FAIRYTALE
Intro:
A Long time ago, there was a powerful king who was a strong and graceful leader. His name was William. He was a good king and cared for his people. He had loyal knights that fought many battles and wars, and won the respect of the king.
The king had a brother named Leroy, who was jealous of the king, and all his possessions. Especially his beautiful queen Sara. There was something special about Sara that even the king did not know. The king fell madly in love with her as soon as he laid eyes on her. Sara was so beautiful that the room lit up when she walked in. She had long shiny black curls that floated in the air when she walked and blue eyes that sparkled like stars, with soft satin skin. The king and queen were happy together, but Sara had a secret that haunted her.
Leroy would watch her from the shadows of the castle and sweat, when she would walk by. The queen became very scared of Leroy and his evil eyes, but didn't want the king to know, because Sara knew William loved his brother in spite of everything. Sara didn't trust Leroy, and felt sick when he was around, and she could sense Leroy's evil essence.
Leroy was a coward unlike William. Leroy thought of ways to take over the kingdom. But he knew the townspeople respected William too much, and they would never submit to his lesser brother. The people knew that Leroy was a snake and he was not to be trusted.
Chapter 1
One day Sara found out she was carrying a child, and when she told the king, he was overjoyed and became very attentive to her every move. She respected the king very much and many times wanted to tell him her secret but she had sworn not to. She knew she would give birth to a son and he would be very powerful and become the future of the kingdom. She had help from her servant Abe. He was a kind African man who helped her feel welcome when she married the king. Abe was comforting to her and his nature was very warm. There were other servants in the castle at her service, but she knew she could trust Abe with her life, and the life inside of her. Abe was always by her side, and watched over her. She could sense the good inside of him.
When Leroy heard of this pregnancy he decided to wait, lay low in silence, plotting against the soon to be family. If he could turn the child against the king, it would be very harmful and disturbing for the kingdom.
When it came time for Sara to give birth, Abe took her into a room where she felt safe and began to care for her and prepare for the birth. The king waited anxiously outside the room.
When the child was born, Abe noticed something different about Sara and her child. The baby had a strange birthmark on his right shoulder and Sara had a strange glow about her.
Sara noticed Abe's concern and sensed his surprise. He laid the baby on Sara's breasts and knelt down by the bed bowing to her and the child.
"He is a great prince my Queen, and you are very magical." Abe said, showing the utmost respect.
"Please, rise and tell no one of this, not even the king must know." Sara said touching the top of the man's head.
"Yes my Queen, I shall tell no one." Abe loyally promised.
"Let the king in to see his son." Sara said softly stroking her new son on his brow.
Abe did as she said and let the king in the room. Sara watched the king light up at the sight of his child. Abe stood in the corner and watched over the family. Abe worried for Sara's safety, because if anyone found out this secret, Sara and her child would be in great danger.
The next night Sara left the king sleeping in their bed and took the baby in her arms bundling him tight.
Sara snuck out secretly taking him to the edge of the woods.
Abe watched her from the castle to make sure she safely got past the gate, then he watched her disappear into the darkness.
She reached the woods and dropped to her knees in the tall grass, waiting with her eyes closed and her son cradled to her breast. Soon a warm hand touched her shoulder from behind and Sara looked up behind her, and smiled at the bright light around the figure.
" He's beautiful child, What shall you name him?" The woman asked in a soft voice.
"I will name him Cole." Sara said with a proud smile that only a mother could have.
"That's very special to us my dear, and your boy child shall be too."
"Yes, I know, but he needs your blessing, there might be danger." Sara said hesitating.
"Take my hand child, he needs us both." The woman said as she knelt down beside Sara and her child.
Later Sara returned to the castle entering in through the secret passage only to find Leroy waiting on the other side.
"Well, well, what have we here? My queen is that the prince you are bringing back from the woods?" Leroy said in an evil growl.
Let me pass! This is not your concern." She said defensively.
Leroy came closer and whispered in her ear as he slithered passed.
"I am watching you my queen, don't worry, your secret is safe with me."
His breath on her neck, sent cold chills up her spine and she swallowed hard before walking on.
Sara sank inside, "How does he know?" She thought to herself. "No one will ever believe him." She said aloud as she reached the bedroom door at the top of the stairs, and to her surprise the King stood in the doorway.
"No one will ever believe who?" The king asked suspiciously eyeing her.
"Oh, my love you scared me!" She said as she passed him entering the bedroom. Sara's heart raced and she panicked searching for words to explain her midnight run.
"Where were you? And why are you rushing?" He said more demanding.
"I...I wanted to show our son the night sky, and I didn't want to wake you." Sara calmly recovered. "It was such a beautiful night and I wanted to share it with him." She finished smiling at the king.
The king reached for the baby in her arms as he smiled at her. This relieved Sara and she knew the king was satisfied with her answer. He gently took the baby from her and walked across the room to lay the boy back in his crib. Then he turned to Sara and walked over to her. Sara tried to hide her fear as he came closer. She hated to lie to him, but it was the only way to protect her secret. The king gently slid her cloak off and ran his hands down her arms softly. She began to melt into him as he kissed her neck lightly. He scooped her up and laid her on the bed gazing into her eyes.
"I love you Sara" He whispered.
"I love you too my king" she softly whispered back.
The next morning the king became ill, and couldn't get out of bed. His illness was sudden and Sara was scared. She didn't know what was wrong, but she had a sick stomach about it.
A week later the king died and Sara was devastated. Her baby an infant and she was all alone, and vulnerable.
Soon after the king died, Sara became weak and knew her life would end as well. Now the king would not be around to protect her and she knew Leroy would take advantage. This made her feel more helpless, and her broken heart started to consume her.
"Abe, I want you to take care of Cole and raise him. I want him to stay away from Leroy and his evil. Leroy is mad and he will destroy Cole if he can. Please Abe, you must hear me, Leroy can not get to my baby!" She pleaded to Abe.
"Yes my queen, I shall do as you ask, rest now, you need it." Abe said concerned for her.
Leroy only cared for himself and the greed of power. As long as there was still good, Leroy could not rule. Sara needed the help of the fairies and elves but she was on her deathbed and her will began slipping away and so did her life.
Soon after talking with Abe, she managed to rise out of bed and stagger to her chair by the window. She slid the sparkling ring off her finger. This ring never left her finger because there was a secret to the stone as well. She reached for the scissors, cutting a strand of her long black hair and looping it around the ring. Then she called for the mourning dove in a weak but beautiful voice. The dove reached her window, and she tied the ring to the dove's leg and whispered in a strange language to the bird. The bird flew and she whispered the language again only louder, and the dove flew faster. She shut her eyes and a tear rolled down her thin cheek
Sara felt her spirit being pulled out of her body. She finally closed her eyes and let go.
Abe watched her take her last breath and then fade away. He had promised to raise the boy and keep him safe.
As Cole grew, Abe taught him a lot about his mother and Father. Cole grew very fast and was very smart. He was twelve now and learned a lot.
One night Cole saw his mother in his dream. She had a bright light around her and strange markings around her neck and chest. She told Cole to be brave and kind and remember the things Abe had told him. She also told him of a forest, a magic forest that he would be safe in. She told him about the creatures that lived there and the fairies.
When Cole woke up, he felt strange. He had always played in the forest and felt safe there. He some how found communication with the animals and sensed a presence of some kind, But magic?
********
The knights told stories of a magic forest that surrounded the king's castle. This dream forest was creative and magical, and there where many strange creatures living in this forbidden woods. Fairies, pixies, trolls, elves, white dragons, black dragons, talking trees, flourishing plants of different colors, and all sorts of magic, were said to dwell there.
These tales became bedtime stories that mothers would tell their young. The children would dream of such magical places.
The stories and tales where passed on from generation to generation and the tales grew as they where told, but they were only known as tales from long ago, and this magic no longer existed.
The magical creatures in these tales were all different.
Fairies had wings, but only used their wings to fly, other wise they were folded up close to their backs and hidden. The wings glowed if there was trouble or they were in fear of something. Fairies had many languages and could speak to all creatures, even plants and trees. A fairy was the wisest of the forest and very important. Fairies had markings on their necks and faces. The markings were symbols of greatness and magic. The markings around their eyes were like stars and twinkled brightly. The sparkles ran down their necks and spread out on theirs chests mapping out the sky. A young fairy was called a bud.
Pixies were a little different, but the same in many ways. Pixies were always into mischief but they helped the earth flourish, by nourishing the ground making things grow. They had pointed ears and they could leap very far and move very fast. They were very acrobatic and could blend into any landscape. Pixies also had markings but only on the tips of their pointed ears. A young pixie was called a sprite.
Elves were very small and worked hard to plant and tend gardens in the forest. They helped tend the forest and watched over the fairies and pixies keeping trolls at a distance with the help of the white dragons.
Trolls were greedy and very ugly. They had large noses and long stringy hair. Their backs arched over and they could scurry very fast. They were thieves and scavengers of the woods. They wanted to possess the magic from the fairies.
White dragons were very large and were keepers at the edges of the village. They would protect the magic and keep the trolls away from the village.
More years passed and the land of the fairies was still so beautiful, more than humans could imagine. The green plush trees towered over the colorful, lit village forming a protective canopy. The lights in the trees were blue, pink and all different colors of the rainbow. The lights came from the lit homes of the fairies and pixies nested inside the trees. The elves had underground homes that were all around the trees. The sweet smells of spring floated in the air all year around, and the butterflies and honey bees worked to keep the flowers sweet and blooming. This secret world was unseen to men and could only be revealed to humans if the fairies lifted the magic and let it be seen.
*******
There was a group of Fairies helping young sprites with their skills, and group of pixies that practiced their archery skills was near by.
"He's looking at me Krista." Phoebe said to her friend while she helped a small sprite with her weaving.
"Who?" Krista whispered.
"Patric." Phoebe said annoyed
"Don't look at him, act like you didn't notice!" Krista whispered back quickly.
"Why Krista, what's going on?" Phoebe asked puzzled by Krista's behavior.
"Well, he told Levi that you told him you didn't want to see him any more and Levi told me. So I'm sure Patric is looking for your sympathy Phoebe.
"I didn't mean to hurt him, I just need more than this." Phoebe said with a heavy sigh.
The older woman that taught them was known as Grams. She was truly Phoebe's grandmother, but everyone else called her Grams too.
Grams over heard the girls talking and she became worried about Phoebe. She was stubborn and she wouldn't be satisfied to be confined to the woods.
"He came to my nest last night. He gave me this." Phoebe whispered showing Krista the woven band of flowers that she had tied around her ankle.
"That is beautiful Phoebe, but if you told him you don't want to see him why are you wearing it?" Krista sounded worried.
"Relax Krista, we are still friends." Phoebe said before turning her attention to Patric again.
"This doesn't have anything to do with when we were kids does it?" Krista said smiling suspiciously.
"What are you talking about?"
"Phoebe don't act like you don't remember. That boy, that human boy that use to come to the woods and you would watch him." Krista said giggling.
Phoebe smiled and she knew what Krista was referring to in the beginning but tried to play dumb. Phoebe never forgot the dark haired boy that would talk to the animals and swim naked in the lake, that in her world was the waterfall she liked so well.
"No, I just need some space to be free, and to find true love, I'm tired of making plants grow Krista." Phoebe sighed.
"Phoebe, I need to talk to you dear." Grams called to her, interrupting the girls.
"Saved by Grams!" Krista whispered playfully.
Phoebe shot a glare at Krista but couldn't help the smile that followed.
Phoebe walked up to the older fairy and sat by her.
"What is it Grams, what is on your mind?" Phoebe said looking at her.
"Phoebe, I think I should be the one asking you that." Grams said without hesitating.
Phoebe sighed heavily and then said, "Grams I am tired of weaving bands and making water pails, I want to be free and do what I want to do."
"Phoebe darling your sisters are very magical and they didn't become that way by playing with friends and being free." Grams said smiling at her granddaughter.
"But, my sisters are older and they don't care about anything but protecting the forest. I want to see what is beyond these trees."
"My dear that is forbidden, your sisters had just as much trouble as you did when they were young, and they had to perfect their power and talent as well. Just keep working at it my darling and you will come to be as strong as your sisters."
"Grams, I am not a child anymore, I am old enough to make my own decisions.
Grams smiled at her young protégé and watched as the wings expanded from behind Phoebe's back as she fluttered away. Phoebe's spirit reminded Grams of someone she knew. Grams looked down at her hand and on her finger was the bright stone.
Grams remembered the dove that flew up to her years ago, and brought the ring to her.
"Sara" Grams whispered under her breath.
********
Cole thought about what his mother had told him in his dream when he was young. For years he wanted to see the magic his mother told him about long ago, but he was always shrugged it off as a myth. This night he would see.
That night at midnight, he went to the woods looking for something. He didn't really know what , but he felt compelled to go. He was older now and he was more curious about if his mother was being truthful or if she was trying to help him to not be afraid.
Phoebe laid in her bed that night almost ready to fall into dreams, when she heard something that she hadn't heard since she was younger. She could hear a heart beating very fast. Someone in the forest, Someone who hadn't been there in a long time. Phoebe slid the woven cotton blanket down and looked at her sisters, Prue and Piper, who were deep in their dreams. Then she leaped out of their nest, and flew away into the woods following this sound.
When Phoebe was young she heard the heart beat when it came to the forest, and would fly to where ever it was. It was a boy and he came to the woods every day. He would talk to the animals and swim in the lake. Phoebe would shyly spy on the boy in his world swimming naked in the water. She was so drawn to the boy and one day he disappeared and she never saw him again.
Cole was looking all around him, and everywhere he could see was tall trees and darkness. He walked to a stream that trickled down the small hill, and sat down. He felt somehow safe here but never more alone. Cole always had extremely good senses. He could see like a hawk, run like a deer, and smell like a wolf. He had always felt more at home in the woods than in the castle. He also had a way with the animals in the forest. He wasn't afraid of them and they did not seem to be afraid of him.
He leaned down to the stream and splashed the cold refreshing water on his face.
As Phoebe landed on the rock by her flowing waterfall where she swam everyday, she saw something that startled her. It was a man, and he was sitting on the other side of the waterfall. She saw men pass through the woods many times but this one was different.
The man had black curly hair and she recognized him. It was the boy she had watched when she was young. She felt the urge to go to him and touch him, but she couldn't. It would be forbidden from Grams and her sisters for her to do so, but Phoebe's curiosity got the best of her and she couldn't fight the pull any longer. She snuck up to him and knelt down beside him.
Cole could feel something very warm and comforting next to him and he froze. He looked around, wiping the drops of water from his eyes. It was like warm sunshine shining down on him, and he tried to adjust his eyes to the dark.
"Who are you?" He said softly.
"You can see me?" Phoebe said afraid that she had pushed the limits too far.
"No, but I can feel you. Reveal yourself!" Cole said suddenly more intense.
She was paralyzed with fright, but then she touched his hand. Cole looked down at his hand and saw the gold dust residue. Phoebe was scared, but she felt like she belonged there some how. She decided to take the risk and reveal herself to the man because he didn't seem to be afraid, and she felt she could trust him. She shut her eyes and lifted the magic.
Cole looked around him and the dark trees lit up and the stream he sat by became a rushing water fall, and the stars of different colors shined down through the canopy of trees and made colorful rays of light. But what was the most beautiful of all was what sat beside him.
Phoebe still had her eyes shut and slowly opened them to find Cole gazing into her eyes. He was tall and strong and he had blue sparkling eyes. He seemed to be short of breath, and his face was still wet from the water and the drips ran down his muscular bare chest. He did not have a shirt on, only pants that hung loose and low around his waist, and his feet were bare.
He was so stunned by her beauty and wrapped his arms around her waist feeling her lower back from the opening of the woven satin cloth that hung fitted to her sleek curvy body. He caressed her silky smooth skin on the small of her back with his fingertips. She had rose petals in her long shiny brown hair and sparkles on her checks and around her brown eyes. Cole noticed she had the same markings on her neck and chest that his mother did in his dream. Then he realized what Phoebe was.
"I have heard of you, but I didn't know if you existed for sure, and you are so…so beautiful." He said smiling at her. Their lips were only inches away.
Phoebe swallowed hard, and then touched his face. It was wet but warm and she was no longer afraid. She saw the pain in his eyes and then touched them softly. His wet face dried at her touch.
"You are hurt? Why do you weep?" She kindly asked.
"I was not weeping, I just…I was trying to clear my head." He said staring at her.
"Do you bring danger?"
"No, no, please don't be afraid of me, I won't hurt you." He said kindly.
"Why are you here, in the forest tonight?" Phoebe asked confused.
Cole hesitated and then looked away.
"I don't really know, I just felt I needed to come." He said looking back at her.
She touched his chest and felt him tense up. Then he put his head to hers, and Cole released his arms from her waist and took her hand leading her to a large boulder where they sat close. Cole felt like he had known her all his life. He started to touch her face then her eyes and her lips, then her neck and he stopped at her chest as he stared down at the markings on her.
"You are in trouble?" Phoebe asked making him look at her.
Cole locked eyes with her and it became intense. He lifted her hand and put it on his face, closing his eyes as he moved her hand slowly from his cheek to his neck. She shut her eyes as well as she felt the passion from his touch. Her heart raced and her breath shortened. He opened his eyes and leaned in to kiss her. Phoebe was frozen, but when his warm lips touched hers she melted into them.
"Phoebe! Where are you?" A voice yelled through the woods.
Phoebe gasped and pulled away from Cole. She began to panic and started to jump off the boulder.
"Wait! Who are you? How will I find you again?" Cole asked grabbing her wrist and pulling her back to him.
"I will find you, now you must go, and don't tell anyone about this!" She said putting her hand on his face.
Cole shut his eyes and sighed. He felt whole with her and he was afraid of never seeing her again.
"Please don't leave me, you make me feel so…" Cole was interrupted before he could finish. The voice yelled through the trees again only this time it was coming closer.
"Please, I have to go, come here at the next moon and I'll be waiting for you. Now shut your eyes." Phoebe said as she pulled away from him.
Cole did as she said, and when he opened his eyes again it was dark and cold. The dream land he was just in had disappeared and so had the beautiful woman, and the rushing waterfall had turned back into a trickling stream once again. He put his hand in the cold stream and stared down into it. He felt empty and alone. He was confused about what just took place, then he looked down at his other hand and there was faint gold dust in his palm. He watched as it began to slowly fade before his eyes.
Cole got up from the ground and stood in the dark. He began slowly walking back, and a smile began to spread across his lips. He began to run, and he ran faster and faster back to the castle, jumping and shouting with excitement.
He entered the castle and ran as fast as he could up the stairs to his room. When he reached the door he still had a smile on his face. He opened the door to find someone lying on his bed.