Eirwen (Snow White) 2/?
Feb. 2nd, 2011 07:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meridian_roseTitle: Eirwen (Snow White)
Fandom: Original Fic based on the Snow White fairytale
Rating: PG-13 (at least for now)
Word Count: 1089
Summary: Everyone knows the story of Snow White - but maybe they're wrong. Snow White wasn't the innocent victim but the villain of the piece.
Notes: I never usually post works in progress, because of my poor track record in finishing fic, especially multi-chaptered fic. But this is something I'm writing to kickstart my muse - an odd idea, perhaps, but hopefully an interesting one - and part of the 'deal' is that I post as I go along. Concrit and discussion welcomed.
Eirwen is Welsh for Snow White.
part one part two part three part four part five
When Eirwen was fifteen, the King went away to visit his cousin. For a month Eirwen ruled the Kingdom in his stead and a terrible month it was. There were more executions than the realm had seen in the past two years. Store keepers were bullied into giving the princess more than her due, often handing over large amounts of their wares for free. Feasts were held every other night, but only for Eirwen and her closest friends – that is, those people who could stand her as much as she could stand them. Each feast left a mountain of wasted food that Eirwen refused to hand out to the poor.
When anyone dared criticise or question her, she found a reason to have them arrested or worse. The Chancellor dropped dead most unfortunately. And the cleric who begged her not to evict a family during a terrible storm disappeared on his way home.
No one dared to stand against her. No one dared to risk her wrath, nor her father's if something were to happen to her while he was away. No one dared say "witch". But everyone was thinking it. Still, while magick was not outlawed, it wasn't much practised in this realm, so there was no one in the kingdom with enough magick of their own to risk challenging Eirwen.
The King returned, to great rejoicing. This was not only at his return, though the people were grateful for it. He was, aside from his wilful ignorance in seeing the truth about Eirwen, a decent king. And if he was too districted to pay attention to the chaos she'd caused in his absence, well, who could blame him? For he had returned with a bride.
Her name was Mala. She was pale, yet with rosy cheeks, and she had long blonde hair and eyes like sapphires. She was maybe not as beautiful as Eirwen, but when she smiled, people saw the sincerity behind it and loved her at once. All, of course, except Eirwen.
"She must be a witch, to have so enchanted my father," Eirwen protested to one of the remaining council members.
"Yes," he agreed. "She is the daughter of a powerful sorceress, though her own magic is somewhat limited. But the necklace she wears is an amulet of protection and the mirror in her luggage is magical."
Eirwen gnashed her teeth at the mention of the amulet. She would not so easily be rid of this usurper who might bear her father a son who would then replace her in his father's heart and the kingdom's line of succession. The kingdom should be Eirwen's, and none must stand in her way.
Mala met with Eirwen in the chambers given to the new queen. "Darling Eirwen," she said and curtsied. "Your father has spoken well of you. Please understand I am not intending to replace your mother, nor to take your inheritance. I have my own wealth and in my lands the custom is for the oldest child to take the throne, be the child male or female. I would have your father honour my customs and ensure that upon his death or abdication that you take the throne."
This might have endeared Mala to anyone else, but not to Eirwen. Beneath her snow white skin was a heart of ice. She seethed at the sight of the amulet, knowing instinctively how powerful the jewel was. Eirwen would not be able to hurt Mala so easily as she had others.
A sensible person might wonder what threat Mala posed. She wanted nothing from Eirwen but respect and, perhaps in time, love. Yet Eirwen saw Mala as a threat and one that had to be eliminated somehow.
"Father," Eirwen pouted, "Mala was mean to me. She said hurtful things about my mother."
The king was angry but the moment he laid eyes upon Mala, the protective amulet quelled his rage. "What did you say to Eirwen to upset her so?" he asked.
"I cannot imagine," Mala said in astonishment. "I told her of our customs and how I wished for her to take the throne when it is time. Maybe I frightened her with talk of the future and such responsibilities."
So the king was reassured and insisted Mala try to bond with Eirwen. Eirwen hid her own anger behind her cold eyes and Mala hid her fear behind a most unusually insincere smile.
Eirwen burst into Mala's chambers later that day without knocking. Mala chose to ignore this slight. She was stood in front of her mirror, brushing her hair.
"Hello, Eirwen."
"Is this the magic mirror everyone talks about?" Eirwen demanded, flinging herself onto the bed.
"Yes." Mala ran her fingertips over the gilt edges of the frame. "It belonged to my great grandmother."
"What is so magical about it?" Eirwen asked.
Mala put aside her brush and moistened her lips. She stared directly into the glass, meeting her own gaze and said, "Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who shall next here come to call?"
"The King, your husband, shall be by, to see if sparks or fur doth fly," intoned the mirror.
And lo and behold, there was a knock at the door, and the King peered around to see how his two beloved ladies were getting along. When he was satisfied he left and Eirwen jumped to her feet.
"Make it say something else," she said.
"What would you like to know?" Mala asked.
Eirwen smiled wickedly. She was far more beautiful than Mala, both prettier and younger and altogether more desirable, and to have the mirror proclaim this would surely upset her stepmother!
"Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" Eirwen demanded.
"Mala, Queen, who standeth here, is the fairest in your kingdom dear."
Eirwen's eyes flashed in anger and she stamped one foot. "Your mirror lies," she hissed. "It only says what you want it to say!"
"Nay," the mirror retorted, even though Eriwen hadn't bothered to rhyme, as was the custom when dealing with magical objects. "It is the truth and not a lie, for beauty is not only in the eye. What's in one's heart and how they care, is what makes a person truly fair."
Eirwen clenched her hands into fists, and stormed out of the room. She thought about breaking the wretched mirror for such insolence but knew that a magical object of such power would not so easily be damaged. Still, she would take revenge upon Mala for this insult.
Fandom: Original Fic based on the Snow White fairytale
Rating: PG-13 (at least for now)
Word Count: 1089
Summary: Everyone knows the story of Snow White - but maybe they're wrong. Snow White wasn't the innocent victim but the villain of the piece.
Notes: I never usually post works in progress, because of my poor track record in finishing fic, especially multi-chaptered fic. But this is something I'm writing to kickstart my muse - an odd idea, perhaps, but hopefully an interesting one - and part of the 'deal' is that I post as I go along. Concrit and discussion welcomed.
Eirwen is Welsh for Snow White.
part one part two part three part four part five
When Eirwen was fifteen, the King went away to visit his cousin. For a month Eirwen ruled the Kingdom in his stead and a terrible month it was. There were more executions than the realm had seen in the past two years. Store keepers were bullied into giving the princess more than her due, often handing over large amounts of their wares for free. Feasts were held every other night, but only for Eirwen and her closest friends – that is, those people who could stand her as much as she could stand them. Each feast left a mountain of wasted food that Eirwen refused to hand out to the poor.
When anyone dared criticise or question her, she found a reason to have them arrested or worse. The Chancellor dropped dead most unfortunately. And the cleric who begged her not to evict a family during a terrible storm disappeared on his way home.
No one dared to stand against her. No one dared to risk her wrath, nor her father's if something were to happen to her while he was away. No one dared say "witch". But everyone was thinking it. Still, while magick was not outlawed, it wasn't much practised in this realm, so there was no one in the kingdom with enough magick of their own to risk challenging Eirwen.
The King returned, to great rejoicing. This was not only at his return, though the people were grateful for it. He was, aside from his wilful ignorance in seeing the truth about Eirwen, a decent king. And if he was too districted to pay attention to the chaos she'd caused in his absence, well, who could blame him? For he had returned with a bride.
Her name was Mala. She was pale, yet with rosy cheeks, and she had long blonde hair and eyes like sapphires. She was maybe not as beautiful as Eirwen, but when she smiled, people saw the sincerity behind it and loved her at once. All, of course, except Eirwen.
"She must be a witch, to have so enchanted my father," Eirwen protested to one of the remaining council members.
"Yes," he agreed. "She is the daughter of a powerful sorceress, though her own magic is somewhat limited. But the necklace she wears is an amulet of protection and the mirror in her luggage is magical."
Eirwen gnashed her teeth at the mention of the amulet. She would not so easily be rid of this usurper who might bear her father a son who would then replace her in his father's heart and the kingdom's line of succession. The kingdom should be Eirwen's, and none must stand in her way.
Mala met with Eirwen in the chambers given to the new queen. "Darling Eirwen," she said and curtsied. "Your father has spoken well of you. Please understand I am not intending to replace your mother, nor to take your inheritance. I have my own wealth and in my lands the custom is for the oldest child to take the throne, be the child male or female. I would have your father honour my customs and ensure that upon his death or abdication that you take the throne."
This might have endeared Mala to anyone else, but not to Eirwen. Beneath her snow white skin was a heart of ice. She seethed at the sight of the amulet, knowing instinctively how powerful the jewel was. Eirwen would not be able to hurt Mala so easily as she had others.
A sensible person might wonder what threat Mala posed. She wanted nothing from Eirwen but respect and, perhaps in time, love. Yet Eirwen saw Mala as a threat and one that had to be eliminated somehow.
"Father," Eirwen pouted, "Mala was mean to me. She said hurtful things about my mother."
The king was angry but the moment he laid eyes upon Mala, the protective amulet quelled his rage. "What did you say to Eirwen to upset her so?" he asked.
"I cannot imagine," Mala said in astonishment. "I told her of our customs and how I wished for her to take the throne when it is time. Maybe I frightened her with talk of the future and such responsibilities."
So the king was reassured and insisted Mala try to bond with Eirwen. Eirwen hid her own anger behind her cold eyes and Mala hid her fear behind a most unusually insincere smile.
Eirwen burst into Mala's chambers later that day without knocking. Mala chose to ignore this slight. She was stood in front of her mirror, brushing her hair.
"Hello, Eirwen."
"Is this the magic mirror everyone talks about?" Eirwen demanded, flinging herself onto the bed.
"Yes." Mala ran her fingertips over the gilt edges of the frame. "It belonged to my great grandmother."
"What is so magical about it?" Eirwen asked.
Mala put aside her brush and moistened her lips. She stared directly into the glass, meeting her own gaze and said, "Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who shall next here come to call?"
"The King, your husband, shall be by, to see if sparks or fur doth fly," intoned the mirror.
And lo and behold, there was a knock at the door, and the King peered around to see how his two beloved ladies were getting along. When he was satisfied he left and Eirwen jumped to her feet.
"Make it say something else," she said.
"What would you like to know?" Mala asked.
Eirwen smiled wickedly. She was far more beautiful than Mala, both prettier and younger and altogether more desirable, and to have the mirror proclaim this would surely upset her stepmother!
"Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" Eirwen demanded.
"Mala, Queen, who standeth here, is the fairest in your kingdom dear."
Eirwen's eyes flashed in anger and she stamped one foot. "Your mirror lies," she hissed. "It only says what you want it to say!"
"Nay," the mirror retorted, even though Eriwen hadn't bothered to rhyme, as was the custom when dealing with magical objects. "It is the truth and not a lie, for beauty is not only in the eye. What's in one's heart and how they care, is what makes a person truly fair."
Eirwen clenched her hands into fists, and stormed out of the room. She thought about breaking the wretched mirror for such insolence but knew that a magical object of such power would not so easily be damaged. Still, she would take revenge upon Mala for this insult.
no subject
Date: 2011-02-02 09:57 pm (UTC)"It is the truth and not a lie, for beauty is not only in the eye. What's in one's heart and how they care, is what makes a person truly fair." Yes! This is excellent. (I always wondered how the mirror decided who was fair and who wasn't, considering that those comparisons are really a matter of opinion.)
I feel sorry for Eirwen's eventual Prince ;)
no subject
Date: 2011-02-03 05:37 pm (UTC)It's a new experience writing like this, committing to the story and moving on, so I'm really appreciative of the support and suggestions and questions that make me think!
no subject
Date: 2011-02-03 10:39 pm (UTC)It's a new experience writing like this, committing to the story and moving on I've done that sometimes, and I'm always terrified I won't be able to finish--I think it's great you're doing this :D
no subject
Date: 2011-03-30 11:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-31 09:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-07-28 12:39 pm (UTC)Mala is so sweet and kind and resilient!
And the magic mirror who needs rhyming! I saw it in the Fables games, and I love that particularity!
no subject
Date: 2017-07-28 07:04 pm (UTC)Magic in rhyme makes sense; to enchant is to "sing", ie chant, over something :)