It's not that she had anything against fairy tales, Amy would explain whenever someone expressed surprise at her distaste. She could definitely see why so many other people loved them. Once upon a time, she had, too. Just not anymore.
Not since the fairy godmother left the two orphans waiting with their wicked aunt.
Not since happily-ever-after turned out to mean not just riches and your own survival, but also death, death, death, and more death.
Bad guys were supposed to be bad guys and there was clearly only one Prince Charming. Not for her, though.
Of course, no one had bothered to tell Ian that.
"Happy birthday," he wished her, smiling as he pressed the book into her hands.
"Th-thanks, Ian," Amy said, puzzled. It was fancy edition, true, with beautiful, detailed illustrations, but nowhere near what she had expected from Ian. Ian tended to think that everyone wanted something expensive and luxurious. She hadn't expected him to buy her a book. It was so... simple. (For Ian, at least.) So her.
Was Ian trying to be thoughtful?
She looked down, not wanting him to see her confusion, and noticed a bookmarked page. She turned to it, opening up to the beginning of one of the stories.
"I believe you once mentioned that 'Beauty and the Beast' was one of your favorite stories, yes?"
She had. And it had been... before she learned that life wasn't so simple.
Still, Ian deserved a "thank-you." She looked up at him, and saw that he was still smiling at her. To her surprise, the Great and Proud Ian Kabra looked almost nervous.
Who would have thought?
Then again, sometimes Prince Charming's identity wasn't so obvious. Sometimes True Love was disguised, something to be found not with the obvious knight in shining armor, but in the most unlikely of places.
A/N: I know this isn't the story that anyone's been waiting for, but I am working on the next "Father's Day" installment.
Constructive criticism is, as always, welcome. :)
Quote of the Day: "Kindness is the golden chain by which society is bound together." - Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe