Eirwen (Snow White) 3/?
Feb. 13th, 2011 10:56 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: 1592
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
It took Eirwen a few weeks to think of a suitable plan.
Despite what people said about her, Eirwen wasn't a witch. For one thing, she was far too lazy to study, to read about and to practice the art of magick. Yet she made a special effort to search the library for a book on charms. She found a suitable volume and read through it, even making some notes.
Then Eirwen took up another book, one with illustrations of herbs and flowers. She prowled the castle grounds, consulting the book often, and collecting various plant parts. She ground up the leaves, roots, and flowers and left the mixture to dry before putting the resulting powder into a leather pouch.
Finally she went to Mala, demure and contrite.
"Dearest stepmother, I wish to make amends for my behaviour," she lied.
"I forgive you," Mala said.
"May I then ask a boon?"
"Ask away," Mala said.
"Father does not like me to go into the woods near the caves. He says it is too dangerous. But my mother used to visit there, and there it was she found the gem that adorned her wedding ring. I want to go there and find a gemstone of my own."
Mala nodded. "You wish me to intervene with the King."
"No, my lady. He would never agree. But perhaps if you were to send me with a trusted escort, I could go and be back before he even noticed I were gone."
Mala had left behind her staff when she married the King, all but the man who had been her Captain of the Guard, Radek. He had given up his position to be her personal bodyguard. Whenever Mala left the castle, he shadowed her closely. And when she was inside the castle, he hunted in the woods, bringing back pheasant and rabbit for the table. He was the person Mala trusted most in all the world, and Eirwen knew it.
"Radek will take you," Mala said, "but be back before nightfall."
Eirwen let Radek lead them deep into the woods, barely able to keep the smile from her face. Soon Radek would be disgraced and Mala by association with his shame, and the king would be so angry that he might even banish his new wife for allowing Eirwen to be put in harm's way.
"Look, a pheasant," Eirwen shrieked and ran away the second Radek turned to see. She darted off through the trees. She heard Radek cursing as he dismounted and pursued her. Eirwen didn't like getting dirty but she ducked under low hanging branches and climbed over fallen trees, willing to make the necessary sacrifice. Radek was gaining on her and Eirwen scrambled through a line of bushes. Their thorns scratched her beautiful, flawless skin, but she wriggled through and kept going.
Exhausted, Eirwen paused and tore off her dress, which was already badly damaged now. She threw it onto the bush and continued to make her way through the woods, dressed only in her petticoats.
She had a small bag with her, with a cloak, the book of charms, and the leather pouch in it. She drew out the pouch and scattered the powder, muttering the words from the spell book. Then she pulled the cloak around her shoulders, slung the bag back over one shoulder, and continued on. She planned to hide out for a few hours and then return later that night, sobbing that Radek had planned to leave her out here to die.
There was a flaw in her plan though; Eirwen was soon hopelessly lost. All the trees and trails looked alike to her, and she began to feel afraid. Hours passed. She circled around, desperate to find a path she recognised. She'd even have been pleased to see Radek now.
As the sun dipped low over the horizon, Eirwen found herself at the foot of a mountain. She skirted around the base of it, slipping on loose scree, and wishing she'd thought of some other way to disgrace her stepmother.
Not far from the mountain was a clearing, surrounded by well kept trees and a vegetable garden. In the centre of the clearing was a cottage. At last, Eirwen thought in relief, and headed for the dwelling. She would explain to the inhabitants that she was lost and that her father would pay them handsomely for bringing her home.
Eirwen pounded on the door to the cottage but no one answered. In despair, she turned the handle and the door opened. Eirwen entered without hesitation; she was a princess and the notion of trespassing didn't even occur to her. Everything belonged to her, broadly speaking, even cottages with dust on the windowsills and dirty dishes piled in the sink.
The princess explored the small dwelling – what there was of it to explore. The kitchen took up almost half of the cottage, with its large fireplace, stove, sink, shelves and a rough wooden table. The rest of the lower floor consisted of four neatly made beds, each with a wooden chest at the end of it. Between each pair of beds were tiny tables with lanterns on them. There was a ladder up to a loft area which spanned only this latter half of the room; Eirwen gingerly climbed up and peered into the dark space under the thatched roof. Three more beds, with three chests, and two tables, similar to the arrangement below, along with a wardrobe – a plain wooden affair, quite unlike Eirwen's grand armoires with their mother of pearl inlays and handles of silver.
Eirwen wrinkled her nose in distaste as she realised that there was no bathroom inside the cottage. A whole family – seven people, judging by the number of beds – must live here, and yet they didn't even have a bath.
She climbed back down and stood, arms akimbo, wondering what to do next.
The door opened and a surprised male voice asked gruffly, "'Ere, what are you doing? Who are ye?"
Radek searched the woods for hours. He'd found the torn and bloodied dress and had hunted high and low, desperate to find his missing charge. He was a decent woodsman but somehow Eirwen seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no tracks to follow. He suspected magick, and that he had no defence against.
As darkness fell, he returned to the castle. He'd never find her in the dark, especially if the little vixen did not want to be found. Tomorrow would be a different story.
Mala and the king were in the dining room, pacing. Mala looked up as Radek entered.
"Where is Eirwen?" she asked.
Radek hung his head in shame. "My lady, I do not know. She fled from me and I could not find her trail. At first light I will lead a search party and I promise you I will find her."
"You took my daughter from the castle?" the king demanded. "And you have lost her?"
"She fled from me," Radek repeated.
"And maybe you gave her reason to! Maybe she is dead!" The king picked up a carving knife, the closest weapon he had to hand.
Mala stepped forward and threw her arms around Radek, clutching him to her. He was as dear to her as a brother, or a son, and she would not allow her husband to harm him. Maybe it was Mala's determined gaze that quelled the king's anger, or maybe it was that the amulet protected them both as she held Radek close, but either way, the king lowered the weapon.
"Do not judge Radek until we know the truth," Mala said. She led the way to her room and all three stood in front of her mirror.
"Mirror, Mirror, news now give, did Eirwen die or does she live?" Mala asked. It was a slightly more morbid rhyme that she would ideally have chosen, but she was under pressure and it was the best she could do.
"Put your troubled minds to rest, the princess's heart beats within her breast," intoned the mirror. "Of her own accord she ran, to cause distress was Eirwen's plan."
The king sighed with relief and Mala smiled. She touched Radek's arm gently, her faith in him proven true once more.
"Where is she?" asked the king. "Make the mirror tell us where Eirwen is!"
Mala nodded and thought a moment. "Tell us, my beloved glass; where can we find our missing lass?"
The mirror was a silent for some time and finally said, "Deep within the trees and caves, beyond even magick's gaze."
Mala frowned. "Maybe she is too far away; I've only ever scryed within the boundaries of my kingdom. Or perhaps there is other magick shielding her."
The king ordered search parties to be sent out to look for his missing daughter. He promised a handsome reward for anyone bringing her back safely.
"She is fair of face but wretched in nature," Radek told Mala. "I would have given my life to protect her, but if she is gone, there would be many who would not mourn her."
Mala tried to protest that Eirwen was merely a troubled child who had grown up without a mother, but she had heard the rumours and now seen for herself how mercurial and cruel Eirwen could be. Yet her husband adored his child, as was right, and he would be heartbroken if she died. So it was mostly for his sake that Mala hoped the girl would be found safe and sound.
Fandom: Original Fic based on the Snow White fairytale
Rating: PG-13 (at least for now)
Word Count: 1592
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
It took Eirwen a few weeks to think of a suitable plan.
Despite what people said about her, Eirwen wasn't a witch. For one thing, she was far too lazy to study, to read about and to practice the art of magick. Yet she made a special effort to search the library for a book on charms. She found a suitable volume and read through it, even making some notes.
Then Eirwen took up another book, one with illustrations of herbs and flowers. She prowled the castle grounds, consulting the book often, and collecting various plant parts. She ground up the leaves, roots, and flowers and left the mixture to dry before putting the resulting powder into a leather pouch.
Finally she went to Mala, demure and contrite.
"Dearest stepmother, I wish to make amends for my behaviour," she lied.
"I forgive you," Mala said.
"May I then ask a boon?"
"Ask away," Mala said.
"Father does not like me to go into the woods near the caves. He says it is too dangerous. But my mother used to visit there, and there it was she found the gem that adorned her wedding ring. I want to go there and find a gemstone of my own."
Mala nodded. "You wish me to intervene with the King."
"No, my lady. He would never agree. But perhaps if you were to send me with a trusted escort, I could go and be back before he even noticed I were gone."
Mala had left behind her staff when she married the King, all but the man who had been her Captain of the Guard, Radek. He had given up his position to be her personal bodyguard. Whenever Mala left the castle, he shadowed her closely. And when she was inside the castle, he hunted in the woods, bringing back pheasant and rabbit for the table. He was the person Mala trusted most in all the world, and Eirwen knew it.
"Radek will take you," Mala said, "but be back before nightfall."
Eirwen let Radek lead them deep into the woods, barely able to keep the smile from her face. Soon Radek would be disgraced and Mala by association with his shame, and the king would be so angry that he might even banish his new wife for allowing Eirwen to be put in harm's way.
"Look, a pheasant," Eirwen shrieked and ran away the second Radek turned to see. She darted off through the trees. She heard Radek cursing as he dismounted and pursued her. Eirwen didn't like getting dirty but she ducked under low hanging branches and climbed over fallen trees, willing to make the necessary sacrifice. Radek was gaining on her and Eirwen scrambled through a line of bushes. Their thorns scratched her beautiful, flawless skin, but she wriggled through and kept going.
Exhausted, Eirwen paused and tore off her dress, which was already badly damaged now. She threw it onto the bush and continued to make her way through the woods, dressed only in her petticoats.
She had a small bag with her, with a cloak, the book of charms, and the leather pouch in it. She drew out the pouch and scattered the powder, muttering the words from the spell book. Then she pulled the cloak around her shoulders, slung the bag back over one shoulder, and continued on. She planned to hide out for a few hours and then return later that night, sobbing that Radek had planned to leave her out here to die.
There was a flaw in her plan though; Eirwen was soon hopelessly lost. All the trees and trails looked alike to her, and she began to feel afraid. Hours passed. She circled around, desperate to find a path she recognised. She'd even have been pleased to see Radek now.
As the sun dipped low over the horizon, Eirwen found herself at the foot of a mountain. She skirted around the base of it, slipping on loose scree, and wishing she'd thought of some other way to disgrace her stepmother.
Not far from the mountain was a clearing, surrounded by well kept trees and a vegetable garden. In the centre of the clearing was a cottage. At last, Eirwen thought in relief, and headed for the dwelling. She would explain to the inhabitants that she was lost and that her father would pay them handsomely for bringing her home.
Eirwen pounded on the door to the cottage but no one answered. In despair, she turned the handle and the door opened. Eirwen entered without hesitation; she was a princess and the notion of trespassing didn't even occur to her. Everything belonged to her, broadly speaking, even cottages with dust on the windowsills and dirty dishes piled in the sink.
The princess explored the small dwelling – what there was of it to explore. The kitchen took up almost half of the cottage, with its large fireplace, stove, sink, shelves and a rough wooden table. The rest of the lower floor consisted of four neatly made beds, each with a wooden chest at the end of it. Between each pair of beds were tiny tables with lanterns on them. There was a ladder up to a loft area which spanned only this latter half of the room; Eirwen gingerly climbed up and peered into the dark space under the thatched roof. Three more beds, with three chests, and two tables, similar to the arrangement below, along with a wardrobe – a plain wooden affair, quite unlike Eirwen's grand armoires with their mother of pearl inlays and handles of silver.
Eirwen wrinkled her nose in distaste as she realised that there was no bathroom inside the cottage. A whole family – seven people, judging by the number of beds – must live here, and yet they didn't even have a bath.
She climbed back down and stood, arms akimbo, wondering what to do next.
The door opened and a surprised male voice asked gruffly, "'Ere, what are you doing? Who are ye?"
Radek searched the woods for hours. He'd found the torn and bloodied dress and had hunted high and low, desperate to find his missing charge. He was a decent woodsman but somehow Eirwen seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no tracks to follow. He suspected magick, and that he had no defence against.
As darkness fell, he returned to the castle. He'd never find her in the dark, especially if the little vixen did not want to be found. Tomorrow would be a different story.
Mala and the king were in the dining room, pacing. Mala looked up as Radek entered.
"Where is Eirwen?" she asked.
Radek hung his head in shame. "My lady, I do not know. She fled from me and I could not find her trail. At first light I will lead a search party and I promise you I will find her."
"You took my daughter from the castle?" the king demanded. "And you have lost her?"
"She fled from me," Radek repeated.
"And maybe you gave her reason to! Maybe she is dead!" The king picked up a carving knife, the closest weapon he had to hand.
Mala stepped forward and threw her arms around Radek, clutching him to her. He was as dear to her as a brother, or a son, and she would not allow her husband to harm him. Maybe it was Mala's determined gaze that quelled the king's anger, or maybe it was that the amulet protected them both as she held Radek close, but either way, the king lowered the weapon.
"Do not judge Radek until we know the truth," Mala said. She led the way to her room and all three stood in front of her mirror.
"Mirror, Mirror, news now give, did Eirwen die or does she live?" Mala asked. It was a slightly more morbid rhyme that she would ideally have chosen, but she was under pressure and it was the best she could do.
"Put your troubled minds to rest, the princess's heart beats within her breast," intoned the mirror. "Of her own accord she ran, to cause distress was Eirwen's plan."
The king sighed with relief and Mala smiled. She touched Radek's arm gently, her faith in him proven true once more.
"Where is she?" asked the king. "Make the mirror tell us where Eirwen is!"
Mala nodded and thought a moment. "Tell us, my beloved glass; where can we find our missing lass?"
The mirror was a silent for some time and finally said, "Deep within the trees and caves, beyond even magick's gaze."
Mala frowned. "Maybe she is too far away; I've only ever scryed within the boundaries of my kingdom. Or perhaps there is other magick shielding her."
The king ordered search parties to be sent out to look for his missing daughter. He promised a handsome reward for anyone bringing her back safely.
"She is fair of face but wretched in nature," Radek told Mala. "I would have given my life to protect her, but if she is gone, there would be many who would not mourn her."
Mala tried to protest that Eirwen was merely a troubled child who had grown up without a mother, but she had heard the rumours and now seen for herself how mercurial and cruel Eirwen could be. Yet her husband adored his child, as was right, and he would be heartbroken if she died. So it was mostly for his sake that Mala hoped the girl would be found safe and sound.
no subject
Date: 2011-02-14 03:28 am (UTC)Eirwen deserves to have to deal with brambles and a tiny house--although I have to say, I agree with her about no bathroom ;(
no subject
Date: 2011-02-14 05:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-30 11:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-31 09:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-07-28 12:54 pm (UTC)Poor Ralek and Mala, though,tricked by that kid! Hopefully, the King believed the mirror!
no subject
Date: 2017-07-28 07:06 pm (UTC)Hopefully yes; as the author, I say he did :)