Ok, before I get to the story, I wud like to answer a review from the guest named 'Bevin 4ever'. You have asked me why I chose the name Collin for Kevin, although Kevin is an old name, or I cudda used Kevinius?
Yeah, um, the name Kevin sorta sounds modern to me; I dunno, I felt uncomfortable to picture a prince whose name was, well, hot :P as in modern hot :) so I chose Collin coz its pronounced with the 'kh' sound, like Kevin? And kevinius sounds rather odd!
I will be doing that a lot in my future book imagica fics; u know, substitute Kevin's name with any name starting with 'c' or 'k' so that it doesn't lose the connection that its Kevin in a AU situation?
And im sorry if the name Collin bothere you, bevin 4ever, but if its alright with you, I shall have to continue it as Collin itself :( srry, but the author shud feel comfortable too rite?
But thank you for your lovely review I feel appreciated :P
Warning : this story contains yaoi / boyxboy
Disclaimer : I do not own any Ben ten characters
Enjoy the story! :3
THE FAIRYTALE WAY
Chapter four : The prince's birth day
Benjamin was putting out the clothes to dry. He pinned his lavender-scented sheets on the cloth-line, wiping the sweat off his forehead, smiling in contentment to see his work done. He bent over to pick up the empty wooden laundry basket, when he heard the neighbours squeal in excitement. Curious, Benjamin left the basket on the ground and walked over to the fence. Peering, he saw that the daughter of his neighbour, and her friend were both squealing at a pamphlet. From his position, Ben could not quite make much of the golden curling pamphlet, so he listened to the conversation of the two ladies.
"Oh, is not this wonderful?! The prince himself, in person!"
"Oh, I have heard he is a breath-taking sight!"
"He is indeed! In this picture alone, he looks so marvellous, I should not last long if he stands before me! Ohhh!"
"Ofcourse! Look! The portrait is pretty but I have heard some royal maids at the market say that his skin is as fair as the moon and the look of his skin itself can bring the feel of smooth porcelain! And his hair as black as the night sky, shining like silk! His eyes sparkle like sugar crystallised chocolate, and his thin lips were as kissable as a rose!"
"Oh my! I could faint gladly just picturing him smiling! Oh!" the one speaking placed the back of her hand upon her forehead in mockery of a swoon, "Go on!"
"Ah! He is tall and structured with just the perfect set of muscles, his long arms could curl around a woman's waist and keep her feeling in heaven! His broad but slim waist holds a belt that in turn holds a sword that he wields like the Warriors of Gods! His long strong legs can Ball dance to such a perfection that makes his partner forget reality...!" the woman could continue no longer as she herself visualised the handsome man.
Benjamin, too, imagined the great beauty that was the prince. Besides hearing of him, and having caught a glance once or twice a year during festivals, Benjamin had never met the honourable man, although he was curious.
He peeped further, to see the two women still basking in their imagination, so he realised he could not benefit from them anymore. Looking around at the adjacent and front houses across the road, he could see royal courtiers on white horses, distributing the same pamphlets to the passersby. Benjamin called out to one courtier who rode on his horse somewhat near the wall that separated Benjamin's home from the street.
"Excuse me! Shall I have one too?"
The man reined his horse to a halt and smiled from within his helmet, "Here you go, sir!" he handed him a pamphlet and rode away.
Benjamin stared down at the paper. It was a portrait of the prince sitting upon the throne. He was indeed as glorious as the women described him to be. Benjamin smiled, "That is a blessed man; he has the wealth, the health and the wisdom to run a kingdom. CrollouBelle is in good hands."
And written underneath the portrait was the announcement that the prince was conducting a Ball in the honour of his birthday and he was inviting everyone. Although not mentioned, it was obvious that the prince wanted to choose someone to marry, and so the females were very much looking forward to it. Invitations would be sent to everyone, with which they had to arrive. It was actually, as Benjamin knew well, a precaution to avoid traitors or men from the enemy kingdom from infiltrating the castle.
Pleased, Benjamin took the pamphlet into his home. He went up the stairs to the bedroom of his mother. Knocking politely he whispered, "Mother Willow? Shall I come in?"
"You're always welcome, you ninny!" came the cheerful laugh.
Smiling, Benjamin walked into the adequately furnished room. On the large bed was the woman with long, aging hair as white as snow, tied at the nape of her neck. Her face was wrinkled a little in the otherwise nice skin, yet her eyes were sharp, alert and wise. She lay under the thick blankets that have been pulled up to her stomach, while her aged hands rested in a cross atop. The pillows stacked comfortably behind her back and head made her a little inclined so that she appeared to look as if she were sitting.
At the sight of her beloved child holding a pamphlet, she smiled, "Is there something you want to show me, son?"
"Yes, Mother Willow, look!" he handed her the pamphlet. He pulled a wooden carved chair and sat beside her bed. He watched the woman place her slim spectacles on her long nose and peer at the pamphlet through them.
In a few minutes, the woman turned, "A Ball, hhmm?"
"Yes. Your sons will be obviously invited and so will their wives and children. I was hoping that you and I could train well during that. I haven't trained in a few days, Mother Willow, for you were a little ill? I was hoping that by the day of the Ball..."
The woman raised a faint grey eyebrow, patting his arm, "Benjamin, dear; you do not wish to attend the Ball? I hear that the prince is a sight to see! The pamphlet portrait only confirms it!"
Benjamin smiled at her, "Well, for one, I am not a woman, and the prince is obviously arranging this to find a suitable bride for himself. If a man like me did not attend, it would not make a difference."
"But Ball-dancing is fun! And you can talk to so many people and mingle with everyone, do you not like that?" she suggested. Diane was a lively woman, and at times it was odd to see her youngest son so mature and filled with strong-willed seriousness.
"It is not that I do not like it; but training will help me be a better Green Shadow!"
"You must have a little relaxation every now and then, my child; one cannot be forever bound to work, it will kill them from the inside! Especially at your fruitful age when life is to be a challenge and very exciting!"
"It is exciting to be Green Shadow, only there is a tinge of moral obligation as well!"
Seeing the look on his determined face, she sighed. Lifting her hand, she caressed his cheek lovingly, "Alright; if you do not wish to go to the Ball and you wish to stay here and train, you may. I will be glad to train you. But if you change your mind, you must voice it, alright?"
"Yes, Mother", Benjamin smiled. The woman leaned out to kiss him gently on the forehead.
"Benjamin!" came an irritated and equally irritating voice, muffled from the distance of its origin from the listeners, "Why haven't you watered the plants! The pots would not water themselves you know!"
Benjamin ran to the door of Diane's bedroom and called out to the corridor, "Coming, Madame Glenda!"
"One day I shall plug that woman's mouth with seaweed! Horrible lady! She very well has hands to sew useless embroidery but no strength to water the plants! Hypocrites, the lot of them!" Diane growled to herself, and Benjamin shook his head, "Now, now, Mother! What did I request of you about insulting brothers and their wives?"
Mother Willow looked away. Benjamin leaned in and kissed her soft cheek, chuckling, "Grant me leave, Mother; I have work to complete!"
o.o.o
At the dinner table, there was great joy for everyone.
Benjamin never ate his food with them; he always ate with Diane from her room. While his stepbrothers and their wives ate, he would stand aside like a waiter and wait for orders to serve the wine or fill a plate or serve a second helping.
The joy at the table was obvious; the three men had received invitations to the Ball, in golden envelopes. And three other envelopes for their wives. Owenson sourly pointed out, "Benjamin and Mother too have received invitations; of course, Mother would not attend due to her illness and her bedridden condition. So what will you wear, boy?"
"I shall not be attending either", answered Benjamin politely. The group of six adults turned to him in surprise.
"Not attending?" Cynthia asked in awe. She would consider Benjamin to be an idiot to turn down such a marvellous day.
"I wish to stay here for Mother Willow; I shall take care of her, and the house as well. You all can happily attend the Ball without any worry", he smiled, although none of them returned the smile, instead rewarded him by turning up their noses at him, and going back to discussing what to wear and what to expect at the Ball.
Benjamin was rather relieved that there were no nasty comments or further probing of why he wasn't attending, for the reason he established was firm enough.
o.o.o
There was a great hustle and bustle in the kingdom; everyone was busy grooming themselves; it was the day of the Ball. The castle's halls had been increased by numerous fold in space, with the help of the Royal Wizards, to accommodate the people coming to the Ball. And finally, carriages upon carriages arrived, with important people. The stars in the beautiful night sky sparkled like the jewellery worn by duchesses, dames and ladies who elegantly stepped out of the carriages.
The poor had been given free beautiful dresses and jewellery and hats and coats the previous day, courtesy the prince who was generous and wanted everyone to have a good time looking good, no matter what class they were. In all, everyone looked dressed, beautiful and glad. A night of merry was to follow.
At the Teradrian family home, the six adults bustled about. The children had been sent to the young babysitter next door who was not attending either. Benjamin was hard at work, polishing shoes, helping the women with their exaggerated wigs, sprinkling on them the right combinations of perfumes, ironing coats and suits, tying bow ties and cleaning the canes. Three luxurious carriages soon arrived, the three brothers and their wives left as a pair in each, without so much as a goodbye to Benjamin, or Diane who still lay in her bed without a care. Benjamin watched them leave, waving out to them although he knew that they were not paying attention to him.
Yes, it hurt to be ignored and shunned as a lowly servant; but he had Mother Willow and he was happy.
As he washed he dishes; as put away the dismantled robes, clothes and chairs that were strewn about the room in the aftermath of the hurry to get dressed; as wiped the floor; he thought of the prince and his Ball. The more Benjamin thought of it, the more he felt that his decision to stay home was inappropriate. A truth dawned on him and he felt ashamed to not have seen it any sooner; but there was no good in crying over spilt milk; he did not want to appear cowardly by attending a Ball he openly denied to be at.
When his chores were all finally over in half an hour, he wiped his hands at the kitchen towel and walked up the stairs to fetch Mother. On the way, he spotted the golden envelope encasing the invite, and his heart fell sadly within his ribs. Sighing, he stepped into Mother Willow's room. She was still in bed, having dozed off a little; she may be not ill or weak but she was growing old. Benjamin came up to the chair and sat on it, twiddling his fingers. As he made up his mind whether to wake her up or not, a warm hand placed itself on his. He looked at the woman to see her peering at him curiously, confused why his usually bright face was so dull.
"What is it bothering you, child?"
Startled, Benjamin tried to hide his dejection, "N-nothing, Mother!"
"You would know better than to underestimate Mother Willow, Benjamin!" she smiled cheerfully, "I can read you like an open book child! Besides, the guilt is very well imprinted on your magical aura."
There was no point in arguing with his mother. He sighed, running his fingers through his hair in exasperation, "Mother, I feel like I have made a foolish mistake to refuse the Ball!"
"Ah, I knew the prince was far too beautiful to be resisted even by a man!"
"Mother!" he sighed embarrassedly, "How you do love to tease!" at which she chuckled, patting his arm, "Then what is it that made you think that it was foolish of you?"
Benjamin pulled the chair closer to her bed, and adjusted himself, so that he was facing the woman. He took her hand in both of his and spoke with great feeling, that reflected in his expressive green eyes, "I have passed up a rather important honour, Mother! All my youth, I had protected people of CrollouBelle, and I am honoured about that. But the biggest honour of them all, would be to protect the Royal Blood of the Laquinelle, wouldn't it? It would be the feather on my cap to offer my assistance to the Prince, for tonight! After all, tonight's Ball is open to everyone, and there might be a chance that the enemy kingdom may send perpetrators to capture the prince in order to obtain the Orb of Omnius, the magical heirloom of the prince's family. Wouldn't it be a great achievement for me if I could stand proudly and defend the prince while he enjoys his birthday? It is not necessary for him or anyone to know I am there; I could watch them all night and make sure he is safe, and I can in pride say that I have stood vigil for the Great Beauty of CrollouBelle! But alas, I have so confidently denied by presence and now I have no other option but to keep in thought about how pathetic I am!"
"Pathetic?! Of course not! You stayed here for training and that is a good cause. But, you needn't worry; you may go to the Ball."
Benjamin blinked at her, "No, Mother, I couldn't! I have to train, and take care of the house", he hung his head a little, but the woman was not ready to see her child so dejected.
"Benjamin, you know very well that despite my age, I have the strength, and the magic, to manage three houses alone and unassisted! I shall take care of the house for you. And you have trained enough, so skipping tonight will not matter. What does matter is that you fulfil the wish in your heart; for there is no worse pain than an unfulfilled wish, it will rot away in your heart and cause more hurt! And if your brothers and their wives ask you why you have appeared, tell them that I forced you to! And you do not have to worry what they think."
"But, Mother, I shall be hiding in the shadows as the Green Shadow, watching the Ball, not actually attending - "
"Now, now, Benjamin! You must have a little enjoyment every now and then! You deserve it; you are such a hard working soul who only looks for the best in others. You of all are more righteous. I say you attend the Ball as Benjamin Teradrian. Go to the Ball, meet people, talk, make merry, enjoy yourself and at the same time, protect the prince as you wish!"
Benjamin smiled slowly, his face starting to light up just the way she loved it. His cheeks glowed in anticipation, and then he voiced another doubt, "But Mother Willow, how shall I take the casket of Green Shadow's clothes with me to the Ball?! It would be ridiculous! And if the prince was attacked, I would not want to waste time running out of the Ball unnoticed to wear the costume! That would cost me valuable time! And even cost me a few lives! Is it not better if I just wore the Green Shadow dress and - "
"Oh, you are not going to skip the happy time at the Ball, you sly little kitten!" she grinned. Leaning over the other side of her bed, she rummaged through her bedside shelf and finally pulled out a tiny pouch; a purse that could easily fit into a pocket without a trace.
"Here," she handed him the purse, "You may carry your costume with you in that."
Benjamin stared blankly at the tiny purse sitting on his palm. It was no bigger than a matchbox. He chuckled, "Mother, you can very well see that not even one of the gems on the hilt of my sword will fit into this tiny purse, can't you?!"
She smiled sly, "That is what everyone would think. But this purse is magical! It was rather old, but I perfected it since a few days, I wondered whether you might need it one day. It was about time you were rid of the casket I gave you, and alternate to something as portable as this."
"What does it do, Mother?" he peered at the tiny cloth purse.
"It is magically bottomless; although it looks so innocently miniscule, it's capacity is enormous; you could carry an entire library of books in it! All you have to do is put your costume into it and carry the purse in your pocket. And if ever there comes trouble in the castle, merely excuse yourself to the restroom and change in no time!"
Benjamin smiled widely, "Shall I fetch my costume?"
"Yes please."
Benjamin raised his hand, which, upon his concentration, glowed in green sparkles. The next moment, a casket flew into the room through the window. It too shone in sparkles of green, levitating in front of him. He directed it to his feet, whence it stopped glowing, like his hand which stopped too. Pulling out the green cape, hat and black shirt and pants, small white gloves and the long black scabbard holding his shiny slim sword, he handed them one by one to his Mother who slipped them effortlessly into the tiny purse. Benjamin watched in awe.
"Here. Now, would anyone suspect a vigilante's costume within this adorable little thing?!" she handed him the purse. Benjamin looked down at it like a bird. There was not even the slightest bulge on the purse to show what it encased.
"Marvellous! Thank you, Mother!" he smiled widely, hugging her warmly.
When they pulled apart, Benjamin had an excited glow on his face. "Now, run along! Iron your suit, the one you brought from the shop the other day? And do not come back here till you look like a little prince yourself! Now shoo! Go on!"
Benjamin laughed happily as he got up from his chair and waved to his Mother, before running to his room. He had ample time before the Ball started. If he were even lucky enough to meet the Prince Collin in person, he should at least look amiable. And he knew his Mother would want nothing less than perfection from him.
- End of Chapter –
Uh, for those who feel like the purse seems familiar, yeah the concept of the tiny purse was an inspiration from Hermione's handbag in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book. I was a Harry Potter freak two years ago :P I still do love the books and the films tho. but not as rabid crazy as before.
So that cudda been the fairy-godmother-advising-cinderelly-to-go-to-the-ball-in-her-new-blue-gown scene! :3 my versions different; but eh whtever. Here, Green Shadow is the Cinderella at the Ball, I mean, ...u knw wht? Just read the next chapter ok? :D
Pls review! Thnk u for those who do!