"It's not much of a tale, but I'm sort of attached to it." – Eeyore (Winnie the Pooh)
A soft breeze blew open the covers of a well-worn book, the yellowing pages within fluttering open with the breath of air. A figure stepped closer to the glossy table where the book was placed,attracted by the rustling of paper as soft light filtering from the high French windows, their white curtains fluttered about in the breeze. The figure reached out with a gentle hand to calm the unruly pages and his mouth curved into a smile at the familiar title. "Peau d'ours."
His hands lovingly traced the fading title of the book as he sat down on the cream-colored carpet. Pulling the book onto his lap, the man's blonde hair was blown back by the constant breeze, exposing his gentle violet eyes. The Canadian sighed with nostalgia and opened the thick cover. He smiled as he recited the familiar words that began the story….
"A long, long time ago in a land far away…."
The wondrous feeling of falling into a story overtook him as the words floated off the pages, creating the beautiful setting of the tale.
-
For once the Canadian was glad of his partial invisibility as he looked around and saw the hustle and bustle of the royal court.
A king and queen had lost all their children except a daughter, whom they were in no hurry to marry off.
He shyly entered the large castle and peeked into an open room where he saw a mousy-brown haired girl being tended to by a maiden with auburn locks. The girl was a true beauty, but the Canadian also noticed the intelligence in the servant's eyes. He chuckled as he saw them lean closer together; the curls on top of their heads formed a heart, personifiying a genuine bond of sisterhood.
The king of the ogres, Rhinoceros, heard of her and decided to marry her; when he threatened the kingdom with his ogres, the king decided he had no choice. When she was told of the ogre's threat, the princess agreed and set out with a companion, Corianda, with whom she was close.
The room faded away to be replaced by the throne hall where a hideous ogre stood. His grotesque horns and devilish smile was hidden beneath a black hood as he gestured with one hand, seemingly trying to bargain with the regal king and queen seated on the golden thrones. The detested creature smirked as the king, with a helpless look in his eyes, nodded in agreement to the ogre's blackmail.
Corianda had tried to get the princess' fairy godmother to help, but she had refused because the king had not consulted her.
But what had gripped the Canadian's attention was not the saddening scene in front of him, but the servant appearing to be angrily pleading with a haughty fairy behind curtains. The fairy's translucent wings fluttering in annoyance as she dismissed the young girl with a cursory wave of her hands.
Rhinoceros met them in his rhinoceros form. And as the princess looked upon the beast, she fainted from fear. Rhinoceros carried them both to his castle, and turned to his own form, which was as ugly. The princess' distress annoyed him and he left to hunt bears.
Then Matthew was transported onto the bad of an ugly, grey rhino. The Canadian tried his best sooth the worried servant even though he knew she wouldn't be able to hear him. The servant pulled the unconscious princess onto her lap and tried her best not to let the fair body touch the sullied animal. But she was helpless as her grip weakened with every rough jump.
The trio soon arrived at a dark castle and the Rhino shifted to his ogre form. Although the worst of his features were darkened by shadows of his thick cloak, the Canadian couldn't help but shudder as he followed the girls and the ogre inside. The princess soon awakened and fluttered about in a panic as she saw her dark surrounding and the grotesque figure towering over her. She started to cry loudly begging for mercy as the servant cooed and tried to calm her. With a frown of annoyance further twisting his unsightly feature, the ogre sneered and left without a loud slam of the large door announcing his departure.
Corianda suggested that the princess hide in a bearskin, and sewed her into one, but that act turned her into a she-bear. They thought her fairy godmother was responsible. In that form, Corianda let her out to run away and told the ogre that he had eaten her in his rage. The ogre set out to search for her, but the fairy godmother had led her to a boat in which she escaped to another kingdom.
Seeing the numerous bearskins on the walls, the servant's green eyes brightened as she thought of an idea and whispered it to the princess. A nod confirming their plans, the girls moved quickly to unhook a skin and sew the princess inside. The Canadian smiled from his corner as he knew what would occur next. As the princess was sown inside the heavy bearskin, a flash of light occurred and the princess in bearskin was replaced by a growling, confused brown she-bear.
The servant frowned as she muttered curses to a certain pompous fairy under her breath and led the confused she-bear outside, encouraging her to run away. Looking back at the servant, the she-bear then dully wandered into the surrounding woods, a haircurl bobbing up and down on her furry head. The servant breathed a sigh of relief, but it was cut short as the ogre lumbered back into the depressing castle.
He soon grew furious at the absence of his bride and raged at the servant, gripping the young girl's hair in his large green hands and pinning her to a stone wall. Angry, he demanded where to know where she was, but the servant coolly dismissed it as she looked away, trying to hide the fear in her eyes.
Matthew watched silently, for what could he say, and in his mind's eye he could see the bear princess being aided by the snobby fairy to a riverboat. As the ogre left in fury, the Canadian's semi-transparent hands gently patted the servant on her back, giving her comfort she wouldn't feel.
The king of that kingdom found her (in her form as a she-bear) while hunting and her gentle behavior persuaded him to take her captive rather than kill her. She fell in love with him, but her ugliness made her despair. Her fairy godmother, in the form of a fish, bade her wait, and at midnight, turned her back into a princess.
Transported now to a different castle, the purple-eyed man saw the princess caged in the king's bedroom; the tears trailing down her large brown snout face as a fish magically appeared before her. Scolding the princess for her carelessness, the fish then soothed her with promises of a solution. And then, with a swish of her wand, the fairy transformed the gentle princess to her original beautiful body.
She then warned the princess that she had to put back on the bearskin every morning, though she could take it off at night, which the princess obeyed. The king, meanwhile, had come to the conclusion that he had fallen in love with the bear, which shocked him.
The fairy spoke as the princess danced about the room, reveling in her returned form," You can't take your skin off during daytime, only during the night. And remember! You can not let anyone find out who you are!" The princess listened intently and nodded her head before leaping to pull the grumpy fairy into a smothering hug. Matthew smiled as the princess showered the uncomfortable fae with gratitude.
Purple eyes watched intently as days flew by in the fairytale world. He couldn't help but smile empathetically as he watched the young princess watch over her serious, straitlaced king. She knelt every night by her blue eyed king and softly stroked his golden blonde hair. The princess would hum a sorrowful tune as the ever-present moonlight illuminated her and her loved one, casting a conjoined shadow of the intertwined figures. But eventually the morning sun rose and the princess donned her bearskin without complaint. She shuffled back to her cage and shut the door, casting one last look before her face transformed back, her soft brown eyes pleaded from behind her ursuline features as she watched her love awake.
Whether it was because of the princess's love or the red thread of destiny which creates a happy ending, the king soon started to fall in love with his kind and gentle she-bear. Matthew suppressed a chuckle as he saw the man pace his throne room, caught in his internal conflict of falling in love with an animal. The king's hair was mussed and he kept stealing glances to his bedroom where the bear slept on. The Canadian burst into laughter at the obvious affection in the German king's eyes, and he remembered a quote once said by his papa "True love transcends all differences."
One day, he was in her presence when she turned back to a princess. But the princess was transported away and her fairy godmother told him to go and arrange a wedding. He did so.
Haunted by irregular bouts of insomnia, the king was quite awake one night when he saw his she-bear become restless in her cage. He was about to rise and go comfort her when something told him to keep silent. His eyes grew large as he saw his beloved bear stand and shed her skin, a beautiful brunette appearing from within the thick coat. His mind went into a panic until their eyes met and he saw the familiar gleam in those kind brown eyes. He reached out a hand to touch the girl, to make sure she wasn't an illusion when suddenly a flash of light transported the girl away and a fae took her place.
He was prepared to rip the fairy apart to find his dear bear-girl when the fairy promptly cut him off," Go and get ready to be married, you damn wanker." The fae then muttered under his breath," Took the bloody idiot long enough." The king could only look dumbly as the fairy poofed away. And Matthew waited silently in the corner, smiling as he saw the king rush out and shout orders for an impromptu wedding.
The bear came, and was turned into a princess before the court. They married and in two years had two young sons.
As the trumpets blared signaling a joyous wedding, the castle was in a flurry. White flower petals were tossed about as the air was abuzz with rumors of the mysterious bride. The chapel was prepared and the king stood rather handsomely at the altar, his stiff posture and flickering eyes betraying his anxiety. Suddenly, the chapel's large white doors flung open and there stood his beautiful bear.
The nobles seeing the creature became anxious and fearful until the bear pelt slowly slid off revealing the princess in an elegant white dress, her brunette locks tucked into a flowing veil. Her chocolate eyes burned with happiness as she slowly walked up the aisle. She had no idea that Matthew was accompanying her in her useless father's place, and no one could see the Canadian smile as he handed the bride to her king. Taking the princess's hands, the king swelled with joy as he turned to address his court in a booming voice, "She is my bride, and your new queen."
Matthew grinned as he finally saw the happy ending he wished for. But he hadn't forgotten about the faithful servant for her story was just a few pages ahead. Enjoying the moment, he decided prolong the joyous scene as he, along with the rest of the fairytale kingdom, reveled at the celebration. Unfortunately, his elation was cut short as a voice pulled him from the depths of the story, "Mathieu? Mathieu? Are you here?"
-
The castle and the cheering town faded away as the walls of his room reappeared and hazed into focus. A figure stood his door. The Canadian smiled and the nostalgia gave a bright lithe to his voice as he addressed the figure," Oui, papa I'm here."
The Frenchman at the door smiled, looking down at his former colony with fondness." Reading your stories again, mon petite?"
" Oui, I'm quite fond of them."
"Why is that, mon Mathieu?"
"Because Papa, there's something beautiful in a happy ever after."
Inspired by the French fairytale "Bearskin"
I was going through some stuff and I found my old English Fairy Tales book and then I was inspired to write this... And yes I'm sorry there is no yaoi. xD
What do you guys think? WHat were your favorite fairytales (excluding disney)?
Oh and Reviews are always loved here~