AN: I'm very excited to be presenting this story to you. I actually started writing it before Offer Your Throat to the Wolf but I had a hang up and ended up getting side tracked, promising myself I would come back to it.
I'm pleased to say that I am past the hang up and ready to present this story to you. It will be a full length story, though I can't say how many chapters at this time. Current rating is T but that may very well change depending on a handful of factors. This story is very, very, very loosely based on my favorite fairytale, The Twelve Dancing Princesses with a whole lot of liberties being taken to make it sort of my own.
Anyhow, please enjoy this first chapter and let me know what you think! Reviews are most appreciated!
"Thanks again for bringing me here." Sofia said, casting Lucinda an excited smile as she walked alongside the witch through the Bizarre Bazaar; an annual gathering of magical beings with magical wares for sale and trade. "We've barely been here and already I've spotted some great stuff! I wouldn't be able to find half of these ingredients at the Magician's Market. I haven't even heard of some of this stuff."
"Yeah, this definitely isn't your common sorcerer's magical market. They have things you can't even find at the Crimson Cauldron." Lucinda replied with a grin. "Just remember to stay by my side at all times. Things can get pretty hectic around here and when the Bogies and Goblins cross over into each other's territory, which almost always happens. And trust me, you don't want to be caught off guard when someone tries to haggle with the Leprechauns over their prices. It's not pretty. Don't even get me started on the Harpies... oh, and you'll definitely want to stay far away from the Ogres at all times."
Sofia let out a nervous chuckle at Lucinda's words, though when the other woman didn't return her laugh she realized the witch wasn't kidding. "I-I'll just stay by your side then." She muttered.
And the human princess did indeed stay close by her witchy companion's side as they roamed the massive bazaar in search of rare items at great prices. Sofia saw many exciting and even terrifying things as they went about their day but as time wore on she began to feel much more comfortable around all the strange creatures bustling about the bazaar.
She began lagging behind to shop for wares while Lucinda kept on ahead in search of sales. Before too long she found that she had become completely separated from the witch but she didn't panic. At the very least she knew how to find her way home in the event that they didn't reunite before nightfall. She carried along from stall to stall until she reached what seemed to be the end. Disappointment filled her as she prepared to turn around but the sight of something massive fluttering in the distance caught her attention. She took a hesitant step forward and then another until she felt a hand clamp down on her shoulder tightly.
"Hey, where you going?" Lucinda asked as she tugged Sofia back. "Now we turn around and walk the other side."
"I just thought I saw something flying over there." Sofia said, looking off in the distance. "Something big and white."
Lucinda let out an irritated snort and rolled her eyes. "Oh great, those troublesome trollops are here."
Sofia cocked her head to the side and looked at Lucinda curiously. "Who?"
"The Moon Maidens; they're a bunch of fair faced hussies who ride in on their pretty white wagons and their over-grown lunar moths looking to swindle unsuspecting shoppers like you into overpaying for their exotic junk." Lucinda replied.
"Exotic?" Sofia asked in interest. "I've been looking all day for something especially rare to bring back for Mr. Cedric. Do you think they might have something?"
"Don't waste your time or your money." Lucinda replied. "I'm sure you can find your precious little sorcerer something else here with the reputable dealers."
Sofia opened her mouth to try and reason with the witch that she had been keeping her eyes open all day but had yet to find something Cedric didn't already have in his stores, but her words were cut off by the sound of a bell ringing loudly. This had been a common occurrence all day and it signified to the shoppers that a nearby stall was having a flash sale. Lucinda had jumped at every single one and this time was no different. The witch dashed off in a hurry toward the ringing bell leaving Sofia standing at the edge of the bazaar holding her relatively empty sack in mild annoyance.
She chewed the inside of her cheek for a moment before throwing her gaze over her shoulder in the direction of the supposed 'troublesome trollops' as Lucinda had dubbed them. Without another thought on the matter she turned herself around and started off in search of these exotic items the witch had mentioned.
She walked along a narrowing path until it stopped abruptly at a grove of trees that she hadn't noticed before. At first glance the trees appeared to be made of silver, an interesting fact that intrigued her to see in nature. How such a spot had gone untouched by man for any amount of time was astounding.
She looked around in awe until she heard a soft voice entering her earshot.
"Hello..."
Sofia blinked widely as she saw what appeared to be a young woman peering out at her from behind one of the silver trees. Her skin was milky in color and her long, silken locks were even paler by comparison. She was watching from under heavy eyelashes that reminded the princess of tufts of dandelion seeds. Even the irises of her eyes were such a pale gray they were almost white in color. Coupled with the flowing, pristine robes she wore it presented her as a camouflaged figure against the silvery trees.
She offered the celestial being a quick curtsy and smiled. "Hi there! I'm Sofia, Princess of Enchancia."
"My name is Neoma." The maiden offered with a low bow. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Princess Sofia."
"I was just at the bazaar with a friend of mine. She told me the Moon Maidens have exotic wares for sale." Sofia said before pausing and looking the figure over nervously. "Uhm, you are a Moon Maiden, aren't you?"
Neoma smiled slightly and bowed her head. "Yes. You must forgive our distance from the rest of the bazaar. You see, the direct rays of the sun are very harmful to our skin. We bring with us these trees of silver to reflect the rays and keep us shaded. Unfortunately the reflection of the suns rays is a nuisance to those outside of this protective barrier the trees provide. Out of respect we keep far enough away so as not to disturb the others."
"Oh." Sofia cast the woman a smile and a nod. "That's very considerate of you."
"I'm glad you believe so." Neoma replied before motioning the human woman to follow. "You imply that you are seeking exotic wares. Come this way."
Sofia watched as the Moon Maiden turned and began walking further into the grove. She glanced behind her at the path leading back to the bazaar before taking a step forward after the maiden. She followed her a short distance to a small clearing where there were several white, ornately decorated caravans lined in a semi-circle. Fluttering above the clearing were several gigantic lunar moths, the creatures that had originally caught her attention. The collective flapping of their wings provided a deep, soothing hum overhead and gave the atmosphere a calm, inviting feel.
There were more Moon Maidens all around, all of whom looked strikingly similar to Neoma. They appeared to be just now setting up shop but given what she'd been told about the sun and their fragile skin, it made sense that they would wait until far later in the day to arrive, even with the trees and lunar moths for cover.
She allowed Neoma to guide her into the group, many of which greeted her with low bows and sweet smiles. She gazed around at their items, many unfamiliar to her and the way she knew how to use magic.
She wasn't shy about asking what each item was and what possible purpose it served in the realm of human magic. She was disappointed to hear that many of the ingredients and trinkets contained magic which humans had yet been able to harness. All of these tokens, although rare, were relatively useless to a sorcerer such as Cedric.
Upon seeing her disappointment, however, Neoma directed her over to a small wagon at the far end of the clearing. It was here, the maiden explained, that items were sold which may be of some interest to her.
She was then introduced to a woman named Zelenia. She appeared to be different from the other Moon Maidens in that she looked far older. Signs of age lined her features and gave her a much more motherly appearance than the youthful look of Neoma and the other maidens.
"What may I do for you, dear human?" Zelenia spoke, her voice betraying centuries of wisdom and experience in its timbre.
"Uhm, I'm not exactly sure." Sofia said with a sheepish smile. "You see, I'm looking for something for a sorcerer friend of mine. He's very well-versed in the realm of magic, at least, the magic that humans are capable of. He has most everything in his stores that he could ever need but I was hoping to find him something unique. Something he's never seen before or that is extremely rare to come across. Something that he can still apply in his magic."
"What a kind and thoughtful friend you are." Zelenia said, her smile widening across her features. "Fortunately for you I have many trinkets and ingredients which are both rare and applicable to human magic. Have a look. I will even give you a special price as our first customer of the day."
Sofia nodded gratefully to the woman and happily took to browsing the available wares. There were many items that, while rare, were still things Cedric had in his supply. The last time she had checked his inventory, however, she'd noted that he was low on moon dust. There had been moon dust for sale back at the bazaar and she had passed it by then but standing in front of these kind women, she felt obligated to purchase some. There were moon rocks and moon crystals but the royal sorcerer had plenty of each so she didn't bother with them. When she came to a soft pink powdery substance, however, she paused in interest. "What is this?"
"Petalluna powder from the Petalluna blossom, the only flower that grows on the moon, by magical means of course." Zelenia answered. "While the blossom itself contains magic beyond human comprehension, it loses that essence when ground into this powder form giving it qualities that even humans can apply in their magic, given that they have the talent. It has many uses and I highly recommend you buy it if you are looking for something extremely rare, assuming your sorcerer friend is skilled enough to use it."
"Oh, Mr. Cedric is very talented." Sofia said almost too eagerly. "He's powerful and intelligent and he uses magic in ways that most sorcerers wouldn't even think to and he's... I-I'm rambling."
Zelenia cast the princess a knowing smile as the young woman lowered her gaze in embarrassment. "I will make you an offer. If you purchase this sack of Petalluna powder at full price I will include a special item just for you. A ring made entirely of pure moon crystal which is said to guide two wandering hearts together."
Sofia's eyes widened in interest as Zelenia produced the ring from a small pouch at her side. This wasn't the first time the princess had encountered an item that was promised to bring true love to its bearer. She'd never had much interest in such trinkets before. Love was one of those things she had always believed would come to her at a time when she was ready. The only problem was that love had come to her, fierce and unforgiving, tearing at her heart and mind with its relentless talons. Her love hadn't been the sweet, tender experience promised to her in story books because the love she felt was unrequited. It battered her endlessly with reminders that she was not good enough, not smart enough, not even pretty enough to gain the affection of her beloved no matter how hard she tried.
She reached out hesitantly toward the ring and touched its crystalline surface with her fingertips. "It's beautiful, but... it wouldn't make him love me against his will, would it?"
"Of course not." Zelenia replied. "That is not how this magic works."
Sofia drew her hand back warily and looked from the ring to Zelenia's face. "All magic comes with a price."
"Indeed it does." Zelenia agreed with a nod. "And the price is one-hundred gold coins for the Petalluna powder. The ring will be a gift."
"One-hundred!?" Sofia looked at the woman in mild disbelief before recalling what Lucinda had said. The witch had warned her that the Moon Maidens' prices were high but she'd never imagined they might be so outrageous. Still, when she weighed the options of returning empty handed versus returning with an exceptionally rare magical ingredient for Cedric, the price didn't seem so steep.
She reached into her sack and pulled out her coin purse. She'd brought plenty of money with her, gold and silver coins alike, but when she counted out the gold ones she found that she only had eighty-nine in total. She looked to Zelenia hopefully, offering the gold along with the equivalent remainder in silver.
"I'm afraid the silver won't do." Zelenia said, motioning to the trees around them. "As you can see, we already have plenty."
"Yes, I know." Sofia said in concern. "But this is all I have. Would it be enough for just the powder?"
Zelenia looked the princess over in silent thought before responding. "But wouldn't you prefer the ring?"
"The ring is lovely and I am in need of its powers." Sofia replied sadly. "But the gift for my friend is much more important. I can always return for the ring next year."
"What a selfless young woman you are." Zelenia cooed to Sofia. "That is a trait one does not often see in humans. I would like to offer you a second chance to purchase both the ring and the powder."
Sofia's brow crinkled as she looked at the woman in confusion. "But I still don't have enough gold coins."
"Don't worry about that." Zelenia said with a kind smile. "I'm sure there will be some way to make up the difference. Do we have a deal?"
Sofia stared down at the sack of powder before looking at the ring. She wanted desperately to purchase them both and Zelenia was giving her another opportunity. Her mother had always told her to never look a gift horse in the mouth and she didn't want to seem unappreciative so she nodded eagerly and cast the woman a smile. "Yes, we have a deal."
"Splendid." Zelenia replied. She quickly clasped Sofia's hand and slipped the ring onto the young woman's finger. She then collected the gold coins and handed the sack of Petalluna powder to the princess. "I hope you get much use out of both items."
"I'm sure I will." Sofia said happily and she opened her mouth to thank the woman when the sound of Lucinda calling her name entered her ears. She cringed, knowing she was going to get an earful of complaints from the witch for ignoring her advice. "I think I hear my friend calling for me. I'd better hurry along before she gives me a big lecture for disappearing on her. Thank you so much for selling me the items! I'm sure I'll see you again next year!" She then curtsied to Zelenia and Neoma apologetically before rushing off to find Lucinda.
"Oh, sweet girl..." Zelenia said, turning her gaze to Neoma with a grin. "She'll be seeing us much sooner than that."