Yes, they all get their own little fairy tales. My deep love of fairy tales makes this fun for me, and the Evo girls are really prime candidates. Wanda is the chapter after this one, and well… I have plans for her. She's not going to be too keen on me or Dani I don't think. And so we continue through our tales hitting the closest thing to a fairy tale Marvel has probably ever created.
For the Beauty Sleeps
A queen held her crying child within her arms. She reached out and smoothed down the downy red that already sprinkled the child's head and felt her own tears run tracks down her face. She had waited so long for this child, her beloved daughter, and within eighteen years she would be taken away due to a scorned fairy's wrath.
The last fairy set to give her blessing stepped forward and laid her hand on the arm of the crying queen. "I cannot counter the spell, that magic is well beyond me, but I feel I can lessen it."
The queen nodded and laid her child back in the cradle in the Great Hall and stepped back to let this young fairy take her chance. Her husband's arm came around her and she edged ever closer to him.
The young fairy lifted the child into her arms and smiled down at her. "The spell I cannot release, but you, baby Jean, shall live. Upon your eighteenth year the spindle you shall find, but death shall not be the result. Instead a sleep of a hundred years or more shall fall upon you and all within until true love's first kiss shall awaken you from your peaceful slumber."
~*~
Eighteen years later the princess was alone within the castle and took to exploring the North tower which she was not allowed within. Her parents had yet to give her a definite reason but would instead skirt the issue. While they were still out on their errand she would take the time to explore the top rooms that she had missed previously.
Standing before the stairway to the North Tower was a guard. Jean smiled as usually there were two guards. One guard was much easier than two.
The guard cleared his throat as she approached him. "Princess, you know you are not allowed to go up there."
Jean sent the guard her most beguiling smile and then began to create with her mind what she wished him to see. He moved out of her way and smiled at her dumbly.
"Thank you, sir," she said as she quickly walked passed him and headed up the stairs towards the upper levels.
Old armory, maids quarters, private chambers, bedchamber, bedchamber.
Ah, one she hadn't gotten into. Jean twisted the knob lightly and found that this one was unlocked. She slowly pushed the door open and entered the room. Sitting by a roaring fire was an elderly woman with a wooden contraption before her. She kept feeding it with wool and creating thread out of it.
Jean nearly backed out of the room but curiosity got the better of her. She walked further into the room. "What are you doing up here grandmother?" she asked as she continued towards the old woman.
The old woman looked up at her with a kindly smile. "I am spinning my dear."
The princess had never seen such a contraption in all of her life. There was a large wheel and a wooden piece that spun around wildly, and foot peddles as well. For some reason she could not seem to take her eyes off of the contraption.
"May I try?" she asked, almost without realizing that she had asked.
"Of course. Have a seat." The old woman stood and allowed Jean to take her place. She sat, still completely entranced by the machine.
"Now adjust the thread on the spindle," The old woman's voice croaked. Jean made a questioning move and the old woman nodded. "Yes that."
Jean never saw how the old woman's smile became feral. Instead she touched the spindle and pricked her finger. The last thought she had was about the sharpness of the wooden object and how odd it was.
As the princess fell to the ground the old woman's shape changed and the blue fairy stood over her, pleased with her work.
"Farewell, fair princess."
As the last fairy had foretold Princess Jean did not die due to the prick but instead fell into a deep slumber. The fairy who had ensured that Jean would live returned to the castle and moved the princess into a bed she conjured in the North tower and saw to it that all within the castle had fallen into as deep a slumber as their princess, even the just returned king and queen. When that was done she shut off the castle to all outside and set briars and brambles around the perimeter.
~*~
One hundred years passed and time took its toll. The briars grew up in front of the castle and created an impenetrable wall. Dust and cobwebs accumulated on all surfaces except the princess herself. She remained pristine as always.
It was within this time that a young king came passing through. He spotted the rundown castle and instantly inquired about it.
Hearing the story told in full he recognized it from his youth. There had been an old painting of the princess hanging in the hallway as she had been betrothed to his great-great grandfather one hundred years before. He had always thought it to be a rumor his family had created but seeing the castle whole and covered with briar and bramble he was quite impressed.
There was a part of him that wanted to go and examine inside the castle and see if the rumors were really true. Knowing he was set to return home to take his throne, the king turned his horse in preparation to leave. A voice stopped him.
"Aren't you coming for me?" the feminine voice called.
"Whose there?" he asked turning around. There was no one. He was still alone.
The voice had sounded as if it had been coming from within his head. But that was foolish, only crazy people heard voices within their heads.
"I thought you were going to come for me," the voice came again. She sounded so sad and lonely, and he would go to her, if he knew who she was or where she was. "I've been waiting for so long."
"Where are you?" he asked at a near yell, looking around for her. He prayed that no one else would pass his way and think him completely daft. "Who are you?"
"I'm Jean, the princess of this land. I'm in the North Tower."
The young king assessed the castle and spied the tower on the northern edge. The Sleeping Princess was calling to him.
He really was crazy.
"What is your name, so I'll know what to call you when you wake me."
"Scott," he said to the empty space around him. "I'm Scott."
"Please hurry," the voice pleaded again, sounding anxious. "I have been waiting."
Scott assessed the castle again. What harm would it really do to go inside and see? Either it would prove him crazy or not. He would either return home with a princess to make his queen or to abdicate to his younger brother due to an unstable mind.
But how to get inside the castle?
He fingered the red glasses that he wore knowing what would happen if he lifted them. His eyes had begun casting off evil rays when he had fallen from his horse over five years back. It had taken all of his father's consultants many tries to figure out what to cover his eyes with so that he could open them without killing others. For some reason rubies created in the likeness of glass worked and he was blessed with the ability to view the world and to keep the townsfolk from insisting he be killed.
If he lifted them, he would blast through the briars and the gate without lifting a finger. And it wasn't as if there was anyone around. If the princess did exist he would apologize for the ruination of the front of her castle after she awoke. A hundred year's sleep would probably stop anyone from caring about how they were saved, right?
He quickly lifted the glasses and his vision disappeared as deadly beams left his eyes. After a few moments he closed his eyes and returned the glasses to his face in order to view the damage. It was enough to get through.
He ran towards the entrance, fearing that the briars would close up before he could get there and he would be trapped outside again.
Once within he took some time to look around. There were guards and villagers, merchants and livestock. It was just as a normal castle would be, but every moment was frozen. Many of those were slumped over in slumber, yet perfectly intact.
He was leaning over one of the men lying on the ground when he heard, "Scott, are you coming?" echo in his head.
Her voice wrenched him out of his fascination with the people asleep and forced him to focus on finding a way to get to the princess. "I'm coming. Hold on."
He wrenched open the door to what he assumed to be the North Tower and looked inside. It was dark and musty with a large stone staircase within. He quickly began his ascent torch less, searching for her.
There were doors all along the wall and he realized he did not know which one she was in. Would he have to blast all the doors off to find her? Would that even be safe?
"Which room are you in?" he finally asked the empty space aloud, hoping to gain a response.
The light female voice echoed in his head once again. "The top one."
He reached the top room within the tower and eased the door open. Lying on a bed in the center of the room was a beautiful redheaded girl. He inched closer, the quiet of the room seeming to demand silence and slow movement.
When he was finally at the edge of the bed he looked down at her in wonder. She was deathly pale, her red hair was spread on the pillow beneath her. She was real, he wasn't so crazy after all. And he was the one who had found her.
Which left him with an important question.
"What do I do now?"
"Kiss me," the voice answered in his head.
He stepped back a few paces startled at the voice and what it asked of him.
Kiss her, this girl he barely knew. So many things within his head screamed about how wrong it was, how utterly improper. Even if he was a king and she a princess, there were rules of court and of society that had to be followed. But she was asking wasn't she? It was not as if he did not have permission to do so.
Scott hesitated as he stepped closer to her. All the while his gaze was centered on her lips. He could do this, he could.
Slowly he leaned over her and pressed his lips to hers. They were not warm as one would expect out of a girl one was kissing, but instead they were relatively cold. He still kept his lips there waiting for a reaction, but none. He moved to pull away when warmth swarmed through them and she moved her lips against his.
Instinct took over and he let his mouth explore hers a bit. While he thoroughly enjoyed the feeling, Scott broke off the kiss and sat on the bed beside her. Unsure, he lifted his hand and touched her face. She was undoubtedly as beautiful as all the tales had always stated she was.
Eyelids fluttered open and her eyes searched the room. Once she spotted him, she opened her mouth to talk but no words came out.
A pair of bright green eyes stared up at him, confusion and fear echoed in them. "It's alright,... Jean?" he asked, wanting to make sure he really wasn't crazy.
The voice she recognized and her eyes were wider than they had been. "Scott," she managed finally. Her voice difficult to use and hoarse due to its hundred years of unuse.
He nodded unsure of what else to do. He had awoken the Sleeping Princess with a kiss. He had done what no man in a century had been able to do. It was a feat that would be written and sung about for years to come to be sure. What did one do next?
With great effort Jean lifted her hand and placed it the one he had on her cheek. His hand took it and held it in place, making it more his effort than hers. She smiled at him, eternally grateful for everything. "You did it. Thank you."
"'Twasn't any trouble," he said with a slight shrug. She thought he looked a bit embarrassed. "Truth be told I ruined the portcullis to the castle."
"How?" Jean asked confused. How could one man ruin an entire portcullis? It was a great feat to be sure. "And why are you wearing those silly spectacles? I wish to see--"
He instantly stopped her hand from doing the task she wished it. He lowered his gaze down to their two hands. "You don't want to see my eyes princess, you'll be dead in a heartbeat. 'Tis believed that the Devil himself has possessed my eyes for his use. I used the rays that shoot out of them when they are unguarded to enter." He looked up at her finally with a sad smile on his face. "Only these glasses keep me from harming you."
She managed to give his hand a squeeze to reassure him of her thoughts of him. How awful it must be to be plagued by such an affliction. "I trust you not to harm me."
Scott looked at her again, his expression seemed grateful. She wished to see his eyes so that she would know for certain what he was thinking and feeling but she knew that would not happen. "I suppose we should go down stairs," he said finally.
Jean looked around the room to get her bearings and suddenly she recognized where she was. "Oh! My parents are going to be furious with me."
Scott looked at her rather bewildered. She had been comatose for the better part of a hundred years and her parents were going to be furious now that she was awake? "Why?"
"I'm not allowed in this tower."
"Do you realize how long you have been sleeping?"
The way he asked the question made Jean curious. It sounded as if there was a great mystery behind it. "I know it has been awhile."
His smile turned to an amused one. "A hundred years is quite a long while my lady."
She stifled a gasp. No one could possibly live for a hundred years, save fairies. But then it was fairy magic that had put her in this situation, hadn't it? Instead of dwelling on what had been she focused on the way he "My name is Jean, you have full permission to use it." She pushed herself into a sitting position and then looked up at him the thought striking her again. "A hundred?"
His hands came and took her by the arms, as if to hold her steady. His eyebrows drew up in a concerned expression. "Are you going to be alright?"
"I'm fine. Will you help me downstairs? I fear a hundred years abed has not been as kind to my body as I would like."
"I think your body is fine." Scott stopped at his work of aiding her from bed. The words had just tumbled from his mouth without a thought to them. And while he had meant what he said in both interpretations there was no need for her to know that. "I did not mean… I…"
She smiled, gaining a glimpse at his thoughts because he was being so open. "It is alright. Thank you."
He helped her to her feet, an arm wrapped protectively around her holding her steady and close to his side. Jean managed to shuffle slightly across the floor while leaning heavily on Scott. The way his hand moved occasionally gave her the feeling that he wanted nothing more than to pick her up and carry her down the stairs.
"Are they still alive?" she asked, breaking the silence that had fallen between them as they reached the top of the stairs. "They could not have lived the hundred years I slept."
"All the castle appeared to be slumbering."
"Good."
They descended together, Jean leaning heavily on the young king who had come to rescue her. He was tall and handsome, and was very close to everything a girl could want. She supposed that being him would be no trouble as a hundred years had likely seen the end of any suitors she had had previously. And this man was certainly suitable, she would just have to convince her parents of it as well.
~*~
Yeah, yeah, sappy I know. It's how they were built though. Leave a review to let me know what you think.