"What kind of story would you like to hear, my love?"
"A sad one."
The mother looked at her child and smiled sadly. She brushed his long black locks from his face and tucked them behind his ear.
"Why a sad one, my love?"
"Because my heart is sad."
"That reminds me of the story of a beautiful fairy princess!"
Her child smiled widely and his grey eyes were fixed intensely on her as he waited impatiently for her to begin her story.
"There once was a beautiful fairy princess who lived on the lake. Everyone in the land had heard of her beauty and many a man and beast had tried to win her heart. For years they tried; they brought gifts, fought battles, rode dragons, yet none seemed good enough for her. All marveled at her beauty, and although she appreciated their kind words and brave acts, none were able to melt her heart, for none were able to understand."
"Did she not like to be told she was pretty?"
"She wanted more. You see, my love, the fairy princess was blind and could not see their efforts.She did not know what she looked like and so their kind words were lost. One by one, they disappeared. One day, however, a young fellow came to her lake. This fellow did not proclaim his love to her. In fact, he said not a word. Instead, he took out a violin and played for her. She had never heard such beautiful music. She lay in the water, making not a sound for fear that she would miss even an instant of the beauty he was creating."
"Was he a handsome fellow?"
"It is said that he was, but that is not what mattered to our princess. She could not see him, remember?"
Her son giggled. She continued.
"Every day he would visit the princess, and every day he would play something new. The fellow hardly ever spoke, but he had the most melodious voice the fairy princess had ever heard. One day, the fellow said to the princess, 'Sing with me, Princess, you shall see. Something magnificent will happen.' And so she did. At first, she felt not a thing, but quickly, the sound of their music turned to beautiful colours. She had never seen colours before. She was so surprised, so delighted, that she cried tears of joy. She still could not see him, not exactly, but she knew where he stood from the golden orange and purple that danced around his frame. She flew toward him, and for the first time in almost an eternity, she left her lake and sat by his side. He stopped playing, and the colours around him slowly began to fade. 'I can no longer see you,' she said sadly. He took her hand and placed it on his cheek. 'You do not need to,' he replied. 'So long as you are here, so too will I. You do not have to see me. Hear me and know that I am by your side. Forever.' "
"This doesn't seem like a sad story, mother."
"Now, now, I am not finished! The fairy princess and the fellow quickly decided to get married. They invited all the creatures of the forest, and the creatures were so excited to hear that she had finally found her true love.
'A new dress for you princess,' said King Estermot, a beaver who had been deemed ruler of the animals of the land.'
'A new crown for you princess,' said King Amett, from the mountains ruled by the dwarfs.
'A new violin for your prince to be,' said Ymaria, leader of the elves.
The gifts kept coming as the wedding day approached, and to everyone the fairy princess would sing so that she may see them through their colours.
One day, however, as the princess lay on a lily pad braiding her hair, a strange man appeared before her.
'O princess,' he said. 'I have the most wonderful gift for you. It's not quite ready yet, but you shall see.'
That night, as the fairy princess and young fellow slept, a strange noise crept up through the forest. Startled, the princess woke her beloved.
'Who goes?' asked the fellow as he walked out into the forest toward the noise.
The fairy princess waited in worry until finally she heard footsteps returning.
'My love,' she said. 'You had me terribly worried!'
Suddenly, she was struck in the face, and her dark world darkened further."
At that, her son let out a gasp. His eyes widened with fear for the character he had come to love. The mother took his hands into her own before continuing.
"The next day was the morning of the wedding. The fairy princess was woken up by the sunlight; she opened her eyes and was blinded by it. Looking around, she could see the trees, the sky, her lake, a man...
'Who are you?' she asked. She blinked confusedly. 'Why can I see..?' The man smiled widely at her.
'I did promise that you would see,' he replied.
For a moment, the fairy princess was delighted by her gift, until she realized that her beloved was nowhere to be seen. At that moment she remembered that he had not returned last. Horrified, she flew to the waters edge and stared at her reflection. She hummed her favourite tune and her eyes glowed purple and orange.
'Now,' said the man, 'now you may see the rest of us and see that we are more beautiful than he!'"
The mother stared at her child and waited to see his reaction.
"Honey?" A man opened the door to the bedroom. The mother looked up at him. "Honey, what are you doing?"
"We were in the middle of a bedtime story. Can't you see?"
Tears flowed down the husband's face. "Honey... Our boy... He's..." Leaving his sentence unfinished, he left the room.
The mother turned back to the empty bed and continued her story.
"This doesn't seem like a sad story, mother."
"Now, now, I am not finished! The fairy princess and the fellow quickly decided to get married. They invited all the creatures of the forest, and the creatures were so excited to hear that she had finally found her true love.
'A new dress for you princess,' said King Estermot, a beaver who had been deemed ruler of the animals of the land.'
'A new crown for you princess,' said King Amett, from the mountains ruled by the dwarfs.
'A new violin for your prince to be,' said Ymaria, leader of the elves.
The gifts kept coming as the wedding day approached, and to everyone the fairy princess would sing so that she may see them through their colours.
One day, however, as the princess lay on a lily pad braiding her hair, a strange man appeared before her.
'O princess,' he said. 'I have the most wonderful gift for you. It's not quite ready yet, but you shall see.'
That night, as the fairy princess and young fellow slept, a strange noise crept up through the forest. Startled, the princess woke her beloved.
'Who goes?' asked the fellow as he walked out into the forest toward the noise.
The fairy princess waited in worry until finally she heard footsteps returning.
'My love,' she said. 'You had me terribly worried!'
Suddenly, she was struck in the face, and her dark world darkened further."
At that, her son let out a gasp. His eyes widened with fear for the character he had come to love. The mother took his hands into her own before continuing.
"The next day was the morning of the wedding. The fairy princess was woken up by the sunlight; she opened her eyes and was blinded by it. Looking around, she could see the trees, the sky, her lake, a man...
'Who are you?' she asked. She blinked confusedly. 'Why can I see..?' The man smiled widely at her.
'I did promise that you would see,' he replied.
For a moment, the fairy princess was delighted by her gift, until she realized that her beloved was nowhere to be seen. At that moment she remembered that he had not returned last. Horrified, she flew to the waters edge and stared at her reflection. She hummed her favourite tune and her eyes glowed purple and orange.
'Now,' said the man, 'now you may see the rest of us and see that we are more beautiful than he!'"
The mother stared at her child and waited to see his reaction.
"Honey?" A man opened the door to the bedroom. The mother looked up at him. "Honey, what are you doing?"
"We were in the middle of a bedtime story. Can't you see?"
Tears flowed down the husband's face. "Honey... Our boy... He's..." Leaving his sentence unfinished, he left the room.
The mother turned back to the empty bed and continued her story.
