(a/n – this whole fic emerged after a friend told me of an idea they had for a Berena fic, and my mind ran away with me. Thanks to you – you know who you are - for your support regarding this, and as I would never have had the idea without you, I'm dedicating this fic to you.)
Love Is A Mythical Thing
Once there was a young girl named Berenice. Berenice was the only child of Lord and Lady Wolfe, two of the finest nobles in the land. Berenice was a happy child, and loved to spend her time riding the many horses which the Wolfe family had upon their estate. Berenice often rode to the edge of the gardens, where fields stretched out towards the horizon, and wild foals played. Berenice liked to sing to the horses, and they all were charmed by her kind and beautiful heart.
Berenice had a merry childhood, filled with love and devotion, for she truly was the pride and joy of her parents. Alas, it was not to be. One dark and stormy night, Berenice was awoken by the loud thunder, and she thought of the wild horses out in the field, praying that they would not be spooked by the loud and frightening weather. As she shivered in her bed, she felt uneasy and plagued by nightmares. Come morning, Berenice was awoken by a maid, who had a grave face indeed. Lord and Lady Wolfe, travelling back to their precious child, had been caught within the storm, and had unfortunately not made it through the wind and fog and driving hail. Berenice felt part of her soul crumble, as she the news was broken to her. She wore mourning black for months, as the staff of the house arranged for the care of the orphaned girl.
Berenice was entrusted to the care of Marcus, an old uncle who Berenice had rarely seen, and only corresponded with via letters during the festive season or family celebrations. Marcus was not a Wolfe, but a Dunn, and wished for Berenice to take his name as his legal child in order for the estate to become rightfully his. The young girl trusted her uncle, and the servants found him agreeable, and so it was to be.
Berenice grew into a beautiful and charming young woman, who loved to read and draw and ride her horses. As she neared her coming of age, Marcus began to search for a suitor for her. Berenice had often been told as a child how the Wolfe family would one day be connected with royalty through marriage. Yet Marcus did not seem to wish for this, and rather invited suitors to visit the house from faraway and often strange lands, where fighting and evil were common. Berenice found some of the young men agreeable, but none were to her liking. She found her eyes wandering over some of the maids and sisters who brought the young men, and blushed as her mind wondered what it would feel like to kiss their cheeks rather than those of the bachelors before her.
Being a young woman of pure heart and strong mind, and believing in honesty, Berenice sought to tell her uncle of these thoughts. One evening, Berenice told Marcus over dinner that she might like to seek courtship with some of the finer ladies of the kingdom, if he were agreeable to contact them. She was shocked when Marcus stood in a rage, spittle flying from his lips as he cursed Berenice and told her of her wicked ways. He flew at her and struck her across the cheek for her evil and impure thoughts, and banished her from the house. Berenice entered the garden in a sorrowful state, and immediately sought refuge with her horses. Dusk came, and Berenice crept back to the house and up to her room, praying that her uncle would have calmed, and that she would receive his forgiveness for all she had done wrong.
During that night, Berenice realised that she was being carried from her bedchamber and into a carriage, but being tired, she fell back to sleep. Upon awakening, Berenice realised that she was alone in a ditch deep within the forest on the edge of the kingdom, all alone. Berenice wandered through the brambles and thickets, struggling to find a way out of the darkness. A whinny broke through the silence and she immediately clambered towards the source of the sound, and her heart leapt to see a young pony in a state of distress, having been caught in a rose bush. Berenice released the creature from the thorns, and guided it through the forest until she found a ruined dwelling where she settled. Berenice vowed to care for the pony, which she named Cameron, and to never allow the evil within her to rise to the fore again.
Many years passed, and Berenice slowly and surely made a home for herself within the forest. Once Cameron was better, Berenice was able to travel into town on the kingdom on the other side of the forest, where she made the acquaintance of a young man named Dominic, who found her groceries and clothing and supplies for her abode in return for Berenice's assistance with the wild horses of the kingdom. Berenice continued to live her life, and began to enjoy the freedom she had for herself. She acquired another horse for her forest home, named Charlotte. Charlotte had been a foal rejected by her mother on the farm belonging to Dominic's friend Mr Levy, and he could not care for it alongside the rest of his livestock.
As seasons passed, Berenice's humble abode was her sanctuary, where she sketched the trees whilst her horses grazed in the stable she had formed for them in an abandoned outhouse she had discovered covered in ivy close by. Berenice, being a gentle soul at heart, agreed to give riverside horse rides to the children of the villages within the kingdom. She enjoyed watching their delight as the horses splashed through the brooks, and Berenice felt at one with the nature around her.
One stormy night, Berenice was awoken by the thunder echoing throughout the forest. She clambered from her bed, and looked out to see if Cameron and Charlotte were calm and safe in their stable. Seeing they appeared restful, Berenice was about to return to her slumber when she heard a startled whinny coming from the path which travelled nearby. She immediately pulled on her boots and cloak and dashed into the darkness, with nought but a flickering lamp providing her with light.
Upon the road was a collapsed steed, and a hunched figure in a thick cloak. Berenice approached as a calm voice spoke to her from within the depths of the hood of the cloak.
"My steed here has become stuck, and I find myself unable to travel farther tonight, would you be able to assist?"
"But of course!" Berenice's reply was instant. "Please, do hold my lantern whilst I remove your noble creature from this mud." Berenice gently freed the animal, and guided it and its master back towards her dwelling with little thought.
As they neared the clearing, Berenice stroked the horse's silky mane, and the creature whinnied and it was then that Berenice noticed the horn upon its head. Her mouth fell open and she turned to see the traveller looking at her. Assured hands pulled the hood back, and from the flickering light of the lamp, Berenice could see the face of a man with the wisest eyes she had ever seen. He placed a hand upon the unicorn's flank.
"This is Jason, a gift to you, Berenice. Soon, I shall leave, and leave Jason to your care. A curse shall be placed upon him, so that only you and your one true love can see him. When you share love's true kiss, the spell shall be broken, and Jason will be seen by all as a regular steed, although you and your love will still know of his mythical qualities."
"I don't understand. Why?" Berenice was confused.
"Because, Berenice, if magic does not intervene, you may never be brave enough to admit to yourself that you are capable of loving another person. Now, I must bid you adieu as the storm has calmed and I must be on my way." The man paused and touched the unicorn before looking at Berenice. "The deed is done. I trust your pure soul will look after Jason as if he was your own steed. Farewell."
"Wait!" Berenice called as the man handed back her lamp and turned back towards the road. "What is your name, kind sir?" The man smiled.
"Folk refer to be by a single name, and by that name you may also call me. Blessings, dear Berenice, from Hanssen."
The man disappeared into the darkness of the trees, and Berenice turned to Jason, who looked at her steadily. Placing him in the stable alongside Cameron and Charlotte, Berenice returned to her bed to find the demons within her mind had been risen after her meeting, and she struggled to slumber peacefully that night as voices told her how sinful her thoughts were, and that she did not deserve to love if her love was so impure.
Years passed, and the trees of the forest grew taller. Berenice cared for her horses diligently, and also Jason, who made her uneasy at times, but also was the purest soul despite his unique nature. The unicorn had both a practical and a caring personality, and Berenice found that he was often easy to talk to whilst she worked within the forest. When Berenice taught horse riding to the children from Dominic's village upon Cameron and Charlotte, Jason would trot beside them, his mane flowing in the breeze. He did not like to go too close to anyone aside from Berenice, which was just as well given his invisibility to them. Berenice often tried to forget about the spell, and scolded herself when she found herself looking for too long at the fine ladies within Dominic's kingdom who would never spare a single thought for a plain forest dwelling horse woman.
One day, Berenice was tending to her small vegetable garden when she heard the sound of galloping along the forest pathway. She turned as a fine horse was stilled, and the silence was filled with crying, as a little girl wailed upon the creature's back. Berenice's breath caught within her throat as she took in the woman soothing the child's sorrows. She was the most beautiful lady Berenice had ever seen, and Berenice quickly looked away to try and get a hold on her thoughts, for she knew from somewhere within her past that feeling such feelings about another lady was wrong.
The woman dismounted, and approached Berenice.
"Excuse me, but sources tell me that within this forest I can find the most skilled horse whisperer in all the land, am I at the right place?" At the lady's words, Berenice gestured towards the stables.
"I have some gentle steeds whom I have reared, for sure, my lady. I could not place myself in such high regard, I must confess."
"Your modesty is sweet. My child, Elinor, cannot learn upon our own steeds, for they are too rough for her delicate nature, and our instructors too impatient. Could you perhaps help? One cannot be a princess without the ability to ride." Berenice looked at the child and then back at her guest, smiling slightly.
"Well if she is your princess, you must be her queen, follow me, fair maiden." The lady laughed, and Berenice felt giddy at the sound.
"Your words are sweet, but no, I too am a mere princess. My mother is the queen." Berenice stopped and stared at her visitor, and seeing no malice or jest within her features, she gasped and dropped into a curtesy, despite the fact that she had not been clothed in a dress for a long time, preferring breeches for her forest lifestyle. The princess smiled kindly as they approached where Cameron and Charlotte were grazing by a stream. Elinor looked at the beasts timidly, and Berenice pointed them out to her, offering to assist her to sit upon one. Elinor agreed, and the princess moved to collect her own horse as Berenice slowly led Elinor around the clearing, careful to ensure the precious child's wellbeing and safety.
The child enjoyed her short lesson, and Berenice smiled as she lifted her off the horse and the girl ran back towards her mother. The sight of their bond warmed Berenice's heart, and she told herself not to let herself be taken over by her wickedness once more. The princess smiled and held out a hand to Berenice.
"I thank you for your patience with my little girl. I vow to return so you may teach her how to ride like a lady."
"Think nothing of it, your highness." Berenice replied.
"Please, do call me Serena. It is nice to escape my duties for a short moment." She smiled, and Berenice almost got lost within her eyes.
"Please do call me Berenice then." The princess smiled and lifted her daughter, and together they trotted out of the clearing and back towards the kingdom from which they had arrived.
A week passed, and Berenice thought often of her royal visitors. Soon, Princess Serena returned with her daughter, and Berenice aided the child to overcome her fears of the beautiful horses. Berenice began to pass each moment longing for the weekly visits, and found her soul lighter because of them.
One week, Princess Serena arrived alone, and Berenice immediately asked of the nature of her child. She explained that Elinor was taken ill, but Serena had found herself wishing to journey to the forest anyway, for she loved the tranquillity which the nature offered. Berenice smiled, and led the royal horse to the stable to rest with her own. As they approached, Serena gasped, and Berenice turned to her.
"What has startled you so, Serena?"
"I do believe my eyes deceive me, for I am seeing a unicorn within your stable!" Berenice then gasped and turned to Jason, who stepped forwards towards the two women. Berenice looked at Serena and felt something stirring within her belly. The wise man Hanssen had told her that only her true love could see Jason also, but Berenice remembered being told that falling in love with a lady was sinful. She watched as Serena reached out a hand to touch Jason, and the unicorn allowed it. Some leaves rustled and Berenice felt sure that she saw a glimpse of an owl through the foliage, but could not be certain given it was light. Her mind immediately filled with images of the wise Hanssen. She turned to Serena and saw her as everything she had ever wished for in life.
Berenice made them tea and soup, and they sat in the afternoon sunshine which filtered through the gaps in the trees which once upon a time Berenice had thought of as scary. As she sat, she turned to Serena and asked about her life. Serena smiled.
"I was born to the King and Queen of Holby, my kingdom, the one south of this forest. I was their only child, and grew up happily. I was due to be join us to a wealthy family, but unfortunately that was not to be. So instead I was married to Edward of the House of Campbell, and together we had Elinor. Alas, he was killed in battle some years previous now."
"I am terribly sorry." Berenice's heart was filled with sadness.
"Worry not, for I know he was not faithful to me or my child, and I fear that I never truly loved him. So now I spend my days with Elinor when I have no public obligations, or with you." She smiled sweetly, and Berenice felt her heart sing.
"Why could you not marry your original suitor?" Serena sighed at the question.
"I do not know. There is mystery surrounding all. From a young age I was taught that our royal blood was to become entwined with that of the noble House of Wolfe, but alas, the lord and lady were sadly taken from the world, and their only daughter then disappeared in uncertain circumstances. Her uncle, Mr Dunn, spent a week in mourning before attempting to turn the house into a sinful place of gambling and misfortune. He was arrested by guards who came from another kingdom from which he had fled. So now the Wolfe name is but a myth, whilst the household remains looked after by the servant staff in case the missing daughter ever does return." Berenice found herself listening to the story in awe and also fear for she knew the tale. It was her own. Serena looked wistfully out into the trees. "How I wish the daughter would return, so I might get to know her and see what life could have been like had I married her." Berenice gasped.
"You would marry a lady?"
"Why yes, of course. My parents were visited by a wise advisor when I was but a child, who told them that love is love and should never be a sin. Hence they decreed that within Holby, any equal souls may be entwined in matrimony."
"Hanssen," Berenice's voice was a mere whisper.
"How did you know his name?" Serena asked and Berenice decided to tell her story.
"For the man visited me, and gave me Jason. A spell was placed upon me for I was living troubled by demons from my past. Demons placed within me by my uncle when I was but a mere girl, before he left me within the forest to die. I did not die though, for my spirit appears to have been blessed, and instead I have lived out my life with the horses and villagers and, as of recently, you. How queer it feels to know that I am some sort of myth back in the kingdom I came from!" Serena looked at her with wide eyes, and gasped.
"You are the Wolfe girl!"
"I am Berenice Wolfe, and you are Princess Serena of Holby."
Time seemed to stand still within the forest as the two women leaned closer to one another, and pressed their lips together. Berenice smiled and lifted a hand to Serena's face. When the kiss broke, they smiled again at one another, and Jason stepped forwards, bowing before them and appearing to bless their kiss. Serena looked at Berenice.
"What was the spell placed upon you?" Berenice laughed softly.
"Jason could only be seen by myself and my true love, and when I had shared love's true kiss, he would appear as a horse to others, but still a unicorn to me and my soulmate." Serena smiled at her, and offered her hand.
"Berenice Wolfe, would you care to accompany me back to Holby this night, for I would like you to meet my parents."
Berenice returned to Holby and greeted the King and Queen, who immediately held a banquet in her honour. She felt a little out of place, but with Serena by her side, she knew that she would manage it. The two were married in the ceremony which had always been planned, and the whole of Holby and the kingdoms surrounding it rejoiced at the union of the two purest souls around. Berenice and Serena moved into the Wolfe family home with Elinor, alongside the horses and Jason, who would still only be touched by both Berenice and Serena, even though he was seen by all as a horse. The dwelling in the forest was kept cosy by Dominic and other friends Berenice had made within the next kingdom, so that she and her princess could retreat there occasionally. Both ladies knew that one day they would rule Holby as its queens, but until that point, they were content to raise Elinor together alongside Cameron, Charlotte and Jason.
As the ladies shared their eternal love with one another, and the kingdoms rejoiced at the return of the lost maiden, a lone figure holding a flickering lantern stood in the clearing in the forest, smiling at the magical love which was in the air all over the lands. Somewhere nearby, as darkness fell, a twig snapped and all that remained to be seen within the clearing was an owl spreading its wings then flying up through the skies to look down upon the happy kingdom of Holby as it slumbered.
The End.
(a/n – please do let me know your thoughts, this was super difficult to write. Once I realised that I wanted to write this as some sort of fairytale with a moral theme of love, I realised that that genre is really difficult to write. Also, apologies if some of the reassigned character roles seem off. I tried.)