Oh yes. I do fairy tales too.

~.~

Once upon a time, in a kingdom that was as poor as the moonlight at dawn and so old the edges of it had started to be reclaimed by the wilds – lived a king and his three daughters. Had he two coins to rub together, the King would have already married them off to neighboring kingdoms but as it stood, their dowries were barren and no one wished to link their coffers to theirs.

One day, in despair and desperation, the King declared to his daughter's that the one who brought him the most beautiful dog would be his heir and the other two would be cast out in poverty.

Having no other choice, the daughters bid their father farewell and left the kingdom on their mad search. They agreed it would be best to split up and with hugs and tears, rode off in separate directions.

But like all good fairy tales, our story actually begins several years ago, in a small town where the most beautiful woman in the world was about to have her heartbroken.

~.~

The spring had come to the village of Hastings, that verdant time when new life is crowning on every hillside and the animals are stirring from their deep winter slumber.

It was raining the day the most beautiful woman in the world gave birth to her one and only child. The kind of rain that sings and that falls in a slow mist because it has nowhere else it would rather be. It was a soft, quiet, gentle rain that did nothing to cover the mewling cries of a newborn.

"Hush now, little one." Rose cooed as she drew the babe closer to her. Tired as she was, her heart rejoiced at seeing her first born.

"Oh Rose," smiled the midwife, "I have never seen a child of such beauty. And look at that hair!" Fondly she gently lifted a tiny ginger curl back from his forehead. "I don't believe I've ever seen such a brilliant …red."

Rose gave a laugh, "It's ok Darcy, and you can say 'orange'. My mom always swore me and my brothers were born with hair like a spring carrot. It didn't turn a proper red till we were older."

"It's lovely all the same, seems he was blessed with your good looks."

"Aye, he is the most beautiful thing I have ever laid my eyes on." Already more in love with him than she ever thought possible, Rose felt her heart swell with pride at the thought of introducing him to his father once he returned from sea. "I've been waiting for you my entire life." She whispered as she kissed the soft curls atop his head.

Darcy lingered a moment longer, taking in the sight of the mother and her son before busying herself with cleaning up. "I'll be round in a few hours Rose. I'm going to run home and make sure my oaf of a husband has his supper before I come back round for the night. Will you be ok till then?"

"I will." Rose said with a smile. "I think Humbert and I can manage till then."

"Humbert?"

Rose gave her dear friend a sly smile. "Well, he did get all my Irish good looks, seems only fair he takes a German name after his father."

"Humbert." Darcy said again, testing it out, "I like it, good strong name. He'll need it if he's to be a fisherman like his father."

"Oh no." The new mother objected right away, "My Humbert is destined for greater things than fish. He'll have an education, become a man of learning, a real gentleman. See the world! I want everything for him."

"Don't all mother's?" The older woman laughed indulgently. "Anyway, I'm off Rose - won't be gone long. Here." She gently lifted the baby and tucked him in to his cradle, careful not to wake him. "You both get some sleep. Be back in two shakes."

With a contented mumble, Rose slipped further in to her bedding, her hand resting against the side of the cradle. Darcy had only just shut the door when Rose drifted off in to a deep, dreamless sleep.

All was quiet in the house; the sunlight was fading, chasing shadows along the floor. It was warm enough that the hearth sat empty of fire but still too chilly to open the windows to the night air. One by one, the windows of the surrounding houses lit up with candle light and the soft conversation of meal time drifted through the town.

"He's beautiful."

The voice was a soft whisper, all sweetness and light and though Rose's brow furled at the sound, she did not awaken.

Nor did she stir when the cradle rocked, ever so gently – it's precious cargo lifted away in to the hands of a cloaked stranger.

"For a human." Came a second voice, no less melodious but deeper, richer and somewhat sarcastic.

"Don't be rude, Puck. That is my son you speak of." The robed stranger admonished, turning towards the tall figure that stood causally against the doorway.

"The king is going to have a fit when he finds you have taken a human child as your own. Again."

With a roll of her eyes, the woman drew back her hood, revealing a face that was youthful and stunning in its beauty. "Oberon does not see fit to give me a child therefore, what he does or does not approve of is no concern of mine. Look at this child and tell me anyone but a fae could have birthed one so beautiful? Tell me it was not a simple error that he was delivered to this human and not myself?"

Puck lifted his hands in a pacifying motion. "I meant no offense." He said, almost unable to suppress a sigh. "Ah yes, now in the better light of the moon, I can see he is indeed your son."

Missing or choosing to ignore the dry tone in her companion's voice, Titania smiled, bringing the child closer to inspect him. She smile faltered slightly when the newborn tiredly opened his eyes. "I must say I care not for the color of his eyes."

With a groan, Puck left his station at the door and moved to his Queen's side. "All babies are born with such dull eye color, my Queen. I am sure they will become more fetching once he is older."

The Queen lifted her head, staring expectantly at her servant as the rest of her smile started to fade.

"Or," Puck amended, "I'll just give him the Fire fruit, shall I?" He asked, retrieving a small, twisted piece of soft fruit from his pack. "I mean, it's not terribly rare and valuable. I didn't spend the better half of a century chasing down dragons and fighting phoenixes for this single piece."

"Puck."

"Fine, fine." The fae sighed and brought the fruit up with a steady hand. With more care than most would afford a piece of fruit and with trained concentration, Puck very carefully squeezed a single drop on to his finger and in the same steady movement, rubbed the juice against the lids of the child's eyes. "There, fairy Sight and the gift of Magic, all in one easy to apply dose."

The baby was not pleased as the juice found its way in to his eyes and began to whimper. The next time he opened his eyes, they were no longer the colorless gray of a new born but the intense green of emeralds, of Cat's eye jade.

Satisfied, Titania moved the child closer to her breast, cuddling it against the soft fabric of her riding coat. "Come Puck. We've wasted enough time. We're eager to be home."

"As you wish my Lady." He bowed low and kept low till he heard the sound of the Queen mounting her horse. Puck raised his head, casting a look at the now childless mother. "I know nothing will ever ease this ache," he said softly, "But you have my word, your son, your Humbert, will have every protection I can afford him. I promise you, in the end, he will have his happily ever after."

And like a drop of water falling back in to a river, Puck took a step outside in to the shadows of the night sky and was gone.