Fic: Eirwen (Snow White) chapter five/?
Sep. 19th, 2012 12:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meridian_roseTitle: Eirwen (Snow White)
Fandom: loosely based on the Snow White fairytale
Rating: PG-13 (at least for now)
Word Count: 1125
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.
part one part two part three part four part five
Chapter Five
Breakfast was a meagre affair. Eirwen found herself pining for the platters of fruit, warm bread rolls, boiled eggs, and honey-laced porridge that graced the palace's dining table.
"I'll take you to the market today," Cedric said, "and then it's my turn to clean the house. Once I've shown you how, you can take over the housekeeping for us."
Eirwen frowned. Did this man expect her to work?
"You can hardly come down the mine," Don laughed. "Princess like yourself can probably not even lift the pickaxe."
Six of the men departed for the mine after breakfast. Cedric cleared away the plates and Eirwen reluctantly helped with the washing and drying.
"I'd usually do the beds today, and then dash off to the market and then to the mine to get a few hours in before dark," Cedric prattled on. "But since you're here now, I'll just show you where the clean sheets are. And this basket, here, you can put the dirty sheets and clothes in it, and take it to the river – I'll show you on the way to the market."
Eirwen followed in stony silence as Cedric gave her instructions. She followed him out of the cottage and out through the forest, down winding paths that she would never be able to navigate for herself, though he clearly knew the way.
At the edge of the market town, Cedric paused. "You should put your hood up," he said. "In case anyone recognises you."
Eirwen did as he said, though she thought if she did see a noble she knew, she'd fling herself on their mercy.
Meanwhile, in the nearby kingdom of Rymnos, a prince named Jeran was delighted with a fortunate turn of events.
He was heir to the throne, but could not become king until he took a wife. He was handsome, as his parents had been before they died, and his bearing was regal.
There were many who hoped the prince might never marry, for they lived under the auspices of the regent, a wise and fair man. Prince Jeran was not wise. If his mind had been a sword it would have had a dull edge.
For example, one day Jeran was given a gift by a queen who had been a close friend of his mother's. It was a diamond and held one wish within it.
"Lovely," Jeran said. "I wish I had more gold in order to win over a princess."
The treasury filled with gold, though Jeran had been wealthy already.
"He ought to have wished for some brains," the Chancellor muttered and the Regent frowned, but couldn't' disagree.
The prince was luckier than he maybe deserved though, because a few months later another magical object came into his possession. It was a lamp, sent by a sorcerer who had been a close friend of his father's. It too held one wish within it.
"Prince Jeran," the regent said hastily as the prince polished eagerly at the lamp. "Please consider your wish carefully. You gained wealth without any ill effects, but wishes can be tricky things. A poorly thought wish could be dangerous."
The prince hesitated. "I wish I knew what to wish for," he said. The regent stifled a groan. Jeran slapped his forehead. "Blast," he said. "I ought to have wished to find a princess."
"Yes," the regent said. "That might have been a useful wish."
Once again luck intervened. A storm that night tore part of the roof away. The servants began moving the furniture out of it to protect it from the rain. In the morning the prince went to inspect the items that had been in storage his whole life, for they had been the queen mother's rooms and his paternal grandmother had died before he was born.
"What's this?" he asked.
The regent moved away the cloth. "I believe it is a magic mirror," he said. "Your grandmother was said to have owned such a thing, though none but she and her lady in waiting ever laid eyes on upon it."
"Splendid!" said Jeran. "Let's put it up on the wall, see if it works."
The regent could muster no suitable argument against it, so the mirror was put up on the prince's wall. The regent hoped the mirror wasn't actually magic, or that the magic had run out of it, or that it wouldn't talk to a foolish young man without any magic of his own.
"Hey, wake up and tell me how to find a princess," said Jeran. Which was really not an appropriate way to address a powerful object.
Mala's mirror had been owned by women who were essentially good natured and it had, as a result, become rather good natured too – so far as mirrors could be said to be good in nature. This mirror however, had been owned by a woman who, though not cruel, did have a mean streak, and a rather wicked sense of humour. So, when it was so rudely spoken to, the mirror decided it would have some fun.
Besides, after twenty three years under a sheet, it was ready to cause a bit of mayhem and enjoy the show.
"If the princeling talks to me, he should speak in poetry," the mirror said haughtily.
Jeran stared at the regent.
"It wishes you to speak in rhyme," the regent clarified.
"Ask it to find me a princess," Jeran demanded.
The regent cleared his throat. He didn’t entirely trust the mirror, not just because it was magical and it always paid to be careful of such objects, but because he was old enough to remember the Queen Mother. Anything of hers might well be as crafty as she had been. Still, he couldn't refuse the prince.
"Mirror, Mirror, can you find, for the prince, a suitable bride?"
It didn't quite scan, but the mirror was satisfied and its surface rippled. "Yes, indeed, I see her now, noble bred and fair of brow."
The regent thought for a moment. "Please tell us where the lady is, so the prince can get his wish."
"Near the foot of mountains black, search for the woman on a wooded track."
Jeran frowned. "Can't you be more specific?"
The mirror was silent. The regent spread his hands. "Magic is unpredictable. We can send out search parties toward the Black Mountain to the west and the Ebony Hills in the north."
"Good, do so. Let's find my bride and I can be King Jeran at last." Jeran scratched at his chin. "I hope she's pretty and kind, like in the storybooks."
If the mirror could have smiled it would have done so. Its surface rippled wildly, which if one didn't know better, might have looked very like laughter.
Fandom: loosely based on the Snow White fairytale
Rating: PG-13 (at least for now)
Word Count: 1125
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.
part one part two part three part four part five
Chapter Five
Breakfast was a meagre affair. Eirwen found herself pining for the platters of fruit, warm bread rolls, boiled eggs, and honey-laced porridge that graced the palace's dining table.
"I'll take you to the market today," Cedric said, "and then it's my turn to clean the house. Once I've shown you how, you can take over the housekeeping for us."
Eirwen frowned. Did this man expect her to work?
"You can hardly come down the mine," Don laughed. "Princess like yourself can probably not even lift the pickaxe."
Six of the men departed for the mine after breakfast. Cedric cleared away the plates and Eirwen reluctantly helped with the washing and drying.
"I'd usually do the beds today, and then dash off to the market and then to the mine to get a few hours in before dark," Cedric prattled on. "But since you're here now, I'll just show you where the clean sheets are. And this basket, here, you can put the dirty sheets and clothes in it, and take it to the river – I'll show you on the way to the market."
Eirwen followed in stony silence as Cedric gave her instructions. She followed him out of the cottage and out through the forest, down winding paths that she would never be able to navigate for herself, though he clearly knew the way.
At the edge of the market town, Cedric paused. "You should put your hood up," he said. "In case anyone recognises you."
Eirwen did as he said, though she thought if she did see a noble she knew, she'd fling herself on their mercy.
Meanwhile, in the nearby kingdom of Rymnos, a prince named Jeran was delighted with a fortunate turn of events.
He was heir to the throne, but could not become king until he took a wife. He was handsome, as his parents had been before they died, and his bearing was regal.
There were many who hoped the prince might never marry, for they lived under the auspices of the regent, a wise and fair man. Prince Jeran was not wise. If his mind had been a sword it would have had a dull edge.
For example, one day Jeran was given a gift by a queen who had been a close friend of his mother's. It was a diamond and held one wish within it.
"Lovely," Jeran said. "I wish I had more gold in order to win over a princess."
The treasury filled with gold, though Jeran had been wealthy already.
"He ought to have wished for some brains," the Chancellor muttered and the Regent frowned, but couldn't' disagree.
The prince was luckier than he maybe deserved though, because a few months later another magical object came into his possession. It was a lamp, sent by a sorcerer who had been a close friend of his father's. It too held one wish within it.
"Prince Jeran," the regent said hastily as the prince polished eagerly at the lamp. "Please consider your wish carefully. You gained wealth without any ill effects, but wishes can be tricky things. A poorly thought wish could be dangerous."
The prince hesitated. "I wish I knew what to wish for," he said. The regent stifled a groan. Jeran slapped his forehead. "Blast," he said. "I ought to have wished to find a princess."
"Yes," the regent said. "That might have been a useful wish."
Once again luck intervened. A storm that night tore part of the roof away. The servants began moving the furniture out of it to protect it from the rain. In the morning the prince went to inspect the items that had been in storage his whole life, for they had been the queen mother's rooms and his paternal grandmother had died before he was born.
"What's this?" he asked.
The regent moved away the cloth. "I believe it is a magic mirror," he said. "Your grandmother was said to have owned such a thing, though none but she and her lady in waiting ever laid eyes on upon it."
"Splendid!" said Jeran. "Let's put it up on the wall, see if it works."
The regent could muster no suitable argument against it, so the mirror was put up on the prince's wall. The regent hoped the mirror wasn't actually magic, or that the magic had run out of it, or that it wouldn't talk to a foolish young man without any magic of his own.
"Hey, wake up and tell me how to find a princess," said Jeran. Which was really not an appropriate way to address a powerful object.
Mala's mirror had been owned by women who were essentially good natured and it had, as a result, become rather good natured too – so far as mirrors could be said to be good in nature. This mirror however, had been owned by a woman who, though not cruel, did have a mean streak, and a rather wicked sense of humour. So, when it was so rudely spoken to, the mirror decided it would have some fun.
Besides, after twenty three years under a sheet, it was ready to cause a bit of mayhem and enjoy the show.
"If the princeling talks to me, he should speak in poetry," the mirror said haughtily.
Jeran stared at the regent.
"It wishes you to speak in rhyme," the regent clarified.
"Ask it to find me a princess," Jeran demanded.
The regent cleared his throat. He didn’t entirely trust the mirror, not just because it was magical and it always paid to be careful of such objects, but because he was old enough to remember the Queen Mother. Anything of hers might well be as crafty as she had been. Still, he couldn't refuse the prince.
"Mirror, Mirror, can you find, for the prince, a suitable bride?"
It didn't quite scan, but the mirror was satisfied and its surface rippled. "Yes, indeed, I see her now, noble bred and fair of brow."
The regent thought for a moment. "Please tell us where the lady is, so the prince can get his wish."
"Near the foot of mountains black, search for the woman on a wooded track."
Jeran frowned. "Can't you be more specific?"
The mirror was silent. The regent spread his hands. "Magic is unpredictable. We can send out search parties toward the Black Mountain to the west and the Ebony Hills in the north."
"Good, do so. Let's find my bride and I can be King Jeran at last." Jeran scratched at his chin. "I hope she's pretty and kind, like in the storybooks."
If the mirror could have smiled it would have done so. Its surface rippled wildly, which if one didn't know better, might have looked very like laughter.
no subject
Date: 2012-09-19 11:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-19 12:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-19 08:47 pm (UTC)I'm so disappointed in the prince for wishing for more gold. But it makes sense - people usually wish for stuff they don't need. I just hope it didn't leap out of someone else's treasury, though!
And I like that there's a magic mirror in the attic, too ;)
no subject
Date: 2012-09-20 08:48 am (UTC)Oh, yes, I'm sure wars have been started over less than some missing coin! But Jeran isn't the brightest, a fact the mirror is having fun with.
Royal attics. You never know what you might find up there :D
no subject
Date: 2017-07-28 01:12 pm (UTC)Eirwen and Jeran will be the death of each other! Or be bratty together and get murdered for being incompetent rulers?
no subject
Date: 2017-07-28 07:08 pm (UTC)