Joint Story:
Disclaimer: The plot is very generic and can, therefore, probably not be claimed as ours. Some of the characters and locations have been taken from a variety of movies (mainly Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings). We do not claim them. We own most of the characters.
Act IOnce upon a time in a kingdom far, far away (a/n: we know so original) there lived an average looking girl named Francesca. Like any fairy tale, Francesca was locked in the highest room in the tallest tower (a/n: also so original). This was not because of some spell that had been cast upon her or any other such nonsense. Francesca was simply mad and had to be kept locked up for her own good.
At least that was what her stepmother, Desdemona, told her father, King Harold. In all reality, her evil stepmother was drugging Francesca. This had been going on since King Harold's last wife, Francesca's mother, had died eight years ago when Francesca was four. In King Harold's point of view, unfortunately, his precious daughter had suddenly become mentally ill. He was completely oblivious to his wife's actions. However, just to be on the safe side, Desdemona kept very loyal servants who did her dirty deed for her.
Poor Francesca spent all of her childhood in the highest room in the tallest tower. She had no friends, and instead had her imaginary friends. Francesca had her suspicions about her stepmother when she reached the age of twelve, but there was nothing she could do. Six more years went by and Francesca was now eighteen. During her teenage years, Francesca had many fantasies about a knight in shining armor rescuing her from her tower prison.
Now, all fairy tales have a hero or a heroine. This story is no different. Our heroine, however, is not what one would consider the stereotype of a heroine. Bethanie's mother was one of King Harold's trusted servants. Bethanie had never known her father and had grown up in the castle. Bethanie was now sixteen years old, only two years younger than the princess was. Unfortunately, Bethanie was mute; she could read and write quite well, which was unusual for servant girls to be able to do at the time.
Bethanie's mother, Beatrice, had known that Desdemona was drugging Francesca since the princess was ten. Every time she brought her suspicions to the king, he refused to listen, believing his wife incapable of such deeds. Beatrice had told her daughter these same suspicions, thinking that Bethanie could probably do no better than she had done.
Bethanie may have been mute, but she was smart. She decided to write the king a note saying "Don't let Desdemona feed Francesca; she's poisoning her!" She slipped the note into one of the king's socks while doing her chores. Now, if the King Harold wouldn't listen to his most trusted servant, what makes anyone think that he would pay attention to an unsigned note stuck in his sock?
However, this is our story and it'll go however we write it. King Harold got suspicious enough to go the High Wizard Neville Longbottom. Neville looked at the note and, using his special wizarding powers, decided that the note was probably true. "To be on the safe side," he told King Harold, "you shouldn't let your daughter be fed by your wife. If she gets better, then we know the note was true." The king, who trusted the High Wizard, did what he said.
King Harold asked Beatrice to have Bethanie feed his daughter for awhile. Bethanie gladly did this because it meant the king had read her note and believed her. Bethanie became Francesca's closest friend and, seeing as Bethanie couldn't say anything, her secret keeper. It was to Bethanie that Francesca spilled her heart and soul. After a week, the drugs Desdemona kept giving her stepdaughter wore off and Francesca was normal again.
One day, Bethanie led Francesca to her father's chambers for a family reunion. King Harold and his daughter shared tears at this rejoining, until Francesca got mad at her father for locking her in the highest room at the top of the tallest tower. She rushed out of the room with Bethanie at her heels. King Harold was at a loss; he had to prove to his daughter that he still loved her. Thinking hard, he decided that proving his wife's guilt would be enough for Francesca to forgive him.
He went to his wife's chambers, right next to his own, and started rifling through her drawers. He finally found a little packet of drugs and he quickly stuffed them into a pocket. "Desdemona, darling," he called. But he received no answer for Desdemona had retreated to a cave near Mount Doom as soon as she heard that her husband was getting suspicious.
Getting angry now, King Harold sent Bethanie to High Wizard Neville Longbottom to find his wife. Bethanie quickly ran off to do his bidding. Miming what she wants at Neville, Bethanie only finds disappointment when he can't find her using his wizarding ways. "We'll go to the Wise Woman," he declared, "for if I can't find her, she can." And with a poof, Neville transported them to a small cottage on the outskirts of town.
Upon their arrival, Wise Woman Sybil Trawlaney quickly walked outside to greet them. "I trust you know why we're here," said Neville without preamble. Sybil nodded gravely and replied, "I do. I'm already set up inside. Come in, come in."
Bethanie felt very silly when she crossed the threshold. Inside, a table was adorned with tarot cards, stones, candles, an Ouija board, and in the center a crystal ball. There were no signs of the jars of eyeballs, necklaces of toes, or anything else she had expected to see. Sybil gestured them both into seats and then grabbed the crystal ball. To Bethanie's astonishment, the ball began to fog up and a picture formed.
A woman was running quickly down a country road. She stole a glance behind her and stopped running when she saw the carriage. The carriage stopped near her and the driver came out. "Do you need a ride, miss?" The woman nodded and asked, "Where is your destination?" Upon hearing that it was the next town, the woman became very anxious to get there.
The scene shifted to several years later, the only evidence the lines that had appeared on the woman's face. "Heard the black widow has struck again," a voice said. The scene widened to reveal the woman sitting at a bar, listening in on the conversation. "The black widow?" repeated the man's companion. "Aye, she who marries and then kills her husband for his money," the man replied.
The woman started shifting in her seat, obviously uncomfortable. She leaves soon after, holding a knife dripping with blood. Again the scene shifts, this time to a cave, and time as passed again to present-day. The same woman is huddled into a corner, murmuring something.
Bethanie leapt up as she finally recognized the woman known as the black widow. It was Francesca's stepmother! "She stays in the cave, biding her time, for she knows that this will be the end," Sybil's voice rang out. "You, dear child, will do marvelous things." Neville and Bethanie left to tell the king their news.
"My lord, we know where your wife is," Bethanie heard Neville tell the king. Just then, Francesca called to her and she left to do her duties. Neville came to find her a little bit later and the two departed for Mount Doom. The landed inside the cave and, before Bethanie's eyes could get used to the sudden darkness, Neville disappeared with a loud bang. Jumping at the noise, Bethanie turned around to come face-to-face with Desdemona.
Snapping her fingers, Desdemona sends Bethanie back to the castle. Startled by the realization that Desdemona was a witch, Bethanie ran to find Francesca and relay her news by way of paper. After reading the note, Francesca ran to find her father. "I'm sorry Papa, I shouldn't have been so angry. You had no idea what was going on. Now, we have to save the High Wizard!"
King Harold blinked several times and then declared, "I'm sorry too, pumpkin. We're off to save the wizard, the wonderful wizard of- sorry," he added seeing his daughter's face. With no magical powers to get them to Mount Doom, the royal family and Bethanie had to ride horses to get there. After three hours of riding and not appearing to be getting any closer, Beatrice sighed, "Well, this is getting ridiculous. I'm a descendant of a witch, let's see if I can do anything."
Bethanie turned in shock to face her mother, a question on her face. "Sorry I didn't tell you earlier, honey," Beatrice said. "But it wasn't like you were going to be able to learn any of it since you can't speak the spells." Bethanie frowned and turned back around. "Bibbity- bobbity- boo!" cried Beatrice and the travelers vanished.
Reappearing in Mount Doom, Francesca and Bethanie went off in search of Neville while King Harold went to talk with his wife. After a futile search of most of the cave, the duo was happy to finally hear Neville's voice calling for help. They unchained him, then raced off to help defeat Desdemona.
King Harold was chained up by the time they got there. Neville and Desdemona faced off against each other while the girls went to help the king. Lots of spells, curses, and hexes later, Desdemona was obviously worn out. "Is that the best you can do?" she weakly called out as another one of Neville's spells missed her, this time by less than an inch.
Bethanie suddenly grabbed her throat. A white light had suddenly surrounded her and the king and princess stepped back. The light vanished just as suddenly as it had come, leaving Bethanie on the floor coughing. "Are you alright?" Francesca hesitantly asked. "Yeah," Bethanie croaked out. "Oh, my God. You can talk!" Francesca exclaimed.
Smiling slightly at the princess's comment, Bethanie stood up knowing what she had to do. Walking confidently over to Desdemona, Bethanie began reciting an incantation.
"Desdemona, the wicked stepmother,
Who knows only evil and no other.
I am your opposite; I am good.
I can destroy you when no other could.
Your evil ways have been uncovered.
But up in the air they have always hovered.
We know you claim the name black widow.
I vanish you, for you are my foe."
With a poof, Desdemona became only soot on the floor.
"Nice work Bethanie," said Neville. "Now that you've gotten your voice back and have really connected to your inner witch, I can retire and you can take my place," Neville continued.
"But I don't know that much witchcraft," Bethanie protested.
"I'll teach you and when you're ready, you'll become High Witch," Neville said. Bethanie agreed and moved in with High Wizard Neville for her training. As for King Harold and Princess Francesca, they lived happily ever after.
(A/n: we were really bored during a foods class where we were watching an annoying video on food. this is the product of that boredom. the sequel to this is still being written; be on the look-out for it in the next month.)