The will-o-wisps led her to the circle of stone pillars. It was also the time she had seen her mother with her right mind. That was also where the witch stood waiting for her. Like she knew Merida was coming. The air around them stood still, waiting for something to happen.
"Why? I didn't want it to end like this," Merida sobbed out. She tried to find her but the house was blown up from too many potions. She didn't want to face the witch but she had to. This was her last chance to make things right, just maybe she could reason with the witch.
"A lesson. Doesn't the saying go: Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it?" questioned the witch. Merida looked at her furious her eyes filled with hot tears. This can't be happening.
"Change her back. Change them back. I'll do anythin', anythin' you want."
The witch stared at her oddly, her raven perched on her shoulder and stared at her. Slowly, she shook her head no and Merida still stared pleading with her. This wasn't happening, she didn't want it to end this way.
Finally she sighed maybe she could make this work.
"You will understand what this means in due time. Meet your mother in the middle," said the witch. Merida only looked at her confused. What did that mean? She looked at the witch and in the blink of an eye she was gone. Confused and angry Merida headed back to the castle to face her father.
And it wasn't going to be pretty.
"Merida that was a stupid selfish act. I have the right mind to pick your suitor!" roared Fergus. He had been torn up about what happened with his wife and sons. He thought for a moment. "If I had to pick you would be married within the next day to the son of Lord Mac-"
"Dad I know what I did was terrible. I'll try to fix it!" cried out Merida. She had gone to the witch twice before. She wasn't sure if the third time was the charm, but she could sure try. But the witch was gone no where to be seen. Furious with herself she raced back to the castle.
Life was different without them around.
Fergus had stopped eating and stayed in bed more. No more game was for dinner and she didn't know who her father was anymore. Not that jolly man that tried to make her smile when she was down, that's for sure. The boys were gone, the pranks they pulled were no more. Even Maudie missed them and they liked to torture her.
From her window Merida watched her brothers follow their mama bear around. Her brothers and mother were a bear family. No papa bear, no sister bear. She had gotten what she wanted, her mothers mind changed. Her fate changed because of it, in an odd twisted sort of way. There was no going back.
Watching the bears she knew what she had to do. She couldn't just cut those out from her life around her.
~*~* Time Skip ~*~
It had been a year since that day. The day her life had changed she had done her lessons, she had done everything her mother would have wanted her to do. Everything had changed in her, she stopped riding Angus in the woods. Her archery was confinded to a field. Elinor and the boys still never came home...
Red hair framed her face like curtains as she sat next to her father at dinner. She knew what she had to say to her father. He was just about ready to resign from the throne. He was going to give the position to one of the lords.
"Dad," said the hallow voice of Merida. "I'm... I've decided that... I'm going to do what mum would have wanted me to do."
Fergus only stared at her. He had a vague idea of what Merida was going to say to him next.
"I'm going to be queen and I'm catching up with my lessons. I've decided to pick a suitor," she said holding her pillow that to her chest. She had brought it to dinner with her. "Mum... I was being selfish and what I did isn't worth it. And I'll need your help to do it."
Fergus faced her and nodded that he would help her, then he held his daughter close as both of them cried. Elinor, Harris, Hamish, and Hubert gone just like that. It took one selfish act to nearly ruin a kingdom. From both sides of a mother and a daughter.
Merida and Fergus walked hallow throughout the halls of the palace. They had stayed up in to the wee hours of the night reading the letters. The letters from the Ladies of clans: Dingwall, MacGuffin, and MacIntosh. They were all telling her mum about news in their respective clans. They were telling her what there sons were like.
Fergus pulled out old letters that the lords had sent. The same old, same old, news and more importantly there sons. Merida read each and every one of them. She had changed herself since...
"Dad, I asked for Lady MacGuffin's letter," said Merida. He had handed her a letter from Lord MacGuffin. She opened the letter anyway, she was going to end up reading it. She felt her own eyes tear up as she read it. Lady MacGuffin had died about 5 years ago from sickness and childbirth.
Merida put the letter down. She know knew what that was like to loose a mother.
It was late one night, probably around 11 when she saw her mother, the bear. She was watching the castle wondering what was going on. Merida hugged her pillow close to her chest before going to the tallest tower. Her falcon had a letter tied to the animals leg. She changed throughout the course of the last couple of months.
Both her and her father have changed since then. She was ready to become a queen and take her mothers place. Her lessons had gone in check by Maudie. She had battle techniques in order. All she had to do was take a husband.
"Dad if you had to pick my husband who would have been?" asked Merida. She already knew what she had in mind, she wanted her dads opinion.
"Hmm let's see there was young MacIntosh and his lovely flowing locks," said Fergus teasing her. "I guess he would have been alright if he didn't have any temper tantrums. There was young MacGuffin, kinda nervous fellow. There's nothing I can really pick on him about other then he speaks in his mother tongue. Wee Dingwall was often in his own head..."
Merida looked at him waiting for an answer.
"Young MacGuffin I suppose, all he really needs to do is brush up on his Scots more."
"What's this about?" asked Lord MacGuffin. He and his son were sent a letter by Merida to come as soon as they had a chance. They had left as soon as there was nothing else to prepare. Young MacGuffin, Ian, who was still remembering Scots looked at Fergus. What were they needed for?
Merida peered down the steps and looked at the two men from the MacGuffin clan. Ian had thinned out some, or at least lost the baby fat. He also had a small beard that was still in the process of growing. His father didn't look that different other then he looked a year older. From the letters Lord MacGuffin should be about 38. By now Ian should be about 20 and she was about to turn 18.
"Why are you here?" asked Fergus. He wasn't in the mood for visitors much less the ones Merida had invited over. Merida had come down the stairs in her best dress. By this time it was a dark maroon color with silver trimming. Ian only looked at her with a small smile. She was pretty with her hair in a braid down her back, a few curly strands deliberatly hanging out.
Even though he did notice that she was sad. He could tell she was nervous because that's the way he felt being at DunBroch castle about 2 years back.
Merida looked at both MacGuffin men and smiled a weak smile. She had been up all night trying to write her speech for them. She had made the right choice and that what Merida decision was worked.
"Lord MacGuffin I have invited you and Ian here for a reason," said Merida. Fergus looked at her with a confused look what could... Fergus realized why they were really here. Merida was going to take her mothers place sooner rather than later.
"After what happened with me mother," said Merida gulping a bit with that last word. It still stung after nearly a year since it happened. Her speech didn't matter anymore. Fergus excused them before pulling her away next to the thrones.
After Merida stopped crying some Fergus only held her close. Lord MacGuffin and Ian only looked at them and watched as the two pulled apart. They didn't want to listen in, it was rude. Besides they kind of had a feeling of what was going to be said, anyway.
"You chose Ian as your husband?" asked Fergus. If he had to guess why he could name a few reasons. One would be that both of them have lost a mother. Merida nodded she had her reasons for doing this. She needed to move on and the new year was a good reason to. She had written letters to clans MacIntosh and Dingwall about what was going to happen.
Each of the clans were concerned when it came to who was going to rule. Queen Elinor wasn't going to come back anytime soon since she was a bear. Finally Merida had gotten back to all of them of what was going to happen.
"I'll tell them. You just get some rest, please don't argue Merida," said Fergus. She left the room so she could deliever those letters.
Dear Magnus Macintosh and Family,
There have been rumors going around about my family abdicating the throne. After with what happened with me mother, I have decided to keep our family line going. With this I have finished my lessons and there will be a coronation ceremony the second week of the new year. My father and I are wishing your family good thoughts about coming, and me as the next ruler.
There is also the choice of me taking a husband. As queen I'm expected to carry on our family line and bear children. After reading through letters from the ladies of each clan, I have decided on my husband. I'm sorry to inform you that it isn't your son Torrance. Instead I have picked Ian MacGuffin through much deliberation.
I do however wish he finds his love in due time.
Best Wishes,
Princess Merida of clan DunBroch
$%$%$%$%
Dear Broderic Dingwall and Family,
There have been rumors going around about my family abdicating the throne. After with what happened with me mother, I have decided to keep our family line going. With this I have finished my lessons and there will be a coronation ceremony the second week of the new year. My father and I are wishing your family good thoughts about coming, and me as the next ruler.
There is also the choice of me taking a husband. As queen I'm expected to carry on our family line and bear children. After reading through letters from the ladies of each clan, I have decided on my husband. I'm sorry to inform you that it isn't your son Abernathy. Instead I have picked Ian MacGuffin through much deliberation.
I do however wish he finds his love in due time.
Best Wishes
Princess Merida of clan DunBroch
Frankly Merida didn't care if she sent out 2 letters that were exactly the same. Just as long as both of them got sent out and hope they didn't try to declare war. Even if she did have clan MacGuffin on there side for picking young MacGuffin.
She went back downstairs and saw her dad still talking to the both of them. Merida smiled before going to the kitchens to grab an apple. She caught Ian's eye and blushed before going there.
She pretended to talk to her mum, like she was there. This was late a night when Fergus wasn't up, she'd been doing it ever since... It didn't sting as much talking about it. It was late one night when she saw the bears come and watch the castle. Her brothers were watching Fergus help move the possesions from the MacGuffin clan earlier that day.
The wedding was in two weeks time and Merida was enjoying the preparations. She courted Ian within those months and picked up on his Doric. He spoke more Scots that Ian was shocked at how quickly Merida learned Doric.
Looking over at her wedding dress hanging on her door. It was white and had long sleeves with grey green celtic designs on the belt and the hem of her neck. The underdress also had the designs on the sleeve. The dress is something her mum would have been proud of. Even the circlet for her hair was pretty with it designed to look like leaves.
She soon realized how quickly time passed by. Tomorrow would be 2 years since the incident and Merida shed her last couple of tears in her.
"Merida I have a gift of my own for you," said Ian walking over to her. They were on top of the tallest tower in the palace. In his hands was a small wooden box that was simple and a bit plain. Around them the sky was filled with stars, well from behind the clouds.
"Inside," he said motioning for them to go back in. It was going to rain any minute those storm clouds were not a good sign. To bad it was raining on Merida's birthday. Finally both of them walked until they reached the room that they were going to be sharing.
He held the box out to her to take. Curious Merida took the box from his hands. She shook it bit before Ian shook his head, please don't do that. Not wanting to say anything she just opened the box, Ian watched her eyes light up. Inside was a circlet a pretty silver colored one that looked like leaves.
"It's for the wedding," he said as Merida put it back in the box. "My mum wore it for her wedding I thought you might want to..."
Merida whose eyes were starting to water, threw her arms around him. The witch watched as Merida threw her arms around him. The two were hugging and he was stroking her long wild (well now it was tamed) hair. The room was lite by candles and torches which were started to dim. Ian had leaned in to kiss her brushing her hair back and Merida kissed right back.
She watched Merida with a bright white orb from her cottage. So the lassie was getting married eh? Merida had learned what her mother would have wanted her. Her suitor was a handsome young man that was from the MacGuffin clan. Ian, he let his innocence drop as he aged into adulthood. However he was still a happy guy that tried to please his soon to be wife.
News that Merida had chosen a husband had spread. Young MacIntosh wasn't entirely happy about her choosing Ian over himself. Wee Dingwall was the first to RSVP happy for them. The witch was invited but Merida wasn't entirely sure if she would come. Spying the bears in the wood, the witch knew what she was going to do.
The witch stepped into the forest her hood covering her face. She found the 4 bears that was once the royal family. Elinor bear only looked at the woman with a suspicous look. That is if a bear can give you a look like that. The witch blew some powder in her face and the mama bear sneezed. She turned to the triplet bears and did the exact same thing.
Magic did it's work as the bears turned back into there normal human forms. This time all of them were actually dressed rather then naked. Elinor was in a golden yellow dress and the boys in kilts much like there dads. During the two years they didn't age at all.
"Will you both seek to cherish and strengthen that honor?" asked the judge to both Merida and Ian.
"We will," they both said at the same time. Merida felt her stomach drop that was the last promise of the handfasting ceremony. Now all they had to do was share the wine. At least they didn't have to kiss in public. That was meant for the wedding night, hopefully she would do that right.
"And so the binding is made," said the minister. He laid a ribbon on there clasped hands.
Elinor was soon informed of what had happened. Two years had passed since she turned into a bear along with her sons. The witch informed her that all it took was some growing up on Merida's part. In those two years Merida had finished her lessons and took a husband. She was a young woman that still did achery and went horseback riding with her husband to be.
At last minute all 4 of them was told the wedding was going on right now. The witch didn't want to come so she had the 4 royals walk back to there castle. Thankfully it wasn't to far away.
"We observe joyfully that you are now husband and wife," annouced the minister. Merida and Ian had there hands tied together and shared a cup of wine. Elinor was in the crowd with the boys as Merida and Ian had passed. Nobody took notice to her because they were wishing the bride and groom luck.
Merida only smiled as they danced in the throne room. It was the wedding night she was nervous about along with how life was going to be like. Before all she had to do was worry about lessons. Now she had a kingdom to run, thankfully she had Ian and her dad.
Elinor wanted to find Merida to tell her how proud she was. She had creeped out of the party with the boys before anybody noticed them. Fergus had retired early to have a chat with Ian. Merida was in the next room most likely in a panic. She knew her daughter and what came next was something Merida wouldn't take to lightly.
Elinor stood outside the door when she realized that Merida wasn't in there alone. She had heard them talking from outside the door.
''Merida are you sure you want me to?" asked Ian. Elinor could only smile he sounded like Fergus on the night they got married. He had made sure over and over that he wanted her to do it. Then he kept asking if she was alright and if he was hurting her. Merida was strong though she probably wouldn't be asking that.
After that it was silent until she heard Merida gasp out. A weak keep going was heard from behind the wooden door. Elinor should have pulled away but she didn't. After a couple of minutes Elinor creeped away making sure they didn't hear her. She should find Fergus, which wasn't a hard thing to do. He was heading this way to do exactly what she was doing.
It's open ended, so you can have whatever tearful reunion you want in your head to come true. I had this written and just now posted. Hope you enjoyed it and please leave a review! This was going to be a chapter fic, but I don't have time to write another long chapter story being busy lately. But if somebody wants to give a go at it let me know, I'm curious.
Basic plot line in case anybody got confused, Merida looses her mum. Merida learns some responsiblity and picks a suitor. The witch sees that she tried and on the day of her wedding changes her mother back. Elinor comes back. No one dies :D