Do you think that I'm the girl?" She asked.
"Pray, forgive me, I do not mean that. Your birth in the mountains has been known throughout the Five Kingdoms, and I seek your help. Like you said, your namesake is a tree that blooms in spring, yet you live up in the mountains. I believe that you can help us find the girl." He said.
Sterculia raised an eyebrow.
"And why do Father and Mother look so upset?" She asked.
"A letter from the Resistance to the King of North has been sent to your parents a long time ago. They know that you are our only hope." He said.
Sterculia raised her hands to her face and rubbed the coldness out of them.
"How am I suppose to find her?" She asked, feeling desperation.
"You have been prophesized to be able to sense the presence of the girl. The reason why you have been kept away from the capital was to make sure that the King of North does not find you and hurt you." Oliver explained.
Sterculia sighed.
"We should set off at once then." She said.
She had to find the girl, because many people would suffer if she didn't.
Father and Mother had been heartbroken to see her go. They had known for many years that this day was coming, but they still wished that their only daughter wouldn't leave them. Sterculia cried too, but she knew that she couldn't abandon the people like that. Without their forewarning, her parents wouldn't have known about the prophecy, and when she went into the capital, the brutal King of North would have had her killed.
Gemma was to stay with her parents, for her injured foot would slow them down, and the journey was long and perilous. Oliver looked sad and withdrawn to leave his sister behind, but they had no choice. At the light of daybreak, they set off towards the captial of the South, where the cities were safer and more prosperous. Along the way, Sterculia was trying hard to know what was going to happen. She was supposedly able to sense where the girl was through her instinct, but she felt nothing throughout her whole time there. Was she really the one to be able to lead them to the girl?
They reached the capital soon enough, but despite spending a week there, Sterculia felt nothing. They left soon after. Months past, and both Oliver and Sterculia were both weary and tired from their journey. It seems as if Sir Thomas had hidden his daughter well enough that no one was able to find her, or that Sterculia just wasn't able to locate her at all. One day, they reached the end of a ravine and plopped down to take a rest.
"I don't think I can find her, Oliver. Maybe I'm not the girl." Sterculia said dejectedly.
Oliver shook his head.
"You have to be. The prophecy has ordained it. You have something special, Sterculia. You are the one." He shook his head again.
"Then we have to find her, fast." Sterculia stared out at the the heavy blanket of forest.
They sat in silence for a while, just letting themselves soak in the peacefulness that was not present in the capital of the North. A butterfly danced past, twisting its elegant body in front of its face and suddenly, Sterculia felt something. It was almost like a pull, a tug to someplace towards the North. She got up immediately, ignoring Oliver's protestations. She bent under the birch tree, slid under logs that were blocking off pathways and suddenly, she came upon a cottage, sitting in the middle of six ancient cedar trees. Cautiously treading the ground, she took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
The door opened to reveal a girl so breathtaking and utterly beautiful. She had brown locks that twisted around her shoulders in soft curls and bright honest eyes. Immediately, Sterculia felt the tug stop. The girl stared at her too, and somehow, Sterculia knew what she was thinking.
"You have come." She said.
"Yes, I have. I have to bring you to the capital." Sterculia told her.
"My name is Liatris, named from a summer flower because I was conceived-"
"In the middle of a drought and a flood." Sterculia finished. "My name is Sterculia, because I was born during spring in a snow mountain."
Liatris nodded.
Just then, a voice called from behind.
"Liatris! Who is that?" A man's voice sounded worried.
"My time has come, Father." She said, not looking away from Sterculia.
A man cursed and suddenly, Sir Thomas was in view. His eyes narrowed at the sight of Sterculia.
"The spring girl, prophesized to take my daughter away. Is that you?" He demanded.
"Yes sire, I have come to ease the pain of many." She corrected.
"She will die, won't she?" Sir Thomas grunted.
"Of course she will." A loud shout came from behind.
Neither Sterculia nor Oliver was aware that the evil King of North would have sent spies to follow them to find the location of the girl that threatened his survival. He strode out from the shadows of the trees, his grotesque face crowned by jewels taken straight from the hands of miners.
"Curse you, wrench! You brought the villian here!" Sir Thomas spat at Sterculia.
"I didn't know!" She cried, spinning around in disbelief.
Her eyes widened as she saw Oliver held captive with a knife to his throat.
"Let go of him!" She screamed, her heart shattering at the thought of him getting hurt.
"The girl comes with us." He pointed to Liatris.
Sir Thomas opened his mouth to retort but Liatris stepped forward quickly, her face a picture of serene acceptance.
"I will. Let the boy go." She said calmly.
The King nudged Oliver forward until they were in the middle of the clearing. Liatris followed suit and just as Oliver crossed over to Sterculia, he grabbed Liatris.
Immediately, his hands began to burn. Where they met in contact with her skin, it smoked and soon, he was screaming in rage and pain. He pushed Liatris away from him but the burning didn't stop. It continued up to his arms, smoking his expensive tunic with jewels taken from the hands of the miners, until he disappeared into dust.
Sterculia stared at the dust on the ground, not quite daring to believe that the King was dead like that.
"I don't believe that he died so easily." She whispered.
Oliver shook his head, rubbing his neck where the point of the dagger had pressed against it.
"The prophecy works in many ways. You were to find the girl and lead her to kill the king. You did not lead her, but the King followed you. You had brought her to the King, and she had killed the King with her touch." Oliver explained.
"I was conceived in the middle of a drought and a flood. The King of North was the cause of both disasters, for his actions had enraged the earth. I was born as a tool against this vile creature, and so, I have been used." Liatris said.
A great deal of murmuring were heard from all corners as everyone was made known of this wondrous news. Liatris would no longer hide in the thick forest, and Sterculia can finally live in the captial and make many friends. Any pain and suffering caused by the King of North was erased and forgotten.
Of course, Oliver was reunited with Gemma, and they all lived happily ever after.
The End.