There, before their eyes, stood a winter white unicorn with the deep, dark,
violet-blue eyes of Queen Amalthea.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Aurora looked at the unicorn and asked in an awed voice, "Mommy?"
The unicorn smiled and walked up to her daughter, nuzzling her cheek. She spoke in a voice that was younger than that of her mortal self, yet ancient and wise at the same time. "Yes, my daughter. It is I."
She gave another smile to her daughter and went over to where Molly was holding Schmendrick. Molly looked up, blinking back her tears and reached up to stroke her soft neck. Amalthea leaned down and touched her horn to Schmendrick's head. A soft white light flickered at the contact and he opened his eyes. Molly gave him no time to look around as she gave him a fierce hug. Schmendrick returned it, then brushed her off. "Amalthea, is she okay? Did I save her?" He questioned rapidly. Molly said softly. "Turn around."
He did, and the sight of her took his breath away. He had accomplished what he thought was impossible. The woman who had been a unicorn had returned to her former glory. He stood up and looked at into her eyes. She seemed to sense what he was looking for and stood perfectly still. He frowned slightly as the reflection in her deep eyes was his own, and not her forest.
"What is it, Schmendrick?"
"I can see myself in your eyes, my lady."
Lir quietly watched from where he held Aurora. He forced a smile onto his face but he thought inwardly, 'Curse you magician. You could have stopped the flames with a quick and easy spell. Instead you turn my wife against me.' He let go of Aurora and left the room without a single word.
Everyone looked at his retreating form and then Aurora spoke. "What's wrong with Daddy?" Molly replied. "He's just had a bit of a shock. Let's go downstairs and get you some breakfast. But we have to keep Mommy a secret. Can you do that for me, sweetheart?"
Aurora nodded her head and hugged her mother once more. "You look even prettier than the tapestry, Mommy" Amalthea chuckled and nuzzled her daughter. "Go on, little one."
Molly and Aurora left the room, leaving only Schmendrick and Amalthea.
They entered the drawing room and together surveyed it. The tapestry had been shredded by Schmendrick's magic, yet the contents of the room had not been touched. There wasn't a scorch mark to be seen.
They were almost perfectly silent, save for moving things around and their footsteps. It was Schmendrick who broke the silence. "Thank you. For bringing me back, I mean." Amalthea walked over to him and nuzzled his cheek. "You were my first friend and my dearest at that. I could not have left you to die when you gave me back my life, magician."
He smiled at the title. Coming from the servants, it was as every day as calling the cooks, other than Molly, 'Cook', or the tailor, 'Tailor'. Coming from the princess, it was like a little bell. When Lir used the term it seemed like an insult, as he knew he was a real wizard. But when Amalthea, no, when the unicorn spoke it, it was nothing short of an honor. That he, a mortal man, could have anything in common with the highest of magics was to his mind, the highest honor anyone could hope for.
"Schmendrick, will I be a unicorn forever?"
He startled at the question and looked into her eyes. They still showed his reflection, and his heart sank. She saw into his heart and hung her head sadly.
"You are unsure. You are the greatest wizard in all the world yet you have doubt."
"I wouldn't say the greatest, my lady." Schmendrick blushed. He forced the pinkness out of his face and then spoke seriously. "It took many months for you to truly become human. Perhaps it will be the same for you to become a unicorn again. If that is what you wish."
Amalthea lay quietly on the floor and pondered this over in her mind.
"I am not sure. I have a beautiful daughter and I love all my people dearly. But I cannot remain here as a unicorn."
Schmendrick noticed the absence of her husband in all her human loves. "And what of Lir?"
She sighed and looked up at him. "I just don't know. He kept the truth from me, as you and Molly did, but I feel his was the greater evil. I still love him, but." Schmendrick walked over and laid his hand on her back gently.
"I think he is angry at me for turning you back. I didn't know what I was doing when I said the spell. I only wanted to protect you from whatever magic had taken you prisoner."
"If we only knew who was behind it."
Then they heard laughter, sinister laughter coming from every direction in the room. The laughter grew louder as they tried to place it. It was raspy sounding, the laughter of an old man. Dark magic swirled into the room and picked up the twisted pieces of the tapestry and reworked it together. Only now it held new images.
The face of King Haggard, and the menacing Red Bull.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Aurora looked at the unicorn and asked in an awed voice, "Mommy?"
The unicorn smiled and walked up to her daughter, nuzzling her cheek. She spoke in a voice that was younger than that of her mortal self, yet ancient and wise at the same time. "Yes, my daughter. It is I."
She gave another smile to her daughter and went over to where Molly was holding Schmendrick. Molly looked up, blinking back her tears and reached up to stroke her soft neck. Amalthea leaned down and touched her horn to Schmendrick's head. A soft white light flickered at the contact and he opened his eyes. Molly gave him no time to look around as she gave him a fierce hug. Schmendrick returned it, then brushed her off. "Amalthea, is she okay? Did I save her?" He questioned rapidly. Molly said softly. "Turn around."
He did, and the sight of her took his breath away. He had accomplished what he thought was impossible. The woman who had been a unicorn had returned to her former glory. He stood up and looked at into her eyes. She seemed to sense what he was looking for and stood perfectly still. He frowned slightly as the reflection in her deep eyes was his own, and not her forest.
"What is it, Schmendrick?"
"I can see myself in your eyes, my lady."
Lir quietly watched from where he held Aurora. He forced a smile onto his face but he thought inwardly, 'Curse you magician. You could have stopped the flames with a quick and easy spell. Instead you turn my wife against me.' He let go of Aurora and left the room without a single word.
Everyone looked at his retreating form and then Aurora spoke. "What's wrong with Daddy?" Molly replied. "He's just had a bit of a shock. Let's go downstairs and get you some breakfast. But we have to keep Mommy a secret. Can you do that for me, sweetheart?"
Aurora nodded her head and hugged her mother once more. "You look even prettier than the tapestry, Mommy" Amalthea chuckled and nuzzled her daughter. "Go on, little one."
Molly and Aurora left the room, leaving only Schmendrick and Amalthea.
They entered the drawing room and together surveyed it. The tapestry had been shredded by Schmendrick's magic, yet the contents of the room had not been touched. There wasn't a scorch mark to be seen.
They were almost perfectly silent, save for moving things around and their footsteps. It was Schmendrick who broke the silence. "Thank you. For bringing me back, I mean." Amalthea walked over to him and nuzzled his cheek. "You were my first friend and my dearest at that. I could not have left you to die when you gave me back my life, magician."
He smiled at the title. Coming from the servants, it was as every day as calling the cooks, other than Molly, 'Cook', or the tailor, 'Tailor'. Coming from the princess, it was like a little bell. When Lir used the term it seemed like an insult, as he knew he was a real wizard. But when Amalthea, no, when the unicorn spoke it, it was nothing short of an honor. That he, a mortal man, could have anything in common with the highest of magics was to his mind, the highest honor anyone could hope for.
"Schmendrick, will I be a unicorn forever?"
He startled at the question and looked into her eyes. They still showed his reflection, and his heart sank. She saw into his heart and hung her head sadly.
"You are unsure. You are the greatest wizard in all the world yet you have doubt."
"I wouldn't say the greatest, my lady." Schmendrick blushed. He forced the pinkness out of his face and then spoke seriously. "It took many months for you to truly become human. Perhaps it will be the same for you to become a unicorn again. If that is what you wish."
Amalthea lay quietly on the floor and pondered this over in her mind.
"I am not sure. I have a beautiful daughter and I love all my people dearly. But I cannot remain here as a unicorn."
Schmendrick noticed the absence of her husband in all her human loves. "And what of Lir?"
She sighed and looked up at him. "I just don't know. He kept the truth from me, as you and Molly did, but I feel his was the greater evil. I still love him, but." Schmendrick walked over and laid his hand on her back gently.
"I think he is angry at me for turning you back. I didn't know what I was doing when I said the spell. I only wanted to protect you from whatever magic had taken you prisoner."
"If we only knew who was behind it."
Then they heard laughter, sinister laughter coming from every direction in the room. The laughter grew louder as they tried to place it. It was raspy sounding, the laughter of an old man. Dark magic swirled into the room and picked up the twisted pieces of the tapestry and reworked it together. Only now it held new images.
The face of King Haggard, and the menacing Red Bull.
