I own nothing.
I present: The 7 Ravens
Ships: Prucan
Fem Canada-Madeleine
Australia-Kyle
New Zealand-William
Sealand-Peter
Hong Kong-Leon
India-Rajesh
Male Seychelles- Jean Paul
It was a day for mourning. Queen Alice was dead leaving behind a grieving husband and eight children to long for their mother. It rained as the Queen was carried to the crypt where her body would lay until her husband would join her. Speaking of which, King Francis was lost in deep mourning for if he was not a father to eight young children, he would have joined his wife in death.
While most of the attendees of the funeral were in deep sorrow, one was not. Olivia the witch put on a sad face yes, but inside she gloated at her poison's handy work. She had been planning this for a long time. Now to make her move.
She used her magic to make her features seem like that of the late queen only to King Francis. With time and a deceived heart, King Francis made Olivia the Queen.
"Now children, I know she is not your mother, but perhaps she will come to be like a mother to you." He tried to assure his children.
"I sincerely hope to become a mother to you all. I wish that we are a great big family." She smiled but it sent icy shivers down the children's spines.
It was not long before the children began to feel unsafe. Jean Paul would turn around and there Olivia would be sharpening a knife. Young Eli would wake to find her watching him from the shadows holding a rope. Madeleine hated how those green eyes looked dead all the time. Alfred swore up and down the hall that she dyed her hair in the blood of her sacrifices.
It unnerved Francis how his new wife would look at his children. Like they were pawns. He then took them to a cottage in the middle of the forest that could only be found by using a magic ball of yarn. He left them with the promise that they would be safe from any harm yet promises were made to be broken.
Olivia found the ball of yarn and saw it for what is was. She replaced it with an ordinary ball of yarn and stole the magic yarn and went to the forest with eight black shirts.
She opened the cottage door and waited. When the children came back, it was just the boys.
"Olivia. What are you doing here?" Alfred stood in front of his brothers protectively.
"Your father was concerned for you during the winter and I thought that I would make you shirts. However close I may guess your sizes, it would be nice if you could try them on for size." she held out the black shirts.
As each Prince took a shirt, she asked about the sister. "And where is darling Madeleine?"
"She's not here." Jean Paul said.
"She will not be back until nightfall." Rajesh explained.
'Perfect. I shall deal with her later.' Olivia grinned a poisonous grin.
"Dog shall bark and the bee shall sting. Black the raven as night wind sings." Olivia muttered and raised her hands towards the Princes.
"What are you doing?" Leon cried.
"Dog shall bark and the bee shall sting. Black the raven as night wind sings." Olivia repeated, voice rising and wind howling.
"What the f-ahhch" Kyle doubled over and instead of a mouth, he had a beak.
"Dog shall bark and the bee shall sting. Black the raven as night wind sings." This time she crackled and screamed it to the four winds.
All of the Princes were now ravens flying around the cottage in a panic. Olivia laughed with glee but stopped short when she saw the accusing eyes of the Princess. Olivia raised her hands to curse the wench but Madeleine fled deeper into the forest and only stopped when the moon was full and her lungs were gasping for breath.
She collapsed and sobbed for her dead mother and her cursed brothers. She was about to give into her exhaustion, she heard the voices of her brothers. She looked around trying to find them in the dark but only saw seven ravens in the trees.
"Dear sister, only you can break this curse!" William cawed.
"How can I free you from this, my brothers?" Madeleine whispered.
"You must be silent for seven years," Alfred croaked.
"Seven months," Kyle cawed.
"Seven weeks," rattled William.
"Seven days," Rajesh cawed.
"Seven hours," Jean Paul rattled.
"Seven minutes," Leon croaked.
"And seven seconds." Peter chirped.
"Then I shall not speak." Madeleine put her finger to her lips and the countdown began at midnight.
Prince Gilbert was tracking a white bear that he had seen for the past few months on the edge of his Kingdom. If he were to find that bear then he could rest knowing that it would not attack his people. He heard a branch snap and he drew his bow. He slowly advanced in the direction of a stream and he hid behind a tall, thick oak.
Gilbert took a deep breath to steady his nerves and heart. He jumped out and drew his bow and almost shot the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.
Her eyes were violets. Her curls liquid gold. She looked so fine in red. That bear snarling at him was white.
Oh shi-
The nymph ran in between him and the bear and the bear backed off.
"So the bear listens to you?" Gilbert asked, heart beating rapidly in his chest.
The wood nymph glanced at the bear and then to him. She nodded.
"Can you speak?" Gilbert took one step closer.
The bear growled.
Gilbert took one step back.
She shook her head. So the pretty nymph was mute? Poor lady.
"May I have the honor of knowing your name?" Gilbert asked while keeping a wary eye on that bear.
Her eyes softened and grew sad.
Unseen by Gilbert, seven ravens noticed their sister's sadness and decided to help her.
"Her name is Madeleine." Was the call.
The birds swooped down and dived to unbalance the two until the white bear had enough and used his head to nudge Madeleine towards Gilbert but she lost her balance and Gilbert caught her but he too fell with the sweet wood nymph on top of him, in a position that a good friend of his would have a major nosebleed.
"Ummm, I did not plan that…" Gilbert tried to sound awesome.
Madeleine sat up and glared at the birds and the bear. She got off Gilbert and helped him up. It was then that he realized how late it was.
"Danke. May I see you tomorrow?" He asked hopefully.
She glanced at the ravens, who seemed to glare at Gilbert, and back to him. She kissed his cheek and smiled sweetly.
Oh boy did Gilbert fall in love fast.
…
It was late in the seasons when Gilbert asked Madeleine to marry him. He got used to her muteness and found himself only talking when he announced his arrival and during their goodbyes, with the occasional "Birdie" of course.
It was cold that morning and Madeleine was wearing the red cloak that he gave her. He got on one knee and asked, "Birdie, will you marry me and be my awesome Prinzessin?"
Madeleine cried and hugged him tightly. It snowed and Gilbert thought that Madeleine looked like a fairy with snow in her hair.
Gilbert picked her up and spun her laughing while his fiance smiled brightly. The ravens and the polar bear gave Gilbert a threatening glace.
Don't you dare hurt her!
Gilbert swore that he would never hurt Madeleine; both to the animals and to himself, and he always kept his promises.
He carried Madeleine to his horse and they rode to his Kingdom. He held her close to keep her warm as they rode and he told her stories about his mother.
Madeleine smiled and listened. Of the family members that Gilbert told her about, his mother was a mystery. He told her how his brother Ludwig had had their mother's blue eyes. How her name was Louise, how kind and giving she was to the less fortunate, how soft her hair was. Gilbert told Madeleine all of it. Gilbert choked up when he described how she died of an unknown illness and Madeleine's eyes welled up with tears at the memory of her own mother.
When they arrived at the castle, greeting them was King Adalwolf, Prince Ludwig and his fiancee Princess Felicity of Italia, and Olivia.
Olivia stared at Madeleine in shock. How had she survived? Why didn't she die? Why is she here? Were just some of the few questions that swam in her sick mind.
Madeleine watched Olivia in fear. This was the witch who cursed her brothers. The reason she was silent and could not testify against her.
Gilbert felt his love shaking and he thought it was cold. He pulled his sweetheart closer and introduced Madeleine to his father, brother, future sister, and stepmother. All the while Madeleine and Olivia stared the other down.
...
The wedding was quick as Gilbert wished to be married to his "Birdie" as quickly as possible and it was not long before Madeleine was pregnant with their first child.
It was a warm Summer day when Madeleine gave birth to a strong little boy. He had his father's chin and his mother's eyes. Gilbert named him Frederick and Madeleine gave him a tired smile of approval.
That night while the new parents slept, disaster struck.
When morning came, all that was left in the child's crib were ashes.
Madeleine went into a deep depression and Gilbert's mood was no longer as carefree as before. In fact, Felicity mentioned to her fiance that he seemed to age three years.
Olivia didn't care. She was wrapping bandages on her arms.
Two years later, Madeleine learned that she was pregnant again and both she and Gilbert found happiness again.
When the baby was born, a healthy baby boy, Gilbert and Madeleine cried tears of joy and Gilbert named him Vash with a smiling Madeleine nodding her approval. He had his mother's hair and Gilbert couldn't be any happier. The entire Kingdom rejoiced in the birth of a second child; all except one.
Olivia was livid.
She waited until the dead of night before she slinked into the room where Prince Gilbert and Princess Madeleine slept with their newborn.
For a split second, Olivia was jealous.
Gilbert slept with his arms around his wife with his goofy smile on his face while another arm was protectively over Vash. Madeleine slept comfortably in her husbands arms with her second son sleeping between the two of them. Baby Vash cooed in his sleep and yawned and Olivia watched as the mother and father pulled their baby close.
Then Olivia got over her jealousy and used that as fuel for her hatred of Madeleine.
The next morning, everyone in the castle woke to Madeleine's screams of anguish. Madeleine cried as her husband held her close and rocked her as Gilbert stared in shock at the creepy clown doll in their bed.
Olivia accused Madeleine mercilessly of being a witch and no one seemed to care that the queen was covered in scratches.
What finally broke the camel's back occurred after the birth of Gilbert and Madeleine's third child; a daughter named Lilli. She too had her mother's hair and her father's smile. Gilbert was determined to prove to everyone that his wife was not a witch.
He stayed up and watched his wife as she slept. Madeleine's golden hair glowed in the candlelight, and her face relaxed as she slept. The years they've been married had not been easy-her silence, the lost of their two boys-and as Gilbert gazed at his wife, he could not find anything that showed that she was a witch. After all, she was just as devastated as he at the loss of their sons. Gilbert watched as his wife grieved over the loss of Fritz and Vash, he couldn't bear the thought losing his little girl as well.
As Gilbert watched Madeleine softly breathe, the candle flickered and the room went dark. The last thing Gilbert remembered was dark.
"OFff!" Gilbert woke to being punched in the gut. "Who do I stab?"
Madeleine shook his shoulders. She looked hysterical and tears streamed down her cheeks.
"No. Not again!" He whispered.
Gilbert looked down at the covers and saw bones of small animals littered the bed.
Guards threw open the door and walked to the bed. Gilbert pulled his wife close and held her tightly in his arms as the guards forcefully gripped Madeleine's arms and dragged her out of the room. Kumajiro growled as he saw his human being taken away.
"RELEASE HER AT ONCE!" Gilbert roared at the guards.
They didn't listen.
"Really Gilbert, you shouldn't concern yourself with her anymore. She will die a witch's death." Olivia cooed.
Gilbert had his hand around her throat in less than a second.
"Do not talk about my Birdie like she is less than you!" Gilbert vowed to save his wife no matter the cost.
As Gilbert stormed after the guards dragging his wife to the dungeons, Olivia raised a scratched and bloody hand to rub her throat.
Gilbert was denied entrance to the dungeon cell that held Madeleine.
"You are not to be consulting with the witch by order of Queen Olivia."
"Fick die Königin! Now tomorrow, Madeleine, my wife, is going to be executed. Will you allow a grieving man to kiss his wife goodbye?" Gilbert begged.
The guard was silent and then dropped the key at Prince Gilbert's feet.
"I did not give you the key. You simply found it on the ground and used it to see your wife." The guard stepped aside and allowed Gilbert to pass.
"Madeleine!" Gilbert whisper-yelled to the princess of his heart.
Madeleine was still in her nightgown and her hair was a mess of golden curls. Her eyes were red from crying and Gilbert's heart broke from seeing her like this.
Gilbert unlocked her cell and flew to her side. Madeleine wrapped her arms around Gilbert and cried into his neck. Gilbert kissed her forehead and picked her up and carried her in his arms out of the cell.
"I'm getting you out of here. We'll run away and live in the woods and be happy again." Gilbert promised.
Madeleine looked at him with an expression that said it all; how could they be happy? Their children were...were...
"I would do anything to see your eyes smile again, Birdie." Gilbert kissed her cheek.
"Well isn't this touching; a witch with a prince under her spell." Olivia sneered. "Seize him."
Guards forcibly snatched Madeleine away from her husband's arms. Gilbert tried to reach her outstretched hand but he saw only darkness.
…
The next day at noon, a large pyre was set up in the courtyard and Madeleine was tied to the stake. Though the guards handled her roughly and without the care that Gilbert had, she did not speak. Guards mocked her and courtiers sneered at the "witch."
When it came time for her to burn, Olivia carried the torch and set the pyre on fire.
Now if the reader remembers, Madeleine had to be silent to free her brothers from Olivia's curse. By an act of God, or a string of fate, it was at that moment that the seven years, seven months, seven weeks, seven days, seven hours, seven minutes, and seven seconds was ended and the curse was lifted on the raven brothers.
Ravens flew down from the trees and turned into handsome young men. Alfred punched the nearest guard and stole his sword. Jean Paul and Rajesh pulled some hunting knifes out of their boots and jumped on the burning pyre to their sister. Kyle tackled another guard and helped Alfred keep the others at bay. Jean Paul and Rajesh pulled their little sister from the flames and lowered her to William who caught her and hugged her tight. Madeleine looked around the chaos and saw two of her brothers were missing.
The remaining court that didn't run at the sight of birds turning to men, fled at the sight of a teenage boy and an eight year old riding a polar bear sent them running to the hills.
Once thee last brother transformed back into a human, Olivia burst into flames and died.
Madeleine cried and hugged each of her brothers.
"Birdie, who are these men?" Gilbert asked.
"They're my brothers." Madeleine cried joyfully.
Gilbert's mouth dropped in shock. Madeleine can speak!
"And just so you know, we are the best uncles in the world!" Leon cooed at the little bundle in his arms.
"Is that?" Gilbert asked fearing the answer.
"That's little Lilli!" Peter said excitedly.
Madeleine held her baby and Gilbert picked up Vash and Fritz. Madeleine's family was reunited and they lived happily ever after.
Request are appreciated.
Next: Coat of many furs-Aushun