New Moon Bride
The Fairy Tale
When I was a child, my mother would read me to sleep. Images of princes and their maidens, magicians, and ogres would fill my head while I dreamed. My mother always joked with the other adults that she never had a problem getting me to go to bed because it was my favorite time of day. You see, at night, only in my dream world could the stories continue beyond 'The End'.
There was one story in particular that I could no go a single night without hearing. This was the story of the young fox who couldn't find a bride.
The story begins with the arranged marriage of a rather young princess. Her father, king of a vast nation, chose an older and ill-rumored nobleman to be her husband. The King saw her marriage as an opportunity to secure political ties with a bordering country, where the nobleman hailed from. The princess' father was unaware that his daughter was already in love with a man who worked in the palace.
Distraught at the idea of being sentenced to a marriage without love, the princess felt compelled to speak to the King and appeal to him as a daughter would her father.
"I am too young," she insisted.
"There are younger women than you who are married," he challenged.
"What if I were to love another?" she proposed.
"It would be best if you forgot such notions. The marriage will not be stopped," he stated with a disapproving frown.
Angry and more than upset by her father's callous response, she stood up and shouted, "I cannot imagine what I have done to deserve such little regard from my own father." With that, she turned and fled down the halls of the palace, ignoring the curious glances of passing servants.
When she reached her room, she collapsed to the floor in tears.
"It is too difficult for me to believe that he wishes a marriage from me so soon!" she cried, head pillowed by the thick layers of her dress sleeves.
"Are weddings not happy occasions?" a voice asked from the corner of her vast room.
Never had the princess expected a response to her cry, let alone one from within her room. Startled and a little embarrassed at having been caught in such a state of disarray by a servant, the princess turned toward the person who had spoke. Her room was empty save for herself.
"I am certain I heard someone just now," she whispered to herself, continuing to look around the room for any hidden individuals.
"I am over here, Princess," the voice called out again from the same direction.
The princess once again gazed at the area the voice had emanated from, but was only met with her reflection in the tall mirror pushed to a corner of her room. "I do not see you," she confessed, forgetting the proper manner of conduct when addressing a lower status citizen.
"You are looking at me," said the voice, clearly sounding from within the mirror.
The young princess watched in awe and a touch of fear as a golden fox materialized inside the mirror, his dark eyes watching her with human intelligence. When he took a step out of the mirror and into her room, she did not run away like most other ladies of the castle would have. Instead, she remained seated where she was, for she knew instantly that was one of the fabled fox spirits that made rare appearances on nights of the new moon.
The fox sat down on his haunches slowly, grace flowing with every movement, his tail looping around his front feet. "Is this marriage unwanted?" he asked.
Suddenly remembering the multitudes of warnings about speaking with foxes, the most clever and devious of all other spirits, the princess turned her head in a refusal to speak.
The story goes that the fox was charmed by the nature of the young woman and moved by her unfortunate situation. Out of sincere motives, the spirit offered his help in resolving the arranged marriage. However, his offer was made with one condition.
"Balance must be maintained, young one. If a discontented union is dissolved, a blissful one must be formed," the fox stated cryptically, eyes seeming to darken.
The princess nodded her head in understanding.
"I ask but a small favor in return for the great deed I am willing to perform for you," he informed her while standing up on all four legs.
"Anything you want, I promise I will provide! Do you wish for money? Or perhaps a shrine erected in your honor?" she proposed, excited at the prospect of her problems disappearing. "Please tell me what it is you want and I shall give it to you!"
"A bride."
The princess had not been expecting such a request from the fox and shyly asked why he would wish for the hand of a mortal.
"A pure and strong blood runs through your veins, Princess," he answered with a sly smile.
Scared that she may have put herself in a situation far worse than an arranged marriage, the princess rose to her feet and demanded on what grounds the fox was asking for a bride.
He sat down once more, eyes lowering to the ground for a moment. "Do not misinterpret my words. It is not you I speak of, nor am I in need of a bride. This bride will be born far into the future and will be one of your descendants," he clarified. "This bride will be for my son, who was born with a great gift and equally great burden."
"Are there not other suitable companions for him in your world?" she asked, perplexed.
"His birth has marked him as an outcast for the remainder of his life. There will be no one willing to make him he comes of an age suitable for matrimony," the fox said, moving to lie down on the floor, a deep sigh coming from him. "I only wish to secure his happiness," he admitted.
The princess walked forward a few steps and curtsied deeply beneath the strong gaze of the old fox. "It would be my family's honor to have a maiden that is suitable to be your praiseworthy son's bride," she spoke softly, her words sealing the unseen contract.
As the story goes on to mention, the fox stated that every new moon after a female descendant was born, a messenger from the spirit world would be sent to make sure that the princess' family was reminded of and honored the ancient promise.
If I remember correctly, the princess ended up marrying a knight of her country, and, so to speak, had a fairy tale ending. However, before she died, she made sure that her husband and sons would continue to retell the story to future generations so that the lonely fox cub, shunned by his own kind, could find his happily ever after.
Who knew that my favorite fairy tale was about to come true?
Author's Note (7/25/10): Slight revisions. Nothing major. Hope all first time readers enjoyed this story! Reviews are always welcomed.
Luv,
K