Hi! Yakuza Maiden here! This is my first non-yaoi story that I am putting out for everyone to read and enjoy. It's basically Snow White, but with genderbender, supernatural stuff, and some badassness. Soooo...Enjoy!
Long ago, in Ancient Eternia, there lived two immortal sorcerer princes. The eldest was the crown prince named Narcissus and wielded ice and had black locks and blue eyes. The younger was named Alexandros and wielded fire and had golden locks and golden eyes. At one point when they were younger, both were very close. However, as they grew older, well into their teens, Narcissus became more vain and concerned with his own beauty. He even had a magical mirror made so that it would tell him who the fairest gentleman was. The younger brother was not so concerned with his looks, though it was fairly obvious that he was more fair than his brother, and preferred to hunt with his best friend.
Now, Narcissus had noticed his younger brother's growing beauty for quite sometime now and decided that it was time that he asked the Magic Mirror the question.
"Mirror Mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest gent of all?"
Normally, the Mirror would reply that Narcissus was the fairest, however, this time its answer was,
You indeed are most fair, my Prince,
However, among all young men in this fair land,
your young brother, Prince Alexandros, is the fairest gent of all.
Hearing this dreaded response, Narcissus was so angry, because he knew that his brother was quite fair in looks and beat him at many things, that much of his room grew colder and ice formed over everything. Alexandros on the other hand, was happily hunting in the Eternian Forest with Zephyrus, his best friend.
"Prince Alexandros, you really are a good hunter. Look at how you nailed that deer with a single arrow to its heart!" Zephyrus exclaimed, praising his best friend.
"Thanks. But, do not call me 'prince'. I told you numerous times." Alexandros replied.
"But you are a prince. I should be calling you prince. Prince."
"Whatever. Call me by my name, please."
"Stingy, aren't we, Alex?"
"Ch."
"Anyway, how about we go hunt for more meat?"
"Excellent idea!"
They then went off to find more animals to hunt while Narcissus calmed himself down. I must find a way to get rid of him. His favorite sport is hunting, huh? Let's see what we can do about that.
Later in the day, around dinnertime, Alexandros came home to the palace as usual and went to dinner. His older brother glared at him the whole time during dinner. He said nothing to Alexandros and went straight to his bed chambers.
Why does Narcissus avoid me and glare at me so much? Did I do something wrong?
Eventually, after dinner and reading for a while in his own fire schemed room, Alexandros fell asleep. The next day, Narcissus called him into the throne room.
"Alexandros, I have something to tell you. Our kingdom is being attacked by Stymphalian birds as well as a chimera. Do you think you can hunt them down for us?" Narcissus asked his brother.
"Sure! I would love to!" Alexandros replied, almost cheerfully. He bow and left to take care of the problem.
Good. He took the bait. Stymphalian birds and a chimera? He believed that! Now, instead of those, he will face his death!
He laughed evilly as he went down to his office.
Alexandros travelled towards the edge of the woods only to find not birds and a chimera, but a tall muscular huntsman. He knew him.
"Oi, Fluorite, where are the Stymphalian birds and chimera?" Alexandros asked, looking around.
"My prince, there aren't any." the huntsman replied.
"Huh? But-" Before Alexandros could finish, the huntsman lunged at him with a sharp glinting dagger. It grazed his shoulder as he tried to duck. "What are you doing?!"
"I am sorry, Prince Alexandros, Prince Narcissus has ordered your death."
"Wha-what? But-" Alexandros was flat on his back, wincing and well aware of the pain of not only his shoulder wound, but his left side wounds as well, while the huntsman bared down on him. He raised the dagger, bringing it down. Alexandros' eyes widened in fear. The dagger stopped just short of the prince's his torso, just over his heart.
"I-I can't do it. I just can't. You are not only a prince, but my son's best friend. I can't kill you, I don't want to." Fluorite hung his head, dropping the dagger in the grass.
"Fluorite?"
Fluorite got off of the prince and said, "Go, go far into the woods so that your brother may never find you!"
"But, what about the order?"
"I'll think of something. Go!"
Alexandros got up and ran into the woods, taking his quiver and bow with him. The huntsman saw him off. The stronger beasts will soon devour the poor boy. He thought.
Alexandros did not stop running until he got to waterfall. He threw himself down, tired, hungry and thirsty, and cupped some water out of the small river. After he had his fill of water, he got up and wandered along down the stream, eventually passing out. Now, sometime later, group of seven girls found him by the river. The oldest was in her mid-twenties, the youngest being fourteen.
"He's wounded! He needs medical care!" said the youngest, who's name was Topaz.
"Indeed, but should we take him home? What is your decision, Scarlett?" asked one of the older girls.
"We'll take him home and take care of his wounds. While doing so, we will investigate and find out who he is." Scarlett replied.
Everyone nodded in agreement, not daring to disagree with Scarlett, their leader. So, they carried the boy to their home and laid him in a spare bed. Tourmaline, the second eldest, came into the room with a few rolls of bandages and crushed medicinal herbs to mix with the berries freshly picked. Another, wearing a short dark blue dress, demanded that she be the one to care for his wounds. Scarlett sighed and allowed her to do so. The girl, Aoi, ground the berries to a liquid and crushed the herbs and sprinkled them in the berry juice, mixing them together. Then she spread the mixture onto his wounded shoulder, and the wounds on his left side. She then wrapped the injuries in the bandages brought in by her "older sister". All of them had their dinner before going to their own rooms, which were each a color of the rainbow.
The next day, Prince Alexandros awakes to find himself in a warm comfortable bed and his wounds bound in white bandages. Confused, he got up, pain shooting through his body. He hissed at the pain. He opened the bedroom door to a hallway. He shut the door behind him and walked down the hallway. At the end of the hall, he came into an enormous room that seemed to be a clash between a dining room and a living room. At one end of the room, there was a dining table. At the table, there sat...seven girls? Yes, he was seeing it correctly, seven girls at the table. They seemed to range in age between no more than thirteen or fourteen to somewhere in the twenties. One girl came out of another door and noticed his presence.
"You are awake. Good to know that our medicenes work." She said.
The other girls looked up from their breakfast. Alexandros felt kind of awkward since he was a male and he happened to be in a home that obviously belonged to these young women and well, need I say more? "U-um..." was all he could manage.
"Well, don't just stand there. Come sit at the table with us." the girl standing up said.
Not really having a choice, he walked over and sat in the empty chair. The girl who spoke gave him some sweet bread, nuts, and fruit, along with their homemade pumpkin juice. He quietly started to eat his breakfast as the other girls stared. He was rather pretty for a boy. He had golden hair that reached his shoulders, rosy skin color, a thin but well toned body, and red golden eyes. He looked like a prince or an angel. He looked up again and the girls turned their heads away, giggling.
"Now girls, be nice."
He looked up to see a girl, obviously in her twenties. She seemed to be the leader by the authority in her voice. "My sisters and I wish to know more about you and why you are in our forest.."
The other girls seemed to shine with excitement and anticipation for what this handsome boy would say.
"Um, well my name is Prince Alexandros and my older brother is the Crown Prince Narcissus. He looks different from me with his black curls and icy blue eyes. I loved to hunt, do archery, and race against my best friend, Zephyrus. I've recently noticed my brother's cold behavior towards me. Yesterday, he sent me off, making me believe that I would be hunting Stymphalian birds and a chimera, only to find that I would be facing my death instead. From what I heard from Zephyrus' father, Narcissus actually ordered my execution by his dad's hands. He couldn't do it and told me to hide in the woods and not come back because of Narcissus. So, I ran and stopped by a river. And now, here I am."
The girls listened with intent and quietude. There was silence after my explanation.
"You can stay here however long you wish. Right now my sisters and I must go harvest flowers and fruit, so we'll be gone all day. You must stay in the pavilion and keep it locked. Do not let anyone in, okay?" she said.
"Yes."Alexandros replied. The others stood up, saying goodbye to him, and left the house. The young prince stood up and locked the door. He turned around and picked up the dishes and silverware(technically it's crystalware here) and put them in the sink to wash them. Warm water was set next to the sink already, so he decided to use it to wash the dishes. When he did, he dried them and put them away in the cabinets. Then he decided to wander around the house and found a little library, so he plucked one from the shelves and sat down to read.
Back at the castle, Narcissus thought with triumph that Alexandros was dead. Perfect idea to have someone he knows well kill him. It had been a few weeks before he decided to ask the Mirror the question.
"Mirror Mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest gent of all?"
And the Mirror replied,
You indeed are most fair, my Prince,
However, among all young men in this fair land,
your young brother, Prince Alexandros,who lives with seven Huntresses just beyond the forest
in the Pavilion of Colors,
is the fairest gent of all.
Narcissus grew angry at the response. How? How could he possibly be alive? The Huntsman told me of his death!
Then he realized, he'd been tricked. His eyes narrowed and thought of a plan. He will lure his brother into a trap and kill him himself. The Crown Prince disguised himself as a merchant selling clothing young men. He travelled through the forest and came upon the Pavilion of Colors. No one was to be seen. He called out,
"Good wares to buy, good clothes to sell!"
Prince Alexandros, who was reading, looked out the window. He saw the merchant holding a sack of new clothes and belts. The merchant laid out his wares.
"Would you, sir like to buy my wares?"
"I can't. I was told not to open the door to anyone."
"Ah, nonetheless, you can look, no?"
He picked up a red belt that glittered in the sun. Alexandros could not take his eyes off of the belt and decided to let the other in to buy it.
"Now, I must fit it on you to make sure that it fits well."
Alexandros, suspecting nothing, let him do so. The merchant tied the belt around the boy's waist so tight that Alexandros could not breathe and fell down as if he were dead. Narcissus laughed evilly.
"Now you aren't the fairest anymore!"
He left the Pavilion and back to the castle. Later in the evening, the seven Huntresses came home and discovered Alexandros on the floor, seemingly dead. Tourmaline noticed that the belt was too tight. She cut it in two and slowly, the boy's rosy coloring came back. "Are you alright?" she asked.
He took a deep breath and said, "Yes." They realized that it was the older boy's doing.
Narcissus went back to his chambers and asked the question.
"Mirror Mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest gent of all?"
And the Mirror replied,
You indeed are most fair, my Prince,
However, among all young men in this fair land,
your young brother, Prince Alexandros,who lives with seven Huntresses just beyond the forest
in the Pavilion of Colors,
is the fairest gent of all.
"That wasn't enough? Argggghhh!"
Again, he disguised himself and poisoned a comb. Then, he set off to the Pavilion.
Alexandros, the next day, accompanied the Huntresses outside and saw them off. "Do not let anyone in, not even a merchant."
"Ye ma'am."
Alexandros was, again, reading and heard a shout. "Nice things to sell! Pretty wares to sell!"
The young prince looked out the window and saw another merchant. This time, he was selling combs for men and women.
"You, sir! Would you like to buy a comb for your pretty golden locks?"
"I dare not, sir. I was told not to let anyone in, not even a merchant."
"Nevertheless, you may look, no?" He held up the comb that had poison in it. It was a beautiful emerald encrusted comb. Alexandros could not resist its beauty. He opened the door.
"Your hair seems to be tangled some. May I comb it?"
Alexandros replied with a yes and sat on a chair. The merchant started to comb the boy's hair and then stuck it sharply in his head. The boy fell on the floor, as if dead. Narcissus laughed evilly and said,
"Now, you aren't the fairest in the land!" And he left to travel back to the castle.
The girls came home again to see Alexandros on the floor, seemingly dead. Scarlett noticed something in the boy's head. "Look! There's a emerald comb in his head!"
She pulled it out and crushed it with her bare hand. The boy's color came back and he opened his eyes."Are you alright?"
"Yes."
He must be dead! He must!
And so, he asked the Mirror,
"Mirror Mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest gent of all?"
And the Mirror replied,
You indeed are most fair, my Prince,
However, among all young men in this fair land,
your young brother, Prince Alexandros,who lives with seven Huntresses just beyond the forest
in the Pavilion of Colors,
is the fairest gent of all.
"No! I kill that brat even if it means I lose everything! I must think. Hmm, yes! I've an idea!" He whisked himself away to his office.
The next day, Alexandros again saw the girls of into the distance. They gave him the same warning. The older brother passed by again, as a farmer boy selling apples.
"Apples to sell! Please buy them! I must get rid of them!"
Now, the young prince loved apples, especially the rosy red ones. He stared longingly at the delicious looking apples, but he was on his guard this time.
"Young man, would you like an apple or two?"
"I dare not, I was told not to let anyone in. I'm sorry, I cannot buy your apples."
"Are you afraid that they are poisoned? Here, I'll split one in half and you and I will each eat a piece."
The prince agreed and was given the rosy red half. The older boy started to eat the green half. Seeing that the supposed farmer boy was enjoying his half, it seemed safe so Alexandros bit into the rosy half. His eyes widened before he dropped the rosy half and fell on the floor, dead.
"The Huntresses won't be able to awaken you this time!" The older boy laughed and said, throwing off his disguise.
Unfortunately, he was spotted by one of the Huntresses. She was the fifth oldest and ran at him with two daggers. Narcissus drew his sword out to parry her. They went back and forth while Tourmaline unlocked the door and ran inside. On the floor lay Alexandros, apparently dead. She dropped to the floor.
"Please don't be dead. Please don't."
She and the other girls tried everything to wake him up: comb his hair, untied his belt, and checked for open wounds. Nothing worked. Though they promised themselves to never weep since they were warriors, they could not help but cry because this boy had been a sweetheart and helped them out a lot. Outside, the fight went on, but not as fiercely as before. Narcissus was barely able to parry the fierce girl anymore and as a result, was wounded severely. Back inside, Tourmaline was still trying reawaken the prince. She slapped his face and the piece of poisoned apple that was in his throat flew out. The boy opened his eyes and got up. He heard fighting outside and looked. The girl who wore purple, Amethyst, he remembered, was fighting in close combat with his brother. He ran outside after grabbing a sword of his own and tried to stop the fight.
"You're alive?! Impossible!" Narcissus exclaimed.
"Brother, please stop this fight. There's no need to injure anyone."
"It's your fault!"
Amethyst was forced to step out of this battle between brothers. Both fought fiercely and Alexandros could tell that Narcissus was getting tired. He managed to graze his left arm and right side. At that moment, Narcissus fell. Alexandros threw down his sword and dropped to the ground next to his brother's injured body. The younger brother caressed his older brother's body, Narcissus' head on his arm. Narcissus turned his head towards his younger brother's face. Blood was dripping from his mouth to his chin.
"I was so jealous of you. Your looks far surpass mine. You beat me at everything we did. You seemed to glow all the time and the people liked you more."
He coughed blood.
"Now, instead of me killing you, I am the one to die. I wish I could be like you. Unfortunately, I can't and am not able to be like you. I'm sorry. I wish to make it up to you but I-I can't." He closed his eyes.
"No! You can't die! I've always looked up to you! I wanted to be like you! You can't! I refuse to let you!" Alexandros replied, bending his head and crying.
Some tears fell on Narcissus' wounds and they healed immediately. Alexandros felt movement in his arms. Narcissus opened his eyes and saw his little brother crying.
"Alexandros."
Said boy looked up and saw his brother awake, alive and healed. "Brother!"
He hugged his big brother. Narcissus stiffened a little before returning the hug. Alexandros was so happy that his brother was alive. The Huntresses were a little unsettled since the older boy nearly killed his brother and that the younger brother was holding his older brother. The brothers went back to the castle together after Alexandros thanked the girls for taking care of them and said good bye. Coronation Day was coming up and Narcissus was supposed to be crowned king. On that day, most of the Royal Court was there. The brothers were dressed in their best royal attire, each reflecting his element and the seven Huntresses were there as well, well dressed. When it came for the time to crown Narcissus, a king's crown was placed on his head.
"Thank you, everyone. However, I myself do not think I deserve this crown. Rather, someone with better judgement and kinder personality."
Narcissus took off the crown and placed it on his brother's head, who was standing next to him.
"My younger brother, Alexandros. Hail King Alexandros! King of Eternia, Ruler of the Andros Realm!"
Everyone was shocked. The Crown Prince had given his crown and position of king to his younger brother. He seemed to have had a change of heart.
"Long live King Alexandros! King of Eternia, Ruler of the Andros Realm!" they chanted and cheered.
Alexandros just stood there, shocked. Narcissus chuckled at the sight. "You are king, little brother."
There was a reception after the ceremony. Alexandros was now searching for his brother, who was nowhere to be found. He sensed his brother's element on the balcony. He hurried towards there. Sure enough, Prince Narcissus was standing alone on the balcony, seeming to enjoy the night air. Narcissus spoke. "Lovely night, isn't it, little brother? Or should I say Your Majesty?"
"I rather you don't call me that. I prefer Alex or your term of endearment."
"So, Great King, what brings you out here?"
"I could ask you the same question."
"I only wanted to enjoy the fresh air. Besides, nighttime is my time, yours is daylight. Complete opposites, we are." Narcissus replied and took off his ring.
"What are you doing?" Alexandros asked.
"I do not deserve this Ring of Power. So, I'm going to let whoever's power is most compatible with this ring succeed me." Narcissus replied and threw it up in the air. With his power, it disappeared.
"Where did you put it?" Narcissus turned his head towards his younger brother, and grinned.
"Who knows?" Alexandros just gawked at the cheeky response. He, too, took off his ring.
"Now, little brother, what are you doing with yours?" "Same as you."
He threw it up in the air and touched it with his power and disappeared. "Where'd you put yours?"
"In the Sehara Realm. I've sent it to the Queen, Scheherazade. I trust that she has good judgement and will choose the most compatible person to my ring. Mine will be given to the opposite of yours. I hope that the two who receive these rings become friends."
Narcissus only smiled at his brother. "Come on, let's go inside and enjoy ourselves, ne?"
Alexandros looked at his brother and smiled softly.
"Yes, of course."
-END-
I hope you all enjoyed this story! Please review and tell me if I should make a sequel! Constructive criticism is welcome, but no flames! Thanks!