A/N: So.I was lfipping through Grimm's Fairy Tales, which I have in English, when I spotted this story. I mean, come on. It grabbed my imagination by the throat and shouted "WRITE SOMETHING FOR THIS, YOU SODDING GIT!" Here you go. Please do review and tlel me whether or not you want Grimmcest in later chapters...

There was once a poor servant maid who was very cleanly and industrious ; she swept down the house every day, and put the sweepings in a great heap by the door. One morning, before she began her work, she found a letter, and as she could not read, she laid her broom in a corner and took the letter to her master and mistress, to see what it was about ; and it was an invitation from the elves, who wished the maid to come and stand godmother to one of their children. The maid did not know what to do ; and as she was told that no one ought to refuse the elves anything, she made up her mind to go. So there cam three little elves, who conducted her into the middle of a high mountain, where the little people lived. Here everything was of a very small size, but more fine and elegant than can be told. The mother of the child lay in a bed made of ebony, studded with pearls, the counterpane was embroidered with gold, the cradle was ivory, and the bathing-tub of gold. So the maid stood godmother, and was then for going home, but the elves begged her to stay at least three more days with them ; and so she consented, and spent the time in mirth and jollity, and the elves seemed very fond of her. At last, when she was ready to go away, they filled her pockets full of gold, and led her back out of the mountains. When she got back to the house, she was going to begin working again, and took her broom in her hand ; it was still standing in the corner where she had left it, and began to sweep. Then came up some strangers and asked her who she was, and what was shedoing. And she found that instead of three days, she had been seven years with the elves in the mountain, and that during that time her master and mistress had died.

--Grimm's Fairy Tales, Stories About Elves, II

"Art thou Hilde, mistress?" asked the rider, dressed in peasant's clothing made from damask. The grubby servant maid gaped at him.

"Art thou Hilde, mistress?" he asked again. She shook her head dumbly, transfixed by the pale beauty of the man. He waited, but the awed woman didn't venture any further information. He sighed.

"Wilt thou tell me where she dwells, that I may leave this letter?" He was rewarded with a shaking arm pointing the way.

"T-two doors down, master," the servant maid quavered. "Lives there with a master an mistress, milord," she added quickly as he raised his eyebrow at the thought that a serving maid would live in a place as fine as the one she had pointed out.

"Thanks be to thee, mistress." He handed her a small gold coin. "For thy service," he explained. He turned the horse and rode two doors down as instructed. The horse knelt down and he slipped the letter under the door. The serving maid, still gawping, saw him make a complex motion with his hands. He swung himself up into the saddle again. The horse rose and cantered off.

The serving maid eyed the house warily. She crossed herself and hurried back inside to finish her sweeping and washing. She didn't venture outside the rest of the day, until she had heard Hilde was gone.

She'd seen the elf-shot tipping the pretty man's arrows as he had ridden away.

Hilde woke, as she did every day. She rose from her pallet and started the fire and went through her early morning chores and habits, as she did every day. However, this morning was different.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, picking up the letter on the floor. She held it, wrinkling her brow. She could not read, so she tried to identify the seal at the end.

Her master and mistress were quite influential and Hilde could recognise the seals of their most frequent correspondents. The Luxemborgs always bore bad news, so their letters were best to deliver after breakfast when the master and mistress were at their calmest. The son of the master and mistress almost always bore good news, so it meant an extra coin or two if she got the letter to them just as they were awakening.

This seal was strange. It was made of honeybee wax and was covered in intricate designs. Hilde wondered if the curling tendrils ever ended, even if looked at under the master's magnifying glass.

She shook head, dispelling such idle thoughts. She was a good, hard worker and apparently this was a new contact of the master's or the mistress'. She hurried upstairs with the letter.

Her master read the letter again, and set it gravely on his desk. Hilde tried to keep herself from fidgeting nervously. She'd never been called into the master's study before. The last servant who had been in the study had been dismissed for sloth and before that poor Conrad had been called in to be told about his family being taken by the plague.

Her master cleared his throat. He gazed at her nearsightedly across the desk.

"It seems this letter is for you, Hilde," he began, choosing his words carefully. He was a kind if rather dull man and he did not like complicated situations.

"It appears to be an invitation from the elves. They wish you to stand godmother to one of their children, up in the mountains. On the morrow they will be sending three guides to take you to their hall, should you accept."

At this point, he pushed the letter to the side and leaned forward.

"I do not like this. They are sending elves will-ye, nil-ye. If you refuse them, they will be at our doorstep already. You have heard the stories. I do not want angry elves at my doorstep, Hilde."

Hilde's master leant back in his chair resignedly. He sighed and rubbed his temples.

"However much I do not like this situation, I can neither compel you nor forbid you to go. All I ask is that you keep in mind of the consequences of your choice." He waved his hand to indicate the house and brought it down with a thump upon the arm of his chair.

"I have tried to be a good master to this household, and that includes protecting it. I pay my taxes and keep watchers. I try not to anger people. I--" he shook his head and stopped.

"Yes, master…?" Hilde asked timidly.

He waved his hand again. "Never mind, my girl. Never you mind. You may have the afternoon to consider this. I ask only that you do not take this decision lightly and that you inform me and your mistress when you have made your decision." He caught her eye.

"I do not like elves or fairies or magic folk. They are too tricky and strange things happen to those who deal with them, even if the elves are not cheated. Be careful, my girl. Elves are trouble whether they like you or not." He gave the letter to her and dismissed her from the study with a wave. As she left, he went back to tallying the accounts and trying to block out the memories of twenty years before.