It all began shortly after the battle with Mor´du, with a very sad yet seemingly unimportant event.
One of King Fergus´s deerhounds had spooked a horse inside the stables and in turn it had received a powerful kick. Even though it´s life had been spared the poor creature now walked around the castle using only it´s front legs, dragging it´s arse around.
For Merida and the triplets this resulted almost comical as the good and ever-loyal dog continued to play and beg for food at the table, but the king was broken hearted. His deerhound, his faithful companion, reduced to that! So after much thinking he took the dog into the forest and making sure that the creature wouldn´t feel a thing, he ended its misery with a swift stroke of his blade.
He never told anyone but Merida the truth about why he returned to the castle alone that night; and even though he trusted her more than anyone else in the kingdom he found it hard to talk about it.
-It would never truly be alive again lass…just imagine that, a prisoner within yer own body- they were both sitting on the edge of Merida´s bed and the king was on the verge of tears –Et…et was hard lass, et hurt me so much. I…I loved et, raised et since it was a little puppy, I loved that dog…but that´s why I had tae do et, to see it gallop around the countryside bringing me trophy's and then seeing that…et was the right thing tae do-
And no one remembered the incident until that fateful morning…
The morning air around castle DunBroch was fresh, almost cold; just the way Merida liked it.
The sun shone brightly in the sky and the maidens and men working went about with their chores, completely unaware of what would happen later that day.
Having only one of her favorite red apples for breakfast the princess prepared her bow and arrows for a day of adventures like many others, only that this wouldn´t be like any other day.
She mounted Angus and made it ride as fast the noble Clydesdale could go and just as she was crossing the gate something that shouldn´t have happened, occurred.
No one knows why the shield fell from top of the wall but everyone knows what happened next, Angus became spooked and stopped dead on its tracks causing Merida to lose grip.
She felt air rushing at her sides and saw the ground closing in, then everything became blurry as she felt a massive blow to the head and heard something snap.
She laid on the ground for several minutes, breathing heavily, her mouth dry, looking at the sky. Villagers were forming a circle around her and someone went to fetch the king and queen; until finally she saw her mother leaning over her.
-Merida! Wot happened? Are ye alright?-
Then her father –Talk tae me lass!-
-Da…- she finally gasped –I…I can´t move-
When the midwife told the king and queen what was exactly wrong with the princess he cursed and threatened, she cried and begged. But it made no difference, Merida´s neck had snapped, her bones shattered far beyond possible repair. She would forever be paralyzed from the chin down.
They tried everything, but no one could help them; even when, in despair, they had ventured deep in the forest. They never managed to find that tiny cottage that could have been their only hope.
And for days and weeks that became months the princess laid in bed, inside her room.
Religiously her mother would feed her and sing to her and when she was done, both would cry themselves to sleep every night.
The king was a different case, he couldn´t bear to see her like that. Not after knowing how free-spirited and wild and adventurous she had once been.
If he ever did manage to gather sufficient courage to get into her room, it was only to look at her and try to make joke, like they used to, and then he would always hold her tiny hand in his massive paw, sigh and walk out.
Once he closed the door he would hold his nose-bridge between his thumb and index finger and sigh again, only to return to his kingly chores.
And so time went by…
Until one day, the midwife who was giving Merida her weekly sponge bath noticed a foul smell. She informed the queen that the princess had developed several bed sore but one in particular, under her left leg, had become infected; there was just one solution.
Elinor did the impossible to defer the inevitable but the ever growing clouds of flies told her that the time was close.
And when the time came she locked the triplets in a room, as far as possible from Merida´s quarters. Bet resourceful as ever they had slipped past Maudie and managed to witness something they could not understand, but was horrible nonetheless.
From a shaft in the roof they could see their sister clearly. Why hadn´t she abandoned bed in so long? Why hadn´t she played with them or given them her desserts? Why were mum and dad and so many others around her? What were they forcing her to drink?
It was whisky, loads of it. Once the princess was completely and totally drunk an executioner entered the room, wielding a great axe.
He wouldn´t be taking Merida´s life, just her leg to keep the infection from spreading. The queen raised her daughter´s dress and the man raised his axe.
-THUNK! - It went down and her scream echoed in the castle.
Many days later, while the king was sitting beside her daughter he heard her speak for the first time in a long time. Only her lips moved for her face was white as chalk and her eyes were glassy orbs devoid of hope that looked at the ceiling.
-Da?-
-Aye lass? - He answered anxiously.
-I have tae ask something from ye-
-Of course lass! Anything! Just spit et out!-
-Do ye remember wot ye did fer yer deerhound?-
Color drained from the king´s face. He understood what she meant.
-Oh lass- he muttered holding his head between his hands – Forget about that, just forget about et-
-Please…ye have tae-
Tears began running down the king´s cheeks –I…I can´t. Please don´t ask me-
-I´m asking- she stated bluntly –Ye are the only one who I can trust, mom or the servants…will never do et-
After minutes where both kept silence Merida continued, her voice was weaker now, begging.
-Please Da… ye have tae- she swallowed hard –I…I did everything I ever wanted, I was free. Please don´t let me forget. Don´t let me lie her until I can´t remember the chirping of the birds or the song of my bowstring- another deep breath –The feel of moss and the Crowns tooth against my hands, and the sun and the wind in my face. The taste of the fire falls, please don´t leave me here until those memories vanish-
The king was moved but still he wiped the tears from his eyes and stood up –I can´t lass. I...I am sorry-
And with that he walked out of the room. Fergus couldn´t sleep that night, even with his wife next to him he twisted and turned in bed, when the sound of footsteps rushing outside their door took him out of his thoughts.
He jumped out of bed and opened the door to see many men and women rushing past him.
-Wot?! Wot is et? - He demanded, a single man stopped to answer –Et is your daughter sire! She´s bitten her tongue!-
It was the truth, seeing she couldn´t count on her father Merida had found their own solution.
Both king and queen rushed to their daughter´s side. The queen gasped and covered her mouth with her hands; a red blot came from Merida´s mouth, staining her sheets and dress. She saw the men trying to stop her and bit harder yet.
-Merida! Stop! - Luckily for them, the blood loss knocked the princess out cold, allowing the mid-wife to sew up the wound. When she regained consciousness she bit again, this time they gaged her so she would stop trying.
Since the time they had to amputate the princess leg the maidens now gave her full baths in a wooden tub filled with warm water. Fergus took this chance; he locked himself with Merida who was naked and inside the water and kneeled next to her.
-Lass- he began –I´ve been thinking about wot ye said and I…- he stopped, tears were falling now –I will help ye- And Merida smiled for the first time since the accident - I planned tae bring nightshade berries or a more powerful poison but, it would be painful. Now, if your mother knew I did this…- he stopped, how was this even possible? This conversation shouldn´t be happening – et has tae look like an accident do ye understand? - Merida blinked, was that a yes?
-I picked today because of…yer bath. I am going to push yer head into the water lass- he couldn´t hold back the tears now, he hugged his daughter, pressing her head against his chest one final time –Goodbye Mo Cuishle- Slowly he pressed his hand over her daughter´s head, it began sliding under the water.
In those final moments Merida looked at him, almost with happiness, and then she closed her eyes peacefully and let the water embrace her.
It took all the courage he possessed for the king to walk out of that room without looking back.
Merida´s body was found minutes later and DunBroch mourned. The queen more than anyone. During the funeral every face was sad, but Fergus seemed strangely peaceful, when asked why he didn`t answer…