A girl around the age of six or seven crouched near the fountain in the middle of the courtyard. Her red hair fell around her green-tinged face, framing her shining blue eyes as she smiled down at the golden fish in the pond. She touched the surface of the water with a pudgy finger and laughed as the fish bolted, afraid of whatever was disturbing their environment.
"Fiona!" came a man's voice.
The girl looked up. "Coming!"
She quickly ran through the open area and into the castle surrounding it, then up some stairs until she saw a tall man. "Papa!" she cried, running towards him.
He opened his arms and swung her up, growling as he playful bit her stomach. Fiona squealed in delight, squeaking out, "No, Papa, not the tummy!"
He quickly braced her on his hip and hugged her. "And what has my favorite little princess been up to this morning?"
"I fed the fishies today!" she said proudly. "One of them was this big!" She stretched her arms as far as they could go, not aware of her exaggeration.
"Was he now?" He smiled kindly as the small, green child in his arms went on about her exciting encounters with the aquatic creatures, and when she was finished, he said, "I bet your mother could use some help in her study, Fiona. Why don't you go see?"
"Okay!" She hopped down and sped off down the hall again.
Fiona's father watched her leave, smiling fondly. Another man came out of the shadows as he watched. "Your Highness," he said, bowing slightly to soften the slight sarcastic tone to his voice.
"Ah, Tearlach. When did you return, brother?"
"Moments ago, Fionnlugh. I'm afraid that King Siollan sends his regrets that his son is already betrothed."
"I see. To…?"
"Well, that little bit of information seemed to change as the conversation went on. First it was the Princess Laoise, then it was Onchu's daughter. Personally, I don't believe a word of it."
"I suppose we'll just have to be polite and not point out his fabrication." He sighed and looked down. "I just don't understand it. That's nearly fifteen attempts, and no one is taking."
"Fionnlugh, I've told you before that the reason 'no one is taking' is because of the girl's heritage. You'd be well advised to send her and her mother off to another side of the country and let them live as peasants."
"Hold your tongue! That's my family you're talking about."
"Family or not, I warned you not to take Uaine as your wife." Tearlach turned and began walking towards his brother's office. "Wasn't it I who said she would never gain acceptance? Didn't I warn you that you'd never be able to marry off your children?"
"That's enough, Tearlach!" Fionnlugh yelled, shutting his door. "It will not do to have the servants hearing you speaking this way! Uaine is a beautiful woman and Fiona is our daughter. I love them both very much, and I will not send them away!"
"Suit yourself, brother. But remember that it might be easier on us all if they were to leave here." He strode off purposefully, leaving the young king to his thoughts.
Fiona ran into a room a few hallways away from where she had found her father, bouncing happily up to see the large verdant woman who occupied the one desk and chair set inside. "Mama, Papa said you might need some help."
"Oh, did he?" She turned and patted the small girl affectionately. "Well, I could certainly use someone to stamp these envelopes. Do you remember how to from last time, dear?"
"Of course, Mama!" Looking overly offended, Fiona grabbed the proffered envelopes, wax, and metal stamp.
"I was just asking, dear. Now you go sit right there and make me proud." She patted her over to the coffee table and then continued to carefully write out letters.
After a few moments, Fiona stopped her worked and looked forlornly at the envelopes. She then stood and went to her mother, tugging her sleeve.
"What is it dear?" Uaine said, looking up.
"That's boring. I want to do something else."
"I'm afraid that's all I have for you to do, Fiona."
"Aw." She made a face and then returned to her work.
Uaine looked up from her manuscripts to watch her daughter working. She was so innocent now, completely ignorant of the controversy that she was causing across the countryside. How long would that last? Perhaps it would be simpler if the two of them lived in some distant village, receiving a few visits from the king a year. It was true that their claim to Fionnlugh outlasted any others. He had decided at the age of 14 that he loved her more than he loved any other girl he knew, and he had told her so. It was only after he was assured his ascendance to the throne that he had informed the rest of his family of his decision. And so, she had entered the royal family at the tender age of 17, the subject of much ridicule. Eventually she had made enough good impressions on Fionnlugh's relatives that the slander was limited to the townspeople.
Now, however, she wondered if she should have stayed. The thought of Fiona having to marry into another royal family and go through the hardships she had herself had been forced to endure was not a happy one. Perhaps it would be better to betroth her to a distant cousin who was also an ogre.
Before she could explore that possibility further, Fionnlugh entered, striding over to her and embracing her warmly. "How are you today, sweetheart?"
"Confused, Fionn."
"As am I. Tearlach informs me that Siollan's son is already betrothed to an as of yet unnamed princess."
Uaine stood, her lips pursed. "Fiona, dear," she said quietly, "Wouldn't you like to go play in the gardens?"
"Not really, Mama."
"I think you would."
"No, I'm fine."
"Really, Fiona, I think it's time for you to go outside for a while."
"I… All right, then." She gave her mother a strange look and put down her stamping supplies before walking out of the room.
"What are we going to do, Fionnlugh?" She sat back down, putting her head in her hands. "She has to marry someone."
"I know that." He pulled the coffee table over and sat on in, placing his arm comfortingly around her shoulders. "We'll find someone."
"Fionn…maybe it'd be better for Fiona if we…well, there are plenty of perfectly respectable ogre peasants out there."
"I won't hear of it."
"Surely you'll listen to reason, dearest." She took her hands down and looked at him incredulously. "No one wants an ogre in the family line."
"If I do, there has to be some people out there who are equally amenable. We just need to find them." He smiled wanly, lines visible on his face.
"I don't want Fiona to run away from what she is to please some high-born rich brat!" Uaine said loudly, her eyes narrowing. "She is special. Just because she doesn't look like a human doesn't mean she's any less a person than one."
"I'm sure Fiona won't allow that to happen," he said confidently.
Suddenly, a bright light filled the room and both were momentarily stunned. It filled the entire room, lasting perhaps half a second. Uaine shook her head. "Did you see that?"
"No. What were we talking about again?"
"Fiona."
"Ah, yes. I… I think I have an idea, actually."
What do you think? Leave a review or email me. Part four is coming soon, hopefully.