"Alright Trucy doll." Phoenix said, taking his newly adopted daughter by the hand. "Time for bed."
"But daddy." Trucy protested "I haven't finished perfecting my disappearing handkerchief yet."
"You can finish that tomorrow." He told her, leading her to her room "But right now it's time to go to sleep."
When they reached her room, he let go of her hand and took off her red top hat, setting it on her hat hook.
"But daddy." She continued as he unclipped her red cape and hung it up with her hat "Why don't you have to go to bed?"
"Because I'm a grown up." He answered distractedly, taking a pair of her pajamas out of her dresser.
"Can I stay up late when I'm a grown up?" She asked earnestly as he handed her the pajamas.
"Maybe Trucy doll. For now you need to go to bed at a decent time." He smiled, patting her on the back "Now go change and brush your teeth."
"When I'm older," Trucy chatted on her way to the bathroom "I'm gonna stay up all night doing magic tricks."
Phoenix smirked and shook his head. Kids. He thought fondly.
When Trucy finished up in the bathroom, she trotted back into the bedroom, picking up a book of fairy tales amongst her many "How to:" magic books. "Daddy, will you read me a bed time story?" She asked Phoenix, giving him a wide eyed, puppy dog stare.
"Alright kiddo." He consented, patting a spot on the bed "Make yourself comfy."
Trucy set the book on his lap and climbed onto the bed, snuggling under her diamond patterned comforter.
Phoenix skimmed through the book, looking for a story that wasn't too racy or gory. He finally settled on one and began.
"The Twelve Brothers." He read the title "Once upon a time, there was a King and Queen who had twelve sons-"
"Whoa, twelve sons." Trucy marveled "That's a lot; I bet the Queen got tired of having so many boys around."
Phoenix ignored the interruption and continued reading "Now the Queen was pregnant with their thirteenth child. One day the King said to her:
"If our thirteenth child should be a girl; have twelve coffins made, and kill the twelve sons so that she might inherit everything."
"That's horrible!" Trucy exclaimed "Why would he want to kill all of his sons?"
Phoenix whole heartedly agreed, but kept reading "So the King had twelve coffins made and locked in a room, just in case their child should be a girl-"
"What was he going to do with them if the baby turned out to be a boy?" Trucy wondered.
"Trucy, are you going to keep interrupting?" Phoenix asked in a warning tone.
"Sorry daddy." She apologized "Keep reading!"
"The Queen was heartbroken at the thought of having to kill her sons, and constantly wept for them.
The youngest brother; who was also the smartest, asked her what was wrong multiple times until she showed him the room with the twelve coffins.
"My son, your father has requested that if our baby is a girl, that you and your brothers be killed."
"Don't worry mother." The youngest brother assured her "I will warn my brothers, and we will run and hide away in the forest."
"When the child is born." The Queen told her youngest son "I will raise a flag from the tallest spire. If the child is a boy, I will display a white flag, and you will know it is safe to come back. If the child is a girl, I will hang a red flag, and you and your brothers must go far away from here."
The younger brother told his eleven elder brothers the news of their impending execution, and that night they ran away into the forest. In the middle of the forest, they found a magic cottage waiting for them, and they took shelter in it.
Of course there's a magic cottage. Phoenix thought.
"One of us needs to keep watch for the signal." Said one of the brothers, so they delegated the youngest to watch the tallest castle spire from a high tree until they saw the flag. On the eleventh day, the youngest saw a blood red flag flapping in the wind.
"Wow, they got out of there just in time!" Trucy blurted out.
"Trucy, you said you wouldn't interrupt anymore." Phoenix reminded her.
"I'm sorry daddy. I couldn't help it." She insisted, smiling sheepishly.
Phoenix paused for a moment before continuing "Why should we be exiled just because of a girl?" They said to themselves "From now on, wherever we see or meet a girl, we shall spill her blood!"
"That's terrible!" Trucy cried indignantly "It's not her fault, it's the stupid King's fault, they should be mad at him!"
Phoenix nodded, letting the disturbance slide. It was monumentally unfair. I see idiotic decisions run in the family. He thought to himself.
"Meanwhile; back at the castle, ten years went by, and the Princess grew up into a beautiful and charming little girl. She had been born with a gold star on her forehead, which only added to her beauty."
These people have a weird idea of what's beautiful. Phoenix pondered.
Trucy giggled "Maybe she's from space."
"One day during a castle washing day, the Princess noticed twelve medium sized shirts among the washing-"
"She just noticed that?" Trucy scoffed "What, do they only wash their clothes once every few years?"
Phoenix waited to make sure she was done speaking. "Who could these shirts belong to?" She asked her mother "They are too small to be my father's."
"Well, duh." Trucy murmured.
"Trucy if you keep interrupting, I'm going to stop." He warned.
"No, please keep reading daddy." Trucy begged "I'll be good."
"Alright." He sighed.
"They belong to thy twelve brothers." The Queen told the Princess.
"Why have I never heard of them until now?" Her daughter wondered.
"They were forced to flee before you were born." Said her mother.
"Do not worry mother. I shall go and seek my twelve brothers." declared the Princess.
Kind of an on the whim decision. Phoenix criticized.
"So the Princess went searching for her missing brothers. She searched far and wide until she reached the magic cottage in the middle of the forest. When she went inside, there was a young man sweeping the cottage floor.
"Ooh, who is it daddy?"
"We'll find out in a minute." He responded.
"Who are you?" The young man asked.
"I am a King's daughter, and I have come seeking my twelve brothers."
The young man realized who she was "I am your youngest brother, and you are my sister."
They hugged and cried, glad that they had found each other. "You must hide before the others come back from hunting." He told her "For they have sworn to kill any maiden they see." He hid her under the bathtub while they waited for the eleven brothers.
"With twelve boys, they must eat a lot." Trucy commented.
They probably still couldn't eat as much as Maya. Phoenix doubted.
"When they brothers got home, they asked the youngest:
"What news do you have?"
"Don't you know any?" He asked them "I have been home all day, and I know more than you."
"Tell us!" They cried.
"First you must swear not to kill or lay a hand on the first maiden you see." He told them.
"Yes, she shall have mercy! Tell us!" They cried again.
Well they consented awfully quickly. Phoenix thought.
"Holding them to their oath, he brought out the Princess from under the tub-"
"How'd she fit under there?" Trucy asked.
"I don't think it's the same kind of tub we use Trucy." Phoenix told her.
"Our sister is here." He said to them. And she seemed so beautiful, delicate, and sweet; that they couldn't not love her.
They lived happily like that for two years, and one day the Princess went outside into the garden to pick flowers. She saw twelve white lilies, and picked them. Suddenly the house and the garden disappeared along with her twelve brothers, who were turned into ravens. Then as old woman appeared.
"My child what hast thou done? Those flowers were thy twelve brothers who are now changed to ravens forever."
"What!" Trucy exclaimed "How was she supposed to know that? That's not fair!"
"Trucy!" phoenix sighed in exasperation.
"Finish the story daddy." She begged "Please, I won't interrupt anymore."
"Isn't there any way to free them?" The Princess asked the old woman.
"Only one." The woman replied "You must not speak, laugh, or utter a sound for seven years. If you were to speak even one word in the last hour of the seven years, all would be in vain."
Phoenix could tell Trucy was itching to say something, but was trying not to.
"The maiden went to a tall tree and sat among its branches, so that she might not encounter anyone, and sat there spinning clothes and never talked or laughed.
"One day there was a King hunting in the woods, and he saw the beautiful Princess with the gold star on her forehead and fell in love with her. He called to her and asked if she would become his wife, to which she gave a nod; so he brought her to his castle and married her.
"They lived happily for a few years, until the King's mother started ad rumors about his wife being a witch, and continuously nagged him until he finally sentenced the Queen to death."
Trucy could hold it no longer "But he's the King!" She cried in outrage "He doesn't have to do what she says!"
They were almost at the end of the story, so Phoenix decided he might as well finish.
"She was tied to a stake where they set a fire, and the flames were starting to lick at the hem of her dress, when the last moment of the seven years came to an end. The twelve ravens appeared in the sky and transformed into her twelve brothers, who quenched the flames and released her from the stake."
"Yeah!" Trucy cheered "Take that old lady!"
"She told her husband her reason for never speaking, and he rejoiced. And they all lived happily together for the rest of their days. Except for the wicked mother-in-law, who was very unhappy and died miserably.
"The end." He finished, standing up and setting the book back on the shelf.
"That was a great story daddy!" Trucy said, laying her head on the pillow.
It was, despite you interrupting. He thought to himself as he turned on her star shaped night light and turned off the lamp.
"Will you read me another one tomorrow?" She asked hopefully as he tucked her in.
"We'll see. Good night Trucy doll." He said, giving her a kiss on the head.
"Good night daddy." Trucy replied as he closed the door behind him "I love you." she added when she knew he was out of earshot.
P.S 'The twelve Brothers' is a real fairy tale that I found inside a giant Grimm Brother's fairytales edition, and decided to use for this one-shot. I hope you're enjoying these so far. :D