Fiona dragged the brush through her daughter's hair, or tried to at least. She quickly hit another knot, sighing as she grasped the lock of hair and attempted to tackle out the tangle.

"Ow, mom."

The ogress rolled her eyes at the complaint. "It wouldn't hurt if you brushed it every once in a while."

Felicia rolled her own eyes in response. "I don't need to."

Fiona exhaled in quiet non-amusement at the comment. The younger ogress leaned far more into the ogress way of doing things such as tying up her hair when it was in her way and forgetting about it for sometimes days at a time, often resulting in endless complaints about how impossibly tangled it was and threatening to cut it all off. Fiona was often the one who was pro-keeping her hair, though in some moments she couldn't help but admit Felicia had a point.

"Do you use the conditioner?" she asked lightly, knowing the sure answer-

"No."

"That's why." Fiona tried her best to be even as she finally managed to break through the knot, smoothing the section of hair out. "You especially need to use it before we come here."

Fiona got a grumble in response. She raised an eyebrow, glancing at her daughter's reflection in the big mirror they were facing. They were in an ornate dressing room, a giant golden framed mirror was propped up against the wall. Felicia sat in a tall cushioned chair in front of it, there was a small stand beside her with her tiara - waiting for when her hair looked far more princess-like. It was the annual official trip to Far Far Away, the one where they publicly visited. Lillian insisted on having at least one party or ball while they were present. This one happened to be at the beginning of their trip.

"I'm surprised it's never matted up." Fiona screwed up her face again as she came to another seemingly impossible knot.

"Maybe if it does I can chop it all off," her daughter's response was dry.

"Oh no…" Fiona lightened up immediately. She knew any encouragement, even sarcastically, would be something Felicia ran with. "You couldn't-"

"Princess Fiona?"

Fiona turned, brush mid way through a stroke, to look at who spoke her name. She looked blankly at the elderly woman who had entered the room behind them. She wasn't wearing royal clothes, nor servants attire. She hovered in the entryway, watching them.

"It's so good to see you again." The woman smiled benevolently.

For a moment the ogress didn't recognise her. She furrowed her brow a little, staring before it hit her.

"Claris?"

The woman's smile widened.

When Fiona was small she had two nannies that doubled as chambermaids too. There were other maids who would come and clean her room and tend to things when she wasn't around, but only those two had been trusted with her secret. One or the other would be there every single morning to get her up and ready for the day, and every evening to get her ready for bed. That included the times where she needed to be up before sunrise, and on the shorter winter evenings when she transformed long before needing to go to bed. Other people may have questioned why the princess needed a thorough scrubbing each morning, and why her bedsheets smelt so bad. No one else was allowed to stand in, so they wore a lot of hats for all of Fiona's needs around the clock. No one could be totally sure Fiona would keep the curse a complete secret, children weren't that good at hiding things after all.

Stood in the doorway was one of the incredibly few people who had seen her as an ogre when she was a child.

"Wow, I didn't think I would see you again." Fiona let the recognition hit her. "Come in."

Claris was the older of the two nannies, almost as old as Fiona was in the present by the time she went to the tower. She was entrusted because she had been one of Fiona's nannies since she was a baby. After a while in a tower, Fiona slowly stopped thinking so much about reuniting with the staff she left behind. Growing older meant coming to the realisation that without her there, they wouldn't have a job and would have likely moved on to some other princess.

"Yes, you poor dear." Her brow creased in concern as she entered the room, standing next to Felicia's chair. "I thought about you often… how you were doing, what you were doing…"

A smile tugged at Fiona's lips, she wasn't forgotten. It was a realisation she'd had many times for many different people, but it still pleased her as if it were the first. "I missed you for a while. And Lenora."

"Well, I moved away after a time and never seemed to align with your travel schedule. Not until now." She set a smile on her lips. Her gaze was promptly drawn towards the younger ogress who was turned around in her seat, watching the interaction.

"This is my daughter, Felicia," Fiona introduced her.

"Ah yes, I remember all the dolls of the same name. You always said you'd name a daughter Felicia."

"I did. And here she is." Fiona stroked her hair, careful to not get tangled in the birdsnest. "She's beautiful."

"Yes." Claris agreed. "All three of them look just like you. Every time I managed to see a picture I always said so." Her smile widened. "Look at her, she's you. Beautiful."

Fiona's eyes met her own in the mirror, her breath slightly hitching in her throat. She'd learned to accept the empty compliments people had given her over the years. They weren't thrown around so frequently that it bothered her, but enough that she stopped feeling anything about it. Of course, people had called her children beautiful before too, though she guessed not many of them truly meant it. Many others had compared Fiona to her children, especially her daughter, as a general comment on genetics she had always assumed. The two kinds of observation had never really merged, except by her husband, sure, and her mother, of course - never by someone who was unbiased. Her gaze briefly flickered over her face before falling to her daughter's. Felicia was watching her, brow slightly upturned questioningly.

She'd studied her daughter's face many times over the years and always come to the same conclusion that she was beautiful. Her thoughts had never extended any further than that, almost as if a blockade had taken up the space in her mind.

"We have the same face, mom," Felicia commented, breaking the brief lapse in conversation.

They did. Fiona logically knew the kids looked like her. While puberty meant the boys grew into features different to hers, Felicia had stayed on track to receive her mother's face almost exactly. Of course, the reflection she was staring at was far younger; a face Fiona barely remembered being her own. Fiona's perception of herself at that age was warped into something Felicia wouldn't even be able to comprehend. Or at least, Fiona hoped not. It didn't seem the case - her daughter even appeared to like the sight of herself. It was something Fiona had taken as a difference in appearance between them, rather than a difference in attitude. She was clearly wrong; Felicia was running right into the face that Fiona had despised for so long, and yet she didn't despise it this time around, instead, she couldn't get enough of looking at it. Her daughter was indeed beautiful.

Felicia raised an eyebrow, breaking Fiona's trance. The older ogress nodded vaguely.

"They turned sixteen a few months ago," Fiona commented, "I can't believe it."

"Imagine how I feel." The woman was jovial, sweeping the conversation along. "I remember when you were this tall." She held a wrinkled hand out to her waist.

Fiona smiled at her.

"I always imagined I would congratulate you on your children after I heard, but now I've finally tracked you down, you're probably closer to grandchildren."

Eyes landed on Felicia, she made a face, wrinkling her nose.

Claris laughed at her. "Ah, you're not like your mother, hm?" her gaze exaggeratedly fell on Fiona, "She wouldn't stop talking about the future family she would have."

Felicia shook her head, there was never any hesitation to differentiate herself from her mother. Fiona had learned long ago to not take it personally.

"Of course. Enjoy your youth while you have it."

"Oh I intend to."

Claris laughed again, as if Felicia were telling a joke. The old woman took a step backwards, towards the door, turning again to Fiona. "I'm so glad you got what you wanted and needed out of life, dear. And you got your Felicia. I'm giddy that I got to meet the real version of her." She winked at her daughter.

"Nice to meet you too," Felicia smiled her pleasantries.

"Thank you," Fiona said, "Are you staying for the party?"

"My party days are long behind me, but perhaps I shall stay to catch up." Her voice had changed so much compared to how Fiona remembered, and yet, it was almost the same. "I'll leave you to it. You've got your work cut out for you," she gestured to the younger ogress, "I do recall brushing your hair as a child."

The woman left, chuckling at the comparison. Fiona found herself staring at her daughter's hair for a moment, a sense of defensiveness rising within her. Her hair was never that bad-

"What was that?" Felicia raised her eyebrows at her mother, pausing Fiona's contemplation. Fiona met her eye, Felicia was watching her reflection.

Fiona paused to think about what her child meant. "Oh, you know I picked out your name when I was-"

"No," Felicia interrupted her, "not my name. The compliment."

Fiona raised her eyebrows, her brain desperately trying to throw away any memory of what her child was talking about. "Hm?" Fiona hummed at her.

"Mom."

She met her daughter's gaze in the mirror before shrugging and busying herself. "I guess I never considered my features to be beautiful until I saw them on you."

Her forcefully nonchalant words seemed to shock her daughter. Felicia blinked, furrowing her brow. She turned in her chair to face her mother.

"You're beautiful, momma. I've known it my whole life," she spoke quieter than before, that's how Fiona knew she was sincere.

Fiona gave a small practised smile. "So are you," she returned. She instinctively glanced towards the mirror, blinking, before raising her eyebrows and looking away. She leaned down to pick up Felicia's tiara from the table, but was stopped by her daughter grabbing her arm. From her seat, Felicia dragged Fiona so that they were side by side, looking into the mirror.

"We're beautiful," Felicia spoke clearly, a soft smile on her lips.

Fiona looked between them again, the words reluctantly sinking in. They had the same round face shape, with full cheeks, a broad nose, and a small chin. Identical slim lips, though, Fiona's smile was much more tentative.

"Say it." Felicia's expression turned slightly sour by Fiona's silence. Felicia wasn't the type to quietly contemplate, that was a difference they happened to have.

"What?" Amusement tickled at Fiona's lips.

"We're. Beautiful. Say it," she insisted.

"Fine. We're beautiful." Fiona rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

"No." Felicia's grip on her arm tightened. "Say it and mean it."

"Well, how can I mean it… if…" she faltered, letting herself fall into silence. The playful, argumentative energy depleting in an instant. Her opinion of her own appearance hadn't really come up very much, especially not with her children. They didn't need to know, she didn't want them to know.

Felicia shook her head, sighing her exasperation. "Okay, mom." She stood from her seat, kicking the chair away to make space for them to stand together. She pointed towards the mirror. "Look at you." She then shifted her finger slightly. "And then look at me… And then you again. And now my turn. Do it again. Take it in. Don't just flicker your eyes like that… don't. Like… really look."

Fiona smiled bemusedly, looking between them as instructed. "Okay, yeah… I've been looking at you your entire life." She locked eyes with her daughter's reflection. "We're beautiful." She gave in to her daughter's game, letting out a small laugh.

"Mom!" Felicia turned suddenly to look at her.

"What?" Fiona met her tone, looking away from the mirror as well.

Felicia's brow was raised, eyes insistent. "Do you want me to think I'm not beautiful?" There was a playfulness in her tone that indicated she wasn't serious. A smile broke through the cracks for just a moment. "My whole self-esteem is at stake here!"

It prompted another laugh from Fiona. "That's funny," she commented dryly, a twinkle in her own eye. Felicia's self-esteem had worried Fiona much in the opposite way, it was a proud worry she held. Her daughter had come a long way from any insecurities puberty had brought her.

Felicia raised up onto her toes and leaned in to press her forehead against her mother's. "I'm really gonna need you to take me seriously, okay?"

"Well this isn't exactly helping." A grin spread over her face as Felicia aggressively pressed her forehead harder before stepping back.

"Look at me." Felicia's grip was back on her forearms. Fiona struggled to suppress a smirk, she nodded, seriously. "Do you think I'm beautiful?"

"Of course." The humour Fiona briefly held began trailing away. Her daughter was indeed serious amongst the playfulness, and she wasn't going to quit.

"Okay, so pick everything out that you think is beautiful."

Fiona nodded, drinking in the sight of her daughter all over again. Her head was slightly tilted to the side, her side parted hair sitting against her face.

"No… I mean say it. I could use a compliment." Felicia was deadpan.

Snorting her own amusement, Fiona nodded again. "You have beautiful, expressive eyes," Fiona observed. Despite Felicia's face being neutral, the twinkle hadn't faded.

Felicia raised an unimpressed brow.

"I like the way your nose sits on your face - it suits you - and how your lips look when you're quiet." Her words brought a bemused smile upon Felicia's quiet face. "Your cheeks have always bunched up whenever you smile and I love that." Fiona tugged back against Felicia's strong hold on her arm to caress her face. "You have a small chin, like me." She poked at it, in much the same way as when her child was a baby.

"And…"

"And it's nice," Fiona spoke exaggeratedly, mocking impatience.

"It's a good chin," Felicia joked back, nodding at her. "We have a round face." Felicia traced the edges of Fiona's face with her finger. "Lots of great things are round… like cheese and the moon is always prettiest when it's full." She grinned, tracing her own face shape.

Fiona sighed, her defences finally dropping. She watched her daughter's smug beautiful face. "Okay. I get it. You win."

"Right?" Felicia brightened up. She turned back to the mirror, Fiona slowly followed suit. "Now if you think all those things about me, then you think all those things about you."

Fiona realised that her hopes of Felicia not being able to comprehend her appearance woes were true. It was far more complex than Felicia could get a hold of. Not that her daughter had the smoothest journey to self-confidence; Felicia was more resilient, her upbringing and father played a part in that. As Fiona looked between them once again, she couldn't help but let the blockade crumble just a little.

"You're right."

"I am!"

Her daughter's glee made Fiona smile. Her own cheeks moved in the same way as she had just observed in Felicia, her nose scrunched in the same way as her daughter's as they laughed, the light in Fiona's eyes didn't quite match up, but that was okay.

"We're beautiful." The words almost felt numb to the ogress as she spoke them. That was how she knew it was sincere.

"We are!" Felicia pulled her into a hug, squishing their cheeks together. Fiona held her tightly. She watched in the mirror as Felicia closed her eyes, face content, if a little mischievous. There were small moments over the years where Fiona would realise that she had done something right. Of course, there were many moments where she worried she had gone wrong, but if anything it made these moments even sweeter.

Felicia loosened her grip, face falling deadpan once more. She exaggeratedly rolled her eyes. "These humans couldn't tell a stink that comes from their own fart." The younger ogress couldn't contain the giggles that poured out of her as she said it.

"Hey!" Fiona pushed her. "You're a terror, you know that?"

"Thank you." Felicia mockingly curtsied at her mother.

"Now, sit down and let me finish brushing out your terrible matted hair."

"You say terrible like it's a bad word, mother."

. . .

Once upon a time I had a conversation with fauxgre about Fiona accepting that she might like her appearance. My theory was that it would happen super far down the line and be through the lens of her children. I didn't think about it too much again until I saw a tiktok where someone said that their mom told them she didn't consider her features to be pretty until she saw them on her child. And I was like… wait, that's the most Fiona tiktok I've ever seen. So, credit to fauxgre and that one tiktok that I think I've lost. And rawshark for helping me formulate some thoughts and giving it a once over.

I almost made this an update on standalone Beautiful, but it didn't fit the theme and I think it's complete as it is. So here we have BNOW Beautiful.

On the beautiful theme, I want to point everyone to some art on DA, if you haven't seen it already:

deviantart (DOTcom) (SLASH) alethyia (SLASH) art (SLASH) Fiona-3-0-918929210

deviantart (DOTcom) (SLASH) alethyia (SLASH) art (SLASH) Reflections-of-Time-947321739

deviantart (DOTcom) (SLASH) comicninja409 (SLASH) art (SLASH) Mini-Me-895167806

deviantart (DOTcom) (SLASH) fauxgre (SLASH) art (SLASH) Standing-Here-In-All-My-Glory-868518648

Look at that, practically the whole family in one author's note.

Thanks for reading!