She was wearing a dress made of dark purple silk, with a round neckline and a hem that stopped between her knees and ankles. Her hair was braided again. Despite her breezy look, her heart could not have been heavier.
Fiona had not been out and about much in her adulthood, so she was unaccustomed to the appreciative looks she was receiving. Had she been in her ogre form, she would have been having a very different day.
She let herself into The Potion Factory and looked around at the unimpressive room. Fairy Godmother had a magic wand that could do anything, and this is what her building looked like? Fiona scoffed and made her way up to the front desk. "Excuse me..."
"Hold on," the clergy answered, staring at the pages of whatever he was reading. Fiona crossed her arms and waited, and her foot began to tap as the silence grew.
"Can't you do your job?" she finally demanded.
"Hang on. I need a nine-letter word for frugal that ends in Y. Do you have any..." His words ran out when he looked up at her. "Plans tomorrow?"
Fiona planted her hands on her hips, and was about to give him what for when a harried handmaid waltzed into the room and, at the sight of Fiona, stopped whistling and dropped into a cute curtsy. "Princess Fiona," she said formally. "It's an honor to have you here."
She gracefully straightened and walked away with a polite bow of her head, and Fiona turned imperiously back to the lax clergy, who was suddenly frantic about putting away his crosswords and magazines. "Oh, um, you - uh, what - you wanted to see the Fairy Godmother, yes? I'll get her right away, your Majesty!"
"About time," Fiona snapped, and he paused long enough to execute a clumsy bow, banging his elbow on the doorway before he scuttled into the next room like a timid mouse. Fiona turned and held herself, staring miserably out of the large window that domed outward. "Let's get this over with," she murmured. The quicker she drank the poison, the sooner she would feel like her life was perfect.
"Ah, Fiona. I was wondering if you would stop by," Fairy Godmother said. "Please, follow me."
Fiona quickly obliged, traipsing after Fairy Godmother, who led her into a large and spectacular room. Not too far from the double doors, four long stairs led onto an elevated seating area decorated abundantly with flowery plants. The largest couch was pushed up against a glass wall, which isolated a statue of Fairy Godmother. The statue's stone hands delicately cupped a tea pot of colored water that fell into the pool. The wall to the far side of the furniture had a window so huge, it appeared as though the wall simply hadn't been built. The window domed outward and overlooked the destruction of the Far Far Away sign in the distance. Music played softly from a source Fiona could not find if she spent her lifetime looking.
The sound of the doors closing had Fiona turning her attention to the mysterious winged lady who seemed to somehow know her. "Now. I trust you have made your peace. It's a simple and painless procedure." She held out a very tiny bottle, the contents of which sparkled and bubbled with magic. At Fiona's hesitation Fairy Godmother smiled. "Trust me, dear. I would not want to cause my daughter-in-law any harm." She took Fiona's hands, placed the potion in her palm and closed her fingers, then picked up the cup on the coffee table and held it out. "Pour it in," she instructed, and though her hands shook, Fiona obliged. "Now drink this, and kiss him. No more is required."
Fiona took the poisoned beverage and drank quickly, not wanting to extend the dread. She emptied the cup and wiped her lips.
"Good. Good, darling. Now, let us go get my son."
"Wait," Fiona said desperately. "Before I...show you where he is. I think you promised me something in return?"
Fairy Godmother nodded and waved her magic wand. Again, Lillian and Harold appeared in an ethereal golden light. Breathing hard, they opened their eyes and looked fearfully around. This time they caught sight of Fairy Godmother first, and they slowly stood, clinging to one another. "Why do you keep doing that?" Lillian demanded.
"Last time, pet." Fairy Godmother motioned gracefully to Fiona, who began to approach. "I will leave you in peace. Come along now; we have things to do."
Fiona gave her parents a fast hug, took each of them by the hand and squeezed as she walked numbly after Fairy Godmother. Her whole life was crumbling around her. She would much too soon be faced with the task of kissing a man who had abandoned her when she needed him most. A man who would claim more than half the authority of her kingdom. A man who threatened lives and deserved nothing more than to rot where he was.
Outside, Fiona clambered into the hovering coach and pulled her mother in after her. Harold boarded last and shut the door. "So tell me, where is my boy?" Fairy Godmother demanded, and Lillian and Harold looked expectantly at Fiona, shock registering on their faces when she responded to the question.
"Home," she said softly, and the carriage swept up into the air and took off.
Lillian and Harold were brimming with questions, but when Fiona turned away and rested her head against the wall, they knew to leave her be.
-x
The carriage swept over the gates and lowered straight down, settling into the courtyard. When Fairy Godmother, Lillian and Harold got out of the coach, they stared at the ogres in open hatred; and the ogres looked at them in obvious mistrust.
"Fiona, what is this!" Harold demanded, turning to her. "What have you done with your life!"
"I've given my friends a home," Fiona answered, her voice sharp.
"It won't last," Fairy Godmother said, her tone matching Fiona's. "You are to kick these creatures out before the wedding!"
"Do not take that tone with the next queen!" Lillian interfered, planting herself between her daughter and Fairy Godmother. "Have you no conscience of who you're dealing with?"
Fairy Godmother stuck her magic wand in between their faces. "Have you?"
"Alright, alright," Harold interjected, pulling his wife away from her. "Let's just do what you're here for; I'm sure you have a schedule. We can deal with the ogre problem later."
Fiona turned to him, her brows rising. "The ogre problem," she repeated. "And my curse, is that an ogre problem to you?"
"Well, of course it is! I mean - we had always planned that it would be resolved!" he shouted, and tried to get his voice under control. "And no daughter of mine will be queen as long as she's cursed. You need to be safe, and you need to be able to receive guests after sunset. No queen has ever done less! And we did not raise you to be a slacker!" He was shouting again.
"You hardly raised me at all!" Fiona began. Then she stopped and reined in her anger. When she spoke again her voice was calm and reasoning. "Dad...I don't expect you to understand what I go through. But when I was in that tower, and no one came for me, I realized that it's how ogres feel all the time. Because people hate them at first sight and never give them a chance! Where would you be right now if you'd never been given a chance?"
Harold sighed, looking begrudgingly at her.
"Forgive me for saying this, Dad. But you don't even know what discourtesy is. Because you're a king." Fiona shrugged. "Considering all the respect you've been shown, can't you spare a little?"
Harold sighed again, but turned to face the Resistance. "I'm sorry," he muttered, and some of the ogres' faces began to relax. He turned and looked at Fiona before walking into the kingdom. Lillian opened her eyes, smiled sadly at her daughter and began following her husband.
Alone with Fiona, Fairy Godmother finally turned to face her. "About my son," she finally said.
"Yes. I'm sorry about that, he's in here," Fiona said, and opened the trap door. Fairy Godmother flew over the stairs into the dungeon beneath the kingdom, and Fiona walked after her.
Prince Charming was sitting on the bench with two witches, while the rest of his cell mates were standing. "Now I'm no fool," Charming was saying, with a chuckle. "I never said all I cared about were my looks. I do have them." He ran a hand over his hair. "But there are more important things in life to cherish and covet. Like my sword. How I love to joust in the early morning; I am all man."
Then he caught sight of Fairy Godmother and he stood with a feminine flourish. "Mummy!" he cried, and the witches smirked at each other.
"Oh, my darling baby," Fairy Godmother murmured, as she grabbed the key out of Fiona's hands. "Now don't you worry, cupcake, everything is under control."
Prince Charming leaned close to the bars and whispered urgently into her ear, "But did she drink the potion?"
"That is what I meant by under control. Now sweep her off her feet!" Fairy Godmother whispered back. She pushed him out of the way and locked the witches back up. "No, no, I'm sorry," she said, when the witches began to protest. "If Fiona wants you locked up, then here you will remain. I only came for my boy."
The witches muttered amongst themselves as Fairy Godmother and Prince Charming followed Fiona back up the stairs and into the taste of freedom.
Fiona turned her head, closed her eyes and tried not to shudder when Prince Charming put his hand around her waist and drew her against him. She wanted nothing more than to slap him away, call his mother a piggybacking troll, and have them hanged. But, no guards had been hired yet. Fairy Godmother would undoubtedly harm, banish or kill her parents; and then what? Fiona was no match in her human form.
So she kept quiet and tried to make eye contact with the ogres, hoping they would help. They should have agreed on a signal for help! Why hadn't they? Fiona decided to blame her eagerness for oblivion.
"What happened?" Lillian breathed as they entered the palace. "Everything is so...different!"
"Not everything. I found all our stuff inside a closet," Fiona answered, her voice emotionless again. She walked stiffly by Prince Charming's side, trying not to look at him.
They stopped at the ballroom and peered inside. Makeshift beds were spread throughout the room, and scoffing in displeasure Fairy Godmother flew forward, peering into several rooms before finding the library acceptable. She turned and waiting for the others to approach, and when they were close she ducked inside.
"This is a fair setup," she observed, and motioned to the furniture. "Let's all chat and get to know one another. Since we will be family very soon."
Fiona tried not to slap Prince Charming away. She held her head high and waited for him to pick his seat, then strode to the chair furthest from him. He chuckled softly, stood up and went to sit beside her, stroking her fingers with his.
"Isn't this lovely?" Fairy Godmother asked. "Now then. I would like to start us off by pointing out to you all that no family is complete without holiday cards..."