A/N: yep. first chapter, people. it took me ages to even think of a title, that's how bad my writers' block has become. I'll be doing some further editing on this chapter later on, but for now I just want to get it out of the way so as to properly begin Chapter Two. leave criticisms in the form of reviews, please. thanks. love you all. mwah.
Disclaimer: I don't own the concept of the stories that I got this idea from. I do, however, own Mariette and Arianna. :D
Twisted Fairytale
Chapter One
A Birth
When Queen Nicola found out she was pregnant, her husband was away on another of his conventions. Consequently, he was practically the last of the Palace to find out, the Queen's Messengers having been delayed by a group of sharks.
During the later months of her pregnancy, the queen could be found sitting in her armchair beside her bedroom window, watching the angelfish swim by and rubbing her growing belly. One night, though a storm raged violently on the surface, the bottom was calm (as it always is) and several pieces of debris floated to the sandy floor of the ocean. Some of the debris had already been taken (these were the cloths that had not burnt already) by curious fish, some had been eaten (obviously, food) and some were currently unidentified, and floated down untouched.
The Queen, gazing out of her window dreamily, imagining her child-to-be's features, saw a scrap of something float past the window. Being a curious woman, she opened her window (yes, their windows are fitted with glass, but this is only for nobles, as the commoners have neither the money nor the need for it.) and reached out to take it. Not being particularly interested in human metals, she did not know what it was. However, as was said before, she was curious, and grasped it. She brought her arm back in and shut the window. She examined the intricately twisted piece of slightly burned metal, twirling it about in her fingers. Suddenly, she felt the baby move, jumped slightly, and let slip the piece of metal. Before it fell to the ground, however, it scratched her, not too deep to shed much blood, but deep enough for pain.
"Mariette!" she cried for her handmaiden, staring at the rapidly reddening slash that went from the bottom of her index finger, across her palm, to the left side of her wrist. "Mariette! Come quickly!"
"Madame!" cried Mariette, opening the door to her mistress' bedroom hurriedly, afraid something horrible had happened to her mistress.
"Ask Arianna to fetch some cloths for my hand, Mariette," said the Queen swiftly, showing her bleeding palm to her handmaiden. The blood swirled around in the water as she waved the hand about. "and hurry!"
"Yes, madame." came the immediate reply of Mariette. "Arianna! Fetch me some cloths for Her Majesty's wound! Hurry up!" she called down the hall. Hearing this, Arianna murmured a noise of assent and quickly swam off to the cupboard where the bandages were kept. Thinking quickly, she took some herbal seaweed as well.
"What happened, Madame?" Mariette asked, expertly wrapping her mistress' hand in the bandages Arianna had brought back. Arianna herself was holding the Queen's other hand, whispering soothing words in her Majesty's ear.
"I was holding that-that thing." she made a motion with her head to point out the scrap of metal that had fallen from her hands and unto the floor. "I-It slipped. I felt the baby move, you see." she explained.
"Alright then, Madame. Please, be more careful. His Majesty the King would become angry if he found out something could result, in effect, to trouble with his possible son's birth." came the reply of Mariette.
Nearly everyone in the Palace, and several people outside of it, knew that the King wanted a son from his wife. He had no use for daughters; sons would ultimately take over whatever their father's business was (in this case, of course, they would become heirs to the throne) and daughters would be married off as soon as possible.
"Well, son or daughter, he'll accept what's given to him. He'll have to, at any rate." the queen said primly. "After all, it's not I who decides wether or not he will get an heir to his throne."
"Quite right, Ma'am." agreed Arianna. "He is King, but even Kings must not always get what they wish for."
"Of course not. Then life would be too easy, and it would even be fair, and everyone knows, life is never too easy, nor ever fair."
"True, Mariette. Quite true." the Queen agreed, lowering her eyelids a bit. "I'll be going to bed now. Leave me be. I'll call if I need anything more."
With a simultaneously murmured "Yes, Madame," then curtsied (inasmuch as a mermaid can curtsy) and swam swiftly but silently out of the room, so as not to disturb their mistress.
"Her Majesty seems to be getting jumpier and jumpier nowadays." Arianna observed as they swam down the Hall.
"It's the pregnancy that's getting to her." said Marietta. They turned right, then made two left turns, bowing to several nobles along the way.
"And His Majesty seems to have no time for her, only for his inventions." Arianna muttered, with a disapproving tinge to her voice. "It should not be that way, Marietta. Any man, even if he were King of the entire Universe, any sensible man would be by his wife's side, holding her hand, talking to her, getting her through the hardest parts of the pregnancy." She averted her eyes.
"Are you saying our King isn't sensible?" asked Marietta, raising an eyebrow.
"No. I'm saying he should pay more attention to his Queen than to his inventions." she said the word like it left a bitter aftertaste on her tongue.
Having reached her bedroom, she bid a good night to Marietta and swam in. Marietta sighed as she reached her own chambers. She knew she would have to maintain the face of loyal handmaiden. Deep down, however, she agreed completely with Arianna. What kind of man, even a King, would leave his wife in the last stages of her pregnancy to tinker with his silly little inventions? Even humans wouldn't do that. Would they? She took off the sash that showed she was a Royal HandMaiden, and went to sleep, sincerely hoping their King would change his ways and properly care for his wife soon.
xXx
Two and a half months later...
"It's a girl, your Majesty! It's a girl!" exclaimed the woman, handing over the wailing Princess to her mother. Nearly everyone there had blood on them, but all were filled with joy at the successful childbirth. "I'll tell his Majesty at once!" she said, and swam out of the room, hastily wiping herself on the way out. At the remark, the Queen, Marietta and Arianna looked up simultaneously.
"What's going to happen, Your Majesty?" asked Arianna worriedly. They knew if the King was in a rage he would do just about anything.
"He'll have to take it like a man." said the Queen, quietly but defiantly. "He knew there was a possibility of this. He had better be ready."
Meanwhile, in the Hall...
"It's a girl, Your Majesty!" exclaimed the matron excitedly. "Her Majesty gave birth to a beautiful baby girl!"
The King, a man with broad shoulders and a serious face, looked up slowly. Few people would see the disappointment in his eyes. He refrained from sighing.
"A girl, eh? Are they both alright?" he asked.
"Yes, sir. It was a successful pregnancy." she replied, her eyes shining.
"I see. And the name?"
"She wants you to be there with her, sir, while she names it."
"Right. Of course. Sensible thing to do." He muttered several things under his breath, but followed her into the chambers.
Back in the Chambers...
The Queen looked at her husband expectantly. She examined his eyes, and caught a trace of the disappointment. She knew she would find it there. However, he put on a jolly smile and said:
"Well, I'm here, Nicola! What would you like to name our Princess?"
"Jacqueline. She shall be Princess Jacqueline." said the Queen, smiling serenely at everyone. However, she had eyes only for her husband. She knew they would talk about this later.
"Wonderful name, Nicola. And are you alright, darling?"
"Yes, dear, I'm fine. We'll do some tests on her, and then I'll sleep for a bit." she replied.
"Tests? Tests? Why? What sort of tests?"
"Tests to see if the baby's healthy, darling. We have to make sure." she said.
"Ah. I see. Of course." He nodded vigorously, and looked once more at his daughter, soon to be Heiress of his Kingdom. "She looks marvelous, Nicola. You did a good job." he commented.
"Thank you, darling." and with that she fell asleep. No, not dead, not dying, just asleep. He took one last look at her and their daughter, and left, swimming off to his study room.
"They'll be talking about this later, when Her Majesty wakes up." remarked Arianna with a huff.
"Shush, Arianna. Now is not the time to make remarks like that." said Marietta, lightly reprimanding her. She pulled the blankets up to her mistress' chest, giving the baby to the matron.
"Yes, but you know I'm right." said Arianna defiantly. Marietta couldn't agree more.
xXx
A/N: I'm sorry, that's all I've got for now. Forgive me? please read and review. kay? :D and leave criticisms in the form of reviews. of course. thanks.
