This chapter is from Shelby's point of view, mostly because this is before the girls are old enough to understand what is going on.
"And I give," Cue dramatic pause, "the gift of grace!" The fairy drew the word out, basking in all the attention. Fairies. Shelby scoffed. They were all just vain little girls, hiding from the real world. They would never be great; they would never know true power. The selfish little showgirls would spend their lives constantly worrying about their looks, and when they weren't doing that, being waited upon hand and foot. Shelby had known that life, and she had left it long ago. They had laughed at her at the time, but soon they wouldn't be laughing. They would be bowing down to their Queen.
As the crowd applauded the fairy, Shelby waited. She was dying to make her entrance, but was too smart to give in to such human instincts. This was more than a simple act of revenge. She knew that a kingdom put under pressure would fall much more easily, and after today, she knew that she could bring it down. Shelby had to wait until all the fairies had given their gifts of beauty and grace. By the time she had made her move, it would be too late. She smirked from her spot in the crowd. Beauty sure as hell wasn't about to help this princess.
Shelby glanced at the baby princess, who was, she admitted, an attractive child. Still, her heart held nothing for the innocent girl. After all, she had just given birth to Rachel mere months ago, and she had no attachment to her, either. But young Rachel played an important part in Shelby's plans, just as this one did.
The last fairy approached the young Rose, and Shelby's veins boiled with contempt. This was a fairy that Shelby knew well, and she was the only one that had any chance of interfering with her plans. Shelby stood to attention, choosing to continue to wait for now. She didn't want to risk having to fight Sue unless it was completely necessary. Even now, years later, she didn't know if she could take her down again. The hairs on the back of Shelby's neck stood up, but she stood completely still. Nothing could risk her plans.
Sue, unlike all the other fairies, wasted no time in giving her gift. "And I give Rose the gift of Animalspeech." The crowd broke through the starch atmosphere for the first time that day to buzz about the abnormal gift. Even Shelby was thrown off guard for a second, before catching herself. She smiled to herself. Even those with the gift of Animalspeech were rarely able to progress to the point of the gift being useful. Even Sue was too foolish to think of a valuable gift. And now, Shelby's plans were falling right into place.
She cast aside her cloak, and strode through the thick crowd up to the royal family.
"I order you to—" Shelby cast out one hand, and the guard flew through the air and crashed into the wall. It didn't stop the other palace guards from trying to prevent Shelby from reaching the baby, but they proved no more difficult than the first. By this point the crowd had fallen into a fearful silence. The atmosphere had gone from celebratory to catastrophic in mere moments, and Shelby loved every moment of it.
"I think it's time for my gift, now isn't it?" She looked into the eyes of the terrified king, making every word loud and clear so everyone in the room could hear her. "Or am I not allowed to give your precious daughter a gift? I'm not a pureblood after all…" Shelby ran one cold hand down the cheek of the queen. "And we all know how much your queen hates half-bloods..." She turned away from the royals, and towards the crowd. "Am I good enough now? Do you respect me now?" Shelby was getting near hysterical. "I am only half fairy, after all. My father was a human!"
She stood, gasping for breath. No. This was not how a Queen was to act. Shelby turned back towards the baby. "It's time for my gift, now isn't it, little one?" She said softly.
"No, please!" Queen Petunia cried out in tears. The king put his hand on her shoulder, then offered, "You don't need to do this. We will give you gold—"
"And I don't want your gold." Shelby said calmly. It was finally time for her to take her revenge, and she loved every second of it. She had the entire chamber's full attention, she had the queen in tears, and soon, the entire kingdom would hear of her and her act. Hell, kingdoms all over would hear of her—a half-breed! And soon, she was to be Queen. Not just of the kingdom of Rokelle, but of the entire world.
She turned back towards the entire crowd of people. "I give this child the gift of…" Shelby looked at the throng of people gathered before her. A small boy, richly dressed, clung to his mother, tears sliding down his cheeks. "An early death." Someone in the crowd gasped loudly. "For no one will want to live in this world once I have taken control."
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Petunia sobbed loudly in the corner, arms held protectively over her child. King Richard paced the room angrily, trying to think over the sounds of his wife's cries.
"What is there to be done?"
One of the younger of his royal advisors, a man named Jasper, was the first to pipe up eagerly, "Why don't we send troops after her?" She's only been gone minutes!"
"No." Robert, another of the king's advisors, spoke up. "It will never work. She's too powerful."
"But something must be done! She's practically sentenced my daughter to die!"
Robert, seemingly the only voice of reason in the room, replied to the queen, "She has sentenced your daughter to die. It's a curse, a powerful one. We'd be fools to try to evade it."
"I refuse to sit back while my daughter dies!"
"The curse is not supposed to kill her until she's sixteen. Couldn't we wait until we've all gotten our bearings before making a decision?" Another advisor offered.
"No," Richard replied. "We have no time to waste. We must do something."
Robert sighed. "I've already asked Sue, as well as several of the other fairies. There's nothing any of them can do."
"What about fairies in other kingdoms? What about Shushire or Xantaga?" The King asked.
"Shushire is too far away. It takes a full year to sail there without going through Xantaga. And we've been at war with Xantaga for two years. We can't go storming in without explanation. We need more immediate action, and then if it's completely necessary we will risk looking in Xantaga or Shushire for a cure."
"There must be something!"
"We could hide her! The curse was put on the Princess Rose, but if she were disguised as a commoner…" Jasper again put in his suggestions.
The King exchanged looks with Robert. He was skeptical, but no one had offered any rebuttal. "Richard, what if we did that? Just as a temporary solution—"
"Absolutely not," Queen Petunia snapped. "It will never work. And how will my daughter and I receive protection when we're disguised as peasants? Not to mention how will I continue to rule?"
"Petunia, we weren't suggesting—" King Richard cut Robert off with one look. The king would be the one to tell his wife.
Richard knelt down next to her. "I don't think it would be safe for either you or I to go with our daughter—" She let out a sharp cry, but he put a finger to her lips and she let him continue. "It's the only way to keep her safe. I will write to the Xantagan King at once and ask for permission to enter his kingdom. The moment we find someone capable of removing our daughter's curse, we will bring Rose back to us."
Petunia closed her eyes and clutched her baby, tears still running down her cheeks. She slowly nodded, although it broke her heart to do so.
"The princess will be taken to an orphanage in the morning."
"Orphanage?" The king questioned.
"It will be the safest. The orphanage is left children all the time, even those as young as Rose." Robert looked down gently at the queen. "I hate to say it, but her name must be changed as well. It would be too suspicious."
The Queen sobbed into her baby's blankets. "Brittany. Call her Brittany. It was my mother's name."
Robert nodded his approval. "It's a common peasant name. Now, we must remove the child at once—"
Petunia looked down at her little girl one last time, drinking in her face. She smoothed down her curls, and slowly kissed her cheek. Richard bent down and laid a hand gently on his daughter's sleeping form, letting tears fall down his face. Neither knew when they would see their child again.
Exactly one hour later, a baby girl estimated to be about three months old was found on the steps of the Rokelle orphanage. Her name, Brittany, was written on a piece of parchment tucked into her blankets.
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Even after Shelby's dramatic act at the palace, she still had one more errand to run while in Rokelle. While everyone else in the village was distracted by the news of the witch's curse, it was easy to sneak into a home full of gossiping women and take the young girl from her cradle. She was the daughter of a nobleman, but truthfully Shelby wouldn't have cared if the girl were a commoner. Shelby just needed a baby, and she had found one. The baby let out a wail the moment they were outside, but Shelby silenced her by placing a finger across the girl's lips. This child was close to the age of Princess Rose, maybe even younger. She would meet Shelby's needs nicely.
Shelby scoffed at the sight of her sister's home—a very tall tower, concealed deep in the woods. Judy had mentioned that she was living in a tall house, but the tower Shelby saw was at least forty or fifty feet high. There was also no door besides the one at the top of the tower; Judy's dealings with wolves had taken its toll on her mental state.
Shelby was able to reach the tower easily with a spell, but it also meant that she had to take the baby out from where it was hidden in her cloak, which was slightly vexing. Shelby didn't like dealing with her own child, and she especially didn't like dealing with someone else's. Still, it would be worth it soon.
Climbing in through the small door, Shelby set the baby girl down on the floor before calling, "Judy?" through the dark chambers.
A small, wiry woman soon appeared. "Sister," she said as a greeting, sitting down in a wooden chair. "Good to see you. I wasn't expecting another visit from you for a few years."
"My needs have risen."
"And what can I do to help 'your needs?'"
"I need wolves. Lots of them."
Judy cackled from her little chair. "Still dealing with riots?"
Shelby, unlike her sister, was not amused. "Yes."
"Why can't you go intimidate them yourself? You've gotten pretty good at it over the past few years."
"I still need my husband. I don't intend to kill him until after Rachel is married."
"Oh, and your husband doesn't appreciate you going around and killing his subjects? He'll let you start a completely unnecessary war with Rokelle and put curses on babies—"
"So you've heard?" Shelby asked, mildly curious. She didn't know her sister still looked into worldly matters.
"Who hasn't?" Judy replied.
"Well, first of all, he doesn't know. No one knows that it was me, and I intend to keep it that way."
"Still living a double life? I'm surprised that the queen of Xantaga needs to handle her kingdom's dirty work on her own."
"And what about the wolves?" Shelby asked, steering the conversation back towards what she had come for.
"Well, maybe I'll tell you where they are or maybe I won't." Judy grinned from her little chair.
Shelby gestured towards the baby on the floor. "I brought you a little present. Perhaps, though, if you'd rather keep your information to yourself, I'll keep the girl. I'm sure I'll find a good use for her."
Judy slowly raised herself above the chair and peered down at the little girl, who had gone unnoticed before. "Quinn," she said softly. "That's Quinn. That's my daughter."
Shelby scooped up 'Quinn' in one arm. "She's not yours. I'm the one that got her for you. I can just toss her out this tower if I want to."
Judy stood up quickly in alarm. "No! Please…" She held out her arms for the child, looking more helpless than ever.
Shelby smirked. "Then I suppose you can tell me where the Red Clan is, as well as give me just a few details to make sure that they will cooperate." Shelby dropped the infant into Judy's eager arms, and then strode towards one of the other chairs in the room. "And don't forget, if you lie to me I can always send Russell or one of your other lovely husbands your way. I'm sure they're all dying to see you."
Judy looked up from her new daughter, and her expression darkened. "No, sister. I'll tell you the truth. I'm done with men. They're all vile creatures." She looked lovingly at Quinn. "My daughter and I will be much happier without them."
"Good." Shelby said from her place in the room. "Now, if you don't mind? I'm really very short on time, and I do have some subjects to intimidate."
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Two days after her meeting with Judy, Shelby was already on her next phase. The Red Clan had been tougher than she had anticipated; by this point, they were more wolf than man after living in the wild for so long. But they were necessary to her plan, and so Shelby put up with the dirtier parts of the negotiations. She had gotten wolf blood all over her favorite cloak, and it had to be thrown away. Such a pity.
Now, Shelby stood hidden amongst the winter pine needles. It was barely morning, and already blood was spilt all over the clean white snow. Villagers tore around in blind panic, their screams merging to form one endless wailing. Shelby watched, and waited.
A young woman struggled up a ladder leading to a thatched roof, holding a large bundle in her arms. Shelby raised an eyebrow from her spot in concealment. What is worth risking her life over? Foolish humans. Still, Shelby watched the woman curiously. The woman's black hair spilled over her red cloak, and her dark eyes searched the sky as she called out for help. A man, probably her husband, leaned over the edge of the roof and took the bundle from the woman. She scrambled up the ladder, so close to reaching freedom with her husband and precious bundle…
Snap. A beast caught the edge of the woman's red cloak in its jaws; she was just about to cross the threshold to safety. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. She stared up at her husband, her expression unreadable, as she was pulled down into the beast's clutches below. She didn't struggle; she lay still as the wolves tore her insides out.
The man reached for his wife long after she was dead, his eyes dull, his arm clutching the woman's strange bundle.
Shelby grew tired of waiting, so she called off the wolves with a sharp whistle. They were hesitant to retreat from such easy prey at first, but as soon as she revealed herself they scampered off. Even their animalistic minds knew what happened when you crossed the Queen. Shelby approached the remaining villagers, knowing that whoever was left would get the message soon enough.
"The next time you decide to rebel," Shelby cast off her hood, revealing her face to the villagers. The few that were close enough to see her face gasped, and she smirked. Even if these people were brave enough to tell others that it was their precious queen behind the attacks, she doubted that anyone would believe them. The good King Hiram would never marry anyone capable of such evil. "I will not be so merciful."
As she soared back towards the sky, she caught a glimpse of the man's bundle. Inside was a child, wrapped in a ragged blanket with one word embroidered into its threadbare middle: Santana.
And so Shelby returned home, but her day's work was not yet done. She sat at her desk, taking a painstakingly long amount of time to complete her work. It will all be worth it soon. It will all be worth it soon. Just as she was admiring her handiwork, the door creaked open. Shelby crumpled her project into a ball, cursing whomever it was that disturbed her.
She turned towards the door, ready to banish whichever poor servant had interrupted her work, when instead she was faced with her husband. Shelby rearranged her expression into one of love. "Darling," she greeted him with a tender embrace.
"Shelby," Hiram melted into her, sighing. "Where have you been all day?"
"Ill. I'm afraid my illness from a few days ago has returned."
His face grew even more distressed. "I hope Rachel doesn't catch it."
Shelby struggled to regain her composure. All he cared about was that stupid child. "I hope so, too."
He sank into the bed, rubbing his temple with his ink-stained fingers. "I've just received a letter from the king of Rokelle."
Shelby's eyes flared. No. "And what did he write of?"
"His daughter has been cursed by a former palace fairy, and no cure can be found in his kingdom." Hiram stared out the window, lost in his thoughts. "She's about Rachel's age." He looked back towards Shelby, who was still trying to decide how to respond. "I'm thinking about allowing him to search within Xantaga."
Shelby stood up, and walked towards her husband, a look of loving concern painted upon her face. "We are at war. If they accept your kind offer," she said, laying a hand on his chest and staring into his eyes, "It will be only to attack and kill your people." Her gaze softened. "You're much too kind of a man, much too kind for your own good."
He sighed. "You're probably right."
She leaned in close. "I'm always right."
After her husband had left, returning to deal with the demands of war, Shelby rewrote her crumpled letter to the king of Shusire on a clean piece of parchment. Nearly done, she finished with:
I sincerely hope that you will accept our proposal of marriage. Of course, we shall hold off all formalities until Finnley's 16th birthday; by then, Rachel shall be 15 and ready to rule at her husband's side.
Eagerly awaiting your reply,
Highest regards,
His Royal Highness,
King Hiram of Xantaga
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In those two weeks, the evil Queen Shelby changed four girls' lives forever. Brittany to spend her whole life in an orphanage; her parents looking hopelessly for a cure. Quinn to live out her life in a cage. Santana to spend her life without her mother, in a village doomed to live in fear forever. And Rachel, whose life was never her own.
These four fates were written out side by side, each brought by the evil of one woman. But soon, these lives were to intertwine, to connect and merge like branches of a tree. And maybe, just maybe, their fates weren't sealed in stone yet. Maybe they had a chance of defying the life given to them, to go out into the world and write their own fate and find their own destiny.