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Grimm's Fairy Stories from Tortall

Archived by:
LADIESofQUEENSCOVEandJESSLAW
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For the Love of a Horse
by:
trollseatfish
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ONCE UPON A TIME in a kingdom far away, there lived a knight who was extremely proud called Nealan of Queenscove, and a king, called Jonathan, who was exceedingly fond of money.

Now Nealan had a lovely daughter, who looked like her mother, Keladry, in many ways. He could not brag enough about her beauty and cleverness. He used to tell all the knight who came to his castle of all the wonderful things his daughter could do to perfection.

One day, in a fit of boasting, Neal told a sergeant of the King's Own, called Domitan of Masbolle, that his daughter, Meliara, could actually turn straw into pure gold by spinning it. And Dom took this news to his commander, who took the news to his king. The king ordered Mel to come to his castle.

When Nealan received news of the summons, he went home and told her that the king wanted to see her. He dared not tell her why, for her mother was present. Naturally, Mel was pleased and flattered. She put on her best dress and carefully brushed her short hair. Her green dress brought out her green eyes, and made her sandy-blond hair stand out. She looked beautiful, and Neal couldn't help but announce that to anyone who would listen. Mel just rolled her eyes as they rode out of the gates of Queenscove.

When they arrived at the castle, they were taken immediately to King Jonathan. Kel and Neal stood by proudly as Mel kneeled before her king.

"So you're Sir Nealan's daughter," said the king. "Now we'll see whether you can really spin straw into gold."

Mel thought the king had lost his mind. She became sure of it when he led her to a room full of straw with a spinning wheel in one corner.

"If you don't spin all this straw into gold before the night is over, you will never be a knight."

Poor Mel sat down in front of the spinning wheel and fumed. Why was her father such a meathead? He knew very well that her dream was to be a knight. Was this an attempt to keep her dream from her? Oh well, she didn't envy him the bouts of screaming and profanity he would receive from her mother tonight.

Letting out a scream of frustration, Mel kicked the spinning wheel. Then she began to sob.

"Psst, over here!" Mel turned to see a short slight-chubby man with curly brown hair. "Hey, what's the matter?"

Mel poured out the whole story.

"Well, that's easy. I can spin that straw into gold myself. I'll even do it for free. The first time."

Mel fell asleep as the strange man went to work. Just before she was asleep, she heard him begin to laugh, saying "This is so much fun! How jolly!"

…..

In the morning, when Mel woke, the room was full of gold and the strange man was gone.

The king walked into the room. When he saw the gold piled up in the room, he fairly danced, although it was not dignified for a king. However, now that he had one room full of gold, he just wanted another. So he led her to a bigger room, filled with more straw. Again he said "Fill this room with gold, or you will never be a knight."

Mel sat down and waited. In just moments she heard scrabbling at the window and turned to see the man hoisting himself over the edge. Before she could say anything, he slipped, landing face-first on the floor. She ran to help him up.

"Did you see that belly flop? That was jolly!" He brushed off his clothes as he looked around. "So," he said, clapping his hands together. "This is one big job… What'cha got?"

Mel held up her sword. He shook his head, a look of distaste on his face. She then gestured to her rings. His curly hair flopped back and forth. She pulled off a golden amulet, given to her at birth. It was shaped in the likeness of a horse. The man clapped his hands and smiled in delight. He took the amulet, admiring it.

"Does it have any nifty spells on it?" he wanted to know.

"No," Mel replied. "It's just a charm."

"Whatever," he said, and began his task.

Once again, Mel fell asleep to the man's voice of how jolly everything was.

…..

Jon was more excited then ever when he saw the room full of gold. Jon led her to the biggest room yet and told her "If you spin this room full of straw into gold by the morning. I will allow you to begin your training for knighthood."

Mel paced the room as she waited for the man. She'd get to be a knight if he pulled through. She waited at the window. Then she heard the door creep open behind her.

"Howdy!" he said as he opened the door, and carefully shut it.

He sat down in front of her, his chin resting on his fist.

"So, how's it going? Got more straw for me to spin?"

Mel nodded her head, too polite to point out that he was SURROUNDED by STRAW and sitting on the stool provided for the SPINNING WHEEL.

"Good, because this time it's with a price." Mel sat forward. "OH! How JOLLY! I've always wanted to say that! MWAHAHAHA!" The man calmed down a bit and continued.

"I've thought and I've wandered, I mean pondered. I want," he put in a dramatic pause for emphasis. "Your first warhorse."

Mel just stared at him. It wasn't that the price was too high. This guy was just certifiably nuts.

"You're nuts," she told him.

"I know, but that works for me." Mel shrugged her shoulders.

"Deal."

The man danced around the room. He sang about warhorses and how jolly they were. Mel began to lose patience.

"Um, may I remind you that you don't get the horse unless you do the task?" He stopped and glared at her.

"Don't be sassy! I'll get to that after I finish my happy dance." He smiled and continued to dance around the room. Mel rolled her eyes and went to sleep.

…..

King Jonathan was ecstatic.

"Does this mean I get to be a knight?" Mel asked.

"Yes!" he cried, fingering the gold.

"When do I start?"

"Immediately!"

Mel silently thanked the strange man.

…..
NINE YEARS LATER
…..

Mel walked hand-in-hand with her husband, Tobeis of Hollyrose, to the stables. Tobe, the adopted son of Merric of Hollyrose, had been close to her mother as a child, and when Mel had been born they were immediately betrothed. Mel couldn't have loved anyone more since the moment they met. Tobe went into the stables and saddled his horse.

"I'll be back by nightfall," he said, kissing her gently. Mel thought she heard gagging behind her.

"Bye," she said releasing Tobe from their embrace. Tobe got into his saddle and rode out of the stable.

"Blah!" Mel heard from behind her. She turned to see the man who had helped her spin the straw all those years ago. "Don't ever do that in front of me again. Seriously. I've known that kid since he was yea high, and that's kind of disturbing."

Mel shrugged.

"I have come," he said, making his voice boom to sound authoritative. "To collect my dues."

Mel looked at her horse, Cherryblossom, fondly, knowing he wasn't rightfully hers, yet she had grown attached to him. She turned to the man.

"Can I keep my horse if I can answer a riddle that you give me?"

The man put his index finger to his chin and stood with a thoughtful expression on his face. After a moment he answered, "Fine, but only if you can guess my name within three days, starting tomorrow."

…..

The next day, Mel met with the strange man in the stables.

"Start guessing." Mel started saying a list of names. Each time she was answered no.

"Don't worry, you have two more days. But I bet you'll still never guess.

…..

The next day Mel said names she knew and some she didn't, for the better part of an hour.

"Nope. No. Lo siento., sorry."

By the end, Mel was thoroughly frustrated. When the strange man left she went to the castle, where she found scrolls of names and gathered as many as she could for the next day.

…..

Every name was wrong. Mel couldn't figure it out.

"I get the horse! I get the horse! Ha, ha, ha, ha!" The man danced around the stables, not noticing when three riders entered the stable. Mel cleared her throat loudly. The man whirled around. "I get the- uh, oh."

He looked into the faces of Kel, Neal, and Tobe, all of who knew him very well. He made a nervous laugh.

"Hi," he said, raising his hand in a wave.

"Owen? What in Tortall's great name are you doing?" Tobe asked.

"Dancing?"

While Owen stood there with a sheepish look on his face, Mel told them the whole story, leaving nothing out.

"You didn't make the gold?" Neal said. Mel shook her head. Tobe just glared at Owen..

"So wait, you could spin straw into gold the whole time?" Neal asked.

"Uh, yea… wait," he thought about it. "Yeah, I could." He smiled.

Everybody laughed.

"Owen, you're telling me you waited nine years for a warhorse when you could have bought a new one right after Happy…"

Owen held up his hand.

"Don't say it." Tears came to his eyes, and he began to cry uncontrollably. He set his head on Kel's shoulder. "He was the best horse ever!" Kel patted his back.

"Let's get you some tea." Owen backed up.

"Mere herbal tea can not soothe the pain of a broken heart." He began to sob as Kel led him gently out of the stables. Neal followed, rolling his eyes and muttering to himself. Mel and Tobe fell into fits of uncontrollable laughter.

"We'll buy him a new horse, right?" Mel asked, laughing.

"Right. A jolly one!" They linked arms and walked to the room where Kel, Neal, and Owen were having soothing cups of herbal tea.

…..
EPILOGUE
…..

Owen got a new horse. He named it Giggles. Kel and Neal continued to serve their king to their best ability. King Jonathan and his family lived comfortably in wealth for the rest of their lives. Mel and Tobe celebrated the birth of their first son, Owen, ten months after their jolly friend got his horse. I guess you could say they all lived happily ever after.

How Jolly!

-)(- THE END -)(-