The Tender to the Songbirds
A/N = This is mostly based on the Grimm Brother's tale 'The Goose Girl', but I have turned the story into one from Ella and Aza's worlds as much as possible. I have explored this world as much as possible to help me write this story.
'I will miss you, Anidori.'
'I know,' I replied, although I didn't know any such thing. My own mother has sent me away from my home in Pu, to go a completely different land, and to marry a complete stranger.
Mother clearly saw through my disguise.
'Shall I show you?' She pulled out her best, silky white handkerchief, which had something rolled up inside. It eventually revealed itself to be a dagger.
'Mother, what are you doing?' I disliked my mother, but I didn't want her to kill herself. Not at all.
She put her hands to her lips, though, so I fell silent. I hadn't needed to be alarmed, as she only cut herself lightly across the wrist, squeezing 3 drops of royal blood onto it. Well, it was more than just royal; it was the blood of fairies. Just a little bit, but enough to have granted my mother magical powers.
It gave me powers too. I could talk to some animals, though I hadn't let my mother know that.
It isn't that my mother and I hated each other; just that she loved me too much. She wanted the best for me, she just didn't want to know what I thought was best for me. She loved me too much.
If I told her about my talking to animals, she would make a big fuss about it, tell me rules, and watch me too carefully. So I let her believe I had none. In many ways I did. Talking to animals amounts to nothing compared to my mother's power. She could influence people, and was amazing at it.
So I wasn't surprised to find that she had managed to secure a marriage for me in Ayorthaia, just as she had wanted. But there had always been that tiny little glimmer of hope that she would fail. It had proved wrong.
But knowing that she had sacrificed some of this magical blood to give me made me realise that I may be facing danger on this journey.
Soon, I was on my way to Ayorthaia. It was a 6 week journey by carriage, but there was a chance that we would not make it due to ogres, and if that were the case, they would be enjoying roasted princess for lunch.
Sounds lovely.
Mother had found a suitable chambermaid for me, a girl with hair as dark as mine, and eyes with more life. She was very pretty, and kind, someone that I liked to have as my friend. Her name was
She supplied me with everything I needed for the long trip, my favourite being a pretty gold cup with the words shala, de mira, von cel (give, be loved, live well) imprinted on the bottom.
I had a nice going away ball, but I could hardly enjoy myself knowing the danger I would soon be put through.
Finally, after months of preparation, My chambermaid, the drivers, a few warriors and I set off for our long journey to a faraway country where I would forever lose any choice over my own destiny.